Academic literacies

Our academic literacies modules are credit-bearing and focus on the development of academic language skills and thinking strategies that are essential for successful study in the various faculties. Our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of language, information, literacy and subject specialists assists students in refining their academic reading and writing skills, thereby assuring academic success. All of our modules are available in a blended or online format in line with each faculty’s approach.

Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Theology

Writing Skills 171

Who is the target audience?

First-year students in the LLB, BA (Law) and BCom (Law) programmes.

Why is this module important?

Law students and legal practitioners need to communicate well to be able to –
• read, understand, analyse and make up their own mind (critical analysis);
• draft a clear written argument (effective writing);
• find relevant case law in support of a legal argument (research);
• clearly formulate and argue their position or point (argument and presentation); and
• argue complex ideas in simple terms (share ideas).

What do students learn in this module?

We cover the following components in the curriculum:
• Conditions for and components of academic literacies
• Conditions for academic and legal language
• Comprehensive and critical reading strategies
• Research strategies as part of process writing

We have a diverse team of academics and experts who work together to create one logical and integrated experience for students.

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

This module is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Law as a year module and is presented in Afrikaans and in English. The Language Centre presents in the first semester and the Faculty of Law presents in the second semester. Students follow this compulsory module as part of their LLB, BA (Law) BCom (Law) studies in their first year.

Would you like more information?

Please contact Helga Sykstus or call 021 808 4004.

Personal and Professional Development: Theme B – Academic Literacy

Who is the target audience?

First-year students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Why is this module important?

As specialists in their field of study, health care practitioners demonstrate a lifelong commitment to reflective learning as well as the creation, dissemination, application and translation of knowledge. This module will therefore assist students to make the transition from thinking and writing at school level to thinking and writing in academia, and to communicate in the appropriate academic language and style.

What do students learn in this module?

We focus on the writing process of an academic article. Therefore the output of this module is an academic article at a level appropriate for first-year Medicine and Health Sciences students. We cover the following important topics to assist students to write their article:
• Topic analysis
• Planning of a text
• Text structure
• Academic writing style
• Coherency
• Referencing

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

Theme B is an embedded module in the Personal and Professional Development course, which is compulsory for all first-year Medicine and Health Sciences students. This module is presented as four workshop sessions of four hours each, which is facilitated in English or Afrikaans, and students may choose the option they prefer.

Would you like more information?

Please contact the course coordinator, Faika Haroun, or call 021 808 9102.

Science in Context 178

Who is the target audience?

First-year BSc students.

Why is this module important?

Scientists need to communicate well with others to be effective, since they –
• operate across boundaries;
• need to learn skills outside of their discipline; and
• often need to collaborate with peers from other disciplines to solve problems.

The goal of this module is to make BSc undergraduates aware of the fact that the challenges that 21st-century scientists face require them to have knowledge beyond their own fields of specialisation. It is important that the new generation of scientists be innovative and critical thinkers, who have mastered the skills of collaboration and teamwork early on in their undergraduate journey. This module aims to play a part in the acquisition of those skills.

What do students learn in this module?

The specific content that is built into the curriculum includes the development of –
• scientific communication skills;
• SU graduate attributes; and
• computer literacy.

Since the content for this course comes from different disciplines, it is offered to students by different experts. Therefore a large team of diverse academics work together to create one logical and integrated experience for students.

The curriculum is structured around a multi-disciplinary research study that students are to conduct. They have to approach the study as a group project.

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

This module is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Science as a year module, and is presented in Afrikaans and in English. Students follow this compulsory module as part of their BSc studies in their first year.

Would you like more information?

Please contact Fiona Stanford or call 021 808 2798.

Scientific Communication Skills 116

Who is the target audience?

First-year students in the extended degree programme of the faculties of Engineering, Science, and AgriScience.

Why is this module important?

Scientists and engineers need to communicate well to be effective, since –
• they will be sharing solutions to problems with clients and the public;
• they have to able to work effectively on their own and in collaboration with others; and
• they need to be able to convey their thinking appropriately in order to solve problems.

