PG Business School Study Skills

transcript

Australian Graduate School of Management

MBT Orientation Day

Study Skills Workshop

Andrew Chambers

Educational Development Manager

Workshop Overview and Learning Outcomes

Explore basic study skills e.g.

1. What learning in the MBT involves

2. Organisation and time management

3. Assessments and Participation

4. Reading

5. Note taking

6. Tackling assignments

Answer your questions about starting the MBT Program

Find out about sources of help with your study

Clarify expectations of participants and the facilitators role

Ensure you read the speakers notes after this session!

MBT Learning Model

INTERACTION

SELF ASSESSMENT

REFLECTION

LIFELONG LEARNING…

FORMAL ASSESSMENT

APPLICATION

READING

Typical MBT course structure

12 weekly units (on “paper”/PDF/Cloud) Weekly classes or online discussions Weekly Activities Assessments

Typical MBT assessment scheme

Participation (10% - 15%) 2 assignments (may be individual or group) Examination (exam, take home exam or project)

Studying Smarter

Read the course overview - Learning Outcomes, summaries. What is important to understand and be able to do at completion of course?

For each unit read Learning outcomes. What is important for this specific topic?

Ask your self: Why am I doing this piece of work o e.g. reading, discussion, assignment, exam prep?

Reflection, evaluation & application more important than time spent ‘studying’– This is an applied Masters program

Unit Level Learning Outcomes - Unit 1example

At the completion of this Unit you should be able to: justify the importance of understanding the history of

management theory discuss the historical context of management and the

precursors to modern management theory summarise and evaluate each of the mainstream theoretical

perspectives and note their relevance to contemporary management practice

etc…

More Studying Smarter

Remember to do activities in the weekly units. They help with self assessment and memorization/recall. Cooperate with others in seeking answers to questions posed.

Remember to take an active part in online discussions. Tied to the weeks unit the activities and discussion help you reflect on what you have learned.

Leverage the online courses and make use of online meeting tools and weekly forums.

The Participation Rubric used in most courses

Skill: Higher Order Critical Thinking – Bloom’s Taxonomy

Skill: Time Management

ORGANISATION

Resources• Materials• Study space

Study time• When?• No interruptions

Personal time IMPORTANT

Goal settingLong, medium& short term

• Must be done• Should be done• Could be done

AVOID PROCASTINATION

Individual Activity: Planning

Using the supplied Weekly Planner:

1. Block out your commitments – work, sport, socialising, home life2. find your study blocks

You need to find at from 3-5 2 hour blocks of study timeSuggested pattern: Reading: Discussion/Activities: Reflection/Application

When will the footy fit? Are you a morning person or a late night Java type?

HOMEWORK:

Complete the Semester Planner: Assignments/Exams

Remember we teach – Week 0 + 12 taught weeks + 2 weeks for exams.

Are all your weeks free?

Pattern – Study > Assignment(s) > Study > Exam

Semester Planner: Appendix 2

Dealing with procrastination

• Have a plan• Establish and monitor how long tasks typically take• Set small goals• Be aware of your own learning habits• Develop a routine• Do something straightaway

• Start with something easy or particularly interesting to you

• Associate your study place with ‘serious work’• Remove distractions

• Reward yourself for completing set tasks• At the end of each study session, plan and prepare for the next one

• Seek cooperation from family & friends• Maintain a balanced lifestyle

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-01-12-procrastination-study_x.htm

Taken From Stephen Covey: First Things First

Skill: Reading (and note-taking)

Many different kinds of reading –e.g. novels, TV Guide, reference books.

Our program uses “Academic sources” so requires more rigorous systematic reading and note-taking.

Other useful resources:http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/read.htmlhttp://www.uefap.com/reading/readfram.htmhttp://

www.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/academic-reading/academic-reading.php

The SQ3R Reading Method

SQ3R Reading to Remember Method

Survey – Question – Read – Recite/Recall - Review

Resources:

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/sqw3r.pdf

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/read1.html

(Supplied as a handout)

Individual Activity: Reading and note-taking skills

10 mins

Read the supplied “Reading”.

