100 Activities for Teaching Study Skills

Dr Catherine Dawson is a freelance researcher and writer, specializing in study skills, research methods and digital research methods. She writes books aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, and at university educators. She also writes online courses in study skills, research methods and digital research methods.  Catherine studied at university in the United Kingdom for an undergraduate degree in Combined Humanities, a master’s degree in Social Research and a PhD researching the learning choices of adults returning to education. She has worked as a research assistant, research associate and educator at various UK universities and as a research and training officer in both the public and private sectors. Over the years she has developed and taught research methods courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students and has designed and delivered bespoke research methods courses to employees in the private sector.

Whether you are getting started or are an experienced learning developer and lecturer, Dawson’s comprehensive study skills resource book will inspire and engage. Supported by adaptable student handouts, the activities are clearly explained, structured and varied, incorporating self-study, one-to-one and group delivery, with scope to stand alone or be embedded and tailored to meet curriculum and student needs.   This versatile book will encourage you as a tutor to reflect and reconsider study skills teaching through a range of different topics, contexts and progressively across different levels of study, helping you to scaffold and support the student journey in participatory, imaginative and interactive ways.

• SECTION 1: STUDY PREPARATIONActivity 1: Bringing learning to lifeActivity 2: Becoming a reflective learnerActivity 3: Learning to learnActivity 4: Recognising, analysing and critiquing learning stylesActivity 5: Developing metacognitionActivity 6: Improving concentration and memoryActivity 7: Recognising and overcoming imposter syndromeActivity 8: Fostering collaborative learning and interactionSECTION 2: ORGANISATION AND TIME MANAGEMENTActivity 9: Making the right learning choicesActivity 10: Preparing a study planActivity 11: Managing timeActivity 12: Completing coursework and meeting deadlinesActivity 13: Organising studyActivity 14: Overcoming organisation problemsActivity 15: Maximising productivitySECTION 3: READINGActivity 16: Developing academic readingActivity 17: Establishing academic reading groupsActivity 18: Producing a personal reading strategyActivity 19: Adopting different reading stylesActivity 20: Searching for literatureActivity 21: Organising and citing readingActivity 22: Reading and critiquing research reports and papersSECTION 4: WRITINGActivity 23: Improving spelling, punctuation and grammarActivity 24: Developing academic writing skillsActivity 25: Establishing academic writing circlesActivity 26: Structuring essays and assignmentsActivity 27: Editing and proofreadingActivity 28: Overcoming writer’s blockActivity 29: Getting the most from tutor feedbackSECTION 5: LISTENING, OBSERVING AND NOTE-TAKINGActivity 30: Becoming an active listenerActivity 31: Improving listening skillsActivity 32: Using audio devisesActivity 33: Improving observation skillsActivity 34: Getting the most out of lectures and seminarsActivity 35: Taking notes effectivelyActivity 36: Editing and organising notesSECTION 6: SCIENCE AND MATHSActivity 37: Reading scientific materialActivity 38: Knowing about the scientific methodActivity 39: Maths for unconfident adultsActivity 40: Undertaking experimentsActivity 41: Producing scientific reports and papersActivity 42: Interpreting and critiquing dataActivity 43: Using data visualisation toolsSECTION 7: INDEPENDENT STUDYActivity 44: Planning independent studyActivity 45: Getting the most from the libraryActivity 46: Conducting online researchActivity 47: Using primary and secondary sourcesActivity 48: Evaluating sourcesActivity 49: Organising, managing and storing informationActivity 50: Finding truth and fact in mass informationSECTION 8: GROUP-WORKActivity 51: Establishing study groupsActivity 52: Getting the most out of group-workActivity 53: Producing group assignmentsActivity 54: Introducing online study groupsActivity 55: Using online tools for collaborative studyActivity 56: Surviving virtual group-workSECTION 9: IT, ASSISTIVE LEARNING AND E-LEARNINGActivity 57: Gaining confidence with IT for academic studyActivity 58: Making the most of IT facilities and supportActivity 59: Using software for researchActivity 60: Getting the most out of online learningActivity 61: Making the most of assistive technologyActivity 62: Introducing data miningActivity 63: Finding and using datasetsActivity 64: Knowing about data protectionSECTION 10: DISSERTATIONS, REPORTS AND PROJECTSActivity 65: Planning and managing personal projectsActivity 66: Using statistics, facts, arguments and opinionsActivity 67: Producing an effective argumentActivity 68: Citing, referencing and producing a bibliographyActivity 69: Producing successful written workActivity 70: Making oral presentationsActivity 71: Producing a dissertationSECTION 11: RESEARCH AND ENQUIRYActivity 72: Producing a research proposalActivity 73: Undertaking a literature reviewActivity 74: Choosing research topics and methodsActivity 75: Improving interview techniquesActivity 76: Designing questionnairesActivity 77: Running focus groupsActivity 78: Introducing data analysis techniquesSECTION 12: CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKINGActivity 79: Developing thoughts and imaginationActivity 80: Reflecting, thinking and making connectionsActivity 81: Learning how to questionActivity 82: Solving problemsActivity 83: Hypothesising and theorisingActivity 84: Reasoning inductively and deductivelyActivity 85: Analysing and critiquingActivity 86: Applying learningSECTION 13: REVISION, EXAMINATIONS AND TESTSActivity 87: Understanding the reasons for assessmentActivity 88: knowing about the different types of assessmentActivity 89: Revising effectivelyActivity 90: Preparing for an examActivity 91: Taking an examActivity 92: Improving exam marksActivity 93: Coping with stressSECTION 14: ETHICS AND INTEGRITYActivity 94: knowing about plagiarismActivity 95: Recognising and avoiding academic malpracticeActivity 96: Recognising ethical issues and dilemmas when using the internetActivity 97: Recognising subjectivity and objectivityActivity 98: Detecting and avoiding biasActivity 99: Collaborating and cooperating ethicallyActivity 100: Undertaking ethical research