The goal of this module is to support extended degree students in Engineering, Science and AgriScience to develop the communication skills necessary for success in their fields of study. The focus on thinking skills and the ability to communicate ideas appropriately support their studies as a whole, since they would be able to apply those skills in their other subjects as well.

What do students learn in this module?

Specific content was built into the curriculum to facilitate the development of –
• academic reading comprehension;
• academic writing and speaking in order to communicate effectively; and
• strategic thinking for success.

We use a communicative approach to optimise the goal of working towards active, critical and engaged students, able to solve problems on their own or in a group. Material for the module comes from the subject fields in the faculties concerned. Students will be working towards producing a written article and a presentation on a topic relevant to their subject fields.

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

This credit-bearing module is offered in collaboration with the faculties of Engineering, Science and AgriScience as a semester course with six contact sessions per week. Students may choose to complete this course in English or Afrikaans, and the module can be offered online if required.

Would you like more information?

Please contact Ydalene Coetsee or call 021 808 9172.

Scientific Communication Skills 146

Who is the target audience?

First-year students in extended degree programmes of the faculties of Engineering, Science and AgriScience.

Why is this module important?

Scientists and engineers do not work in isolation, and their research is much more valuable when it can be read and understood by a wider audience. Therefore, being able to communicate clearly and effectively in the academic and scientific domains is of great importance, to both students and scientists and engineers.

We collaborate with lecturers in modules such as chemistry, physics and mathematics to give students in this module the opportunity to experience how the puzzle pieces of each of the different disciplines fit together, while we assist our students to develop their scientific communication skills further.

What do students learn in this module?

This module follows on Scientific Communication Skills 116, which is offered in the first semester. Students apply the academic literacies skills that they have developed in the first semester by completing a project with a written component. This project is contextualised in collaboration with modules in subject fields such as chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Students explore argumentative writing and multidisciplinary research while being made aware of the importance of scientific communication and the need to share their research with diverse audiences.

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

Students in the extended degree programmes of Engineering, Science and AgriScience follow this compulsory module in the second semester of their first year. The module is facilitated in English or Afrikaans, and students may choose the language option they prefer.

Would you like more information?

Please contact the course coordinator, Arné Binneman, or call 021 808 9731.

Academic Literacy for Theology 178

Who is the target audience?

First-year students in the extended degree programme of the Faculty of Theology.

Why is this module important?

The ability to communicate effectively is crucial for theology students, since successful communication is an essential requirement for success in their future academic and professional careers.

The goal of this course is to support theology undergraduates in the extended degree programme to acquire the necessary reading, writing, presentation and digital skills to navigate an environment where academic texts may be long and information dense.

What do students learn in this module?

We have tailored the content of this module to expose students to a variety texts and assignments. To develop their competencies, the module consists of three components:
• Scientific communication skills (two contact sessions per week)
• Digital literacies (one contact session per week)
• Information literacies (searching for and using appropriate sources when producing texts)

The module is presented in collaboration with the Faculty of Theology, with the faculty coordinator, Dawid Mouton, and the faculty librarian, Heila Maree, presenting some of the components.

The curriculum is structured around the assignments students are required to complete for their other modules in theology.

To find this module in the University Calendar, click the link to visit the page where the SU Calendar is hosted. Select the applicable Faculty Calendar part, and once that document has opened in a new tab, use your browser’s search function (usually activated by pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’) to search for the module name.

How is the module presented?

This module is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Theology as a year module and is presented in Afrikaans and in English. Students follow this compulsory module as part of their first year in the extended degree programme.

If necessary, the course is presented as an online offering, also for special non-residential students.

Would you like more information?

Please e-mail Ydalene Coetsee, call 021 808 9172, or e-mail Dawid Mouton.

Academic literacies

Writing Skills 171

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

Would you like more information?

Personal and Professional Development: Theme B – Academic Literacy

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

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Science in Context 178

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

Would you like more information?

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

Would you like more information?

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

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Academic Literacy for Theology 178

Who is the target audience?

Why is this module important?

What do students learn in this module?

How is the module presented?

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Academic literacies

Professional Literacies