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Study Skills

About Us:

Library and Study Skills are part of the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education portfolio and provides a range of face-to-face and online study help programs for UC and UCC students.

Study Skills aims to ensure that all UC and UCC students can cultivate the skills and confidence that will lead to study success in an inclusive, friendly, student-driven environment. We build students’ skills and facilitate independent learning across a range of programs and connect students to a variety of UC support services where appropriate.

Our program details are provided below.

Library and Study Skills run drop-in Study Help and Research & Referencing Help sessions to support you with a range of study skills. In these sessions, we can assist with:

  • Understanding assessment task requirements
  • Assignment writing and structure
  • Feedback on assignment drafts
  • Finding journal articles and other information resources
  • Avoiding plagiarism and academic integrity
  • Referencing
  • Time management, study planning and exam preparation

Library and Study Skills drop-ins are delivered both face-to-face and online:

  • The on-campus drop-in sessions are on Level B of the Library (Building 8).
  • The online drop-in sessions can be accessed via the Chat service.

The Library and Study Skills drop-in service starts in Week 2 of Semester 2, 2024.

The on-campus drop-in sessions run in the Library Learning Hub (Building 8, Level B). The timetable for the Study Help and Research & Referencing Help drop-in services is below:

TimesMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
12.30-4.30pmStudy Help

Research &
Referencing Help
Study Help

Research &
Referencing Help
Study Help

Research &
Referencing Help
Study Help

Research &
Referencing Help
Study Help

Research &
Referencing Help

For study help outside of these times please visit the ASK Advisor service or Studiosity.

 

For more information about this service, please click here or email Study Skills.

Study Skills provides consultations for students whom UC staff feel could benefit from individual study support to achieve their academic goals. Individual consultations are available face-to-face and online Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 4.30 pm during all teaching periods. Consultations may be arranged outside of these hours on a case-by-case basis.

Staff can access the Individual consultation referral form (staff login required).

The MASH (Maths, Stats and IT Help) Centre provides drop-in learning support for mathematics, statistics and IT for students across the University. These drop-in sessions run Monday to Friday each week during semester, and sessions are also available during winter term.

In the Maths, Stats and IT Help sessions, students can get help with a range of mathematics, statistics and IT enquiries, including introductory mathematics, solving chemistry and nursing equations, introductory and business statistics, and data analysis.

The MASH drop-in service is delivered both face-to-face and online:

  • The face-to-face drop-in sessions are held in the MASH Centre, Level B of the Library (Building 8).
  • Online MASH sessions can be accessed in the Virtual Room of the Study Help UCLearn (Canvas) site (in the left navigation menu).

The MASH service starts in Week 2 of Semester 2. The MASH timetable is available for download here: MASH timetable.

For general maths assistance outside of the MASH times, please visit Studiosity's Connect Live service (see Online Study Help section for more details).

For more information contact Study Skills by email or phone (02) 6201 2205.

PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Sessions) are weekly group study sessions designed to support large-cohort foundation units. PALS are led by Peer Learning Advisors who are students that have successfully completed the units themselves. The Peer Learning Advisors share their effective learning strategies and also provide structured group activities specific to the unit.

PALS are delivered both face-to-face and online. Sessions start in week 2 of Semester 2. The online sessions will be run in the Virtual Room in the Student Support Hub canvas site, which you can access via this link: https://uclearn.canberra.edu.au/courses/501/external_tools/64

In Semester 2, 2024 PALS is supporting the following units:

  • Biochemistry and Metabolism
  • Business Decision Making
  • Chemical Concepts
  • Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology (FoAP)
  • Foundations of Law and Justice
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Integrating Pathophysiology
  • Introduction to Ecnomics
  • Introduction to IT
  • Introductory Physiotherapy Skills
  • Introduction to Research in Health Science (IRHS)
  • Musculoskeletal Interventions 1
  • Systemic Anatomy and Physiology (SAP)

The PALS timetable for Semester 2, 2024 can be downloaded here.

If you have any questions about PALS, please email Study Skills.

