The University of the Western Cape’s Writing Centre aims to help student writers to develop their academic reading and writing practices in a constructive and supportive academic space. Trained peer writing tutors help students to develop, revise and refine their writing assignment before it must be submitted for assessment.
The Writing Centre works in collaboration with the students through asking questions, engaging in discussion, and giving advice and guidance. The writing centre also provides advice and support to staff.
All services are free of charge.
A supportive academic environment is provided to all students: undergraduate, RPL and diploma students. Postgraduate students should approach the Postgraduate Enrolment and Throughput Programme (PET) for assistance.
People – The Writing Centre Office Contact: Dr Arona Dison Email: adison@uwc.ac.za
Arona Dison is Coordinator of the Writing Centre and Teaching and Learning Specialist in the Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Student Success at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). As a Teaching and Learning Specialist, she teaches on professional development courses for lecturers. She also teaches on the Inter-institutional Postgraduate Diploma Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (PGDip TL HE). She has 29 years of experience working in academic development with students and staff in Higher Education. She graduated with a Doctorate in Higher Education studies from UWC in 2007 and her thesis was on Research Capacity Development of Individuals in Three University Research Centres. Her research interests include academic literacies, political ethics of care, writing centres, formative feedback and professional development of academic staff.
Publications
Dison, A., Collett, K., Nyamu, I. & Zgambo, T. (2022). Exploring tutor engagement in responding to students’ needs through care-full, online, formative feedback.
In Pool, J., Fernandes-Martins, M., and Fourie, M. Transformative Pedagogies. A Scholarly Approach to Student Success in Higher Education Volume 2. Axiom.
Dison, A. and Hess-April, L. (2019). Integrating academic literacies into the curriculum in Occupational Therapy: Currents of disruption and congruence in a collaborative process. In L. Quinn (Ed.). Reimagining curriculum: spaces for disruption. Sun Media, 127-148.
Collett, K.S. and Dison, A. (2019). Decentering and recentering the writing centre using online feedback: Towards a collaborative model of integrating academic- literacies development. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 57: 79-98.
Dison, A. (2018). Development of students’ academic literacies viewed through a political ethics of care lens. South African Journal of Higher Education. 32(6): 66-88.
Bozalek, V., Dison, A., Alperstein, M. and Mitchell, V. (2017). Developing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through a Community of Enquiry. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning. 5(2). http://cristal.epubs.ac.za/index.php/cristal/article/view/106
Bozalek, V., Mitchell, V., Dison, A. and Alperstein, M. (2016). A diffractive reading of dialogical feedback through the political ethics of care. Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2016.1183612
Roman, N.V., Titus, S., & Dison, A. (2016). The relationship between student preparedness, learning experiences and agency: Perspectives from a South African university. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 8(1): 30-32.
Bozalek, V. and Dison, A. (2013). ‘Using the human capabilities approach as a normative framework to evaluate institutional teaching and learning interventions at UWC’. South African Journal of Higher Education. 27(2).
Dr Arona Dison is Coordinator of the Writing Centre and Teaching and Learning Specialist in the Directorate of Learning, Teaching and Student Success at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
As a Teaching and Learning Specialist, she teaches on professional development courses for lecturers. She also teaches on the Inter-institutional Postgraduate Diploma Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (PGDip TL HE).
She has 29 years of experience working in academic development with students and staff in Higher Education. She graduated with a Doctorate in Higher Education studies from UWC in 2007 and her thesis was on Research Capacity Development of Individuals in Three University Research Centres. Her research interests include academic literacies, political ethics of care, writing centres, formative feedback and professional development of academic staff.
Mrs Bronwen Roux
Mrs. Bronwen Roux is an Administrative Officer in the Writing Centre, in the Directorate of Learning, Teaching & Student Success.
Bronwen holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She has a demonstrated history of working in secondary and higher education and is passionate about learning and development.
Her main responsibilities include managing and maintaining the Online booking system, assisting the Coordinator of the Writing Centre with the onboarding of tutors, organizational responsibilities, purchasing and budgetary management, and facilitating student and tutor relations.
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