Study Smart: tutors' guide

Study Smart is structured in 3 sessions, covering three essential concepts for studying at university level. The sessions are labelled as 'Weeks' using FutureLearn terminology; however, they will all be released at the same time, and are referred to within the course as sessions. We anticipate that each session should take no more than three hours to complete, and students may choose to complete all three sessions on one day or spread their engagement over several days, as they prefer.

The course will remain open to enrolled participants so they can return to it later in the academic year when they have a clearer idea of the contexts in which they are working. Note that we cannot accept late entrants after enrolment has closed at the end of December 2024.

Academic Integrity

This section welcomes students to the University and opens the dialogue about what it means to be a University of Reading student: what are the values that we expect from all members of our academic community, and how do these work in practice in the key areas of referencing and research?

Communicating at University

This section takes a broad look at the different types of communication students will be expected to use at university, and the principles that underpin them: from inter-personal communications like emails to tutors, to appropriate listening and speaking in seminars and lectures, and communicating ideas and understanding more formally in assignments of all sorts, written and oral. It will include specific guidance on writing for Maths and Science students who might have less experience of writing in an academic context.

Independent Learning

This section will expand on the widely-known need to become a more independent learner when studying at university, showing how it applies to more than just managing your time: to include researching independently, managing time and getting organised, and thinking critically.

In each part of the course the principles behind university study will be covered through a series of steps. These will include a mixture of articles, videos, animations, quizzes and discussion boards. Students can move freely forwards and backwards within the course, so if they feel they want to go back and reread a section, there are no barriers to doing this.

The course is made up of 'steps' in a range of formats commonly used in courses on the FutureLearn platform. These will include:

Articles

Articles in the course may be illustrated with images, infographics and examples. Content for the articles has been created by the Study Advice team, informed by their experience of working with students, and internal and external research on the issues new undergraduates report in transitioning to higher education.

Videos

Videos have been produced by MotionBlurr, a film company which has previously worked on videos for UoR MOOCs and includes former UoR students who know the campus well. They include students recounting their own experiences; academic tutors explaining key principles of academic study; walking tours where students lead a more dynamic look at an aspect of study. The course will be framed by two videos featuring the VC welcoming students firstly to the course, and then to the academic community at the University of Reading.

Animations

Developed by Typography students as part of their experience of working on real jobs, animations aim to communicate concepts through engaging visuals with an explanatory narration.

Exercises and quizzes

These more interactive steps ask students to actively engage with tasks. They might include selecting appropriate words to complete phrases, or clicking through a timeline to see how academic principles might operate. Brief multiple choice quizzes with answers provided on submission will give students the opportunity to self-assess their understanding as they work through the course.

Discussions

Discussion boards are used to encourage students to consider their own ideas about the concepts, and to engage in discussion with fellow students, giving them an early opportunity to network with their peers. Boards will be monitored and moderated by trained student moderators and Study Advisers.