Essential Study Skills

Tom Burns, always interested in theatre and the arts and their role in teaching and learning, led the Hainault Action Group setting up adventure playgrounds and devising Community Events and Festivals for the local community. Whilst still a student Tom set up and ran the first International Dario Fo Festival – with symposium, theatre workshops for students and local people and full dramatic performances by the Fo-Rame theatre troupe of The Tiger’s Tale and The Boss’s Funeral.   Tom Burns is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development actively involved in the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (www.aldinhe.ac.uk). Some time ago he, along with Sandra Sinfield, developed the student-facing Study Hub (www.londonmet.ac.uk/studyhub) and the staff-facing Take5 website and blog (http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/take5/), the latter offering engaging and innovative learning, teaching and assessment practices to support staff with learning development work. Working in the Centre for Professional and Educational Development at London Metropolitan University, she continues to develop learning, teaching and assessment innovations with a special focus on engaging praxes that ignite student curiosity and develop power and voice. Sandra Sinfield has worked as a laboratory technician, a freelance copywriter, an Executive Editor (Medicine Digest, circulation 80,000 doctors) and in the voluntary sector with the Tower Hamlets Research and Resource Centre and with the Islington Green School Community Play written by Alan, Whose Life is it Anyway?, Clarke and produced at Sadler′s Wells.   Sandra is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Learning Development actively involved in the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (www.aldinhe.ac.uk). Some time ago she, along with Tom Burns, developed the student-facing Study Hub (www.londonmet.ac.uk/studyhub) and the staff-facing Take5 website and blog (http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/take5/), the latter offering engaging and innovative learning, teaching and assessment practices to support staff with learning development work. Working in the Centre for Professional and Educational Development at London Metropolitan University, she continues to develop learning, teaching and assessment innovations with a special focus on engaging praxes that ignite student curiosity and develop power and voice.

Overview
Introduction
Succeeding at university: quick steps to success
Places to go and things to do
Make sense of your course
Study Techniques and Learning Effectively
How to learn effectively
Get organised for independent study
Computers: Any place, anywhere, any time - Debbie Holley
How to succeed in group work
How to interact and build relationships at University
How to survive academic reading: targeted research and active reading
How to make the best notes
Creative strategies and Learning Effectively
How to be creative in your learning
How to think effectively: analytical and critical thinking
Communicating Effectively in Assignments
How to write better assignments
How to prevent plagiarism
How to overcome writing blocks and become a confident writer
How to write great essays
How to produce excellent reports
How to write a brilliant dissertation
How to deliver excellent presentations
How to run your own seminars and workshops
Emotional Dimension
How to deal with your emotions
Reflective Learning
Reflective learning and the learning log!
Memory and effective revision
How to understand and pass exams
Personal Development Planning (PDP): becoming who you want to be - Christine Keenan
Moving on: What to do when you finish university