Academic Writing Circles are a creative, collaborative writing practice where writers come together to share drafts, read, and provide constructive feedback on each other’s work.
Research indicates that Writing Circles have a positive impact on students’ overall confidence in academic writing and lead to an increased perception of agency and a decrease in anxiety (Busby and Malone, 2023).
The 50-minute sessions are led by a specialist writing tutor with each focusing on a different area of academic writing, for example introductions, literature reviews, and summaries and conclusions.
Clea McDonald, Digital & Academic Skills Course Leader, said:
We’re excited to extend our academic writing provision and pilot Writing Circles this Academic Year. We know that writing assignments can be a challenging process for many students and hope that the Academic Writing Circles will provide an informal, practical and supportive space for them to hone their skills.
The Academic Writing Circles will take place in the Skills Zone (6E 2.8). They are suitable for students at all levels. Dates, topics and booking information is available on MySkills.
The Writing Circles are part of the Skills Centre’s academic writing support for all students, which also includes:
- regular writing drop-in in the Skills Zone
- bookable 1:1 writing tutorials and email feedback service
- a programme of skills enrichment workshops
- self-access resources and blog
References
Busby, D. and Malone, C. (2023) 'Writing Circles: developing learner self-efficacy and agency through peer review activities', Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (27)