Business Foundation: Study Skills for Higher Education Report

This report, prepared for the Business Foundation course at the London School of Commerce in association with the University of Suffolk, addresses essential study skills for higher education. It begins with an introduction to study skills, emphasizing their impact on academic success and empl...Read More

Business
Foundation (Study
Skills for Higher
Education)

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Analysis and discussion of questions...............................................................................................2
Define strategies that to improve reading ability of students.................................................2
Give suggestions that help students to improve quality of written projects...........................4
Recommendations............................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

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INTRODUCTION
Study skills or academic skills are refers as the approaches applied to learning that has
prominent impacts in terms of education, qualification and knowledge of someone. Study skills
are essential to acquire good grades in academics as well as it helps in making someone
employable. Any skill that boosts ability of person, retain and recall information and passing
exams can be termed as study skills that includes time management and motivation techniques
(Study skills, 2020). A wide variety of books and websites are available from works on specific
techniques for instance Tony Buzan’s books on mind mapping, Stella Cottrell’s guide for
successful study.
This report is based on study skills for higher education with considering of different
strategies that helps in removing reading ability of students. Furthermore suggestions are
provided so to improve quality of students in their written projects.
Analysis and discussion of questions
Define strategies that to improve reading ability of students.
Study skills help students to become more effective learners. It helps in building
confidence of students to participate fully in several courses that are valuable during of
classrooms as well as after they graduate (Al-Otaibi, 2017). These skills involve critical thinking
& taking note highly transferable and plays significant role in career success. Following are the
strategies that help students in improving their abilities and skills:
Choose the best place to read: One of the best strategies that plays prominent role in improving
reading styles of students is to choose right environment. For instance what is the level of noise
can be tolerable or not? Is there good lightening? Thus considering of factors like atmosphere,
location and distractions is important. Rights selection of environment will increase the focus
and concentration of students and enhance effectiveness in reading or comprehension skills of
students at higher education.
Take a look on material before reading: This is an effective strategy helps to learn material
effectively as it plays significant role in setting the purpose of reading. Reading title page gets
the sense of key points of text, table context, introduction will helps to grab the material at the
end of reading. This will impact reading of students and make clear understanding.
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Highlight important points & concepts: It is also an important strategy to highlight captured
information, give attention to important terms, facts and phrases. Only highlight important
information that matters. In terms of making effective comprehension skills students can use
annotating text which includes underlying of key phrases and points. This will help in improve
students reading skills as well help them in revision of important points (Assiter, 2017).
Build vocabulary: Another strategy that has prominent role in effective reading skills and if a
student is familiar to a word that has vital role in understanding text. This strategy helps to
improves students reading skills through using dictionary while reading so as to make better
understanding. For the purpose students can use online sites such as- Dictionary.com and
Merriam-Webster.
Take notes: While reading students should concentrate on what they are reading, is it important
to read or not and taking notes of important points. It helps students to focus on main points and
topics and note down only relevant and essential points. There are number of note taking
strategies can be helpful for readers including outlines, bullet points etc. taking notes helps to
understand text better and writing paragraphs that has prominent impact in improving
comprehensive skills of students.
Review of notes: It is also an effective strategy that leads to improve reading skills through
constant review of notes. This will also helps students in avoiding last minute cramming and
exam anxiety. This strategy wills also impacts student’s skills in terms of improvements and
effectiveness.
Discuss what is read: In terms of improving reading and comprehensive skills it takes time to
identify what is learned. Students needs to talk and discuss with other or try to share information
among groups to compare notes. Group discussion help to understand concepts that are not clear
in someone’s mind. Students can also talk with professors or classmates. It helps to get view
points of others that help to make clear understanding about a topic or subject (Cottrell, 2019).
Rewrite what you’ve read: After reading it is important for students to summarise in own
words what is read which helps to get main ideas and make effective notes so as to strengthen
