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Student learning

The Language and Academic Skills units support student learning in all Faculties and Campuses. They work with students and also work with staff who request guidance about student learning.

Resources

Learning at university Speaking at university Reading and note taking Writing at university Different types of writing Grammar and punctuation

Academic vocabulary Referencing and avoiding plagiarism Editing and proof reading Revision and Exam Preparation Resources for Teaching Staff

Title	Faculty or discipline	Notes
Learning at university
University Preparation	ALL	Listen to seven speakers talk about issues facing students new to university.
Listening to lectures and note taking	ALL	Includes: Getting the most out of lectures: what to do before, during and after a lecture; Listening: Noticing cues; Note taking
Working in groups	ALL	Some units include group work assignments. Here are some tips for working successfully in such groups.
Study and time management	ALL	Some tips for effectively managing your time and study
Learning about your learning styles	ALL	Discover your learning style preferences, and how to make the most of them.
Studying with a learning disability	ALL	Some contacts at La Trobe as well as links to other resources.
How do I make the most of my tutors?	ALL	Reasons why students miss out on help from tutors and how to overcome this problem.
Speaking at university
Participating in tutorials and seminars	ALL	Understand what is expected of you during a tutorial or seminar. Some hints for how to participate more fully in these types of classes
Preparing for an oral presentation	ALL	Things to consider when preparing a formal talk, including do’s and don’ts, managing your nerves, and dealing with question time.
Talking about pronunciation	ALL	This resources offers strategies to students who have English as a second language (ESL) who would like to speak more clearly.
Reading and note taking
Reading	ALL	Includes: Academic reading: Coping with the amount of reading; Understanding difficult reading; Using analysis while you read; Tips for effective reading: Reading faster; Developing the ability to concentrate  on your reading
Taking notes from readings	ALL	Includes: A four step process for notetaking; Hints to improve the layout of notes; Three effective note-taking layouts;Incorporating notes into the text of your assignments
Listening to lectures and note taking	ALL	Includes: Getting the most out of lectures: what to do before, during and after a lecture; Listening: Noticing cues; Note taking: Cornell method; What to do if your lecture notes seem insufficient
Writing at university
The process of academic writing	ALL	Detailed description of analysis of the task, research and planning of an essay.
Who am I writing for?	ALL	Discusses who is the reader of a student's work.
LAS (ESL) Writing and grammar webpage	ALL	What is an essay? The steps involved in preparing for and writing an essay. Plus other links to writing resources.
Understanding –or making up– an essay topic	ALL	Questions to ask yourself about the topic.
Essay writing	ALL	Brief 2-page outline of the main steps.
Writing better essays 1	HUSS	Reading and Writing, Argument and Evidence (10 pages).
Writing better essays 2	HUSS	Organising your essay (16 pages).
Writing better essays 3	HUSS	Expression: Getting it right (incl. the use of "I"). (7 pages).
Thinking about the structure of your essay	ALL	Some steps for checking that your essay has a clear structure. Reading and editing for sense and argument.
Paraphrasing	ALL	How to paraphrase.
Different types of writing
The introduction of an essay	ALL	How to structure an introduction to an essay. Some examples.
Writing an abstract	ALL	Its purpose and how to write it.
What is an annotated bibliography?	HUSS	How to write up an annotated bibliography.
The literature review	ALL	What is the purpose of a literature review? Tips for writing one.
How do I write a review?	HUSS	Things to consider when writing a reviewing a book or article.
Answering legal problems / Finding the law / Citing the law	LM Law	Link to the School of Law's Guides web page.
Grammar and punctuation
The Five Favourite Errors	ALL	Includes information on: incomplete sentences; run-on sentences; commas; agreement and apostrophes
A guide to using commas	ALL	This resource shows how the correct use of commas helps your writing to be clear and unambiguous.
Apostrophes	ALL	Examples are given of the two uses of apostrophes i.e. when a letter has been left out of a word, and to indicate possession.
Colons	ALL	Explanations are given of the main uses of colons: to introduce a list; to explain or elaborate; to introduce a lengthy quotation.
Dashes and hyphens	ALL	Some uses of dashes and hyphens are explained here.
Parallel structure in sentences	ALL	This resource will help you write a well-structured sentence when you need to show that two or more ideas are similar or have the same degree of importance in the sentence.
The use of lists	ALL	Some guidelines for writing a list of items in a sentence.
Parentheses and brackets	ALL	Some uses of parentheses (…) and brackets […] are outlined in this resource.
Punctuation exercises	ALL	Give yourself some punctuation practice!  Fifteen exercises (with answers) are included.
Semi colons	ALL	Three major uses of semi colons (;) are explained here.
Full stops	ALL	Some examples are given here of when you should use a full stop, and when you should not!
Academic vocabulary
Irregular plural nouns	FSTE	Some irregular plural nouns used in scientific writing
A guide to numbers, illustrations and measurements in scientific writing	FSTE	Includes information about numbers, times, units and measures, graphs, tables, diagrams and other illustrations
Misused words 'Few' or 'less'	ALL	How to use these often misused words.
One word or two	ALL	Common words and pairs of words that are sometimes used together, and sometimes used separately.
LAS (ESL) Vocabulary page	ALL / ESL	The LAS (ESL) web page covers the following topics: Expanding your vocabulary, Dictionaries, Your own glossary/word list, Academic word lists, Other online vocabulary sites.
Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
La Trobe's Plagiarism webpages	All	Describes what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, and where to get help with this.
Using references and evidence to support your arguments A video showing when to use references	ED HUSS	Models and tasks demonstrating the need for references and how to use them.  Exercise on making student writer’s view.
Referencing Phrases	All	Useful words and phrases for introducing ideas and integrating quotations from sources. Explanations, exercises and answers.
Using Direct and Indirect Quotations: Intext Referencing	All (note intext)	Brief explanation of referencing styles. Exercises with answers for use of indirect and direct quotes and using intext references.
Using sources in your writing	HUSS	A 4 page document explaining referencing, including advice about plagiarism, paraphrasing and using quotations.
Study Skills Assistance Scheme Online Handbook Chapter 9 (Follow link)	HS	This chapter provides an overview of why, when and how you need to reference, including information on using direct quotations, paraphrasing and summarising.
Study Skills Assistance Scheme Online Handbook Chapter 10(Follow link)	HS	This chapter provides examples of how to use the APA referencing system.
LAS(ESL) referencing web page	ALL	Web page giving generic advice and links to referencing and plagiarism sites.
Editing and proof reading
Thinking about the structure of your essay	ALL	Some steps for checking that your essay has a clear structure. Reading and editing for sense and argument.
How do I know if my essay is reaching university expectations	ALL	A checklist of common criteria.
Essay writing checklist	ALL	A checklist for self editing.
Revision and Exam Preparation
Exam revision strategies	ALL
Resources for Teaching Staff
Guidelines for assessment presentation and marking guides	Staff	A guide to the presentation of assessment tasks and the provision of appropriate marking guides, particularly at first-year level.
Sample marking guide for Essays	Staff
Sample oral task marking guide 1	Staff
Sample oral task marking guide 2	Staff
Using oral presentations with your class	Staff	Why do you use oral presentations? How to help students prepare them. Assessing oral presenations.

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