Developing Business Practice – 302LON

Reading for academic success

Week 1

Overview of sessions

Week

1 Reading for academic success

2 Writing for academic success

3 Finding and using information

4 Plagiarism and how to avoid it

5 Putting it all together

• Have an understanding of the role of reading in your course of study

• Be aware of the different types of reading expected on your

• Be able to read effectively• Understand the purpose of note-taking

By the end of this session...

• Read to gain knowledge and obtain information

• Significant amount of time at university is spent reading

Why do we read?

It’s up to you to organise your reading practices

For enjoyment!

To find out more about a subject that interests you

To find further evidence to support your own ideas

Background preparation for an assignment or interview

To go into more depth about a theory for an assignment

To find out more about a topic mentioned in class

To prepare for a seminar so that everyone can discuss it

So much to read...

...so little time!

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Good reading practices

Allow you to select the most appropriate

materials to read

Ensure that you are reading the material critically

Reduce the time spent on reading it

Ensure that the notes that you take from your reading are usable afterwards

‘Why am I reading?’ Define your purpose

Specific piece of information?

Getting an overall feel for a piece of work?

Background reading?

Deeper understand of a topic?

• Reading your tutor directs you to• Within Moodle, Reading List or

Knowledgecast

What should I read?: Directed reading

What should I read?: Directed reading

Required

It is expected that you have read

this before coming to classWill be the basis of the discussion

in the seminar

Recommended

You don’t have to read it all, but reading a selection from the recommended list

will allow you to have a better understanding of the topic and contribute to the

discussion

• Take your lead from the suggested reading

• Use bibliographies and the sources that they have mentioned

• Do your own searches on our databases and in the Learning Resource Centre

• Ask your tutor

What should I read?: Self-directed reading

• Textbooks – good for background information

• Journal articles – good for applications of models and theories in depth

• Newspaper articles – for real life examples and up-to-date information

• Websites – but always with caution!

What types of sources might you be reading?

Reading critically

Facts v. Interpretation

To non -critical readers, texts provide facts.  Readers gain knowledge by memorising the statements within a text.

To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognise not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter. 

(Kurland 2000)

Questions to ask yourself...

When/where was it written?

How does this information relate to what you already know?

What evidence have they used? And are there any gaps?

Do you agree with this interpretation of the evidence?

Effective reading tips

Always keep your reading goal in mind

When looking at books, look at the index and contents page to see where in the book to start

Use the abstract or executive summary to see if an article or report is relevant

Effective reading tips

The first paragraph and the last paragraph of a chapter or article should give a good idea of the main topic and argument of the work

Quickly scan for keywords and phrases of interest, and then go back and read more closely.

Taking notes

Allows us to reproduce information at a later date

Remind us of information at a later date

Concise way of capturing key information

Enables us to organise information and our ideas

Ensures active learning

Note-taking: Why do we take notes?

Ensures that we understand what we have just read

Different methods of note-taking

Annotating SummarisingVisually

(Mind maps)

Taking notes: Annotating

Taking notes: Annotating

Taking notes: Summarising

Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. 3rd edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan Page 7: It is best to prepare properly for university course: ways to prepared include foundation courses, access or short courses from the university or local college. It is also possible to do foundation degree, which is equivalent to two years study – this can be taken part time. There are people who can offer advice, including a mature student adviser, life-long learning – see the university for advice.

Taking notes: Visually

Preparation for university course

Access and short courses from colleges and universities

Equiv x 2 years ft study

Access routes

Foundation degrees

Modes of study

Full time

Part time

People to ask:Student adviserLifelong learning centreOther members of staff

Taking notes: Things to remember

Take notes on second reading

Make it clear in your notes any sections that are copied directly from the text, and note page numbers of

diagrams or key points

Make use of highlighters, different colours and abbreviations to make your notes clear, concise and easy

to read

Organising your note taking

Paper based?

Date your notes, keep them tidy, file them afterwards

Organising your note taking

Using a computer?

Back up your files, name your files sensibly and keep them organised

Organising your note taking

Always ensure that you have all the information you need to use this information in your assignments

Author, title, date of publication, publisher details, page numbers, web address of any online sources

In this Knowledgecast, we have:

• Looked at the role of reading in your studies, including directed and self-directed reading and considered the purpose it serves

• Looked different types of reading materials and what to be aware of when reading them

• Introduced the idea of reading critically and provided some questions to provide critical thinking framework

• Looked at some note-taking techniques that you can start to put into practice.

Knowledgecast Summary

• Bring a copy of the Harvard Business Review article from your reading for International Business Strategy (301LON) ‘Ten ways to create shareholder value’ by Rappaport.

• You may find it more useful to print it out.• You will find this through the Reading List link in

the 301LON module.

Preparation for the seminar

• ‘Bibliography’ by gadl http://www.flickr.com/photos/gadl/320300354/sizes/l/in/photostream/

• ‘168th of 2nd 365: A choice. Which translation to continue reading?’ by dumbledad http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumbledad/4988915427/sizes/o/in/photostream/

• ‘Questioning’ by Ann Douglas http://www.flickr.com/photos/anndouglas/422362185/sizes/o/in/photostream/

• ‘reading aloud: j reads Harry Potter (2)’ by anna_t http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna/199723292/sizes/o/in/photostream/

• ‘Notes’ by English 106 http://www.flickr.com/photos/english106/4357529719/sizes/z/in/photostream/

• ‘jour048’ by Guillaume Brialon http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumebrialon/3288150201/sizes/o/in/photostream/

• ‘MacBook keyboard’ by alcomm http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomm/217097889/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Image credits

• Kurland, D, (2000) What is critical reading? [online] Available from: http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_reading.htm. <6 January 2010>

References