Abstract
Introduction
Writing is a key academic skill. Through publishing,
academics add to knowledge and improve career prospects.
However, many academics report problems making time and
space for writing. One initiative that directly addresses this
problem is writer's retreat, providing dedicated, facilitated
writing time off-campus. Research suggests that it initiates
and/or increases scholarly writing. Retreats developed in
different higher education cultures - New Zealand, Ireland
and the UK - but there are common elements: retreats are
off-campus, for progressing specific writing projects and
include self-selecting participants. There are different types
of retreat: women-only retreats (Grant and Knowles, 2000;
Grant, 2006); five-day facilitated retreats, where writers
spend most of the retreat writing alone (Moore, 2003); oncampus
retreats, that operate like writers' groups (Elbow and
Sorcinelli, 2006; Lee and Boud, 2003); and two-day
structured, facilitated retreats, where participants all write in
the same room (Murray, 2005; Murray and Moore, 2006).
This paper argues that structured retreat can help academics
in 'reshaping' their academic writing practices.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14-15 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Educational Developments |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - May 2008 |
Keywords
- academic writing practices