This paper is based on an empirical study of assessment practices currently being undertaken in a post-1992 university in the UK. Our broad interest is in examining assessment practices in context in order to explore why lecturers assess in the ways that they do. The Assessment Environments and Cultures project aims to illuminate some of the…

This article is the result of a grounded theory investigation into the ways PhD topics are assigned by supervisors in engineering and selected by students in the social sciences/humanities in UK universities, broadly referred to as "topic arrangement", which can be regarded as one aspect of academic socialisation into academic Discourse…

Represents an educator interviewing himself, with the help of an imaginary Jacques Derrida and quotes from the film "The Commitments." Ranges over many issues, including thoughts about rhetoric, composition, and U.S. culture. (PA)

In spring 1998, the Writing across the Curriculum (WAC) committee at Abilene Christian University (Texas) began an 18-month review of the school's Writing-Intensive (WI) courses. From the initial review, it was noted that two problems needed to be addressed: in spite of regular workshops and group meetings, the teachers worked in isolation…

A study explored some of the ways that the members of a medical educational institution make sense out of the radical pedagogical innovation taking place in their school. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with members at "MWCOM" (a pseudonym), then data were analyzed according to three primary themes which revolve around how…

A study focused attention on the academic personas acquired by two AAVE-oriented (African American Vernacular English) beginning writers as reflected by their speech in informal settings and the style they employed in academic tasks. The study explores the degree to which literacy experiences (home and school) affect students' lives. It was guided…