Reading and Writing in University: Contribution for Reconstructing a History

This article presents the analysis of 34 experiences conducted in Universities in Colombia that involved reading and writing. This analysis was based on an exploratory study conducted between 2008 and 2010 as part of the Literacy Network in Higher Education (Red de Lectura y Escritura en Educacion Superior-REDLEES). This study emerges as a necessity to reconstruct the history of the initial motivations that prompted several Colombian universities to propose different courses and programs in order to strengthen students' processes of reading and writing. As a result, the tendency to design courses with remedial nature, individual and non-institutional efforts, and the conception of reading and writing as skills are confirmed. Transfer to practice This study had a particular impact on investigative decisions within the Literacy Network in Higher Education (Red de Lectura y Escritura en Educacion Superior - REDLEES). Based on the findings it was decided to conduct a research between 2011 and 2012 to characterize the literacy practices of students in the previous level to university (in Colombian secondary education), in order to understand the transition that students experience from high school to university. In addition, this new research allowed to investigate the concept of academic literacy in the initial literacy courses offered by 12 Colombian universities.