The  ASK (Academic Skills and Knowledge) Advisors are UC students who are able to assist students with assignments and general library enquires. They are available for one-on-one consultations of up to 20 minutes, assisting with:

  • understanding and structuring assessment tasks,
  • finding information,
  • referencing,
  • using university platforms and resources - UCLearn, ePortfolio (Mahara), Proctorio
  • library searching and borrowing,
  • general enquiries.

The ASK Advisor service is available online and on-campus. The online service is available through the Chat function on Study Help pages and the Library site. The on-campus service can be found in the Library Learning Hub, Building 8, Level B, Bruce Campus.

Currently, during Semester 2, the ASK Advisor service is available at these times:

 Monday - Friday
On-campus ASK Advisors9:00am - 5:00pm
Online ASK Advisors12:30pm - 6:30pm

For Writing Feedback or Connect Live study support outside of these times, please use Studiosity online study help (in the left menu of your UCLearn (Canvas) teaching sites or the Student Support Hub).

Study Skills Services

All Study Skills programs and services are generally available both online and face-to-face. See the individual tabs on this webpage for timetables and further information.

The Study Help site

Hosted by the Student Support Hub, the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) is available for all UC and UCC students to access 24/7. The site contains a large range of self-paced interactive modules and e-resources to help students with strategies for online learning, assignment writing, referencing, researching, time management, exam preparation and more.

Studiosity Online study support

Studiosity offers two online study support services:
  1. Writing Feedback: Students can submit assessment drafts for Writing Feedback on structure, writing style, grammar, referencing and more. Studiosity supports Harvard, APA and Chicago referencing styles. Studiosity specialists provide feedback on writing usually within 24 hours. Writing Feedback is available 24/7.
  2. Connect Live: This service connects students with live study help for general study skills, including writing help and English, as well as foundation level assistance with subjects including mathematics and science. Connect Live is available 24/7 with easy sharing of questions through and interactive whiteboard, audio and text chat.

Studiosity can also be accessed through most unit UCLearn (Canvas) sites in the left course menu or through the course menu of the Student Support Hub.

Studiosity is funded by SSAF (Student Services and Amenities Fee) and is accessible to students when there is available SSAF funding for the service. Students are generally able to access support from Studiosity during each main teaching period: Semester 1, Semester 2, Winter Term and Summer Semester. The maximum number of sessions available per student in each period is adjusted according to overall UC usage to provide an equitable balance of sessions for all students. This overall allocation is reset at the start of each teaching period and is occasionally adjusted mid-semester depending on usage rates.

The Studiosity student dashboard will keep students updated with how many free sessions remain for each period. Students who have exhausted their allocation of Studiosity sessions for a teaching period can receive study help through Study Skills services, including Drop-in Study Help, the ASK Advisors, and Maths and Statistics Help (MASH), as outlined on this webpage.

Academic Integrity

The University of Canberra is an academic community engaged in teaching, learning and research activities. Students in this community are expected to uphold certain standards and values in order to act with integrity.  The Student Conduct Rules and the Student Charter contain important information regarding student responsibilities. The Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Procedure set out the University's expectations of staff and students regarding academic integrity, list the types of academic misconduct, and outline procedures for dealing with alleged breaches of academic integrity.

All UC students are expected to complete the online Academic Integrity Module (AIM) each year during their course of study. Students and staff can access AIM at www.canberra.edu.au/aim or via the Study Help site (UCLearn login required).  Students will receive a digital badge upon AIM completion.

For support with academic integrity at UC, including developing effective researching, paraphrasing and referencing skills, students can access the ASK Advisor service or Drop-in Study Help Sessions (details included in the tabs on this page) or visit the Academic Integrity block of the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) for self-paced resources.

A guide to Generative Artificial Intelligence and academic integrity is available in the Library Guides called GenAI for Students.

Turnitin

Turnitin is an online text-matching tool used by the University of Canberra. It analyses the text of submitted work and matches it against sources from the Internet, published works, and previously submitted student texts. It is a tool that assists in the early detection of plagiarism.

