University literacy: A multi-literacies model

Abstract

Literacy teachers in schools and universities share a common goal: to prepare students with the 'literacies' they need to succeed in and beyond educational settings. In a 'wideningparticipation' era universities must increase and expand their literacy offerings to help students make the most of their university experiences. At Flinders University in South Australia we have set out to design a first-year literacy framework to equip students with the foundational literacies they need to succeed. Once implemented, the framework should help to increase retention and completion rates and give 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' student cohorts a more empowering education experience. It will also help students from diverse backgrounds make the transition to tertiary study. Our 'multiliteracies' framework explicitly addresses four key tertiary literacies: (1) institutional literacies, (2) critical literacies, (3) traditional literacies, and (4) academic literacies. The framework endeavours to make explicit many of the literacy requirements that were previously assumed, and should help equalise differences in 'cultural capital' and literacy levels of students arriving at university. This paper will unpack the multiliteracies framework and explore the nexus between cultural capital and literacy practice.