Securing transferable skills training in geology educationBRITTA SMÅNGS , HELENA ALEXANDERSON AND HELENA L. FILIPSSON

Who are we?

Britta Smångs, librarian, the Geolibrary,

Helena Alexanderson, professor, Department of Geology, and

Helena L. Filipsson, associate professor, Department of Geology

What is a good text?

• Right/Wrong (style),

• Correct/not correct (correctness),

• Good/Bad (functionality: is the text readable and understandable?)*

*Rosenkvist, H. 2010. Rätt men dåligt : Om felfria studenttexter som inte är bra. I Svensson och svenskan: med sinnen känsliga för språk : [festskrift till Jan Svensson den 24 januari 2010], red. J. Svensson, G. Byrman, A. Gustafsson, and H. Rahm, 269-280 pp. Lund: Henrik Rahm.

Our project work: To write well, correct, and precise

• For a degree of Bachelor, students must ”demonstrate an ability to present and discuss information, problems and solutions in dialogue with different groups, orally and in writing” (Higher Education Ordinance, SFS 1993:100).

• Training is needed!

• How is the training executed and is there a progression?

• How do we secure this transferable skills training?

The dept. of geology’s curriculum for transferable skills training

• A four-year education- and training program; a

complement to the subject learning in geology

• Writing/Information literacy: an ”co-operation” issue for

the teaching staff, the Geolibrary and the IT-department

• To train written and oral communication and to train

language/professional jargon in Swedish and English

• To better prepare the students for working life

Student writing at the Dept. of geology

• The students mostly write project report, reviews, excursion guides

Our questions:

• Are the students given opportunities to train in different kinds of writing?

• To what extent does the current situation correspond with the department’s curriculum?

The inventory

• Study of relevant documentation at department, university and national level

• Questionnaires sent to students and teaching staff

Findings from the questionnaires

• The students find it difficult to conform to style and structure of scientific writing; the teachers also recognize this as a problem

• Students want feedback on their writing, teachers express considerable interest in helping the students develop their writing, but lack time

• Teachers think they give more feedback than the students think they are given

And what now?

The department’s curriculum needs revison, a work group has started this work:

- Adopt to syllabus

- Adopt to larger student groups

- Student peer review groups

- Promote awareness of both students and teachers of the importance of transferable skill = use the existing curriculum document more actively!