Undertake the first 3 parts of the SQ3R method:

SurveyQuestionRead

Take brief notes…

Group Activity: Reading and note-taking skills

5 mins

Compare your notes/understanding of the reading with your neighbour(s).

– Have you both uncovered the same “facts” and details?

– What has influenced your recall i.e. your learning?

Congratulations!

You have just learned the basics of reading, note-taking, discussion and reflection!

You will use the same skills each week when reading and discussing the course topics, content and taking activities in the online learning environment

Remember to revisit your notes as you reflect on each week. Keep a diary, learning journal or audio notes about your reflections.

Break: 10-15 Minutes (negotiated)

An Effective Note Taking Strategy

Notes Page no. Comments

Author’s name, title of publication, date & place of publication, publisher

Paraphrased notes

Direct quotes (use quotation marks and write exact words)

Always write page number

How does this relate to other texts I have read?Links to other topics?How is this relevant?Any new ideas here?What don’t I understand?Do I agree or disagree? Why?Does this author contradict others’ opinions / findings?What conclusions can I make?

Notetaking

Traditional:

Pen and Paper, Post-it sticky notes

Modern:

Word processor

Mind mapping

Annotating PDF’s

Skill: Assignment Analysis

A ‘Typical’ MBT Assignment

Analysing the task

Task wordsContent wordsLimiting Words

Tell you what you have to doTell you what the topic isLimit the topic so that it is workable

Whole Class Activity:

Australia is a nation of multiple and complex identities. Discuss the factors that contribute to the diversity of Australia’s identities.

Task words

Content words

Limiting words

Study Skills

Writing your assignment

Common Formats:

– Report Present Information

– Critical Review

– Essay Make an Argument

• Introduction

• Body

• Conclusion

Reports

Pages 46-52 of the MBT Learning Guide

Shorter more concise paragraphs than an essay

More structured than an essay– Headings and Subheadings

See Page 47 for a typical structure

Case Analysis Reports

Pages 49 of the MBT Learning Guide

Common in the MBT

Asked to look at a business case or scenario and perform an analysis

– Identify the problem provided in the case

– Analyse the issues

– Develop and compare alternative solutions

– Select best solution

Critical Thinking: An academic skill

Critical thinking does not mean fault finding Applying “skilful judgement” a more accurate description or

more simply “thinking in depth” Creative thinking is the creation or generation of ideas,

processes, experiences or objects. Critical thinking is concerned with their evaluation.

Asking questions, analysing situations, relating theory to practice, making links between ideas, making claims and supporting them.

Cf. Critical reading

IPSO - One strategy for critical reading/thinking/writing – Analysing an argument

Issue: What is the problem or question

Position: What is the major position of the argument put forward

Support: What evidence, reasoning or persuasion is used

Outcome: What will happen if the argument is accepted

What is an academic argument?

The argument should: Express your point of view Be developed in a systematic and balanced way Lead to a clear conclusion. Must be supported by evidence.

This evidence comes from other authors and your understanding of the readings.

Developing a critical argument

1. Outline the problem/s or issue/s

2. Introduce your argument

3. Present relevant evidence

4. Evaluate the evidence

5. Link your evaluation to your overall argument clearly and repeatedly

6. Draw your conclusions

Cf. Discussion skills for tutorials, seminars and online discussion:

http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/disc.html

Discussion Skills

To 'argue' in an academic context is to put forward an opinion through the process of reasoning, supported by evidence. An argument attempts to persuade through rational and critical judgement. In academic writing an argument is sometimes called a claim or a thesis statement, which is also supported with evidence.

Discussion Skills: Voicing an Opinion

3 steps:

Have a valid opinion

A reason why

Evidence