This unit (VU23095) describes the skills and knowledge to develop reading and writing skills such as analysis, critical thinking, research, and academic writing essential for tertiary study.
This unit applies to persons seeking to enter tertiary study through alternative pathways who will need to acquire generic academic study skills in order to successfully complete their tertiary studies.
Unit details
Location:
Study level:
Vocational and further education (TAFE)
Unit code:
VU23095
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Assessment
Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce and extend knowledge and skill competence within set and controlled parameters in accordance with each unit's learning outcomes and performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.
Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:
*analytical and critical skills to:
- effectively analyse study tasks and questions
- reason from evidence
- determine reliability and relevance of information
- provide evidence to support ideas
*communication skills to:
- discuss tasks with peers
- ask and answer questions about topics
- seek feedback and advice from others
*literacy skills to:
- locate academic sources
- analyse information and take effective notes
- synthesise notes and paraphrase
- construct written responses appropriate to context and requirements using conventions of academic writing
- edit and proof read responses
- integrate sources effectively
*problem solving skills to:
- negotiate and manage academic tasks
- determine purpose and audience of academic study tasks
- select sources relevant to study tasks
- sort notes and ideas from sources
- apply strategies to research a topic
- follow up sources
- meet layout and presentation requirements in academic writing
- identify and evaluate problems and solutions in relation to the study task
- seek assistance and request feedback
*planning and organising skills to manage tasks, and deadlines
*digital literacy skills to:
- access library data bases,
- present academic tasks according to requirements
- manage online resources and store research
- format a reference list
Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:
*strategies for time and task management to manage academic tasks
*analysis of academic questions:
- process or directive words
- content words and phrases
- limiting words and phrases
- question words, such as define, explain, outline, discuss, examine, to what extent
*academic text features - purpose, types and genre / discourse patterns for the relevant discipline such as:
- deductive and inductive
- description v analysis
- abstract, synopsis
- persuasive
- interpretation or evaluation of findings
- supporting evidence
- analytical
- categorising information or relationships
- comparing two theories
*features of academic writing such as:
- position v opinion
- voice - direct and indirect
- use of nominalisation
- transitions - words and phrases for coherence
- qualification of statements
- discipline specific terminology
- presenting evidence
- establishing relationship between conclusion and body of text
- structure of sentences including syntax, appropriate grammar features and logical order of ideas
*commonly used referencing systems and their application to a range of academic sources such as:
- how to acknowledge electronic and hard copy sources
- how to develop reference lists to acknowledge all sources
- how to cite references internally (within text)
- how to use footnotes and endnotes
*paraphrasing published text
*what constitutes plagiarism and the consequences of submitting plagiarised work
Where to next?
As part of a course
This unit is studied as part of the following courses. Refer to the course page for information on how to apply for the course.
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