Portfolio: BMM3113 Academic Skills & Studying with Confidence, 2021

This portfolio of evidence for the module 'Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence' (BMM3113) reflects on effective search techniques for relevant and reliable information, including the use of the CRAAP test to evaluate sources. The portfolio details the student's understanding of the CRAAP test's components (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) and its application in academic studies. It also lists and explains key support services provided by Leeds Trinity University, focusing on time management, practical work completion, and essay writing. Furthermore, the portfolio explores the 'Be Brilliant' tab on the university library website as a resource for enhancing academic skills. The reflection incorporates references to academic literature to support the student's understanding and application of the concepts discussed.

Portfolio of Evidence (1,000 words)
Student ID: Programme: BA (Hons) in Business & Management with Foundation Year in Business ¦ Level 0 Year: 2021--2022
Module: ACADEMIC SKILLS AND STUDYING WITH
CONFIDENCE (BMM3113)
LO1: Use effective search techniques to find relevant, reliable information.
LO4: Identify and describe key support services within the University
Task No /
Learning
Outcome
Task Own Reflection
1
(LO1) How do you find information and evaluate its source?
Getting relevant and accurate information is important for students as it helps
them out in accomplishing their academic goals and learning all important new
things relevant to their modules. I have learned about ways of gathering some
accurate information and in this regard, I can say that we all need to focus on
identifying articles and published information within 5 years. Information,
published older than 5 years can give inaccurate information and it may affect
overall performance (Yuand et.al., 2020). Other than this, we all need to
evaluate authors as by viewing author name and keywords, we can select proper
sources. Also, it is believed that selection of sources mainly rely on the main
academic topic as well as its scope. There are number of basic topics on which
we can find or gather information easily. Other than this, students need to find
intended audience and platform as where was the information published. All
these factors need to be considered while selecting sources and gathering
information. Key words, used in published articles and existing literature, also
plays a vital role in finding appropriate information as per our academic and
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given topic. It all can help us out in knowing as whether information has
accuracy, relevancy, currency and authority or not.
2
(LO1) What do you understand by a CRAAP test and how do you use it for
your studies? Before discussing about CRAAP test it is important to understand it with its full
form. C stands for currency, R stands for relevance, A stands for authority and
other A stands for accuracy and then P stands for purpose. This test is being used
for evaluating sources and by considering all these factors and element, students
can gather accurate information and can accomplish the main goal of collecting
information as well as selecting sources. It provides students with a list of
questions that students can use for evaluating information that they have
gathered and found relevant to their academic topic. In regard to credibility, it
can be said that those information that have been published within 5-10 years,
can be considered as credible online sources (Kilcrease, 2021).
Students are given number of assignments and projects that they need to
complete and in virtual learning, students need to gather accurate information.
At that time, they require selecting sources from where; they can gather
information relevant to their topic. So, in this context, I can say that CRAAP test
plays a vital role in selecting relevant sources. This test provides them a
framework for evaluating sources. Students can identify as whether content,
used in selected sources is acceptable or not. This test was developed by
librarians of California state University. So, on this basis it can be said that it is
one of the reliable test that cannot give inaccurate results or outcomes. As like
reliability, it can be said that accuracy and purpose, helps out students in see as
author supports knowledge claims with the proper forms of public evidence or
not (Esparrago-Kalidas, 2021). Overall, it can be said that this test plays a vital
role and it can increase knowledge of students and can help them out in studies
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in accomplishing their academic goals.
3
(LO4)
Please list down the key support services provided by Leeds Trinity
University and explain 3 support services of your choice. Schools and universities have been made for increasing knowledge of students
and making them able to get employment opportunities by which they can earn
money; respect and can foster their family. Different universities allow different
types of courses. But each course and module helps students in increasing
knowledge and accomplishes their academic goals. As like other universities,
Leeds trinity university also provide number of services that make students able
in performing their functions and completing their projects in an effective
manner. Number of services that this university provide include: time
management, revision strategies, essay writing and academic language, critical
thinking, handling statistics and data and effective note taking. All these services
are being provided by advisors of this university. Along with these services, there
are other numbers of services that also are being provided by peers of this
university (Stain and et.al., 2019). Other additional and effective support as well
as services that are being provided to students include: moving to year 2 or 3
years successfully, making professional work placement, making the transition
from school to university, time management and revision skills, completing
practical work and assignments and writing successful essays with proper
referencing.
Main three support that are being for every students include:
Time management: Students often face problems in managing their time and
completing their projects in a timely manner. One of the main reasons as why
students face problems in completing their tasks is procrastination and load of
study due to competition. When students do not complete their assigned tasks
then it increases tension and frustration and it affects their academic
performance to the great extent. For this purpose, this university help students
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out in managing their time as they tell students about best ways of prioritising
their time and ways of dividing their tasks and completing them effectively.
Completing practical work and assignments: This university help students out in
completing practical tasks by giving proper training.
Writing successful essays: Peers and tutors of this university help students out in
writing essays in an effective manner. Students are being told about the best
ways of selecting proper sources (Donaldson and Alker, 2019). Students learn
about using CRAAP test for evaluating sources and gathering relevant
information. Along with this, they are being taught some effective ways of
referencing to their work.
4
(LO4)
What do you understand by ‘Be Brilliant’ tab available at Leeds
Trinity University’s Library Website and how would you use Be
Brilliant in your studies?
In regard to be brilliant, I can say that it is an effective section of the library
webpage. At this section of library page, students may find easier in increasing
academic skills by making use of list of resources that are available at this
section. For this, student must go to library homepage and selecting Be brilliant
at tab from the menu list appear on the right hand side. It will take students out
on Be brilliant homepage. There are list of tutorials, videos and PDFS relevant to
courses and modules of students (Chestnut and et.al., 2018). Everything is on this
page and students can access it on campus and off campus. It is 24*7 accessible
and available which means, students can gather information and essential
resources relevant to their course and can increase knowledge.
For improving my knowledge I will go on the homepage of this university and by
clicking on Be brilliant at tab I will gather appropriate information relevant to my
academic topic. I can take help of peers regarding better ways of preparing
projects and referencing by which I can make my tutors ensure that this content
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is being written by me and have not cop pasted.
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Chestnut, E.K. and et.al., 2018. The myth that only brilliant people are good at math and its implications for diversity. Education sciences, 8(2), p.65.
Donaldson, C. and Alker, Z., 2019. Digital Literacy. Journal of Victorian Culture, 24(3), pp.329-330.
Esparrago-Kalidas, A.J., 2021. The Effectiveness of CRAAP Test in Evaluating Credibility of Sources. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(2), pp.1-
14.
Kilcrease, B., 2021. 4. EVALUATING SOURCES WITH THE CRAAP TEST. In Falsehood and Fallacy (pp. 47-74). University of Toronto Press.
Stain, H.J. and et.al., 2019. Research and practice for ultra‐high risk for psychosis: A national survey of early intervention in psychosis services in
England. Early intervention in psychiatry, 13(1), pp.47-52.
Yu, R. And et.al., 2020. Towards Accurate and Fair Prediction of College Success: Evaluating Different Sources of Student Data. International Educational Data
Mining Society.
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