Diploma courses are popular pathways for both domestic and international students. This pathway can provide a stepping stone for those who wish to transition to a degree course, especially for those who are yet to meet the academic requirements for degree entry. Diploma students bring to university a rich diversity of educational and personal experiences: different ages, nationalities, prior learning experiences, and expectations of their role as learners (Wingate 2007). Many are not well prepared for their studies, nor the expectation that they must actively participate in their learning (Tinto, 2017; Wingate, 2007, 2015, 2018). Two key questions faced by academics teaching pathway students are: 1. How can we encourage academic skills and literacy development in Diploma students? 2. Simultaneously, how do we encourage self-management and independent learning? Diploma students need a high level of support from the institution to gain epistemological and sociocultural access to the knowledge being taught in their chosen discipline (Wingate, 2015). However, there is a danger that the provision of such support could lead to students becoming overly dependent on their teachers (Nallaya & Hobson, 2021). Two strategies have been embedded to support students in EDUC1001 during Term 3 to become independent learners. Support is embedded within EDUC1001 tutorials and workshops via timetabled College Connect lab sessions; and associated online modular support material, which students can access on an as-needed basis. There is a difference in academic performance between those who attended College Connect labs and/or accessed the College Connect Blackboard site. Moreover, in-class scaffolding and modelling support appear to have improved student performance in self-management strategies to produce an academic essay.?
Nallaya, S., & Hobson, J. E. (2021). A division-wide framework to scaffold the development of English language and intercultural learning. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 15(1), 162-186. https://journal.aall.org.au/index.php/jall/article/view/767?
Tinto, V. (2017). Through the eyes of students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 19(3), 254-269. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115621917?
Wingate, U. (2007). A framework for transition: Supporting Learning to Learn in higher education. Higher Education Quarterly, 61(3), 391-405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2007.00361.x??
?Wingate, U. (2015). Academic literacy and student diversity: The case for inclusive practice. Multilingual Matters. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/lib/scu/detail.action?docID=2000150?
?Wingate, U. (2018). Academic literacy across the curriculum: Towards a collaborative instructional approach. Language Teaching, 51(3), 349-364. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444816000264?