The Study Skills Handbook (Palgrave Study Skills)

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You may also be involved in working and communicating with others in an on-line environment using bulletin boards and discussion groups. This will involve accessing an on-line learning environment such as eBridge (available at https://ebridge.hull.ac.uk/portal). You will be given specific instructions about gaining access to and using on-line learning environments from your tutor. Work in the right environment. You should be somewhere quiet where you feel comfortable. Choose a place where you will not be interrupted. Make sure that you are able to make good notes during the reading process. Then spend some time focusing on your task and what is required. Look at the task details e.g. in your Module Handbook and make sure that you understand what is required and the deadline for handing in or presenting work. You may then want to work out an action plan and agree key dates e.g. for completing research, producing a first draft, editing, finalising hand-in or presentation details. When you are working on your assignments and reading your course materials you are advised to keep a record of all the items and the basic information needed which will allow your reader to find the original to which you refer. This is outlined here: This involves making your own record of key information and ideas. You will use your own words. You may add your own ideas or questions, or make links to the work of others.

The second approach is to use a more personal style. This involves writing in the first person, using ‘I’. This approach is often used in learning journals or workplace projects. It is increasingly used in academic writing in the discipline of management.

A report is a formal and structured document normally used to present factual findings following some specific research. It differs from an essay in that it has a formal structure with headings and subheadings. Essays also usually include your opinions while essays do not. Reports tend to have a standard format. However different companies or academic departments might use different formats so you should ensure you are aware of the necessary format before embarking on the compilation of a report. Below we have provided you with two standard formats. Your work should be word processed. • Use fonts ‘Times New Roman’ or ‘Arial’. • Use font size of 11 or 12. • Use 1.5 line-spacing. • Leave an adequate margin on all four sides of the piece of paper. • Do not indent paragraphs but leave an extra space between them. • Long quotations should be in single line spacing and indented at both sides. • References should be in single line spacing and with a space between each Learning how to identify and access relevant information sources will help you to be successful in your university studies. It is also an important life skill and you will find that you will use your information skills during your working life too. Report writing is a key skill that you need to develop; you are likely to be asked to write reports when you work in businesses or other organisations.

When it is time for questions handle them with confidence. If you do not know the answer to any question then be honest and say that you will find out. When you want to close the question session then signal this to your audience by saying ‘We have time for one more question.’

Assignments should be stapled in the top left hand corner. • Ensure your assignment has a cover sheet that states your Student ID

eBridge is the University’s virtual learning environment and it provides a virtual space where students may find information, take on-line assessment and communicate with each other. You can access eBridge via the Internet from anywhere in the world. You will probably need to spend some time learning how to use eBridge and the University’s computer centre provides handouts which describe how to log-on to the system and navigate around it. Procedure / introduction (what you did to gather facts, sources of information used, methodology of research) David McConnell (2002) provides an overview of collaborative and co-operative learning and he identifies the following benefits:Rosemary Laidlaw Disability Support Advisor The University of Hull Scarborough Campus Filey Road Scarborough, YO11 3AZ Some of the assessments for your programme of study may involve giving a presentation. This could take the form of an individual presentation or a group presentation; or you may be asked to give an informal presentation, perhaps as part of a seminar. During your time in HUBS it is worthwhile spending time preparing for and delivering presentations as you will find you develop useful skills for the workplace. Both the Study Advice Service and Library provide handouts and information on how to present the different sources that you use in a list of references (see Chapters 1 and 4) Students in cooperative environments perform at a higher level than those working in competitive or individualistic environments.” (McConnell, 2002, 19) Getting organised Once you have structured your presentation according to the permitted time schedule and created any additional presentational material, you can write the main points of it on plain postcards or use the notes feature of PowerPoint.

Used during lectures or reading. Used when copying specific information, for example, advice on an assignment, details about room changes.

Example bibliography Galliers, R. D. & Baker, B.S.H., (1995), ‘Strategic information management’, in Lectures In lectures you are likely to be in a large group of students listening to a member of staff (tutor or lecturer) giving a talk on a specific topic. Lectures are often used to provide an overview of a subject and to identify key themes and issues. The lecturer will normally use audio visual aids or provide a handout to identify the key points. There may be opportunities to ask questions. During a lecture you will normally make notes. There are two approaches to academic writing. The first, or traditional, approach is to use a serious and formal impersonal tone. It involves presenting different ideas and the evidence to support them. This means not writing in the first person (not using ‘my’, ‘I’, ‘we’) and presenting an objective and depersonalised approach. You should always use language that is clear, concise, and unambiguous. One method of identifying an appropriate style is to look at textbooks recommended by your tutors. Terms of Reference / Introduction (statement of what you were asked to investigate, by whom, your aims and objectives, what date the report is required by)