Ready or not? Evaluating an indicator of pre-entry academic English proficiency at the University of Tasmania

Since 2009, the University of Tasmania has been running a collaborative project for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) applicants, which aims to raise awareness of the requirements of tertiary study and to offer appropriate enrolment and pathway advice to individual applicants. The project includes outreach, interviews and an essaybased indicator of proficiency in academic English.

The presentation focuses on evaluating this indicator and discussing approaches to measuring its success. These include correlating scores on the academic English indicator with results in the first semester of study, and numbers of students taking the enrolment advice or following a suggested pathway. Evaluation from a student perspective is also considered. Students’ perceptions of the indicator process, the way the result is presented, whether the result correlates with their own evaluation of their tertiary readiness and ALL supports they access are surveyed.

The project involves collaboration between different areas of the university, which has resulted in varied and sometimes unexpected outcomes, including closer communication, streamlined referral processes, development of appropriate pathways and a more holistic understanding of the student experience.

It is suggested that the indicator has contributed to a more realistic understanding of university readiness among staff and assisted them in communicating this in order to provide appropriate advice for participating students. Consideration is given to how these outcomes might be demonstrated to stakeholders in a meaningful way.