How Teaching works in the
UK (& Nottingham)
Top Tips for Postgraduate Students –
How to Succeed in Your Studies
Rich Cowley– Professional Development
All Resources For This Presentation
http://pd.nottingham.ac.uk/eng/
Induction/InternationalStudents2
Congratulations!
Keeping Your Studies on Track
Question
How different are you expecting studying at
Nottingham to be from your previous
experiences?
1→→→→→→ →→→ 5 →→→→→→→→→10
Not Very
different
Very
different
What do you think will be different?
Complete this sentence “I think ………..will be
different”
• Swap papers around so you don’t know whose you
have
• Read out what is on the paper if asked.
Uni of Nottingham & International Students
• Over 30,000 students
• Approx 8,000 Post-grad students
• Over half post-grads are international
UK System of Studying
• Undergraduate Degrees
• Postgraduate Taught Courses
▫ Includes PG Diploma, PG Certificates and taught
Masters
• Research Masters by Research (MRes or MPhil)
• Doctoral Degree (e.g. PhD/DPhil etc.)
Degree Structure - PGT
Courses, Modules & Credits
• PGCert – 60 credits
• PGDip – 120 credits
• Masters (MA or MSc) – 180 credits (no more than 75
per semester)
• Module handbooks / Course handbooks.
• Post-Graduate Student Advisors
Semesters and Terms
Autumn Semester
26 September 2011 –
28 January 2012
Autumn term
26 September 2011 –
16 December 2011
Spring Semester
30 January 2012 –
22 June 2012
Spring term
16 January 2012 30 March 2012
Summer term
30 April 2012 –
22 June 2012
Top Tips For: Getting the Most Out of UK
Teaching Methods
• Lectures
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studyskills/learning/learning.asp
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Practicals
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studentlife/international/speaking.asp
• Supervision
What can you do?
• Before the lecture / seminar
• During the lecture / seminar
• After the lecture / seminar
Independent Study
• Learning to become an independent learner
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studyskills/learning/independent.asp
• Don’t expect ‘rote learning’
• Demonstrating independent thought (backed-up
by evidence)
What do Supervisor’s Expect?
Supervisor’s expect their students to
• Be independent
• Produce written work that is not just a first draft
• Attend regular meetings
• Be honest when reporting on progress
• Follow the advice they give
• Be interested and excited by your work
Do not expect!
• Your supervisor to take the initiative
• That they will become a replacement parent
• They will make major contributions to your
research and thesis
• That they will give you very detailed direction and
guidance
• That the supervisor will have a high level of
knowledge in your specific area
• That they will proof read and re-write your work
Developing your Critical Thinking
• Critical thinking is the process of applying reasoned
and disciplined thinking to your subject.
• To do well in your studies you
need to think critically about the
things you have read, seen and
heard.
• Critical thinking is essential for
high grades.
• You can learn to become a
critical thinker.
Developing
your
Critical
Thinking
Bring together
the different
Takeofin the
sources
information
information
Develop
Understand the
arguments, and
key points and
draw
arguments
conclusions
Compare
similarities and
Use the understanding
differences
you have
gainedthe
in
between
assignments
and
ideas you
are
projects
taking in
Developing your Academic Writing
• Academic writing has a clear purpose, either an exam
question to answer or a research project to report on. Most
academic writing in English is linear.
• Every part contributes to the main line of argument, without
digression or repetition.
• What ever kind of writing your are producing, you, the writer,
are responsible for making your line of argument clear and
presenting it in an orderly fashion so that the reader can
follow.
Developing your Academic Writing
Understanding the Question
It is important to have a clear understanding of what you are
being asked to write:
• Analyse - Separate down into its component
parts and show how they interrelate with
each other
• Annotate - Put notes on (usually a diagram)
• Assess - Estimate the value of, looking at
both the positive and negative attributes
• Comment - To make critical or explanatory notes/observations
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/skills/Advice/WhatQuest.pdf
Developing your Academic Writing
Academic writing is a difficult skill for all students to acquire…so…
• Attend a workshop
• Talk with your lecturer
• Practice writing
• Write first, revise later
• Learn from good writers
• Talk about writing with other students
• Use your PC to improve your writing
• Learn from textbooks
• Learn new words
• Use new words
Developing your Academic Writing – citing
and referencing
References should include the following
•
•
•
•
•
•
The author or editor
Year of Publication (in round brackets)
The title
The edition if other than first
The place of publication
The publisher’s name
• E.g. Kittel, C. (2005) Introduction to solid state physics.
8th ed. New York: Wiley
Developing your Academic Writing –
Avoiding Plagiarism
• 2.2.1 It is an academic offence to present someone else’s work as being
one’s own. (The University of Nottingham, Quality Manual)
• It is important to understand that even though you may not mean to plagiarise,
it would not be right that you are given credit for work that is not your
own, even if it was done in error.
•
It is possible to be in violation of the
university's rules on plagiarism because
you have been careless or inadequate in
the way you have cited your sources.
• To avoid the confusion of appearing to have
plagiarised, it is better to make sure you have
understood the conventions expected in citing the
words and work of other people.
Marking – A rough guide
• 70+ - Distinction
• 60-69 – Merit
• 50-59 – Pass (Masters)
• 40-49 – Pass (PGDiP and PGCert)
Assessment – understanding feedback
Lecturer feedback will usually tell you,
• How good the assignment was
• Whether it
achieved what
the lecturer wanted.
• What could
have been
improved
Assessment – Understanding feedback
Translation: The word adequate means good enough.
“You have given an adequate introduction to this topic
The
marker
saying
that what you have written is fine
based
on isyour
reading.”
but not great. The marker is also suggesting that you
may not have read enough texts.
Translation:
style = University
writing, in
“You write inAcademic
a clear, academic
style, following
the
almost
every respect
= most
of the
time
conventions
in almost
every
respect”
“Your summary
of the
variousyour
sources
is thorough.
Translation:
You need
to change
academic
writing
you bring
wouldtogether
integrate
these more,
rather than
style Ideally
a little and
summaries
of sources
otherwise
referring to the various people one by one in each
the assignment becomes too long winded.
section”.
General Advice
• If you don’t understand – ask your tutor, lecturer, supervisor or
Director of Studies
Work hard to understand
and respond to new
academic expectations
• Use the on-line materials contained within
this presentation and others to help with all
aspects of your work