30 October 2006

Essay 2 - outcomes of success at university

Bizzell (1986) argues that in order to succeed at university it is necessary to become 'bicultural'. Critically discuss this idea drawing on relevant SSK12 materials and your own experience.

Bizzell, Patricia, 1986, "What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College?", College Composition and Communication, vol. 37, No. 3, October, pp. 294-301

What is the question about? It is about the outcomes of what might be considered success at university. It is about the importance of biculturalism to these outcomes.

What do I already know about the question? What is success at university? graduation, acquisition and production of knowledge, demonstrated learning/knowledge skills such as the ability to critically evaluate knowledge, to situate this knowledge, to present this knowledge in an acceptable manner.

How important is culture to these outcomes? The product of culture is world view. A world view is used to create sense and meaning from our knowledge. A student brings their own world view to university, and there is an academic world view at university.

What is the academic world view - that there are no 'absolutes', no right or wrong that holds good for all time and places. Academics show a willingness to question even their own thoughts, at how their data is organised and the assumptions they have made, and compare these assumptions with other academics. It is necessary for academics to adopt a common 'transactional' language and discourse conventions which both presents and creates knowledge.

What is culture? it is the everyday language, conventions and rituals of a community or group. University has its own culture, and we bring to university a world view formed by our own culture.

What is the significance of our own world view to the culture we experience at university? although academic world view is dominant, it makes us question and might even alter our world view, it is our world view that ultimately situates our knowledge, creates the meaning necessary for us to draw conclusions which we verify by comparing to the conclusions of other academics.

What might my theme or thesis be?


We go to university to acquire and communicate knowledge. We find meaning from knowledge in our background culture, and we develop and give expression to knowledge through university culture.

An important outcome of success at university is the demonstration of knowledge in such a way that it is accepted by the academic community. At university we learn that there are no absolutes with knowledge, that it is situated and it is our particular world view that situates this knowledge (substance). It is the academic world view that validates and presents this knowledge (form). The two world views must co-exist since form does not exist without substance, and substance cannot be communicated without form.

How much breadth or depth can this essay have? It needs to be discussed with reference to what I have learned in SSK12. Length 1200 words.

What we bring to university and what we take away.

What are the possible main points?




  • what it means to succeed at university
    - the main objectives, desired outcomes

  • what it means to be bicultural
    - the culture we bring with us to university
    - the culture we acquire at university

  • the necessity of becoming bicultural
    - its affect on outcomes
    - its importance on outcomes


How will I structure my answer to the question? CRITICALLY DISCUSS - give a judgement about the merits of theories or opinion, about the truth of facts, and back this judgement by a discussion of evidence.

"... in order to succeed at university it is necessary to become bicultural."

There are three parts:

  1. to succeed at university

  2. to become bicultural

  3. the effects of becoming bicultural - whether it is necessary for success


What role might my personal opinion play in this essay? How I define "success at university", the difficulty of acquiring university culture and merging it with my own culture.

No comments: