Unit rationale, description and aim
This is a foundational English literacy unit designed to develop skills in academic reading, writing, critical thinking and analysis for prospective preservice teachers. This unit introduces academic reading, writing, critical thinking, and textual analysis through sustained engagement with a range of texts drawn from Australian and international contexts. Emphasis is placed on understanding how language forms, features, and structures shape meaning, influence audiences, and communicate values, perspectives, and assumptions. By the end of the unit, students will be able to engage critically and creatively with texts, communicate ideas for different purposes and audiences, and apply ethical academic practices, including appropriate use of generative artificial intelligence.
The unit is designed to explicitly teach the conventions of Standard Australian Academic English, including the appropriate use of formal and informal language across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students progressively build skills in close reading, analytical and reflective writing, creative composition, and comparative analysis. Learning activities and assessment are carefully scaffolded, with particular attention to coherence, structure, argumentation, and evidence-based reasoning.
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the academic literacy knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary for further study in teacher education and related disciplines.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain a broad range of language forms, features ...
Learning Outcome 01
Apply skills of interpretation, synthesis and eval...
Learning Outcome 02
Compose imaginative, interpretive and analytical t...
Learning Outcome 03
Reflect, critically and creatively, on a range of ...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Analysing and evaluating short creative texts
- Identifying structural features that drive reader engagement
- The language of persuasion
- Communicating values, perspectives and assumptions
- Researching for deeper understanding
- Structuring written responses for different purposes
- Building clear sentences and paragraphs
- Comparing the language of creative and academic writing
- Developing and structuring an academic argument
- Using a rubric to design and edit your work
- Planning and managing your assignment
- Citing and referencing
- Ethical use of generative AI in academic writing
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment in this unit is designed to support and evaluate students’ development of critical thinking, analysis, reading and writing in Standard Australian Academic English. It enables students to apply their understanding of texts and language through close reading, analysis and composition, and to progressively strengthen their control of written academic English and related structures. Tasks are sequenced to allow for feedback and ongoing development of language accuracy, coherence and critical thinking.
Task 1 involves the weekly written tasks for self- and peer-feedback and to practice developing skills. Task 2 focuses on the composition of both an original, creative text and a critical analysis using academic English. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of text composition such as audience, purpose, structure and context and apply this understanding to their writing. Task 3 assesses students’ academic development by asking students to write a critical analysis of the language and structures used in two texts. Students will use formal academic language and structures to create the task, including accurate citations and referencing as taught throughout the unit.
To pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks and achieve a minimum overall passing grade of 50%.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Logbook of Written Exercises&n...
Assessment Task 1: Logbook of Written Exercises
Respond to weekly writing prompt/s based on unit content and tutorial activities. Engage in discussions for peer feedback and assessment purposes, focusing on metacognitive reflection on developing knowledge and skills.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Short&nbs...
Assessment Task 2: Short Composition and Critical Analysis
Select a text from the prepared list and identify two (2) language features and two (2) structural elements used. Write your own creative that uses the identified language features and structural elements. This text must be original, using your own topic, structures, and words.
Then, write a critical analysis in formal Australian Academic English to compare and contrast the use of the identified language features and structural elements in your own creative text with that if the chosen author’s text.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Short&nbs...
Assessment Task 2: Short Composition and Critical Analysis
Select a text from the prepared list and identify two (2) language features and two (2) structural elements used. Write your own creative that uses the identified language features and structural elements. This text must be original, using your own topic, structures, and words.
Then, write a critical analysis in formal Australian Academic English to compare and contrast the use of the identified language features and structural elements in your own creative text with that if the chosen author’s text.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit employs a gradual release of responsibility approach to support preservice teachers in developing foundational academic reading, writing, and analytical skills required for tertiary study. Teaching strategies explicitly model academic practices, including close reading, identification of language and structural features, sentence and paragraph construction, and the development of coherent written arguments. These practices are reinforced through guided activities before students progressively apply skills independently.
Learning activities include lecturer modelling, structured tutorials, collaborative discussion, and scaffolded writing tasks using literary, nonfiction, and multimodal texts. Tutorials emphasise active engagement with texts, peer discussion, feedback, and opportunities for revision, enabling students to refine their understanding of how language choices and structures shape meaning across contexts. Both creative and academic writing tasks are used to deepen conceptual understanding and support transfer of skills.
Digital technologies are integrated to support research, drafting, and feedback, with explicit instruction provided on ethical academic practice, including responsible use of generative AI tools. Teaching and learning activities are sequenced to accommodate diverse learner needs and to progressively build accuracy, coherence, and confidence in academic English, preparing students for further tertiary study and Initial Teacher Education coursework.
Representative texts and references
Representative texts and references
Recommended texts and documents
Bosco, E. & Bosco, A. (2020). Mastering the craft of writing (Standard & advanced module c). 2nd edition. Into English.
Recommended references
Cuevas, I., Mateos, M., Casado-Ledesma, L., Olmos, R., Granado-Peinado, M., Luna, M., Núñez, J. A., & Martín, E. (2024). How to improve argumentative syntheses written by undergraduates using guides and instructional rubrics. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(4), 4573–4596. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-024-00890-x
Edberg, H. (2018). Creative writing for critical thinking: Creating a discoursal identity. Springer Nature.
Ferretti, R. P., & Graham, S. (2019). Argumentative writing: Theory, assessment, and instruction. Reading and Writing, 32, 1345–1357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-09950-x
Graham, S. (2019). Changing how writing is taught. Review of Research in Education, 43(1), 277–303.
Graham, S., & Alves, R. A. (2021). Research and teaching writing. Reading and Writing, 34, 1613–162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10188-9
Graham, S., & Hebert, M. (2011). Writing to read: A meta-analysis of the impact of writing and writing instruction on reading. Harvard Educational Review, 81(4), 710–744, 784–785.
Graham, S., MacArthur, C. A., & Hebert, M. A. (Eds.). (2018). Best practices in writing instruction. Guilford Publications.
Hochman, J., et al. (2024). The writing revolution: A guide to advancing thinking through writing in all subjects and grades. Jossey-Bass.
Kim, Y.-S. G. K., Harris, K. R., Goldstone, R., Camping, A., & Graham, S. (2025). The science of teaching reading is incomplete without the science of writing: A randomized control trial of integrated teaching of reading and writing. Scientific Studies of Reading, 29(1), 32–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2024.2380272
Myhill, D., Newman, R., & Watson, A. (2020). Going meta: Dialogic talk in the writing classroom. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 43(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03652040
Nussbaum, E. M. (2021). Critical integrative argumentation: Toward complexity in students’ thinking. Educational Psychologist, 56(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2020.1845173