Angela Rhead, Learning Developer within the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence (KIITE) has recently published a case study in a special edition of the Journal of Learning Development in HE (JLDHE). 

This special tenth anniversary edition of the journal focuses on academic literacies, and is a collaborative venture between the Global Forum for English for Academic Purposes Professionals (BALEAP); the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education and with representation from members of the European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing.  

Angela’s case study,  'The trouble with academic reading: exposing hidden threshold concepts through academic reading retreats' highlights the innovative work that Angela has led at Keele in developing academic reading retreats, and offers both personal reflections about facilitating student reading, and a preliminary evaluation of their potential. The case study also makes recommendations for staff and students in exploring academic reading together, alongside an acknowledgement of the challenges that entails. 

Angela comments:

“When the Journal of Learning Development in HE (JLDHE) issued a call for papers for a special edition to mark the 20th anniversary of Mary Lea and Brian Street's paper, ‘Student writing in higher education: an academic literacies approach’ I was hopeful that a paper about the oversight of reading in the discussion and debate regarding academic literacies since, and an exploration of a new approach to developing academic reading, would be accepted. So I am very pleased that my case study, 'The trouble with academic reading: exposing hidden threshold concepts through academic reading retreats' has become my first published paper, and even more excited to be sharing the issue with one of my learning development heroes, Ursula Wingate. 

“I'm hopeful now that I can share further learning from the research that myself and my colleague Chris Little have conducted on the subject, and that this, alongside our 'Becoming Well Read' symposium and forthcoming special issue of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practices, will continue to influence curriculum design and development at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.”

Angela Rhead will be leading the second ‘Becoming Well Read’ Academic Reading Symposium in April 2020 - to find out more, visit the KIITE event pages: Becoming Well Read 2020 

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