What students request versus what we deliver: Balancing learning skills and academic acculturation

Abstract

This paper aims to clarify the main aspects of how we, as learning advisors, perceive our roles in relation to the literature on academic literacies and academic socialisation. As learning advisors, we have developed our craft within a skills-based learning context. We interpret a skills-based framework as providing �expert� advice in a top-down approach involving specific techniques, such as referencing, using correct grammar,and developing clear structure. These skills have direct application to assignment tasks and, consequently, seem to be positively received by students, who want clear solutions to assist their academic learning needs.