第一章
In this chapter, we will focus on the following topics to enable you to have a better and more thorough understanding on study at the university:
Understanding higher-level study
Different types of teaching
Knowing about different tasks in universities
Understanding study skills
CREAM learning strategies
Reflecting on your learning style
Conducting independent learning
Becoming a good time manager
1.1 In this section, we will discuss the differences and changes of university life from the perspectives of studying and learning, teaching style, learning community, people and campus life.
1.2 In this section, we will discuss different types of teaching. The teaching methods or the delivery formats might include lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, practical or laboratory classes, problem-solving classes, group work and collaborative learning.
1.3 In the previous section, you have already learned there will be different teaching methods in higher education. Likewise, you will find different patterns of assignment: Presentations--good planning, preparation, and practice; Reading--required reading, recommended reading, extracurricular reading; Writing--essays, reports, dissertations or theses.
1.4 The term “study skills” include a wider range of abilities that enable achievement in your studies. Four categories of skills：Self-management skills for study; Academic skills (Basic research skills, Thinking skills, Understanding academic conventions, Writing and other communication skills); People skills for studying with others; Task management skills.
1.5 The C. R. E. A. M strategy is a general principle which encourages you to stop, think and reflect on ways of improving the way you learn constantly and help to make you study effectively and productively.
1.6 This section introduces four types of learning to help learners reflect on their learning preferences and make full use of appropriate learning strategies to improve self-efficacy and learning efficiency.
1.7 The section gives the definition of independent learning, and explains why independent learning is very important for the university students. In order to help students to achieve academic success, the instructor suggests some helpful strategies to promote independent learning. Finally in conclusion we get to know three factors--the self-driven motivation, informed choices and share of responsibility--can help students become a problem-solver, an effective time-manager and a lifelong learner.
1.8 In this section, we are going to discuss how to manage your time to improve your academic performance. We will examine different forms of procrastination and discuss time management strategies to help you adjust how you think about time, improve your awareness of how you use time, and make change for peak performance.
第二章
In this chapter, we will mainly focus on “How to Engage with Academic Staff” to achieve academic success. We will explore the following topics:
How to participate the classroom discussion?
How to learn through lectures?
How to learn through seminars/tutorials?
How to use the right style for effective communication?
How to exchange emails: connecting with professors, peers, professionals?
How to differentiate some high frequency phrases?
2.1 University courses are meant to advance knowledge. Learning on the university level requires that you connect yourself with information and materials and actively participate in class. In this section, we will focus on 1. Teacher’s expectation, 2. Passive learning and Active learning and 3. twenty-four Active Learning Strategies.
2.2 Attending a lecture in English is not an easy task. We will explore the ways to learn through the lectures effectively. It includes strategies divided into 3 parts: Before the lecture; During the lecture; After the lecture.
2.3 Asking questions and joining in discussions are important skills for university study. In many subjects, you will receive marks for tutorial participation and part of this mark reflects how active you have been in tutorial discussions. In this section, we will learn some strategies on how to learn through tutorials and seminars; how to contribute in discussion; how to lead a discussion; dos and don'ts in discussion.
2.4 Effective communication skills are essential to success in many aspects and areas of your life. Strong communication skills help you enjoy better relationships with friends and family. This section will introduce four basic types of communication styles (dominance，influence，steadiness，compliance) and how to become an effective communicator.
2.5 In this section, you will learn how to communicate effectively with faculty, students and professionals using emails in English. The main points of this section are: preparation for email writing, reader analysis, email writing structure and writing specifications.
2.6 This section will introduce some high frequency phrases. Having them at hand can save you a lot of time, because a high percentage of the content of emails is made up of such standard phrases. They can also make your emails more varied. You need to be fully aware of what these standard phrases are, and create your personal collection according to your own situation and what type of letter you often write.
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第三章
In this chapter，we will mainly focus on “How to Take Effective Notes”. It includes:
Note-taking during lectures
Four “uses” in note-taking
Note-taking while reading
Taking “active” notes
Taking notes with visual images
3.1 Do you sometimes struggle to determine what to write down during lectures? Have you ever found yourself wishing you could take better or more effective notes? This section will discuss the tips for becoming a better note-taker in lectures.
3.2 Here are some practical strategies for taking notes. Four “uses” have been introduced in this section: use your pen, use your ears, use your body, and use your mind.
3.3 When you are new to university study, the amount of reading you are expected to do can be daunting. However, you can learn how to prepare yourself in advance and find ways to make it easier. This section outlines tips for effective note-taking while reading.
3.4 In this section, we examine the differences between passive notes and active notes, especially in academic settings. You may gain some insights into the benefits of active note-taking strategies.
3.5 Visual notes will be an effective learning tool for you, bringing your notes to life and making your thoughts coming alive on the page. This section briefly introduces three types of visual notes: mind maps, diagrams and sketch notes.
第四章
In this chapter，we will mainly talk about “ How to Join A Study Group”. We will cover the following topics:
Why do lecturers set group assignments?
Why are study groups better than self-study?
How to make the process work well?
How to participate learning group discussion?
How do individuals become team players?
How to listen and share opinions in groups?
4.1 Group assignments are always assigned by professors at university to encourage involvement, interdependence, and a fair division of labour. In this section, we will explore why lecturers at universities design and set group assignments.
4.2 A series of benefits of studying in a group have been examined in this section as to provide some insights into the unique features of group study. A comparison between group study and self-study has also been made.
