Closing the Loop: Using Diagnostic Data to Guide Embedded Academic Literacies

Post-Entry Language Assessments (PELAs) at Australian Universities are a well-established mechanism to assess and enhance students' English language proficiencies (Lydster & Brown, 2017), particularly in response to growing international student cohorts and the widening participation agenda (Matthews et al. 2016). The PELA at Flinders University was developed to provide an early diagnostic measure of students' English language and academic literacies. Now in its third year of implementation, PELLA has expanded significantly in scale and scope. This paper presents data from Semester 1, 2025, in which 3,250 students across 20 subjects (units) completed the PELLA. Analysis of rubric data indicated that, rather than English language and expression, referencing conventions and discourse features remain persistent challenges for students, echoing findings from previous iterations. In response, Semester 2 trials strengthened integration of SLSS (Student Learning Support Services) resources and embedded EAP (English for Academic Purposes) workshops. This paper discusses the rationale for these enhancements and outlines a case study where PELA data informed the development of bespoke academic literacies workshops and resource delivery. We report on the collaborative processes involved, improved evaluation mechanisms, and early insights from a follow-up PELA designed to capture pre- and post-intervention data. Our findings suggest that diagnostic tools like PELA can be most impactful when linked to embedded, discipline-specific supports, a ˜built-in, not bolted-on" approach. The paper concludes with recommendations for leveraging diagnostic data to design responsive and scalable academic literacies support.