24 6 08 Amalgamated Group Presentations

Slide 1: Three Most Important Academic Skills • Information Literacy o Referencing o Finding Information o Evaluating Information • How to write for different audiences o Essays o Lab Reports • Problem Solving o Application of IT o Knowing where to get help

Slide 2: Information Literacy • Different skills at different levels o Expectations of first year differ to expectations of 3rd year • Approaches to learning impact on IL required • Context specific • Library MOLE tutorials • ELTC & WAS • Embed into course – Greater buy-in from academics

Slide 3: Writing for different audiences • Very subject specific • Department specific • Complexity increases with level • “I’ve never been taught how to write a lab report” • Clearer expectations & guidance

Slide 4: Problem Solving • Subject specific • Complexity increases with level • May involve group work o Different types of assessment? • Support from department • Clearer expectations

Slide 5: 3 important academic skills for independent learning Support and development Discipline / Motivation / How to find/locate resources / Reflection / Self aware Time management / Strategic learning / Note-taking Analysing and evaluating (making judgements) • exploring texts/reading Subject-specific

Slide 6: Three most important academic skills Reflection, Resourcefulness, Communication… some unfinished thoughts…

Slide 7: Reflection • Generic to all levels/subjects/learning styles • Supported already  Generally: PDP, personal tutorials  Subject specific: e.g. education/medicine/vocation subjects/… • Enhance: encourage to keep learning journal…

Slide 8: Resourcefulness • Generic to all levels/subjects/learning styles • Supported already  library paper based and on-line material, dyslexia learning material, ELTC WAS, MOLE vle  Dept. specific: guidance on finding resources for learning or research • Enhance -> incorporating research skills as part of course

Slide 9: Communication • Generic to all levels/subjects/learning styles • Supported already  dyslexia guidance, ELTC services, MASH  Dept. specific: guidance on oral and written presentation skills (sometimes specific modules), opportunities to practise • Enhanced: getting students on board – assess??

Slide 10: TASH

Slide 11: The Meta-Skills Approach • Academic Skills • Personal Skills • Communication Skills

Slide 12: Academic Skills • Analysis • Research • Synthesis • Support o Through courses and contact with staff • Enhance o Move from learn-by-error to tuition

Slide 13: Personal Skills • Time management • Confidence • Self-organisation • Support o Haphazard o Needed from Level 1 – comprehended from Level 3 • Enhance o Provide opportunities o Personal tutor

Slide 14: Communication Skills • Written language • Presentations • Groupwork • Support o Variable by department • Enhance o Through link to existing material

Slide 15: One way of summarising all of this 1. Communication skills - writing 2. Communication skills - other forms of communication (presentation, multimedia work, online literacies) 3. Problem-solving and working with data 4. Reflection - being aware of where you are, and where you need to be 5. Academic literacy - referencing, time management, induction and awareness of changes at different levels 6. (Inter)personal skills - groupwork,self-organisation, self- motivation 7. Analytical skills