Study and Communication Skills for the Biosciences

Stuart Johnson is the Director of Careers and Skills at the University of Bristol. He graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Leicester and then held various learning and development roles in charities and the NHS. He returned to the University of Leicester as an academic skills specialist, working predominantly with health and life sciences, before becoming Deputy Director of the Careers Service there. He now leads the careers service at the University of Bristol and has pioneered the Bristol Skills Profile, working with students, staff, and employers to ensure all graduates have the skills required for the changing labour market.Jon Scott is a higher education consultant and Emeritus Professor of Bioscience Education at the University of Leicester where he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience. He graduated as a biologist from the University of Durham, specializing in neuroscience. His research was into sensory feedback in the control of movement. He taught physiology to medical and bioscience students and became increasingly involved in developing practice in learning and teaching, publishing on assessment and feedback, academic integrity, and belonging and retention. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, was the UK Bioscience Teacher of the Year in 2011, and won a National Teaching Fellowship in 2012. He currently works with a range of universities in the UK and internationally.Dominic Henri is a National Teaching Fellow (2021) and previous winner of the Royal Society of Biology's Higher Education Bioscience Teacher of the Year award (2018). He has taught on many undergraduate and postgraduate bioscience programmes at the University of Hull since 2014 and led the transformation of biosciences provision, but particularly assessment, as the Director of Studies between 2018-2022. He is responsible for teaching topics across animal behaviour, ecology, entomology, conservation, and sustainability, which align with his broad academic background. Originally, he completed a BSc in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour and an MSc in Lichen Physiology at Durham University, before attaining a PhD in Insect Population Ecology and Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Exeter. However, his primary research covers the enhancement of teaching and assessment in higher education, with a particular focus on building student confidence and maximizing graduate employability.

A go-to text to support students in their academic development. It provides useful advice and guidance for students in an easy-to-digest way.

• Introduction Stage 1: Getting the most out of your course 1: The transition to higher education 2: Know your course 3: Making the most out of taught sessions 4: What to do outside of taught sessions Stage 2: Navigating assessment at university 5: Getting yourself organised 6: Exams 7: Preparing for coursework assignments 8: Creating written coursework 9: Researching your coursework topic 10: Developing visual and oral presentation skills 11: Revising drafts and finishing touches 12: Key competencies: collaboration and critical thinking Stage 3: Preparing for your future 13: Making the most of feedback 14: Making yourself employable