Basic Study Skills
Course Content
1. Learning how to Become an Effective Learner
Maintain a daily journal and vocabulary log, term planners and study schedules with dates and events; work to imposed deadlines. Learn how to become a reflective learner and how to choose the best way of learning; learning styles: auditory, visual and tactile/kinesthetic. Understanding the difference between cramming and studying. Memory strategies.
Academic culture: time management; punctuality, regular attendance of classes; complete homework on time, bring required material to class.
Academic integrity; learning how to behave and how not to behave in an academic environment; how to respect and address tutors in an appropriate way. Understanding the importance of college education; problems of cheating at examinations; rules, regulations and responsibilities of a student; academic discipline and punishment.
Succeeding in college: learning how to succeed and achieve goals; understanding motivation and goals; characteristics of appropriate goals.
Portfolio of work with regular updating.
Learning-based activities and reflective exercises.
2. Basic Academic Writing, Listening and Presentation Skills
Basic features of academic writing: descriptive, narrative, cause and effect, argumentative; persuasion; comparison - similarities and differences; ideas connected sequentially and logically; paragraphs with clear introduction; development of ideas and conclusions; correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Learning how to write a well-structured logical essay.
Fundamentals of active listening and note-taking: listen to lectures and take notes; date notes; note down key ideas; utilize basic abbreviations, organize information for later reference; paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism.
Plan and conduct presentations; speak in a clearly audible and well-paced voice; achieve the aim of informing the audience, maintain eye contact with the audience; observe time restrictions in presentations; address questions from audience.
3. Basic Self-Study Skills
Locating and organizing relevant information; retrieving information from various sources; using the library for finding, borrowing and returning library material.
Using effectively an English-English dictionary; extracting relevant information from a book, journal or website by using various reading techniques.
Using Internet search engines and electronic resources for research purposes; listing sources of information by using index cards. Learning how to analyze, evaluate, classify and select information in order to solve a specific problem.
Directed self-study: independently access and use computer labs and Internet for language learning and retrieving information.
Learning how to work effectively as a team: how to ‘agree to disagree’, how to acknowledge and respect the rights of others.
Objectives
The module aims to enable students to
• manage time effectively;
• develop academic culture;
• maintain a daily journal describing learning experiences, challenges and insights in an academic environment;
• study in groups and participate in various class and extra-curricular activities accordingly;
• organize and maintain a system of recording vocabulary;
• maintain a record of sources used to retrieve and present information;
• collect and organize data related to a given topic;
• paraphrase sentences and texts;
• practice taking notes;
• write well-structured, logical essays.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course the students will be able to
• abide to the norms of academic culture;
• maintain a daily journal and vocabulary log;
• keep a portfolio of one’s work;
• write a well-structured and logical essay;
• take notes of key points in a lecture;
• select relevant material from various sources;
• plan and conduct oral presentations.
Delivery
• Lectures
• Group work
• Face-to-face communication
• Guided self-study
Assessment
The course will be evaluated for a total of 100 marks of which 80 marks will be based on continuous assessment and 20 marks will be based on the end-semester examination:
• Note-taking: 10
• Assignment 1 (group): 10
• Assignment 2 (individual): 20
• Oral presentation: 10
• Journal writing and vocabulary: 10
• Essay writing: 15
• Portfolio: 5
• Final written examination: 20
Course Requirements
Each student must fulfill the following requirements of the Basic Study Skills course.
1. Study the handouts, books and the Internet materials regularly.
2. Use the learning tools and materials which are provided in the websites, or as recommended by the lecturer.
3. Self-study (average 4 hours per week) includes revision of lecture notes, preparation for discussions of lectures, collecting and selecting research materials for the chosen topic in the Internet and in the library, formulating research questions, writing a research paper (a mini-research project, or as advised by the tutor) on a chosen topic, writing a summary of the research paper, preparing to discuss the paper with the tutor and preparing an oral presentation of the topic. Self-study includes all assignments given by lecturer.
4. Attend all classes regularly. If a student misses more than two classes without a clear reason she/he will not be allowed to continue the course without a special permission from the Dean.
5. Prepare and give at least one oral presentation. Handouts, PowerPoint, overhead projector or other devices can be used but a student is not allowed to read from a paper or from a computer. The presentation should last approximately five to ten minutes. An outline of the presentation must be handed in to the teacher and copies to all students, if requested (before the lesson starts). The outline of the presentation must be printed on one A4 size page and must contain the student ID number, the name of the student written in English (written on top of the A4 size paper), title of the topic, and the basic points of the presentation. The font size must be Times New Roman 12.
6. Attend all examinations, lectures and tutorials. Cheating at examinations is not tolerated and students who are caught during examination will automatically fail themselves.
7. Students are not allowed to walk or chat loudly with each other during the lesson without a teacher’s permission. If a student ignores the teacher’s remarks, uses offensive words or offensive body language, leaves the classroom early and without the teacher’s permission, is late for classes or insults other students and the teacher, behaves in an arrogant manner or in any other inappropriate way, the student will be severely punished including expulsion from the College. Expulsion implies that the student should not consider the College for further education.
8. Students are expected to comply with the college-wide requirements for academic integrity. The College is committed to academic integrity—the honest, fair, and continuing pursuit of knowledge, free from fraud or deception. This implies that students are expected to be responsible for their own work. Presenting another individual’s work as one’s own and receiving excessive help from another individual will qualify as a violation of academic integrity. Plagiarism is cheating. In this course, using another person’s words or ideas as your own without giving credit, producing a memorized piece (either your own or someone else’s), or having someone do any portion of your work is cheating. Every student is expected to complete his/her own, original work by using his/her own words.
9. This Course Outline is the main document of the course and the topics which are written in the Course Outline must be discussed in class every week. The duty of each student is to conduct Internet and library research, study the handouts and prepare for class discussions. The Course Outline is handed in to each student during the first week of the semester.
10. Any additional questions or suggestions related to the above can be answered or discussed personally by your tutor during the tutorial, after the tutorial or by email. Each student who approaches the teacher by email must write their student number, name and the class number. Anonymous emails will not be replied.
Designed by Dr. Algirdas Makarevicius
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