Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Learning and Teaching

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

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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