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The Secret Life of
University
Dr Ben Kooyman
Learning and Teaching Unit
February 2012
How do we learn at university?
• Reading – set reading and independent
• Participating – lectures and tutorials
• Writing – for assessment
Reading
Set reading (weekly reading that has been
assigned by your course coordinators)
Independent reading (research for
assignments etc; use set reading as a
guideline for the type, quality, and standard
of research required)
Participation: lectures & tutorials
• Large venues
• Lecturer-centred
• Not interactive
• Small venues
• Student-centred
• Interactive
What happens in tutorials?
Tutorial groups usually:
• discuss readings, lecture notes and set
questions
• discuss a topic’s key concepts and ideas
• work together to make sense of new and
unfamiliar material
• share a range of views on a topic
• debate and contest different points of view
Tutorial activities can include...
• Working independently or in groups
• Completing short quizzes
• Giving oral presentations
• Performing practical exercises or
experiments
Your tutor expects you to...
• have read and understood the material
• contribute to discussion by sharing your
opinions and ideas with the class
• raise questions about anything you do not
understand
• respect the thoughts and opinions of
others
• participate in set activities and exercises
Writing
• Preparation for professional practice
– Written communication skills
– Workplace documents: reports, proposals
– Information gathering, collating, synthesis,
citation
• Assessment process
– Continual assessment
– Consistent pattern of assessment
• Average of 2 or 3 major assignments/
assessment tasks per topic
– Week 4-5
– Week 7-8
– End of study period (and/or exam)
• Each course has a Course Outline with
course aims, objectives, timetables etc
that can be found online
• Assessment information
– Assignment questions & formats
– Due dates
– Word counts & percentages of course grade
– Marking criteria
Assignment formats
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Essays
Reports
Case studies
Research projects
Seminar papers
Oral presentations
Reflective journals
• Exams, tests, and
quizzes
• Annotated
bibliographies
• Literature reviews
• Online discussions
• You can find guidelines for different types
of assignments here:
http://www.unisa.edu.au/l3
• Referencing is also very important
Support services
• Learning and Teaching Unit
• Campus Central
Learning and Teaching Unit (LTU)
• Language and Learning
advice
• Counselling services
• Careers and employment
advice
• Services for students with
disabilities, mental health or
medical issues
• International student services
Campus Central
• One-stop shop for enquiries
about
• Enrolment and admissions
• Contacts and procedures
• Access to UniSA services & facilities
(e.g. IT)
• ID cards
• Orientation activities
• Fees and payments
• General enquiries
Online environment
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myUniSA
Email
Library
Learnonline
myUniSA
• myUniSA is a personalised student portal
for study-related information and
resources. Its URL is
http://www.unisa.edu.au/myunisa/
• It can also be accessed from the top right
corner of the university’s homepage
Email
• Your need to use your UniSA email
account, which is accessible via myUniSA
• Email is one of UniSA’s main methods of
communication, so check your inbox
regularly
• You have a limited amount of space in
your email account (10GB), so remember
to
– Delete unwanted messages from your inbox
and sent items
– Regularly empty your deleted items
– Save attached files to USB
Library
• The library offers a range of online resources,
including
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library catalogue
ebooks, ejournals, ereaders
databases
newspapers
referencing tools, e.g. EndNote, RefWorks
research papers, conference proceedings, theses
online training and assignment help
Learnonline
• All courses at UniSA College have a learnonline
component (accessible via myUniSA)
• On a course’s learnonline site you will find
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Course Outline and other information
Weekly readings and resources
Lecture recordings (slides, audio)
Discussion forums
Assignment submission (via Gradebook)
link
Computers on campus
• Computers are available to use on each
campus. Find out which computers are
free via http://www.unisa.edu.au/ists
• Facilities are also available for students
with disabilities. Find out more from
Disability Services at the LTU
Wireless on campus
• You can read instructions for connecting to
eduroam online
• iPhone, iPad and iPod users can find
instructions online
IT support
• If you have problems
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Navigating the online environment
Using email or submitting assignments online
Connecting your laptop or i device to eduroam
Using a computer in a computer pool or barn
contact IT helpdesk on 830 25000