IF3052 - Foundation Skills for Undergraduate Study 1 (2017/18)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2017/18 | ||||||||
| Module title | Foundation Skills for Undergraduate Study 1 | ||||||||
| Module level | Foundation (03) | ||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||
| School | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities | ||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2017/18 | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
This module introduces students to the academic skills required for undergraduate study in the Social Sciences and Humanities.
Module aims
This module introduces students to academic study in the Social Sciences and Humanities, aiming to:
- Familiarise students with a variety of teaching and learning approaches in Higher Education in the Faculty.
- Support students to identify skills and qualities and develop them
- Introduce and develop academic literacy through engagement with and production of Social Science and Humanities texts (written and spoken)
- Introduce critical thinking and analytical skills through written and oral discourse
- Introduce reflective practice and enable students to become effective, self-aware learners
- Introduce and develop digital literacy skills
- Develop organisational, planning and time management skills
- Guide students to constructively use feedback to improve academic work
Syllabus
The syllabus will encourage students to reflect on their skills in relation to Higher Education. Students will engage with a variety of text types in Social Sciences and Humanities and produce their own texts in response, thereby developing their understanding of academic discourse and their own academic literacies. Examples of different digital media will be integrated in the teaching and learning and students will use these to produce their own texts.
Continuous formative feedback and reflection on learning will be a key aspect of the syllabus. This will be structured around guided development of students’ own reflective portfolio, through which the module will be assessed.
Learning and teaching
The module is delivered through teacher-led classes, class discussions and individual online and face-to-face tutorials. Class work will include group-work and focus on participation. Students will be required to reflect upon progress and develop through formative feedback (60 hrs).
Students will also engage in ongoing self-directed study to enable them to complete required assessment components (90 hrs).
Module information including module booklet, timetable, classnotes, video links, assessment details and learning resources will be available on Weblearn. Students are encouraged to post drafts and engage with continuous formative feedback via Weblearn journal tool.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Understand the purposes and expectations of study in Higher Education in Social Sciences and Humanities.
2. Demonstrate the ability to critically engage with and produce a range of texts (written, spoken and visual).
3. Demonstrate learner self-awareness through reflection. Review, reflect on and manage own learning independently, developing ways of approaching problems/difficulties they encounter in their academic work.
4. Communicate appropriately in academic discourse.
5. Improve academic work in response to feedback
Assessment strategy
Formative assessment will take place throughout the module.
Summative assessment will consist of:
- A reflective written portfolio (100%)
Bibliography
Most resources will be given in class or via Weblearn, but the following will also be of use:
Burns T. and Sinfield S. (2012) Essential Study Skills [Sage Publications: London]
Cottrell S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook [Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke]
Creme P. and Lea R. (2008) Writing at University [Oxford University Press: Buckingham]
The Guardian [online]