Notes for academic staff and students: expectations of the Specific
Learning Difficulty student and their Specialist Academic Support Tutor
(SAST).
The ultimate aim of every student is to become an autonomous learner.
The ultimate aim of the SAST is to become unnecessary to the student.
What can the SAST legitimately do?
1. Guide the student in learning how to
·
employ their strengths and preferred learning style(s)
·
use their assistive software productively
·
skim and scan when reading
·
make notes from lectures and written sources
·
use the library and Summon
·
use the internet
·
plan and structure assignments, using preferred techniques
·
plan workload, using deadline timetables, semester
calendars etc
·
understand plagiarism
·
improve literacy and/or numeracy skills, if necessary
·
improve revision methods and exam technique
2. Review a student’s work, pointing out habitual mistakes (spelling,
grammar), model alternatives and suggest useful techniques (mnemonics,
websites, study skill guides etc).
3. Proof-read early work and demonstrate proof-reading techniques for the
student to use.
What can the SAST not legitimately do?
1. Add to or subtract from the content in any way.
2. Proof-read any entire assignment. Given that student is usually
assigned 1 hour of support per week, this is not only counterproductive but impossible.
3. Encroach on roles better filled by Counsellors or the Mental Health
team
What is the student’s responsibility?
Like any other student: to attend lectures, to read as much as possible of
recommended reading lists, to make notes, to take on board learning
outcomes and assignment criteria, to consult the module tutor if in doubt, to
think, to decide all content and to write the assignment, using assistive
software if recommended, while utilising the support and guidance of the
SAST.