This paper was presented at LCTC2, the second Legitimation Code Theory conference in Sydney. It presents work on the development of instructional videos for reflective writing and associated support materials. Initial findings report that the videos and materials are having a positive impact on the development of students' academic writing.

1. Releasing the wave:
Reflective writing
instructional
videos for EAP
Daniel O’Sullivan
Language Specialist

2. • EAP?
• Reflective writing at Monash College
• Theoretical framework
• Tacit praxis
• The video
• Use in MEB Uni and Diplomas
• Results
• More to do…

3. 3
English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
 Prepare (mainly) international students for vocational or
tertiary-level studies - Direct entry to TAFE, UG or PG
courses
 Develop student awareness, knowledge and skills in the
use of English as the language of teaching and learning
 Focus on writing, reading and listening, grammar and
vocab development, oral presentation skills and research
skills
 Emphasis on development of critical literacy and critical
thinking skills
 Extra support for students

4. 4
Location of study: Monash College
 English Language Centre (MUELC)
 Monash College Diplomas
 Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY)
 Mainly Chinese students, South East Asia + Middle East
 IELTS – 5.5-6.5 with weak writing

5. 5
Reflective writing at Monash College
 Calls from the university to develop International
students’ writing skills and help them engage in reflective
practices
 Emphasis placed on ‘critical thinking’ skills and personal
understanding/experiences of theories/concepts
 Inclusion of reflective writing in curricula across courses
and disciplines

6. 6
Reflective writing - Problems
 Confusion and misconceptions about reflective writing
 Little/no scaffolding of genre, structure and language
features of reflective writing
 Students accustomed to narratives/5-paragraph essays
 Lack of model answers no deconstruction of models

7. 7
Reflective Writing Videos
 Proposed videos during MEB Uni curriculum
enhancement project meeting, drawing on
– previous research on semantic waves (e.g. Martin, Maton et al.
2013, Szenes & Tilakratna 2014, etc.)
– analysis of a (the only!) model answer using Semantics (tacitly)
 Central e-learning team liked the wave metaphor
 So, onto writing a script and storyboards

8. 8
Theoretical framework:
Legitimation Code Theory
Principle Referent relations Concepts
Autonomy external Positional autonomy, relational
autonomy
Density internal Material density, moral density
Specialisation Social-symbolic Epistemic relations, social
relations
Semantics meaning Semantic gravity, semantic density
Temporality Temporal Temporal positioning, temporal
orientation
Maton 2014

9. 9
Semantic gravity
 degree to which meaning relates
to its context (whether social or
symbolic)
 may be stronger (+) or weaker (-)
along a continuum of strengths
– weaker = less context-dependent
– stronger = more context-dependent
weaker SG
stronger SG
www.legitimationcodetheory.com

10. 10
Semantic gravity
 weakening semantic gravity
– e.g. drawing generalising principles
from the minute particulars of a
specific context or case
 strengthening semantic gravity
– e.g. moving down from an
abstracted concept to specifying
delimited examples
www.legitimationcodetheory.com

11. 11
Semantic density
 degree of condensation of
meaning
 may be stronger (+) or weaker (-)
along a continuum of strengths
– weaker = fewer meanings are
condensed
– stronger = more meanings are
condensed
stronger SD
weaker SD
www.legitimationcodetheory.com

12. 12
Semantic density
 strengthening semantic density
– e.g. condensing a large range of
meanings into a symbol or
technical term / adding meanings in
 weakening semantic density
– e.g. ‘unpacking’ various meanings
of a symbol or concept / reducing
range of possible meanings
www.legitimationcodetheory.com

13. 13
Semantic profiles
Time
SG+, SD-
semantic
ranges
SG-, SD+
A1
A2
BB
A1
A2
Maton (2013) ‘Making semantic waves’, Linguistics and Education, 24(1): 13.

14. 14
Praxis
 Tacit or explicit?
 Possible resistance to
LCT concepts
 Implications?

15. 15
Semantic profile in reflective writing
Szenes & Tilakaratna 2013
THEORY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
THEORY

16. 16
Semantics: To recontextualise…or not!
Semantic wave The wave (image)
Semantic profile The wave (image)
Semantic gravity Theory
Semantic gravity Specific
Semantic density Theory?
Semantic density ?

