Synopsis
This poster presentation describes a practice-based project that was initiated to improve referencing supports available to students in an institution delivering online/blended postgraduate programmes in primary and post-primary education, in response to high numbers of student queries and requests for further support. Guided by a student-centred approach and informed by a review of the scholarship on referencing supports, the project consisted of a comprehensive update of the institution`s core Referencing Guide and the delivery of a series of drop-in webinar workshops, where referencing queries from students could be dealt with directly and specific problem areas addressed. These supports were aimed at postgraduate students undertaking Professional Master of Education (PME) degrees in primary or post-primary education. Students` responses to and engagement with these additional supports are analysed and discussed, and the evolution of the initial project to include broader, more embedded support is considered.
Abstract
Many students struggle with academic referencing practices throughout their undergraduate years and often still need support at postgraduate level (Moore, 2014). In many academic writing courses and support structures, however, little guidance is provided for referencing beyond convention documentation and institutional guidelines on academic misconduct. MacGowan (2005, as cited in Delahunt et al., 2012) suggests that such approaches may undermine the development of academic writing skills. Furthermore, poor referencing support may impede students` development as self-motivated, independent learners who can engage effectively with academic sources (Gravett & Kinchin, 2020a). In recent times, referencing has become a major source of anxiety among students due to its frequently being discussed in relation to plagiarism and academic misconduct, rather than as a skill that supports academic success (Lea & Street, 1998; Hendricks & Quinn, 2000). The consistently high number of referencing queries received by our institution`s digital library on a regular basis – almost a thousand such queries are recorded each academic year – appears to reflect these findings, indicating a need for support beyond what was being provided. Due to the distance-learning, blended nature of our institution`s programmes, referencing supports to date have been mostly asynchronous resources accessed and/or downloaded through the digital library site and the programme VLE. While these resources are a necessary and convenient support for students, they lack a sense of `presence` as articulated by the Community of Inquiry Framework (Garrison et al., 2001) – whether through human interaction, professional expertise, or opportunities to raise questions and obtain clarifications.
The current initiative aimed to enhance the existing referencing supports for postgraduate students undertaking Professional Master of Education (PME) degrees in primary or post-primary education via blended learning. This was initiated by, firstly, conducting a comprehensive update of the core online Referencing Guide, and subsequently providing a series of online drop-in workshops for referencing queries, conducted via Zoom and open to all students. This poster presentation describes the evolution of the initiative and outlines findings from periodic evaluations conducted to assess participant engagement and feedback. An analysis of library usage data and student feedback survey data demonstrates high student engagement with and responses to these additional supports over time. The presentation also describes how the rollout of the initial project has, over time, garnered increased engagement and interest from the wider institution, leading to the development of more comprehensive and differentiated academic writing and referencing supports in collaboration with academic programmes and student support, resulting in a more embedded approach to providing this crucial support. This reflects the broad consensus in the scholarship (for example, Gravett & Kinchin 2020b; Hendricks & Quinn, 2000; Marsh & Campion, 2018) that emphasises embedded instruction in academic writing and referencing as the most effective and sustainable approach. To date, the project has not looked at the impact of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT on referencing practices; however, we are engaging with academic staff on how to provide further support in this emerging area. The presentation will be of most interest to educators, trainers, librarians and student support staff, especially those providing academic integrity supports in a blended-learning context.
Keywords
Academic writing, Referencing, Student support, Academic integrity, Student centred, Online learning
References
Delahunt, B., Everitt-Reynolds, A, Maguire, M., & Sheridan, F. (2012). Situating academic writing in the undergraduate curriculum: some reflections. All-Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE-J), 4(2), 69.1-69.10. https://doi.org/10.62707/aishej.v4i2.69
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking and computer conferencing: A model and tool to assess cognitive presence. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7-23.
https://auspace.athabascau.ca/bitstream/handle/2149/740/critical_thinking_and_comput?sequence=1
Gravett, K. & Kinchin, I. M. (2020a). Referencing and empowerment: Exploring barriers to agency in the higher education student experience. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(1), 84-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2018.1541883
Gravett, K. & Kinchin, I. M. (2020b). The role of academic referencing within students’ identity development. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(3), 1-12.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1766665
Hendricks, M. & Quinn, L. (2000). Teaching referencing as an introduction to epistemological empowerment. Teaching in Higher Education, 5(4), 447-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/713699175
Lea, M. R. & Street, B. V. (1998). Student writing in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in Higher Education, 23(2), 157-172.
https://www.doi.org/10.1080/03075079812331380364
Marsh, J. D. & Campion, J. (2018). Academic integrity and referencing: Whose responsibility is it? Journal of Academic Language and Learning, 12(1), A213-A226.
https://journal.aall.org.au/index.php/jall/article/view/546
Moore, E. (2014). Accuracy of referencing and patterns of plagiarism in electronically published theses. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 10(1), 42-55.
https://ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/article/view/933