Linking Academic and Personal Experience 1

How does one begin to define success in the context of an online reading, writing, and the Sharing Cultures Project for underpowered students? Do we limit our definition to language skill (becoming more proficient in reading and writing certain genres)? Do we focus on the mastery of technology (techno-literacy: being able to use the tools)? Do we go further and view success as participation in a (discourse) community? Or do we go even further still and take an academic literacies view "where attention is focused on the multiplicity of text-types that constitute academic communication (not just the assessed essay) and, on the status of students as engaged participants in the construction of academic practices, not just as novices waiting to be enculturated into the practices of experts, or in other words, serve an apprenticeship"? (Lea and Street cited in Goodfellow: 2003: 6) [emphasis added]. It is the latter view that is so compelling, where students are actively engaged in constructing social identities through participating in an online community.

As one of the South African teachers on this project, my perception about what constituted success was limited to the development of linguistic skill that would facilitate a smoother transition into the academy since success in the academy is determined largely by how well we read and write. During discussion with my American friends, it became clear that we had different views on what constituted success. Their view was that we needed to look more broadly at other aspects like shifting world-views, critical thinking, and displays of ethics, morals and values. This discussion was very illuminating since it allowed me to develop a much broader view of success that sees success not only as linguistic development, but also takes into account that students are actively engaging in the development and construction of academic and social practices.