A WID Collaborative Pedagogical Model in Computing

Abstract

As many countries in the Middle East region have adopted English as the dominant medium of instruction in higher education, language support mechanisms offered to learners are an area demanding urgent attention in research and pedagogy. This chapter is a reflective account of a collaborative instructional model adopted to support the academic writing requirements of around 132 students enrolled in an undergraduate program in computer science in the region. This study is an attempt to implement a collaborative pedagogical initiative that would support learners' disciplinary writing requirements. Findings from the semi-structured interviews with content teachers and a survey administered to students enrolled in this module indicate that they perceive it as an effective model of general as well as disciplinary academic writing support. This approach will inform the building of a comprehensive academic writing support strategy to help learners achieve the requirements of their programs by offering targeted rather than general academic writing support.