An assessment of the academic literacy (al) modules offered at the University of the Western Cape: Towards an embedded hybrid academic literacies model

Abstract

This study was about new incoming students’ academic development needs and induction to higher education studies at a historically Black university in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. The overall purpose was to assess four of the seven faculties’ academic literacies modules in order to ascertain whether they provided holistic support to first-year students who the university admits to its respective undergraduate degree programmes. The study had three objectives. The first objective was to determine each faculty’s academic literacies module’s theory and practices. The second was to evaluate the four modules to determine if they were addressing the needs of first-year students holistically. The third and last objective was to arrive at an embedded hybrid academic literacies model that faculties could use within their specific contexts and disciplinary fields.