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Academic and Study Skills

Working in partnership with academic colleagues to provide support for education with academic literacies and study skills

To support students in developing as learners we have created a range of adaptable learning resources, canvas materials, interactive lectures and in-person workshops that can be effectively embedded within your programme, module, or community.

Below you’ll find examples of how we can support your students in practice. Existing materials can be selected independently and embedded directly into Canvas or resources can be combined and tailored by the Academic Skills Team to create a bespoke learning experience, relevant to the module and level of study.

Induction material can be found within the University’s wider induction collection. We also contribute to the library’s in-person induction sessions during Welcome Week to introduce the resources and support services available.

 To find out how we can work with you to support you and your students please contact the Academic Skills Team or complete our teaching request form.

Workshops

Our practical workshop sessions ensure that students become familiar with different academic skills and conventions and provide them with the opportunity to apply these to their learning context. We can deliver either in-person or online workshops to both small and large groups.

Lectures

Interactive lectures provide students with key tips and advice for developing their academic skills, with activities to consolidate understanding. Lectures can be offered in-person or via Zoom/Teams with learning materials such as PowerPoint slides being offered in advance. Supplementary Canvas materials as well as focused drop-in support can also be provided to offer additional opportunities for individual development. 

Example lesson plans:

It is so nice to have someone speak so calmly and supportive around academic writing.

PGT Student

Good session, made everything feel a little less daunting.

Stage 3, UG Student

Keep up the good work.

Stage 2, UG Student

Brilliant and insightful

Stage 3, UG Student

Canvas

Canvas allows the Academic Skills Team to produce engaging and interactive Academic Skills learning resources to supplement your course content. These materials work best when they are promoted, directed to, and scheduled as part of the workload for the module by the module leader.

Embedded Academic Skills Resources

Academic Skills Canvas materials provide a range of learning material that is tailored to your subject and the specific needs of your students. This can include single topics or combinations of themes, such as exams and revision, reflection, critical analysis of sources, and reading and note taking techniques. Embedded within your course, the Academic Skills material is designed to be an integrated part of module activity and can be a discreet module or pages within your courses.

An example of embedded Academic Skills support material is accessible via Canvas Commons for you to browse. (Login to Canvas using your University ID and password and navigate to Canvas Commons before you click the link to view the content):

Self-enrol Academic Skills modules

Stand alone, self-enrol Canvas modules are designed to provide your students with specific academic and digital creation skills to help them succeed in their subjects. These would be linked from your course, rather than embedded directly.

Currently, students can access the following self-enrol courses:

Further self-enrol courses are being developed in critical writing, approaching the dissertation, and incorporating sources.

Canvas Commons resources

The Academic Skills Team share reusable resources for you to embed in your learning materials. Shared under a creative commons license, these materials can be repurposed and amended for your needs with attrition.

Interactive tutorials

The Academic Skills Team have created a range of interactive tutorials where students can work through instructions on a split screen while simultaneously carrying out tasks and activities. These tutorials have been designed for new and returning students and focus on understanding some of the conventions of university level study. All the tutorials can be easily embedded into a canvas course and can be tailored to different subjects and levels.

 

Additional resources

  • How to Paraphrase - an interactive resource explaining the process of paraphrasing and providing the opportunity to practice the process
  • The Writing Process - this video resource explains the process of producing a piece of academic written work

Academic Skills Kit

We have a number of resources on the Academic Skills Kit that can be signposted to students. These include specially curated collections around key points in the academic calendar, such as exams and revision, understanding feedback, and approaching dissertations and extended projects.