Using a disciplinary data-driven learning approach for enhancing postgraduate thesis writing

Abstract

This paper describes the introduction of a systematic multidisciplinary thesis writing support resource for teachers and students involved with a Graduate School Thesis Writing course for all postgraduate students in a top research university, utilising a corpus of highly rated Ph.D. and MPhil theses collected across all faculties at the university. The design and functionality of the corpus is described and the processes involved in the development of accompanying learning and teaching materials designed specifically for both general and discipline-specific data-driven language enhancement provision for postgraduate students in the sciences and humanities is outlined. How the activities developed help raise knowledge and awareness of the key features of successful disciplinary writing, focusing on teacher-developed exemplars of good practice, as well as student-driven discovery of the knowledge and skills required to access the resource before applying the knowledge gained of such linguistic features in their own writing is discussed. Postgraduate students' and teachers' perceptions of the resources are evaluated. Implications for enhancing postgraduate thesis writing using a disciplinary data-driven learning approach are provided.