Important points to consider:

  • Turnitin does not detect plagiarism, it matches text.
  • Turnitin is automatically included in each assignment submission in UCLearn (Canvas).
  • You and your unit convener will receive a Turnitin report after you submit an assignment.
  • You can submit a draft assignment for text matching through your unit's draft text-matching assignment submission box.
  • Draft assignment submission boxes should only be used for the unit for which you will submit the final assignment. If you submit an assignment (of your own or one that belongs to another student) into a draft submission box for a different unit, it will be matched against the final submission for the other unit, and you may be considered to have breached the University’s Academic Integrity policy.
  • If you don't have a draft text-matching assignment submission box in your unit, please contact your unit convener.
  • If you submit multiple drafts of your assignment for text matching through Turnitin, you may need to allow up to 48 hours for the Turnitin report to be produced for each subsequent submission.
  • An AI Writing detection tool is available to teaching staff that will highlight areas of a submission suspected of being created by Generative Artificial Intelligence tools.  This report cannot be used as the only indicator that GenAI has been used but may be used to initiate a learning validation conversation with the student.

For more information about Academic Integrity and Turnitin, visit the Academic Integrity and Referencing block of the Study Help site (UC login required) or contact Study Skills.

English Language Support

For English Language support for assessments, visit the Drop-in Study Help sessions

For more information, email studyskills@canberra.edu.au

English for Uni Course

This is a free course, delivered by Study Skills and designed to help students develop their academic and English language skills, with a focus on:

  • academic reading strategies
  • academic writing style
  • paraphrasing and academic integrity
  • grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary
  • tutorial discussion and academic presentations

Students may attend the entire course or select sessions to suit their study needs.

English for Uni course dates for 2024

  • Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th January (the week before Semester 1 Orientation)
  • Tuesday 26th to Wednesday 27th March (Week 8 Semester 1, class-free week)
  • Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th July (the week before Semester 2 Orientation)
  • Monday 16th to Thursday 19th September (Week 8 Semester 2, class-free week)

For more information, please email studyskills@canberra.edu.au

To register your interest in this course, go to the UCLearn (canvas) Study Help site.

English Help resources available on the Study Help site

There are a number of self-paced English Language Help resources on the Study Help site, including Modules, and a Quick Guide with links to English Language Self Study resource (UCLearn student login required).

You can find these resources under the heading:

Improving Your English

You can find other relevant resources under the heading ‘Developing Your Language Skills’ on the Study Help site.

Want to know more about:

  • study planning?
  • navigating online resources?
  • writing at university level?
  • researching and referencing?

In the free Study Skills for Success program, Study Skills Learning Advisors will provide strategies and information to help you succeed at UC.

There are two ways you can participate in the program. You can either complete it by attending the live sessions at the start of Semesters 1 and 2 or you may complete the online program in a self-paced format. See below for further information of each option.

Online Study Skills for Success (SS4S) - complete the full program online in your own time.

This online program allows students to explore the same topics as the live version, in a self-paced format. Access the online program now through the Study Skills for Success online page.

EndNote Support

EndNote is a referencing tool, allowing users to organise bibliographic references and use them in MS Word documents. EndNote is a useful tool, especially if you are required to reference more than 20 sources in an assignment. Using EndNote requires a competent understanding of manual referencing practices.

Would you like to know more about how to use EndNote? There are useful resources produced by the Library including the Library EndNote Guide. There are also EndNote Basics and EndNote Advanced self-paced modules on the Study Help site (UCLearn login required).

Study Skills also runs a referencing drop-in service, date and times are available on the Study Help site (UCLearn login required) during semester. Access the Referencing drop-in service through the 'ASK Advisor and Study Skills Drop-in' link in the 'Virtual Room' of the Study Help site.

This is a free service, no appointment necessary.

