Collaboration in subject design: integration of the teaching and assessment of literacy skills into a first-year accounting course

Abstract

Teaching communication skills at university has been advocated both in Australia and overseas. This paper outlines a pilot project undertaken at the University of Sydney to integrate the teaching of writing skills into the first-year accounting course. The teaching of literacy skills is a developmental issue, and cannot be assumed as pre-requisite knowledge. The paper also reports on the diagnostic assessment of the literacy skills of first-year accounting students in week ten of the first semester and an adjunct remedial support workshop for those identified as having poor enough literacy skills to place them at risk of failing the course. Results suggest that students are most in need of help with (1) organising and development of a written text and (2) control of writing in an academic style. There is some correlation between level of English studied for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the need for remedial intervention.