Abstract:
A variety of academic literacy interventions are used at higher education institutions to address
the low level of academic literacy with which many students enter these institutions.
Considering the increasingly resource-scarce higher education environment, it is becoming
crucial for those who are responsible for such interventions to provide evidence of their impact
on student success. The aim of the current study is to provide a broad overview and critique of
studies conducted thus far that attempt to assess the impact of various academic literacy
interventions. This study proceeds by identifying instruments that are commonly used when
assessing the impact of these interventions. From the literature surveyed, it would seem that
there are two broad aspects that are considered when evaluating impact, namely students’
improved academic literacy levels between the onset and the completion of the course, and the
extent to which these acquired academic literacy abilities are transferred to students’ other
subjects. The next step in this research project will be to propose a comprehensive evaluation
design that could be used by a range of academic literacy interventions.