Are you a postgraduate research student needing EndNote support?  If so, please contact a Liaison Librarian.

ePortfolio (Mahara) Support

Mahara is an ePortfolio system that allows students to build an online resume and create a multimedia portfolio with evidence of professional competencies. Some units at UC utilise the ePortfolio (Mahara) platform for the storing and submission of assignments and to demonstrate evidence of professional competencies developed in the unit.

For ePortfolio (Mahara) guides visit the Study Help site for self-paced resources.

For ePortfolio (Mahara) help, visit the ASK Advisor service (refer to service information in separate tab).

Study Skills Orientation

New to university?  Do you want a head start to help you develop the key skills to succeed?

English for Uni is a free one-week course, designed to help students develop their academic and English language skills. See the 'Study Skills English Language Support' tab above for more information.

Study Skills for Success is a free, one-day preparation program run at the beginning of each semester at Bruce Campus. See the separate tab above for more information.

Study Skills also provide a range of sessions during Orientation week each semester. These include:

  • Navigating Study @ UC – Find out how to navigate the UC environment, including information about the different UC services, how to find your unit information, how to plan your studies, where to get study help and more.
  • Mature Age Study Skills Q&A – A 90 minute after hours session discussing essential Study Skills with insights from current mature-age UC students. This is a great opportunity to network with your peers. Light refreshments provided. Designed for mature-age students and those working full-time (all welcome).
  • Study Skills Essentials – Get ready for study at UC. Come to this session to feel confident heading into semester. Learn how to:
    • Make the most of your teaching sites.
    • Prepare for semester.
    • Organise your time.
    • Study effectively.
    • Avoid plagiarism in the assessment process, from draft to submission.
    • Use UC resources to complete your assessments with integrity.

Study Skills also provides online orientation information to assist you when commencing studies at UC through the New to UC section of the Study Help site (UCLearn login required).

Support for units through in-lecture presentations and online resources

Library and Study Skills staff can provide in-unit presentations and tailored resources for specific units and assignments for UC and UCC. These may be in person, online, or via a pre-prepared recording.

Some examples of the support we can provide includes:

  • 5 to 10 minute in-lecture presentations that provide an overview of the Study Skills programs and academic integrity.
  • 20 to 50 minute in-unit presentations tailored to a specific assessment task - these can cover the task requirements, how to find relevant information, how to reference appropriately, and/or how to use Mahara, and also include the available Library and Study Skills support.

Please give at least two weeks' notice to prepare your session.

For more information contact Study Skills studyskills@canberra.edu.au or 6201 2205.

The University of Canberra offers a range of workshops and programs to support HDR (Higher Degree by Research) students including writing groups, coding sessions, statistical support, research integrity workshops, ethics drop-ins, literature review workshops and much more. The full calendar of Researcher Development Workshops is available here.

Students enrolled in research units or who are completing an Honours or PhD thesis, dissertation or project can enrol and work through the free, self-paced course Research and Writing Skills for Dissertations and Projects. This course includes modules on:

  • Preparing your research and managing your supervisor
  • Project-management techniques
  • Managing your time
  • The literature review
  • The importance of ethics
  • Research methodology and methods
  • Data collection methods
  • Data analysis
  • Structuring the argument and chapters
  • Writing up and disseminating your research

Library Services also provides Training and Research Consultations for researchers and HDR students, for more information and to book a consultation, visit the Libary's Research Consultations and Training webpage.

Study Skills administers the Student Readiness Survey (SRS) each semester.  This survey is sent as an email link to all newly commencing students.  The survey is designed to help us to understand the study needs and preferences of our students, as well as to interpret other factors which may affect their study, including the amount of paid work undertaken. The responses help inform the design and review of student support programs at UC. Students who complete the survey also receive immediate links into UC support services to support their self-identified study needs.

Students who complete the survey each semester are entered into a prize draw.  Please email Study Skills for the terms and conditions of the prize draw.

Contact the Library by email or by phone (02) 6201 2953.

Contact Study Skills by email or by phone (02) 6201 2205.

For self-paced online resources and further information about Library and Study Skills programs and services, visit the Study Help UCLearn (Canvas) site (log in required).

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