KE4010 - Academic Skills and Personal Development (BSc)

In this module, you will learn through an introductory lecture, field visit, interactive workshops and tutorials. You will also have access to a range of learning resources, including electronic reading lists, made available via the module eLP site.

The introductory lecture will set the scene for the module delivery, assessment and its integration with your wider study programme. As part of the induction process, you will participate in an ‘orientation’ field visit where you will meet with your guidance tutor and be introduced to some local geographical and environmental issues. Interactive workshops will explore key aspects of the process of transition from further to higher education, including academic expectations, ideas around criticality and factors influencing your levels of engagement and motivation. During weekly group tutorials, you will interact with a small group of your peers (around 10 students in total) from your degree programme and your designated guidance tutor who will also teach primarily within your subject area. Discussions will focus on student-centred activities relating to the above topics and associated assessment tasks, including formative feedback and how best to feed this forward into future assessments in this and other modules. You will also have an opportunity at least once per semester to meet individually with your guidance tutor to reflect on your academic progress, performance and future plans. Your guidance tutor will also be your first line of support should you experience any personal difficulties, which may impact on your studies.

As part of the induction process in the Department, you will be assigned to a dedicated guidance tutor who will offer academic and pastoral support throughout your programme of study. Your tutor will teach primarily within your subject area and so will be familiar with the issues and challenges that you may face. Your tutor will lead the group and individual tutorial sessions, guiding you through the subject content, overseeing the assessment and feedback process and monitoring and supporting your performance and progress. They will support your transition from a largely teacher-centred, passive approach to learning in a further education context, to a more active and reflective student-centred approach to learning in a higher education context.

Your class materials will be further supported by on-line resources available via the module eLP site, including an interactive reading list, and aligned with your weekly tutorial programme. You will also have access to University-wide resources available via the University website’s ‘study’ link and the ‘Skills +’ section of the University Library link. Your guidance tutors have an open door policy during normal working hours and are responsive to communication via e-mail to support your learning.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO 1: Discuss and apply key academic issues of relevance to your subject discipline in order to address complex problems, recognising that these may transcend the boundaries of individual modules.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO 2: Develop and apply a range of skills and practices that enable you to cope effectively with the demands of academic study at HE level.
• MLO 3: Communicate effectively to diverse audiences using a range of formats and media, recognising the need to justify your own opinions and to challenge your own thinking and the thinking of others.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO 4: Develop and apply principles of reflective practice to monitor your academic performance and progress and use these in relation to personal development planning, self-improvement and in support of your future employability and long term career prospects.
• MLO 5: Value curiosity, collaboration and analysis as keystones in the creation of new knowledge and practice and establish good working relationships with staff and fellow students.

There are two summative assessments on this module: one essay, and one tutorial attendance and engagement assessment.

The essay will address all five MLOs and is worth 85% of the module mark. Essay submission will be electronic, via the module Blackboard page. Written feedback will also be provided electronically using GradeMark / Turnitin software.

In addition to the summative essays, you will be expected to attend and engage with the tutorial sessions. For some tutorials, this will involve completing preparatory (i.e. homework) tasks, for example, an essay plan. This component is worth 15% of the module mark and will be assessed based on your attendance at a minimum of 9 tutorials and your completion of any associated preparatory tasks. This assessment will address all MLOs.

In addition to these summative assessments, you will undertake a number of formative tasks during and following on from tutorial sessions. One of these formative tasks will include a short oral presentation on a peer-reviewed journal article. Verbal and/or written feedback on tasks completed throughout the semester will be supplied immediately, or soon after, the tutorial for which the work is undertaken.

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In this module, you will develop the key intellectual skills and personal attributes required for effective study. This will be largely achieved through engagement with your dedicated Guidance Tutor who will provide academic and pastoral support throughout your programme of study. He/she will lead group and individual tutorial sessions, guiding you through the subject content, overseeing the assessment and feedback process and monitoring and supporting your performance and progress.

Teaching and learning activities are tailored towards your own degree programme, linking to substantive core modules, thus providing an appropriate subject context for your studies. The module will be delivered through an introductory lecture, a series of induction activities, a field visit, interactive workshops and tutorials. You will also have access to a range of learning resources, including electronic reading lists, made available via the module eLP site. The module will be assessed by one summative essay (85%) and your engagement with the module (15%).