Academics, researchers, educators and students alike converged on the University of Botswana On July 9, 2018 for a three-day 4th International Conference on Academic and Professional Communication (ICAPC 2018) to deliberate on challenges in the teaching and learning of academic writing.
The conference attracted delegates from all over the world and provided a platform for delegates to share ideas and knowledge on academics, professional writing research and pedagogy. It also afforded them the opportunity to reflect on past practices and new approaches to teaching.
Officiating at the event, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Professor David Sebudubudu, said the aim of academic writing was to communicate and that it was the only instrument that student assessors utilised as a window to their thoughts. “Therefore, it is important that the students learn how best to write to persuade their lecturers in a way that they would understand what they have written clearly,” said Professor Sebudubudu.
He also noted that written communication should be clear and easy to follow and be understood. Writing, he added, was a fundamental skill that could immensely affect the credibility and success of an organisation. Professor Sebudubudu said within teaching and learning graduates displayed limited capabilities in the language particularly writing effectively which resulted in poor academic performance across the school curriculum.
In addition, he said many factors had been suggested as precipitating the low level of proficiency in the English language including unsuitable content regimes, under resourcing and poor caliber staff and leaners. Professor Sebudubudu said underperformance from employees could emanate from, among others, inadequately trained manpower with unsatisfactory language resources, skills and talent resulting in failure to fulfill set objectives.
He commended the diversity of conference participants which included educators, linguistics and communication experts and language learners which helped to enhance knowledge and skills in the teaching of general areas of academic literature and communication particularly writing. That, he noted, would help to continue training versatile graduates.
Professor Sebudubudu also implored the participants to network with colleagues from other universities and organisation to solicit their input on the course programme revision exercise that was ongoing at UB as per the Botswana Qualifications Authority requirements.