Enhancing University Study Skills for Postgraduates: Effective Strategies and Differences

1. Student Services Returning to study Orientation 2013 Angela Dierks www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

2. Student Services What has changed about university study in the last decade?Name 3 changes. www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

3. Student Services What has changed about university study in the last decade? • Knowledge is seen as open, accessible and often from the bottom up • Collaboration is valued - more emphasis on group work and presentations • More emphasis on reflection and awareness about process of learning • E-resources and tools • Use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) such as Moodle • Use of plagiarism software such as Turnitin www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

4. Student Services What will be the difference between UG and PG study? • Development of current skills to a higher level • Acquisition of new skills – research skills • Work more independently • Work with a supervisor www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

5. Student Services Develop your skills to a higher level gather appropriate material critically evaluate your material (eg assess relevance of theories) use it as the basis for logical argument and discussion (developing a rationale) www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

6. Student Services Anderson’s and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain • Remembering • Understanding • Applying • Analyzing • Evaluating • Creating www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

7. Student Services Acquire new skills • Read more widely and beyond core material • Demonstrate academic judgement by gathering appropriate published material and evaluating it • Gather and process evidence • Apply appropriate research methodologies • Present your findings in an appropriate manner www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

8. Student Services Read more widely and critically • Know your way around a range of resources including electronic databases and ejournals • Need to evaluate material in terms of relevance, provenance and research methods www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

9. Student Services Demonstrate academic judgement • Question what you read • Draw your own conclusions about the value of the work www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

10. Student Services Gather and process evidence • Undertake literature review • Gather data, eg through questionnaires, interviews or surveys • Be aware of ethics www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

11. Student Services Apply appropriate research methodology Three types of research: • Quantitative (eg based on surveys and numerical data) • Qualitative (eg interviews, grounded-theory, case study) • Mixed: quantitative and qualitative www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

12. Student Services Present your findings • Giving a presentation • Dissertation writing • Appropriate referencing www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

13. Student Services Work more independently Need to be good at project management including • Time management • Organisational skills • Knowledge management • Scoping www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

14. Student Services Work with a supervisor • Clarifying the scope of your work • Finding the right supervisor • Establishing a positive working relationship www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck

15. Student Services Work with your peers • Support • Check your understanding and clarify questions • Get a different perspective from your own www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck