Critical Thinking: Introduction and Activity (with extra slides suitable for nursing students)
These PowerPoint slides feature a brief but useful exercise aimed at engaging undergraduate students at level 6 in critical thinking. The activity involves unpacking the process and finding parallels with academic work and professional practice, specifically for nursing students. The surrounding slides provide guidance from the author on how to unpack the process. The slide notes include detailed scripts, which have been tried and tested during the Covid lockdown in 2022 and are suitable for delivering the activity as a large webinar. However, users may prefer a more flexible approach for face-to-face sessions. This activity is also effective in 1:1 tutorials and smaller workshops or Zoom meetings.
Please note that some of the content is specific to nursing programmes and aims to establish links between academic and professional skills. If the activity is not relevant to your programmes, you will need to remove placement-specific content.
Argumentation
This is a PPT with accompanying worksheet that gives students practice in forming a position on a topic (in this case eugenics) based on prompts and some preliminary reading.
Students can work through the slides and complete the worksheet autonomously or it can be used as an in-class activity. It has worked well as a pre-arrivals task, and gone on to form the basis of a discussion about the research process on arrival at university.
A gentle warning: The following slides contain information about the topic of eugenics, and ask you to consider examples of groups of people who have been treated as ‘unfit’, therefore the content should be delivered with caution and sensitivity.
Groupwork role play
This workshop activity facilitates participants to practice their groupwork skills whilst negotiating a response to a given scenario. It provides the opportunity to plan and film responses to create more groupwork opportunities and discover new digital skills. The outputs of these could be edited into a more formal video should you wish to develop them into future teaching material, but consent would need to be gained from each participant for this.
There are 5 scenarios (one for each group of students) in the Group work skills MS Word document and one MS Word tutor guidance sheet.
Learning Outcomes
● To practice groupwork skills
● To understand common reasons why groupwork projects fail
● To develop employability competencies
● To learn filming and editing techniques
Reading in print and in digital: Strategies and choices
This material introduces students to basic strategies for reading in digital and print formats. It encourages them to consider the advantages and challenges of each one, and the different learning contexts for which they may be most appropriate.
There are 6 strategies:
• Copy and paste function
• Digital annotation tools
• Split screen and working with multiple documents
• Support reading with online tools
• Using a mixture of mediums
• Word search function
Each document is designed as a flip-card of a strategy. One side outlines what the strategy is, and then poses questions for the student/s to think about. The second side outlines the advantages and challenges in relation to shallow and deep learning. We hope this will encourage students to reflect upon the choices they make when reading, and make purposeful and informed choices.
Following this, there are 2 scenarios provided as a separate document. Students are asked to select from 3 given responses to the scenario and then reflect upon the advantages and limitations of the response/s. This should allow students to situate the strategies within a real-world scenario.
These materials could be used within a number of learning settings, including a workshop or a one-to-one appointment.
These resources were developed from an ALDinHE funded research project into how students read for their studies, focusing on digital and print mediums. The selection of strategies and guidance given is based upon focus groups conducted with students at Lancaster University.
Creative Learning Activity Cards
Creative Learning Activity Cards are an interactive teaching and learning resource for students of creative subjects at Foundation, BA or MA level to help scaffold student academic skills. This evidence-based resource consists of 50 activity cards divided into five sections of ten cards on: • Planning• Research• Thinking• Writing• Wild Card (includes tips for overcoming writer’s block, anxiety and procrastination, and building motivation) The cards can be used as materials in both online and face-to-face facilitated seminars or workshops, as the basis for teaching in lectures or as an independent study resource for students.To print you can use PowerPoint option of choosing number of slides per page, e.g. 4 slides per A4 and cut them out. You could also choose single page and print the desired ones to full A4 so they can be used as A4 handouts. Another option could be using photo paper, e.g. 10x15cm and print them individually (select 'fill whole page' option via printer setting).
Activity time:
Types of media: Worksheet, Slides, PowerPoint File, Interactive Learning Object
Reading Camp Resources
This reading camp provides a space where students work on enhancing their academic reading skills. It enables students to develop strategies for approaching academic reading through the use of structured reading activities. To fully benefit from the support available, students are required to bring two articles that they will read for their undergraduate dissertation or final year project. By the end of the camp, students will gain a better understanding of how to effectively approach and use their academic reading for their dissertation or final year project.
The CDE Presentation Model
A website hosting a number a number of staff and student resources to support the development of oral communication
Microsoft Excel – Creating a Chart
To be able to create a chart in Microsoft Excel 2010
Evaluating a source
To be able to critically evaluate sources.
CVs, Covering Letters and Personal Statements Proofreading Checklist for SPAG
To increase awareness of common spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) errors that are made in CVs, covering letters and personal statements.
Advanced referencing exercises
Set of 3 short exercises, complete with answers and tutor comments. Provides a set of scenarios and challenges students to give the correct referencing protocol in each situation.
Activity time: 20 minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Helpsheet, Word Document, Quiz
Learning Agreement
This resource features introductory notes and sample template for a learning agreement and supports students to identify activities within their work which could demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes. The resource is designed to be used with part-time adult educators, graduate teaching assistants and those who support learning in HE to form a framework for the development of a portfolio for assessment.
Developing an Action Plan for Independent Learning
Worksheet to support students to outline an structured action plan for their studies. This resource provides a template to encourage students to be effective independent learners, able to identify: what they want to learn; the best ways for them to learn what they want to learn; and how to demonstrate learning.
Listening Skills Audit
This short activity helps students assess their own listening skills. The audit can be completed either online or on paper
Activity time: 10 Minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Interactive Learning Object, Quiz
Writing for Assignments E-library (Wrasse)
Students can browse examples of students work from a number of subject areas, and see comments from lecturers
Visual Learning website
A website hosting a number a number of staff and student resources to support the development of visual learning
Oral Communication website
A website hosting a number a number of staff and student resources to support the development of oral communication
Organise your report
A classroom activity in which the participant must rearrange a jumbled list of report sections. Includes two list examples.
Notemaker
An online resource on notemaking, including links to information on Linear, Pattern and Cornell notes. An easily navigable resource. Also features templates for the learner to experiment with note taking.
Essay writing pack
A downloadable workbook for students which can be tailored to different essay questions. The workbook structures enables the essay to be structured in an orderly way, allowing for the process to be learned as the assignment is completed.
Activity time: Varies
Types of media: Helpsheet, Word Document, Interactive Learning Object
Free writing
A resource which would be particularly useful for staff teaching on a creative writing programme. Includes two structured writing exercises and information on free writing.
Memory and exams
A series of PowerPoint slides on memory and revision techniques. It also includes suggestions for activities following on from the presentation.
Six steps to success
A presentation outlining a whole new approach to successful study. The six steps are:
S = Study Techniques and practices
O = Overview
C = Creativity
C = Communicate effectively
E = Emotions
R = Review, review, review
Also includes a booklet for students' reference, and some suggested activities to follow the presentation.
Activity time: 40 minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Slides, PowerPoint File, Word Document
Making Group-work Work
An online video resource following a group of students through their group work project. It features ten episodes, each of which includes reflection and discussion points, and links to further information and activities. It can be used as part of a tutor-led session, or for students' independent learning.
Activity time: 2 Hours
Types of media: Interactive Learning Object, Flash Resource
Analyse This!!!
A free online tutorial to help students develop their data analysis skills. The tutorial looks at quantitative and qualitative data analysis, with some practical examples and advice on effectively analysing data.
Collect This!!!
A free online tutorial that will help you develop students' data collection skills. The tutorial looks at quantitative and qualitative data collection, with some practical examples and advice on effectively collecting data.
How to start writing
An overview of some techniques to get started with writing after conducting research for an assignment. Includes information about planning, freewriting, structuring and writing paragraphs.Includes a worksheet for students to download and keep for reference.
Activity time: 30 minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Webpage, Helpsheet, Word Document
Approaching the Question
This resource highlights the importance of fully considering an essay title and offers guidance on essay title interpretation. The resource suggests how identifying directive words, the topic area and limiting words may help students to organise and structure their essays effectively, and thus obtain higher grades.
What is academic writing?
This resource identifies the common key features of academic writing, such as formality, correct grammar and a logical structure, and how this may be different from other forms of writing.
The Assignment Survival Kit
This interactive learning resource provides a step-by-step breakdown of the separate tasks and planning involved within the completion of an assignment. Indications of deadlines for each task, such as initially understanding the question and locating research material, are offered in order to help simplify the workload.
Planning timetables and schedules
This resource details guidance for students on how to compose weekly, termly and project timetables. The resource provides further tools, with a particular focus on being realistic whilst flexible with any time available.
Activity time: 40 minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Webpage, Helpsheet, Word Document, Interactive Learning Object
Where does the time go?
This page includes further resources on handling information and research as well as effective time management and allocation.
Activity time: 30 Minutes
Types of media: Handout/s, Webpage, Helpsheet, Interactive Learning Object