Returning to study
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Orientation 2012Angela Dierks
What has changed
about university
study in the last decade?
Name 3 changes.
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What has changed about university study in the last
decade?• Knowledge is seen as open, accessible and often from the bottom up
• Collaboration is valued - more emphasis on group work and presentations
• More emphasis on reflection and awareness about process of learning
• E-resources• Use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) such
as Blackboard or Moodle• Use of plagiarism software such as Turnitin
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What will be the difference between UG and PG study?
• Development of current skills to a higher level
• Acquisition of new skills – research skills
• Work more independently• Work with a supervisor
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Develop your skills to a higher level
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•gather appropriate material•critically evaluate your material (eg assess relevance of theories)•use it as the basis for logical argument and discussion (developing a rationale)
Anderson’s and Krathwohl’s Taxonomy of
Cognitive Domain1. Remembering2. Understanding3. Applying4. Analyzing5. Evaluating6. Creating
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Acquire new skills• Read more widely and beyond core
material• Demonstrate academic judgement by
gathering appropriate published material and evaluating it
• Gather and process evidence• Apply appropriate research methodologies• Present your findings in an appropriate
manner
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Read more widely and critically
• Know your way around a range of resources including electronic databases and ejournals
• Need to evaluate material in terms of relevance, provenance and research methods
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Demonstrate academic judgement
• Question what you read
• Draw your own conclusions about the value of the work
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Gather and process evidence
• Undertake literature review
• Gather data, eg through questionnaires, interviews or surveys
• Be aware of ethics
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Apply appropriate research methodology
Three types of research:
• Quantitative (eg based on surveys and numerical data)
• Qualitative (eg interviews, grounded-theory, case study)
• Mixed: quantitative and qualitative
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Present your findings
• Giving a presentation
• Dissertation writing
• Appropriate referencing
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Work more independently
Need to be good at project management including– Time management– Organisational skills – Knowledge management– Scoping
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Work with a supervisor
• Clarifying the scope of your work
• Finding the right supervisor
• Establishing a positive working relationship
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Work with your peers
• Support
• Check your understanding and clarify questions
• Get a different perspective from your own
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