Study Session for USC students

1. Headstart – Academic Skills
Support for Learning – Academic Skills Team

2. Acknowledgement of Country
The University of the Sunshine Coast acknowledges
the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the
campus stands, and recognises the strength, resilience
and capacity of Elders past, present and emerging.

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4. Myth Busting
True or False
1. True or False: There is no such thing as a silly question.
You will have many questions as you start your Headstart courses. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and avail of the support
services available at USC.
2. True or False: Attending lectures and tutorials
Attending lectures and tutorials is, of course, vital to your success at university. Preparation, participation and revision are
also important. Pre-read for classes; listen actively, take notes and participate in class; revise after class to retain information,
talk to peers and use feedback to inform your learning.
3. True or False: Time and task management are vital skills at university.
Record your assessments, required readings, assignment due dates and exams. Allocate time each week so you can meet
school, university, work, sporting, family and social commitments.
Any other myths to bust?
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5. Session Outline
Resources
• Blackboard: Quick Links Academic Skills
• USC website: Academic and Study Support
Academic expectations
• attendance
• self-directed, independent learning
• academic integrity
• help-seeking behaviours
Academic Skills
• time and task management
• analysing assignment questions
• referencing
• critical thinking
• academic writing: proofreading, cohesion, voice
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6. Workshop Objectives
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By the end of this workshop you should have:
1. developed knowledge of academic expectations.
2. an enhanced awareness of study behaviours that lead to success at
university.
3. built skills relating to understanding how and where to seek support.
4. applied learning by identifying and practising academic skills.

7. Common Comments
• I don’t understand the assignment question.
• I can’t keep up with all the reading.
• I’m doing the reading, but I just don’t get it.
• My notes are all over the place. I’m lost.
• I can’t get started. I don’t know what to write.
• I don’t understand how or why to reference.
• Why can’t there be a right or wrong answer?
• I can’t manage to meet all my commitments.
What can you do?
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8. What you can do!
• Develop a social (learning) network with other students and staff on campus
• Attend all lectures and tutorials
• Engage with the online community (i.e. Blackboard, discussion boards, databases
for research)
• Spend time studying each week (preferably a daily allocation)
• Identify your long term goals
• Limit your paid and volunteer work commitments
• Seek help early from fellow students, tutors, academic skills advisers
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(Wilson 2009; Tinto 2012)

9. Resources
Blackboard USC website
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10. Academic Expectations
• Attendance
• Self-directed, independent learning
• Academic integrity
• Help-seeking behaviours
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11. Academic Integrity
Look at the information on academic integrity on the USC
website
https://www.usc.edu.au/learn/student-support/academic-
and-study-support/online-study-resources/academic-
integrity-information
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12. Time and Task Management Tools
•Weekly Schedule
•Semester Schedule
•Assignment calculator
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13. An Example of Time and Task Management
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14. Working Through Assignments
• Organise your time to meet all task requirements
• Read critically and widely
• Use theories and ideas of others to support YOUR interpretations in YOUR
writing
• Acknowledge the work of others in support of your writing
• Reference and cite appropriately (commonly, Harvard or APA6 but also
footnote styles)
• Proofread, edit and redraft your work
• Submit on time
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15. Analysing Assignment Questions
To help develop structure in your assignments, look for:
• Task words (what to do, e.g. compare, analyse, explain)
• Topic words (concepts & knowledge, e.g. globalisation)
• Limiting words (scope of what you need to include)
(Turner et al. 2011)
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16. Analysing Assignment Questions
Environmental Impact Assessments are often seen as a means
of ensuring conservation practices but political and economic
factors frequently intervene. Discuss this statement, referring
to the roles and responsibilities of developers,
environmentalists and governments.
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Topic
Task
Limiting

17. Using evidence to meet academic integrity
requirements at USC
• It is important to cite and reference correctly.
• Plagiarism occurs when someone else’s ideas or thoughts are
used as your own (copying).
• Plagiarism occurs when source information used is not changed
into your own words.
• Knowing how to summarise, paraphrase and reference evidence
appropriately will enable you to meet academic expectations and
avoid plagiarism.
• Academic skills advisers and online sources can guide you with
developing these skills.
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18. Ways of referring to a source
There are different ways that you can use information
from a source as evidence in your writing.
• Quoting the exact words from a source enclosed in quotation marks
• Reporting summarising and paraphrasing
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19. In academic writing should you…
• reference lecture PowerPoint slides?
• rely on quotations: to begin/end paragraphs?
• use mostly quotations in paragraphs?
• use your personal opinion only?
• cut and paste information from another source?
• use anecdotal evidence?
• use evidence from one source only?
• use evidence from Wikipedia?
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20. Paraphrasing
How could this text be paraphrased to meet academic
standards?
First year students often find many aspects of university life
challenging, and may benefit from having a mentor who can
point out possible obstacles to academic achievement.
Source: Major, J 1998, Success in sight, Fallen Press, Sydney, NSW.
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21. Paraphrasing
What do you think of these examples?
Consider the focus and discuss.
• According to Major (1998), a mentor can be helpful in letting first year students, who
are frequently faced with many challenges, know about some of the likely problems
that could interfere with their successful study.
• Several features of university life can be confronting for first year students, who may
be helped by mentors pointing out potential stumbling blocks to academic success
(Major 1998).
• First year students frequently find various facets of university life difficult, and may
benefit from advisers who can indicate potential hurdles to scholastic
accomplishment (Major 1998).
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22. Paraphrasing
Possible steps for writing a paraphrase
• Read the original several times until you are sure you have understood it.
• Note down the most important ideas. Try to use your own understanding of author’s meaning.
• Without looking at the original, use your memory to rewrite.
• Change the structure of the sentence, and maybe, the order in which the ideas were presented in the
original.
• Re-read the paraphrase and check that it flows smoothly and reflects your interpretation of the original.
• Cite the information using an appropriate referencing style.
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23. Critical Thinking
Criticalthinkinghappenswhen:
• You move beyond simply summarising texts
• You critique the authors you have read
• You identify links between authors
• You have something to say about what you have read (your
own argument or response to the topic)
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24. Proofreading
Remember to allow time for proofreading!
Consider the following aspects when proofreading your writing:
• referencing
• grammar
• spelling
• punctuation
• formatting and layout
• cohesion
• voice
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25. Where do your needs lie?
• You are the expert on yourself.
• Identify what your areas of concern are and address them early.
• Research these areas and ask for help.
• Check Blackboard for academic skills resources: Academic Skills,
Studiosity (formerly Your Tutor), Train Station.
• Check USC website: Academic and Study Support.
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26. Resources and Services
• Successful Learning Strategies
• Student Central
• Academic and study support
• Student Wellbeing
• Security and safety
• Student IT Helpdesk
• Connect to USC Wifi
• Library support and services
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27. Course Objectives – How did we do?
Hopefully, these slides have helped you to:
1. developed knowledge of academic expectations.
2. an enhanced awareness of study behaviours that lead to success at
university.
3. built skills relating to understanding how and where to seek support.
4. applied learning by identifying and practising academic skills.
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28. References
Major, J 1998, Success in sight, Fallen Press, Sydney, NSW.
Tinto, V 2012, Enhancing student success: Taking the classroom success
seriously. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher
Education, 3(1).
Turner, K, Krenus, B, Ireland, L & Pointon, L 2011, Essential academic
skills, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Wilson, K 2012, Student Diversity & Engagement in the First Year
Experience: Facilitating the successful orientation, engagement &
retention of commencing students.
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