comprehensive. Creating summary also provide understanding about what is read by students.
This will results in effective reading and comprehensive skills that improves reading.
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Give suggestions that help students to improve quality of written projects.
Writing skills involves skills and abilities associated with expression of ideas through
written words. The ability to convey ideas clear through and write them effectively have
significant impact over writings skills of students. Technical knowledge reflects as prominent
part of writing skills (Sera and McPherson, 2019). There are some suggestion provided in order
to improve writing skills and quality of students is explained as follows:
Distribute efforts: The effective way to help students succeed is through helping them in
making learning effective, invest more of time in designing assignments, helping students
understand how to write the kind of papers asked by professor. Floating efforts reflects as
effective way to improves quality of student writing.
Integrate writing assignments into course: In order to improve writing skills of students
professor’s needs to make sure what task are asking to students for writing should be done in
paper. For instance paper ask students to analyse something and to come up with an original
argument to support it with evidence from texts. Students are much more likely to succeed with
papers. This will reflects prominent impact in terms of quality enhancement of students writing.
Setting of higher standards: For improving writing quality of student professors needs to talk
with students about how important writing is in course and how it is essential to share and
discuss a written version of evaluation criteria make them as special and clear as possible.
Guidance throughout the writing process: After making of assignments, discuss the value of
notes and outlines that explains how to select and summarise the topic or critique the first draft
as well as define plagiarism. This will leads prominent impact over writing skills and quality of
students needed for effective completion of their assignments and projects.
Opportunities to discuss about writing notes: In order to improve writing skills of students
it is suggested to talk about written papers are in progress that helps to formulate thoughts,
generate new ideas and to focus on topics that are important to learn. Give few minutes time for
students to read their own writing within each groups and smaller parts. It helps students to hear
what their peers have written and observe their own writing skills as compared to others.
Remind students to clarify ideas through writing: Talk students that writing is a way of
learning. Let them know that writing is complicated, nonlinear and messy process filled with
false starts. Thus it is important to clearly write ideas. This helps students to identify key
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activities such as- developing ideas, composing draft, finding focus & thesis, getting feedback
and comments from others, editing and presenting finished work to readers.
Recommendations
Based on above report it is observed that both writing and reading skills are important
equally for effectiveness in student learning. There are various ways to improve quality and
skills of students already mentioned within report. Here some recommendation are provided in
terms of enhancing learning skills and abilities of students which includes regular assessments of
students reading and writing, give students opportunities to talk about their writings, open
discussions between groups, vocabulary building, notes taking etc. All are important and plays
significant impact over improving skills and quality of students based on effective reading and
writing. These are refers as teaching as well as general strategies that has prominent impact over
enhancing efficiency of reading and writing skills & quality of students.
CONCLUSION
As per above discussion it is concluded that writing skills enhance knowledge and
expertise of students and reading skills is related to effective communication and learning ability
of students that has prominent impact over make them employable. These skills not only help
students during qualifications but remain same after qualified. There are various strategies that
help to improve reading skills abilities of students. Moreover there are some ways that increase
writing skills and quality of students.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Al-Otaibi, W.H., 2017. The Effectiveness of Blackboard-Based Blended Teaching in the
Development of Academic Achievement, Study Skills and Self-Confidence among Students of
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. International Education Studies. 10(11). pp.100-
115.
Assiter, A. ed., 2017. Transferable skills in higher education. Routledge.
Cottrell, S., 2019. The study skills handbook. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Sera, L. and McPherson, M.L., 2019. Effect of a study skills course on student self-assessment of
learning skills and strategies. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 11(7).
pp.664-668.
Wibrowski, C.R., Matthews, W.K. and Kitsantas, A., 2017. The role of a skills learning support
program on first-generation college students’ self-regulation, motivation, and academic
achievement: A longitudinal study. Journal of College Student Retention: Research,
Theory & Practice. 19(3). pp.317-332.
Online
Study Skills. 2020. [Online] Available through < https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/study-
skills.html />./
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