17. 17
Semantics: recontextualised

18. 18
Semantics: recontextualised

19. 19
Reflective writing: video
 Recontextualises lesser context-dependence as ‘theory’
and greater context-dependence as ‘specific’
 ‘waving’ brings together the different forms of knowledge
and makes the connections between the two more
explicit

20. 20
Reflective Writing Videos
 Video 1: Introduction to reflective writing (OER)
 Introduction to reflection and the semantic wave (tacit)
 Being used in MEB Uni and Diploma courses
 https://vimeo.com/207029935
 Video 2: Detailed analysis of model answer using SFL
and LCT (restricted to MEB Uni course)

21. 21
MEB Uni: Writing tasks
Write a report (1,500 words) or an essay (1,000 words),
annotated bibliographies of 250 words, and reflective pieces
of 300-350 words on personal experiences and personal
understanding/s of theories/concepts. Flexibility in writing is
encouraged by exposure to a range of genres.

22. 22
Applying theory to real-world contexts
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Theory: Hall’s
classification of
cultures
Theory: Packard’s
theory of advertising
– 5 hidden needs
Theory: Environmental
Assessment and
Management (EAM) Risk
Management Framework
Personal experience Describe ads Assess Beaumaris Motor
Yacht Squadron project
Theory
Real-world
contexts

23. 23
Reflective writing: task 1

24. 24
Supporting materials
Lessons and activities embedded in curriculum:
 Introduction to reflective writing video
 Activities: three model texts
– Discussion about text comprehension
– Connecting theory to experience
– Identification of theory and specific experiences
– Matching texts to wave diagrams
 In-class discussions and follow-up

25. 25
Supporting materials
Design of lessons and activities embedded in curriculum:
 student-facing materials
 designed to be taught by others
 recontextualisation must simplify

26. 26

27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. 30

31. 31
Student feedback
“it helps improve my skills of structure the writing better”
“it indeed help us to organise how to write better paper”
“…help us know the importance of reflecting writing in the
university”
“I can get some fresh ideas about writing, and I can clearly
(know) how to do”
“sometime I felt that I cannot connect theory with practice”

32. 32
Monash College Diplomas

33. 33
Monash College Diplomas: Arts

34. 34
Reflective writing in Diploma Arts: Sociology

35. 35
Reflective writing in Diplomas: Sociology

36. 36
Teacher feedback
“…a sound model for the reflective writing…
…students exceeded expectations – mostly D and HDs…
…drew on the excellent model, and despite some
language problems, students demonstrated the ability to
think ‘sociologically’…”

37. 37
Student feedback

38. 38
Student feedback

39. 39
Student feedback

40. 40
Future work
 From tacit to explicit praxis
 Turning the tools back on the video: analysing image and
language for SG, SD
 Gaining wider legitimacy within the organisation e.g. PD
sessions for teachers
 Combining Specialisation and Semantics for greater
insight into disciplines

41. 41
References
 Humphrey, S. & Robinson, S. (2012). Resourcing teachers to tide the semantic wave to
whole school literacy development. AARE Conference proceedings. Retrieved from
http://www.aare.edu.au/publications-database.php/6671/Resourcing-teachers-to-tide-the-
semantic-wave-to-whole-school-literacy-development.
 Ingold, R. & O’Sullivan. (2017). Riding the waves to academic success. Modern English
Teacher, 26 (2): 39-43.
 Macnaught, L., Maton, K., Martin, J.R. & Matruglio, E. (2013). Jointly constructing
semantic waves: Implications for teacher training, Linguistics and Education, 24(1): 50-
63.
 Martin, J.R. & Maton, K. (2013) (eds). Cumulative Knowledge-Building in Secondary
Schooling, Linguistics and Education, Linguistics and Education 24(1): 1-74.
 Maton, K. (2013). Making Semantic Waves: A Key to Cumulative Knowledge-building.
Linguistics and Education 24 (1), 8-22.
 Maton, K. (2014). Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a Realist Sociology of Education.
London: Routledge.
 Szenes, E. & Tilakaratna, N. (2014). Critical thinking and employment readiness: The role
of semantic waves in preparing students for life after university. 11th Biennial Conference
of the Association for Academic Language and Learning, RMIT University, Melbourne,
Nov.
 Szenes, E. & Tilakaratna, N. & Maton, K. (2015). The knowledge practices of critical
thinking, in Davies, M. & Barnett, R. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in
Higher Education, London: Palgrave MacMillan.