Reading for academic
success
Developing Business Practice – 302LON
Week 1
Overview of sessions
Week
1
Reading for academic success
2
Writing for academic success
3
Finding and using information
4
Plagiarism and how to avoid it
5
Putting it all together
By the end of this session...
• Have an understanding of the role of
reading in your course of study
• Be aware of the different types of reading
expected on your
• Be able to read effectively
• Understand the purpose of note-taking
Why do we read?
• Read to gain knowledge and obtain
information
• Significant amount of time at university is
spent reading
It’s up to you to organise your reading
practices
For enjoyment!
To find out more about a subject that interests you
To find further evidence to support your own ideas
Background preparation for an assignment or interview
To go into more depth about a theory for an assignment
To find out more about a topic mentioned in class
To prepare for a seminar so that everyone can discuss it
So much to read...
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
...so little time!
Good reading practices
Allow you to select
the most appropriate
materials to read
Reduce the time
spent on reading it
Ensure that you are
reading the material
critically
Ensure that the
notes that you take
from your reading
are usable
afterwards
Why am I reading?’ Define your purpose
‘
Specific piece of information?
Getting an overall feel for a piece of work?
Background reading?
Deeper understand of a topic?
What should I read?: Directed reading
• Reading your tutor directs you to
• Within Moodle, Reading List or
Knowledgecast
What should I read?: Directed reading
Required
Recommended
It is expected that
you have read
this before
coming to class
Will be the basis
of the discussion
in the seminar
You don’t have to read it
all, but reading a selection
from the recommended list
will allow you to have a
better understanding of the
topic and contribute to the
discussion
What should I read?: Self-directed reading
• Take your lead from the suggested
reading
• Use bibliographies and the sources that
they have mentioned
• Do your own searches on our databases
and in the Learning Resource Centre
• Ask your tutor
What types of sources might you be
reading?
• Textbooks – good for background
information
• Journal articles – good for applications of
models and theories in depth
• Newspaper articles – for real life examples
and up-to-date information
• Websites – but always with caution!
Reading critically
Facts v. Interpretation
To non -critical readers, texts provide facts. Readers gain
knowledge by memorising the statements within a text.
To the critical reader, any single text provides but one
portrayal of the facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject
matter. Critical readers thus recognise not only what a text
says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter.
(Kurland 2000)
Questions to ask yourself...
When/where was it written?
How does this information relate
to what you already know?
What evidence have they used?
And are there any gaps?
Do you agree with this
interpretation of the evidence?
Effective reading tips
Always keep your reading goal in mind
Use the abstract or executive summary
to see if an article or report is relevant
When looking at books, look at the
index and contents page to see where
in the book to start
Effective reading tips
The first paragraph and the last
paragraph of a chapter or article
should give a good idea of the main
topic and argument of the work
Quickly scan for keywords and
phrases of interest, and then go back
and read more closely.
Note-taking: Why do we take notes?
Ensures that we understand what we have just read
Allows us to reproduce information at a later date
Remind us of information at a later date
Concise way of capturing key information
Enables us to organise information and our ideas
Ensures active learning
Different methods of note-taking
Annotating
Summarising
Visually
(Mind maps)
Taking notes: Annotating
Taking notes: Annotating
Taking notes: Summarising
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. 3rd edn. London:
Palgrave Macmillan
Page 7:
It is best to prepare properly for university course: ways to prepared
include foundation courses, access or short courses from the university
or local college. It is also possible to do foundation degree, which is
equivalent to two years study – this can be taken part time. There are
people who can offer advice, including a mature student adviser, lifelong learning – see the university for advice.
Taking notes: Visually
Preparation for university course
Access routes
Access and short
courses from
colleges and
universities
People to ask:
Student adviser
Lifelong learning centre
Other members of staff
Modes of study
Foundation degrees
Equiv x 2 years ft study
Full time
Part time
Taking notes: Things to remember
Take notes on second reading
Make it clear in your notes any
sections that are copied directly from
the text, and note page numbers of
diagrams or key points
Make use of highlighters, different
colours and abbreviations to make
your notes clear, concise and easy
to read
Organising your note taking
Paper based?
Date your notes, keep them tidy,
file them afterwards
Organising your note taking
Using a computer?
Back up your files,
name your files
sensibly and keep
them organised
Organising your note taking
Always ensure that you have
all the information you need to
use this information in your
assignments
Author, title, date of publication,
publisher details, page numbers,
web address of any online
sources
Knowledgecast Summary
In this Knowledgecast, we have:
• Looked at the role of reading in your studies, including
directed and self-directed reading and considered the
purpose it serves
• Looked different types of reading materials and what to be
aware of when reading them
• Introduced the idea of reading critically and provided some
questions to provide critical thinking framework
• Looked at some note-taking techniques that you can start to
put into practice.
Preparation for the seminar
• Bring a copy of the Harvard Business Review
article from your reading for International
Business Strategy (301LON) ‘Ten ways to
create shareholder value’ by Rappaport.
• You may find it more useful to print it out.
• You will find this through the Reading List link in
the 301LON module.
Image credits
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‘Bibliography’ by gadl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gadl/320300354/sizes/l/in/photostream/
‘168th of 2nd 365: A choice. Which translation to continue reading?’ by dumbledad
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumbledad/4988915427/sizes/o/in/photostream/
‘Questioning’ by Ann Douglas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anndouglas/422362185/sizes/o/in/photostream/
‘reading aloud: j reads Harry Potter (2)’ by anna_t
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna/199723292/sizes/o/in/photostream/
‘Notes’ by English 106
http://www.flickr.com/photos/english106/4357529719/sizes/z/in/photostream/
‘jour048’ by Guillaume Brialon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumebrialon/3288150201/sizes/o/in/photostream/
‘MacBook keyboard’ by alcomm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomm/217097889/sizes/l/in/photostream/
References
• Kurland, D, (2000) What is critical
reading? [online] Available from:
http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_rea
ding.htm. <6 January 2010>