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All Outputs (23)

Using Rubrics as Feedforward Tools for Subject Contextualized Dialogue (2023)
Book Chapter
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2023). Using Rubrics as Feedforward Tools for Subject Contextualized Dialogue. In C. Gonsalves, & J. Pearson (Eds.), Improving Learning Through Assessment Rubrics: Student Awareness of What and How They Learn (229-247). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6086-3.ch013

This chapter outlines an approach to using rubrics in a feedforward process using dialogue between teachers and students that takes place before students hand in their assignments. As such, it aims to complement existing research demonstrating the va... Read More about Using Rubrics as Feedforward Tools for Subject Contextualized Dialogue.

Enhancing Student Support in Higher Education: A Subject-Focused Approach (2022)
Book
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2022). Enhancing Student Support in Higher Education: A Subject-Focused Approach. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81724-4

This book is about supporting students in Higher Education using language, and specifically using a combination of written text based linguistic approaches alongside and with other non-text related languages. The authors call this a beyond-text subje... Read More about Enhancing Student Support in Higher Education: A Subject-Focused Approach.

Scotland’s History of Animation: An Exploratory Account of the Key Figures and Influential Events (2021)
Journal Article
Mortimer, J., Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2021). Scotland’s History of Animation: An Exploratory Account of the Key Figures and Influential Events. Animation, 16(3), 190-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/17468477211052598

Scotland’s history of animation is a forgotten past accomplishment in the animation/VFX sector, with key influential animation professionals having had an impact both at home and abroad. Yet, to date, this history has not been meaningfully documented... Read More about Scotland’s History of Animation: An Exploratory Account of the Key Figures and Influential Events.

Considering Generic Study Skills and the roles of Academic Advisers (2021)
Presentation / Conference
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2021, January). Considering Generic Study Skills and the roles of Academic Advisers. Presented at ScotHELD Winter 2021 Conference, Online

In this short session we draw on work we have done over a number of years but primarily on a recent paper published in Teaching in Higher Education entitled ‘Study Skills: neoliberalism’s perfect Tinkerbell.’ We outline our own roles in the UK and Au... Read More about Considering Generic Study Skills and the roles of Academic Advisers.

Study Skills: neoliberalism’s perfect Tinkerbell (2020)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2023). Study Skills: neoliberalism’s perfect Tinkerbell. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(3), 580-596. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1839745

We argue that current approaches to Study Skills support are presented as being a panacea for resolving the issues presented by neoliberal approaches to educational expansion. We argue that for such a panacea to be believed pedagogically effective, f... Read More about Study Skills: neoliberalism’s perfect Tinkerbell.

Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses (2020)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2020). Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses. Maritime Business Review, 5(4), 351-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-10-2019-0042

Purpose: Shipping courses contain much technical and specialist knowledge and present particular challenges for English medium instruction (EMI). This paper aims to investigate both student perceptions of the importance and satisfaction level of EMI... Read More about Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses.

How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it. (2020)
Presentation / Conference
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2020, May). How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it. Paper presented at DPR20 Discourse, Power and Resistance the values of education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

In this presentation, extending previous research, the authors argue that a particular view of language which sees it as a concrete abstract objectivist entity separable from any context for analysis and teaching underpins neoliberal approaches to su... Read More about How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it..

Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought (2020)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2020). Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought. Qualitative Report, 25(1), 127-144

We are lecturers who help students studying subjects that use word-based writing, non-word based writing such as Mathematics, and non-text based language such as visual semiotics. To access examples of such language with subject lecturers we have fou... Read More about Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought.

The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland (2019)
Presentation / Conference
Mortimer, J., Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2019, November). The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland. Presented at Educating Animators Conference, University of Salford, Manchester

This presentation outlines the perceptions of professionals from the animation/vfx industry in Scotland regarding the teaching of animation in Further and Higher Education. The concept of a possible 'Skills Gap' was explored through questions posed t... Read More about The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland.

How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this (2018)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this. Power and Education, 175774381881180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757743818811801

In this article we argue a particular view of language underpins approaches to supporting students in Higher Education, and that this view facilitates neoliberalism. Universities worldwide have glossaries of terms such as 'describe' or 'discuss', and... Read More about How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this.

Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education (2018)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education. Maritime Business Review, https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2017-0020

English is a common language in the global shipping industry and many universities in non-English speaking countries in the world are now moving towards the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) to deliver their courses. Such a medium incre... Read More about Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education.

Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics? (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2017). Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics?. English for Specific Purposes Special Interest Group Journal,

In our presentation for the IATEFL ESP-SIG in Athens our intention was to create ‘wobble’ and genuine dialogue around the issue of the importance of ‘context’ in relation to corpus linguistics. We believe we failed to achieve this, as illustrated by... Read More about Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics?.

Academic literacies: the word is not enough (2017)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2017). Academic literacies: the word is not enough. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2017.1360270

For Academic Literacies, the world is textually mediated; written texts and what informs them reveal elements such as subject-discipline practices. Furthermore, multi-modalities, for example, visual representation, inform written text, and multiple m... Read More about Academic literacies: the word is not enough.

Constructing English Medium indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan's higher education (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Tseng, P., Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2017, May). Constructing English Medium indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan's higher education. Paper presented at 9th International Forum on Shipping, Ports and Airports

English is a common language in the global maritime industry and many countries are now moving towards the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) to deliver their courses. Such a medium increases students’ proficiency in the common language... Read More about Constructing English Medium indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan's higher education.

An individual subjectivist critique of the use of corpus linguistics to inform pedagogical materials. (2016)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2016). An individual subjectivist critique of the use of corpus linguistics to inform pedagogical materials. Dialogic Pedagogy, 4, https://doi.org/10.5195/dpj.2016.163

Corpus Linguistics, or the gathering together of language into a body for analysis and development of materials, claims itself an assured, established method (or field) that valuably informs pedagogical materials and knowledge of language. The fundam... Read More about An individual subjectivist critique of the use of corpus linguistics to inform pedagogical materials..

The paradigmatic hearts of subjects which their "English" flows through (2016)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2016). The paradigmatic hearts of subjects which their "English" flows through. Higher Education Research and Development, 35(5), 997-1010. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1138455

Much research into the use of corpora and discourse to support higher education students on pre-sessional and in-sessional courses champions subject specificity. Drawing on the work of writers such as Bakhtin (1981) and Voloshinov (1973), in this art... Read More about The paradigmatic hearts of subjects which their "English" flows through.