Essential skills for science & technology

pt. 1. You and tertiary study 1. The first step Graduate attributes Transition to university Balancing life and study Skills for academic success Recommendations 2. Being organised Why time management is important How do you cope with all the demands on your time? Setting your goals Planning The study timetable Resources Using your time well Late submissions Time wasting Procrastination pt. 2. Learning and researching 3. Modes of learning for higher education What is learning? Memory The learning curve Preferences for learning Sensory aspects of learning styles Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic or tactile Learning for meaning Monitoring your own learning Advice from successful students Keep up The topic syllabus Get to know your classmates Survey the entire work Reading, highlighting, and taking notes The card system Review information 4. Lectures, tutorials, and laboratories Lectures Listening Effective note taking Mechanics Editing and reviewing Summaries Translations Laws of science Tutorials Practical and laboratory classes Laboratory safety 5. E-learning and researching Five levels of e-learning Information retrieval Knowledge databases Online support Asynchronous instruction Synchronous instruction The virtual library and electronic resources Databases Citation indexes The Internet The World Wide Web Using search engines for research How to sort information Improving your search results Web-based learning Learning tools Net etiquette 6. Assessments Grading systems Continual assessment Exams Tackling exams Preparation Techniques Self-confidence About the exam Format Length Value The multiple-choice exam pt. 3. Critical evaluation 7. Reading scientific literature The scientific literature Textbooks, reference books, and handbooks Reviews, monographs, and annuals Journal articles Scientific abstracts, citations, and electronic databases Reading concerns Asking specific questions Critical reading of journals Skim reading Critical reading 8. Critical thinking Science and the pursuit of knowledge Knowledge, scepticism, and critical thinking Why be a critical thinker? How to be a critical thinker What is justification? Assessing evidence Critical thinking and argumentation 9. Academic argument What is an academic argument? When do you need to present an argument? What makes a good argument? Types of argument Deductive reasoning Inductive reasoning What makes a weak or strong inductive argument? Using good argument in your writing

pt. 4. Writing and presenting in the sciences 10. Academic integrity and plagiarism Why do we need academic integrity? What is plagiarism? Other forms of unethical behaviour Referencing Paraphrasing correctly Group work 11. Referencing styles Referencing styles Non-referenced material Author-date style Citations in the text Reference list The Vancouver style Citations in the text Reference list Keeping track of your references 12. Writing for the sciences Analysis of the question Example of assignment questions Questions you may want to ask Source materials Planning the structure of the assignment The idea of themes Sections of the written assignment Introduction The basic theme Background information Body of the text Summary and conclusions References Using graphs, tables, and figures Language : putting it all together A proposed structure for scientific writing Final checklist Presentation Introduction Discussion Conclusions 13. Writing a report Title page and inside cover Terms of reference Table of contents Executive summary or abstract Introduction Materials and methods Main findings 1) Results 2) Discussion 3) Conclusions 4) Recommendations References Appendixes and attachments Final checklist Format and presentation Executive summary Introduction Results and discussion Conclusions and recommendations Language and expression 14. Writing a laboratory report Language and style Objective language Active or passive voice Past or present tense Words to keep in mind when writing Clarity Correctness Completeness Simplicity Readability Objectivity Writing a laboratory report Title Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Summary and conclusions References Appendixes Checklist Presentation Introduction Methods Results Discussion Conclusions 15. Writing an article review What is an article review? Research article types Simple structure Additional elements Critical analysis Critiquing an experimental or empirical article A template for reviewing empirical articles 16. Presentation skills : talks and posters Oral presentations Preparation Delivery Poster presentations Presentation 17. Editing your writing The editor's toolbox Structural editing Copy editing Proofreading Common faults in English expression Top sports for errors Common error types Use of commas Avoiding tautology Distinguishing meaning Parallel structure

pt. 5. Quantitative methods

18. An approach to problem solving

Blocks to problem solving

Steps in problem solving

Clarifying the problem

Devising a plan of attack

Implementing the plan

Checking the answer

19. Fundamental mathematics

Order of operations

Exponents, powers and roots

Multiplying and dividing powers

Powers of powers

Negative powers

Roots and fractional powers

Scientific notation

Addition and subtraction

Multiplication and division

Logarithms

What are logarithms?

Laws of logarithms

Equations and dimensions

Units and dimensions (dimensional analysis)

20. An introduction to calculus

Differential calculus

Integral calculus

21. Basic statistics

Categorising data

Drawing and using graphs

Drawing lines on graphs

Drawing inferences from graphs

Interpolation

Extrapolation

Relationships between variables

Statistical terminology

Appendixes

1. Key words in written assignment questions

2. Unusual plurals

3. Prefixes

4. The use of apostrophes

5. SI units and fundamental constants.