Developing Higher Level Study Skills

Foundation Degree in Childhood StudiesLecturer: Laura Griffiths

Further Education Versus

Higher Education

Further Education Versus

Higher Education

• Further education tends to be more work-focused (vocational / placements).

• Lessons are mainly teacher led with student activities.

• Students are monitored much more closely by lecturing staff.

Further Education Versus

Higher Education

• Higher level study is different from study at previous levels.

• Higher education lies largely in your hands, although help and guidance is provided, it is up to you to take the initiative to research current issues and topics relating your area of study.

• This means being active on your own behalf.

Further Education Versus

Higher Education

• As a student in higher education the most noticeable differences are:

⁻ The teaching methods.⁻ The assumption that students have the

maturity to ‘just get on with it’.⁻ The level of work expected is much higher.⁻ There is a strong emphasis on critical

analysis rather than descriptive writing.

Developing higher level study skills

• Planning• Academic writing • Critical analysis• Justifying• The correct use of Harvard referencing • Writing academically in the third person• Carrying out independent study • Reflection• Sticking to a word count• Effective poof reading

• Take your time when writing your essay plan.• Breakdown the word count into sections.• Roughly 200-300 words for an intro and 200-300 for your

conclusion. • Leaving roughly 2400-2600 for your main ideas.• Make a list of all the key facts you need to include.

Allocate these a word count.• This will balance your discussion, analysis and evaluation

each area.

Academic writing

• You probably spend a lot of time writing - emails, texts, shopping lists, letters to friends or filling in forms.

• For each of these, you will use a different style of writing, choosing whichever is appropriate for the purpose and the people you are writing for.

Academic writing

• The style of writing you will be expected to use for academic work is different to any other styles you use every day.

• It is part of your academic training to learn how to write in this more formal style.

• It demonstrates discipline and thoughtfulness, and is important to communicate your ideas clearly.

Academic writing

Writing is at the heart of academic life.

Descriptive versus Critical Analysis

• With descriptive writing you are not developing any arguments; you are merely setting the background within which an argument can be developed.

• Descriptive writing is relatively simple. There is also the trap that it can be easy to use many, many words from your word limit, simply providing description.

• In providing only description, you are presenting but not transforming information; you are reporting ideas but not taking them forward in any way. An assignment using only descriptive writing would therefore gain few marks

Descriptive versus Critical Analysis

• With critical writing you are participating in the academic debate. You need to weigh up the evidence and arguments of others, and to contribute your own.

• You will need to: • consider the quality of the evidence and argument you have read.

• Identify key positive and negative aspects you can comment upon.

• Assess their relevance and usefulness to the debate that you are engaging in for your assignment.

• Identify how best they can be woven into the argument that you are developing.

• A much higher level of skill is clearly needed for critical writing than for descriptive writing, and this is reflected in the higher marks it is given.

Writing in the third person• Your entire essay must be written in the third person. You can use

terms such as…..

• According to… • It is suggested by…• This identifies….• However this idea has been contradicted by…• Stated by….• Evidence suggested by…..• Although, points raised by……..suggests that……• A similar concept was identified by………explaining………• Highlighted by…..

Avoid these terms.

• I• The writer believes• The author thinks that

•Why is reflection important

Proof Reading

• Always proof read your work !

• Part of your assessment criteria will usually relate to the standard of your written English.

• Proof reading your work can dramatically improve your punctuation, grammar and sentence structure.

What you need to do…..

• Put the hours in. • Use your time effectively.• READ, READ AND READ SOME MORE! • Take charge of your own learning.• Become an independent learner.• Use the resources that are available to you.

Study Guides