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Retreat Forwards: Student-facing Writing Retreats

Christopher Little (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Innovative Approaches in Pedagogy for Higher Education Classrooms

ISBN: 978-1-80043-257-4, eISBN: 978-1-80043-256-7

Publication date: 17 March 2022

Abstract

This case study will detail and discuss the decision by a central student-facing learning development unit at Keele University, to provide student writing retreats, accessible to students at all levels of higher education (HE) studies. Staff and researcher writing retreats have been found to improve productivity and motivation, and to develop some participants’ sense of identity as “writers” (Casey, Barron, & Gordon, 2013; Moore, 2003; Murray & Newton, 2009; Papen & Thériault, 2018; Swaggerty, Atkinson, Faulconer, & Griffith, 2011). Many UK higher education institutions provide a range of writing retreats, in varying formats, to staff and PhD students to further their writing goals but rarely, if ever, to undergraduate (UG) or postgraduate-taught (PGT) students.

Over the past four academic years, the learning development unit at Keele University have been developing and running a range of student writing retreats for UG and PGT students as part of our freestanding academic skills development provision. This case study will provide a summary scope of the sector, present relevant literature supporting writing retreats and critically reflect on and evaluate the freestanding writing retreats provided to students. The educational evaluation to be presented here stands as an innovation in the teaching and support of academic writing practices of students.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Keele University staff and students who supported this initiative over the past four academic years. Additional thanks go to the staff in the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence for their support with this chapter.

Citation

Little, C. (2022), "Retreat Forwards: Student-facing Writing Retreats", Sengupta, E. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Innovative Approaches in Pedagogy for Higher Education Classrooms (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 42), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120220000042007

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

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