Study Skills Support

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Study Skills Support for Year 1 Students on
Undergraduate Business Programmes University
of Portsmouth Business School andrew.perrins_at_por
t.ac.uk
www.port.ac.uk
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• The Knowledge
• 10 credit unit
• Taken in first semester of course by most
  full-time undergraduates
• Delivered through 12 weekly workshops
• Delivered by 20-25 tutors
• Workshops assessed on the hoof and signed off
  by tutors
• Workshops cover
• IT skills - use of network and VLE, email, word
  processing, spreadsheets, HTML, PowerPoint
• Academic skills use of library, citation and
  referencing, note-taking, critical reading,
  listening, group work, academic writing

www.port.ac.uk
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• History
• Perception that undergraduate study skills were
  weak
• 2001 launch of Foundation Studies for
  Economists (Economics Department only)
• 2003 launch of The Knowledge (all departments)
• 2005 first input from University Academic
  Skills Unit
• 2006 first use of online Skills_at_Portsmouth
  resources

www.port.ac.uk
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• Benefits
• Colleagues report general improvement
• Student feedback broadly positive

www.port.ac.uk
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• Problems
• Lack of differentiation by ability/experience
• Limited course-specific content
• Lack of timeliness
• Variable quality of delivery
• Resistant attitude of some colleagues
• Weaker students confuse process with product

www.port.ac.uk