4.3 This section attempts to analyze why some students are reluctant to participate in study groups. Then we discuss about the practical ways to make group assignments work well.
4.4 This section attempts to answer the following question: Why to learn group discussion skills; Why do we have discussions at university; What are the types of discussion; What is the Socratic Method; What makes an effective discussion?
4.5 Team formation usually follows easily recognizable stages, known as forming, storming, norming, and performing. This section has discussed about these four stages university students might go through when they develop to be team players.
4.6 In this section, we will explore the following three questions: How to listen to opinions in discussion effectively; How to voice an opinion in groups effectively; How to disagree effectively?
第五章
In this chapter, we will mainly focus on “How to Create Effective & Compelling Presentations” by following the topics:
Structuring the presentation
Delivering the presentation
Using visual aids in communication
Using your body in communication
Interacting with audiences
Learning presentation from Steve Jobs
5.1 In this part, we will discuss practical strategies for structuring a presentation, and focus on the need to develop an argument or report through the clear, logical progression of ideas.
5.2 In this part, we suggest many ideas for invoking energy in your presentation style. We will follow the five steps to become an effective presenter.
5.3 In this section, we will focus on “Using Visual Aids in Communication” by answering the following questions: Why use visual aids; How to use visual aids; What is a Pecha Kucha presentation?
5.4 Good interaction with the audience may be the key to success of a presentation. In this section you will learn how to conduct audience analysis, as well as dos and don'ts for effective interaction with audience while presenting.
5.5 Steve Jobs was an astonishing presenter because he informed, inspired, and entertained. You don't have to reinvent the computer to become great at giving speeches. Learn to deliver a presentation from Steve jobs.
第六章
In this chapter, we will learn “How to become an efficient & critical reader” by following the topics:
Carrying out literature search
Two common speed reading techniques
Active reading techniques
SQ3R method
Critically reading the literature
6.1 University students are often overwhelmed by the heavy loads of reading work. This section gives the useful ways to carry out the literature research. It deals with the searching process from how to begin database search, how to evaluate whether the resources are reliable, to how to make notes in research work. Grasping these searching skills, students can effectively locate the relevant information and save time and energy in research work in the long run.
6.2 The most frequently used speed reading techniques -- skimming and scanning have been covered in this section. We are going to look at some specific examples of skimming and scanning.
6.3 As you enter university, reading takes on a central role as part of your approach to learning. It is very important to read independently and effectively in academic study. Active reading means reading with an awareness of a purpose for reading. This section explores the active reading techniques which may benefit your learning.
6.4 SQ3R is a reading comprehension method named for its five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review. The method was introduced by Francis P. Robinson, an American education philosopher in his 1946 book Effective Study.
6.5 In this particular section, we are discussing about critical reading briefly. We explore what critical reading is, why we need to read critically, the features of critical reading, and how to read critically.
第七章
In this chapter, we will learn focus on “ How to Think Critically When Writing” by exploring from the following perspectives:
Knowing about the writing processes
Understanding the common features of academic writing
Critical analytical writing VS descriptive writing
Reasoning
Presenting arguments in logical orders
Linking ideas together
Proofreading out loud
7.1 An important starting point for successful writing is finding your own way of doing it--your writing process. which consists of preparing, planning and drafting. Following these phases properly will enable you to write good essays.
7.2 Academic English is the genre of English we use for research or study in universities. A good piece of academic writing should demonstrate such features as complexity, formality, precision, objectiveness, explicitness, accuracy, caution and responsibility.
7.3 This section will introduce the distinction between critical and descriptive writing. What you need to remember is while a certain amount of description is necessary to set the context for your analysis, the main characteristic of academic writing is its critical element.
7.4 This section focuses on the concept of arguments. What is an argument? What are the essential elements of an arguments? How can we make a simple argument? These questions will be answered.
7.5 This section focuses on the basic structure of critical essays. How many parts are there in a critical essay? What should we write in each part? Look for answers in this section.
7.6 Cohesion is important for academic writing. This section will introduce devices that can help achieve cohesion.
7.7 In this section, we will learn the strategy of proofreading by reading out loud. We will explore the issue by answering two questions: Why read out loud; How to read out loud?
第八章
In this chapter, we will learn focus on “ How to Achieve Academic Integrity” by exploring from the following perspectives:
The university as an intellectual community
Four types of academic misconduct
What is plagiarism
How to create proper English citations
What plagiarism detection software could we use
8.1 One section of the Academic Integrity at Princeton has been shared in this class. Students will gain some insights of the rationale for the ethic of intellectual honesty that underlies all academic work at the university.
8.2 This section outlines four different kinds of academic misconduct in university setting. Students are expected to understand how to avoid these practices.
8.3 Plagiarism is one of the most common and frequently occurring categories of academic misconduct at university. This section examines what plagiarism is and how it is conducted.
8.4 Citations are a way of giving credit when certain material and ideas in your work come from another source. In this section, we discuss how to give credit to other researchers and allow your readers to track down the sources you have used.
8.5 The cases of academic cheating events call the public attention. University students should have an awareness of zero tolerance for academic plagiarism. It is necessary that students should be taught to avoid plagiarism. Sometimes students don’t purposely cheat. They just have no idea of how to deal with other people’s ideas in their own study work. This section supplies with the useful methods to avoid plagiarism and some commonly used plagiarism detection tools. With the help of these skills and tools, students can cultivate good habits of academic practice and fulfill the academic integrity.
