Learning to write is like learning to swim

The Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) recently held a two-day writing development course at SAIAB for ACEP’s Phuhlisa Programme honours students at SAIAB. A number of students and interns from SAIAB also attended the course which was presented by Prof. Chrissie Boughey, Dean of Teaching & Learning at Rhodes University. 
The course aims to help post-grad students in writing their theses. Students were taught the differences between good and bad writers. Good writers start by writing informally, for themselves, move on to drafting, and redrafting then end by editing their work.  Bad writers start by writing for the supervisor early on, draft and edit all together. Students were also taught how to make a claim/statement and use evidence to support that claim. Prof. Boughey taught students that learning to write is like learning to swim: you only get better at it through constant practice.

Students started by identifying their problem areas in writing their thesis/projects. These challenges were dealt with and answered at the end of the course. “Eye-opener, awesome, useful, helpful” were some of the words students used to describe the course.