Benefits for teaching & learning, particularly for students The benefits of this project include the following: • Students’ academic performance may be improved as they develop academic literacy skills in an accessible and student-friendly way. This may improve the high dropout rates currently experienced by tertiary institutions in South Africa. • Students will develop digital skills with technology to broaden their academic literacy skills applied to an authentic learning environment (communication specific), which, with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), is non-negotiable. • Digital skills among the academic community in strategic communication (and related fields such as public relations) are developed using technology to impart academic literacy skills within a discipline to students. Reference list Arends, D. and Petersen, N.F., 2018. The role of first-year experience excursion in promoting social integration at university: Student teachers’ views. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 8(1), pp.1-9. Boughey, C. and McKenna, S. (2016) ‘Academic literacy and the decontextualised learner’, Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning, 4(2), pp. 1–9. Available at: https://doaj.org/article/ ba8b3ac40b204bdc8f3fbdec4a172414 (Accessed: 20 June 2022). Boakye, N.A.N.Y. and Mai, M.M., 2016. A Needs Analysis for a Discipline-Specific Reading Intervention. English Language Teaching, 9(3), pp.235-247. Gunn, C., Hearne, S. and Sibthorpe, J., 2011. Right from the start: A rationale for embedding academic literacy skills in university courses. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 8(1), p.6. Mihindou, G.R. 2019. Language and academic literacies development at the University of Johannsburg. In: Scott, C.L. and Ivala, E.N. (Eds). Transformation of Higher Education Institutions in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Routledge. Van Zyl, A., 2016. The contours of inequality: The links between socio-economic status of students and other variables at the University of Johannesburg. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 4(1). How could others learn from this project This project provides a basis for others to consider the development of academic literature as part of their disciplines and curriculums. As an open access resource (OER), colleagues from within and outside the university can explore its use and consider collaborative approaches with individuals with literacy and technical knowledge to adapt this SCORM for their students. At the same time, it may help others consider a staged approach in developing a web-based application for broader use. Outputs/ Innovations derived from the project This project provides a platform for developing academic literacy and digital skills among students and the academic community as a first of its kind in South Africa. It focuses on the self-directed learning of academic literacy as a game in a specific discipline for first-year students. As part of the project, research is being conducted on the student experience of the SCORM module so that further iteration of the application can be refined. The research will provide important insights for further development and sharing of ideas with others. This project was selected for the Digital Humanities Open Educational Resources Champions programme. It offered the opportunity to engage with other like-minded individuals on open educational resources, enabling sharing of these resources with the broader academic community for use and adaptation. The research will also be published and available to the broader academic community. Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching Innovation Projects 2022 47
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