UCAS Study Guides
UCAS working in partnership with National Extension College (NEC) have created five excellent Study Skills Guides on the following topics:
- Understanding and answering exam questions
- How to present an argument
- Time management
- Proofing and editing your work
- Academic essay writing
Doing Research
- Planning your literature searchThis handout will give you some guidance on approaching your courserwork and define keywords for searching databases. It will also explain how the literature search process leads to a literature review.
- Database search techniquesHere are some useful search tips you can apply in a wide range of library databases using the advanced search function.
- Statistics and probability
You may be required to perform quantitative data analysis in your assignment. Here is a wide range of exercises and instructional videos on statistics and probability from the Khan Academy. - SPSS tutorials
These YouTube videos accompany the widely used textbook by Andy Field - "Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics". - NVivo tutorialsVideo tutorials on using the most powerful software for gaining richer insights from qualitative and mixed-methods data.
Critical & Reflective Thinking
- Tom Chatfield on Critical Thinking and Bias
To reason critically one must be alert to various forms of bias. In this podcast, tech philosopher Tom Chatfield explores how new digital realities interact with existing human biases, explaining that human bias can become embedded into our creations, before contemplating potential digital futures. - Cognitive Bias infographic (External guide)
When it comes to assessing risk, humans often fail to make rational decisions because our brains take mental shortcuts that prevent us making the correct choice. This fantastic infographic from Raconteur Media maps the wide range of cognitive biases we are all prone to fall victim to.
By the end you should be able to:
--Understand different forms of bias - Kolb's Learning Cycle (External guide)
Includes a widely used model for thinking reflectively. Kolb's Learning Cycle (1984).
By the end you should be able to:
--Understand the four elements of a loop which you can start at any point, though normally you start with an experience.
--Know how to reflect effectively on your practice
- Critical & Analytical WritingThe main differences between descriptive writing and critical analytical writing.
- Reflective writing: tips and useful phrasesThis guide explains what reflective writing entails along with suggestions for useful words/phrases.
Academic Writing
- Academic Phrasebank
This resource can provide you with examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation. - In the Loop: Do you know how feedback can improve your writing?Take this quiz to learn about how you can get the most out of teacher feedback and apply it to your future writing.
- Beware of Nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns)Short video highlighting why it is important to avoid excessive jargon and abstraction in academic writing.
- Using English for Academic Purposes
Learn how to write introductions, link paragraphs, synthesise and paraphrase. This is an excellent, comprehensive resource (with a range of activities) for students in higher education.
- Essay Instruction Terms (PDF document)A guide that define different terms you see in assessment criteria and instructions given by tutors.
By the end you should be able to:
--Understand the different language and terminology of essay questions and what skills they require. - Essay OutlineA useful handout to give you a structure for your essay.
- Planning your Essay WritingExercises and guidance on structuring your essay.
Pack created by Andy Mitchell using materials from Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning - Writing Good Essay IntroductionsLearn how to craft the perfect introductory paragraph and hook your audience.
- Writing Skills Helpsheet: Sentence StructureA useful handout on writing paragraphs - what they do and how to plan them.
- Improving your essay (document)This handout explains how to check the flow of your argument (considering the sentence structure, grammar and punctuation). There are also questions you might ask yourself before you submit your work.
By the end you should be able to:
--Understand the most important aspects of an essay
--Learn strategies to improve your essay - Academic ToneThe key aspects of writing in an academic style, e.g. how to be impersonal and avoid colloquialisms and clichés.
- Components of a DissertationA useful breakdown of what a typical 10,000 words-long dissertation should include.
- Dissertation PlannerPlan your dissertation: stages, time required, start and finish dates, notes, etc.
- Understanding Academic Integrity & Plagiarism (Tutorial) 45 minutesAcademic Integrity and honesty are fundamental to the work you produce for your course. Learn about the most common types of plagiarism in academic context, followed by six cases showing how plagiarism can damage one’s reputation, credibility and career prospects.
By the end you should be able to:
--Identify what constitutes plagiarism
--Develop a commitment to academic integrity and the core values that are fundamental for you to succeed in your studies and beyond.
Digital Literacy
- On the Media [podcast]
Weekly podcast investigating how the media shapes our worldview. From WNYC, the New York Public Radio. - IRL [podcast]
In Real Life (IRL) is an original podcast from Mozilla. Host Veronica Belmont shares real stories of life online and real talk about the future of the Web. - Eli Pariser | TED 2011 | Beware online "filter bubbles"As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there's a dangerous unintended consequence: We get trapped in a "filter bubble" and don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview. Eli Pariser argues powerfully that this will ultimately prove to be bad for us and bad for democracy.
- Being Digital - Skills for life online
Being digital is a collection of short, easy to follow activities created by the Open University. They cover the skills we all need to be effective online, whether it’s searching efficiently, critically evaluating information, communicating and sharing online, or selecting the right online tool for your needs. - TinEye - Reverse Image SearchThe first reverse image search engine allowing you to search by image, find better resolution files and track earlier versions. TinEye will help you check if an image was manipulated in any way and where (what sorts of sites) it 'lives on' online.
- Europass | Digital Competences self-assessment gridReflect on your current digital skills in areas of information processing, communication, content creation, safety, and problem solving. Are you a basic, independent, or proficient user?