Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on physical
interactions, which in many ways changed how we live and
work. Due to these restrictions, writing centres at universities
and other educational institutions around the world had to
transition from traditional ways of supporting students to online
or remote methods. To save the academic year, Wits University’s
teaching and learning and other student support programmes,
including the Wits School of Education Writing Centre (WSoE
WC), were compelled to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching
and Learning (ERTL). Transitioning to ERTL meant1 reimagining
student support in an online mode. This paper explores how the
WSoE WC transitioned from face-to-face student consultations
to offering online academic literacy support and development.
The paper highlights the adaptation process in the transition,
particularly how the WSoE WC dealt with the varying complexities
accompanying ERTL. The main question guiding this exploration
is: How did the WSoE WC negotiate the move to online academic
literacy support and development during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the
director of the WSoE WC, who steered the adoption of the online
mode and the peer tutors who worked directly with students
online. The findings show that transitioning to the online mode
during ERTL was difficult and complex. However, collective
and individual agency enabled continued student academic
literacy2 support despite disruption and change. This paper
contributes to the ongoing conversation around the role of writing
centres at universities in South Africa and beyond, particularly
during disruptions.