Study Techniques

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Dr Alastair Ball
• Assessment: coursework (100%)

This module is designed to enhance your study skills and improve your learning experience throughout your degree programme. There is a strong online component to the module which has been chosen both to reduce your on-site time and to allow you to self-pace.

Indicative syllabus

• Introduction and life at university
• Research, literature search and plagiarism
• Introduction to data
• Data analysis
• Communication in writing and presentations

By the end of the module, you will:

• understand how the degree classification is calculated, know the most important university rules and where to find more information
• be aware of sources of help with academic and non-academic problems, and procedures such as mitigating circumstances and break in studies.
• have learned strategies for learning such as time-management, finding a good environment for study, note-taking, review, exam strategy and the management of anxiety
• understand how to approach a literature review, how to find information and how to assess the credibility of sources
• know how to correctly refer to information from academic and other sources, and the academic consequences of plagiarism and collusion
• understand how to assess the quality of data from surveys, and how this can affect the conclusions that researchers reach
• be aware of the most important sources of socio-economic data
• know how to present data in graphs and tables clearly, and how to spot dishonest practice in the presentation of data
• have practical knowledge of how to structure an academic report or presentation, and how to stick to an appropriate style.