Simplify Your Study: Effective Strategies for Coursework and Exams

Description

This innovative book provides clear and straight-forward strategies which help students to understand the conventions of academic assignments and what lecturers expect from their work. Simplify Your Study is organised around nine core units which focus on the 'sticking points' of university study, including organisation and planning, reading and note-making strategies, producing essays, critical thinking, delivering presentations and preparing for exams. Packed with tried-and-tested strategies for success, this essential resource will help students of all disciplines and levels to achieve their academic potential. contents acknowledgements introduction simplify your study the aim of study thinking differently the content of the book the value of preparation how to use the book 1 organisation and planning 1.1 making an assessed work overview the aim why this can help you the strategy making a more detailed overview 1.2 making a semester or academic year planner the aim why this can help you the strategy 1.3 making and using a weekly planner the aim why this can help you the strategy 1.4 creating effective study sessions the aim why this can help you the strategy monitoring your work sessions 2 reading 2.1 reading: getting started 2.2 the importance of focus in reading 2.3 using indicators to read 2.4 finding the information you need: skimming and scanning skimming scanning aids to scanning 2.5 prereading by using other sources 2.6 reading and visual disturbance 3 making notes 3.1 making notes in spatial form (spatial note making) the aim why this can help you the strategy organising your spatial notes spatial note making, mind maps and mind mapping software examples of spatial note making 3.2 drawing an understanding 3.3 skeleton note making for lectures 3.4 making notes with templates the aim why this can help you the strategy 3.5 using a template: making notes for seminars what is a seminar? what are the aims of seminars? preparing for seminars a strategic approach to reading for seminars a template for making notes for seminars and in seminars 3.6 using templates: taking notes from verbal communication a nursing student on placement: Maria’s table a medical student on placement: Rachel’s template meetings with a dissertation supervisor: Chang’s agenda template 3.7 using a template: doing a critical review what is a critical review? taking notes for a critical review using the template 4 critical thinking for academic writing 4.1 what is critical thinking? critical thinking as a conscious cognitive process critical thinking as a process that uses skills and strategies critical thinking as a process that changes the thinker 4.2 critical thinking: practice, theory, research, policy the aim why this can help you the strategy 4.3 critical thinking and spatial note making 4.4 critical thinking: questions for description and discussion understanding what you need to do thinking about the information and ideas you read during research 4.5 description and discussion in academic writing the aim why this can help you the strategy description in academic writing discussion in academic writing discussion and evidence in academic writing 5 academic writing 5.1 what is academic writing? caution: the tone of academic writing 5.2 academic writing: 15 points to consider 5.3 the building blocks of academic writing 5.4 learning words visually the aim why this can help you the strategy 5.5 an easy way to write simple sentences the aim why this can help you the strategy 5.6 building a paragraph with description and discussion the aim why this can help you the strategy 5.7 the Paragraph Buster! the aim why this can help you the strategy conclusion paragraphs the aim of a paragraph 5.8 using quotes in academic writing how to set out a quote in your writing introducing the quote 5.9 plagiarism and how to avoid it what is plagiarism? what is common knowledge? plagiarism and discussion plagiarism detection software (PDS) checking for plagiarism before you submit your work paraphrasing: using your own syntax referencing your work footnotes and endnotes 6 producing essays 6.1 what is an essay? the structure of essays the length of essays the content of essays: sentences and paragraphs 6.2 producing essays: a 10 step strategy the aim why this can help you the strategy producing essays (a 10 step strategy): a visual overview of the strategy 6.3 making a spatial breakdown of essay questions the aim why this can help you the strategy 6.4 using a spatial overview during the research phase the aim why this can help you the strategy 6.5 the order of content in essays the order of content in essays 6.6 making an essay plan with aims the essay plan 6.7 writing introductions and conclusions for essays what is a thesis statement? writing an essay introduction writing an essay conclusion 6.8 grade your own essay the aim why this can help you the strategy 7 reflective writing 7.1 reflective writing as part of reflective practice what is reflective writing? what is the aim of reflective practice and reflective writing? how can reflective writing help you improve your knowledge and skills? reflective writing and revealing weakness reflective writing and group work failures using academic references in reflective writing sources of evidence used in reflective writing practice and theory 7.2 reflective writing: style and structure writing style of reflective writing the structure of reflective writing assignments 7.3 a model and template for reflective writing a template for reflective writing 7.4 models for reflective practice Rolfe (1993): a framework for reflective practice Kolb (1984): an experiential learning model (after Lewin) Atkins and Murphy (1994): a framework for reflection Johns (1995): a model of structured reflection Driscoll (2007): a model of structured reflection 7.5 using Gibbs’ reflective cycle in coursework Gibbs’ reflective cycle (or Gibbs’ reflective model) a template for using Gibbs’ model the structure of a reflective coursework assignment using Gibbs’ model using a word count including academic references in your reflective writing 8 doing a dissertation 8.1 dissertation types and length what is a dissertation? empirical dissertation systematic literature review theoretical dissertation the length of dissertations 8.2 writing a research proposal and making a schedule the research proposal the research question and hypothesis, aims and objectives annotated reference list or annotated bibliography making a time schedule (using a Gantt chart) 8.3 doing a dissertation: making a spatial overview the aim why this can help you the strategy working with a supervisor the research question 8.4 the dissertation title and title page 8.5 writing an abstract what is an abstract? 8.6 dissertation introductions and conclusions the introduction the conclusion 8.7 doing a literature review what is a literature review? what is the purpose of a literature review? your research question and the literature review taking notes for a literature review the structure of a literature review epistemology and ontology the literature review and other parts of the dissertation some criticisms to avoid 8.8 writing a methodology methodology and method 8.9 findings and the discussion of findings results or findings? findings: presentation and description the discussion of findings asking questions for discussion 8.10 doing a systematic review what is a systematic review? breaking the systematic review into smaller tasks when do I analyse the papers? 8.11 analysing research papers with templates using existing templates making your own template 8.12 presenting your dissertation: a 4 step strategy the aim why this can help you the strategy 9 revision and examinations 9.1 making an exam overview table the aim why this can help you the strategy 9.2 the 3 step revision strategy the aim why this can help you the strategy the benefits of making spatial notes for revision 9.3 making and using a revision planner 9.4 multiple choice questions (MCQs) preparing and revising for MCQ exams an examination strategy for MCQ exams MCQs and visual disturbance 9.5 short answer questions (SAQs) making revision notes for SAQs a template for descriptive questions 9.6 the 4 step exam strategy for long answer questions (LAQs) the aim why this can help you the strategy preparing for and doing LAQs 9.7 writing a gobbet for examinations what is a gobbet? templates for writing a gobbet 9.8 open book examinations what is an open book exam? create an alphabetic and thematic index off campus or take home exams when you know the question or topic before the exam 9.9 oral exams and dissertations what is an oral examination? preparing for an oral exam of your dissertation list of resources available to download bibliography index