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Developing Business Practice – 302LON
Reading for academic success
Week 1
Overview of sessions
Week
1 Reading for academic success
2 Writing for academic success
3 Finding and using information
4 Plagiarism and how to avoid it
5 Putting it all together
• Have an understanding of the role of reading in your course of study
• Be aware of the different types of reading expected on your
• Be able to read effectively• Understand the purpose of note-taking
By the end of this session...
• Read to gain knowledge and obtain information
• Significant amount of time at university is spent reading
Why do we read?
It’s up to you to organise your reading practices
For enjoyment!
To find out more about a subject that interests you
To find further evidence to support your own ideas
Background preparation for an assignment or interview
To go into more depth about a theory for an assignment
To find out more about a topic mentioned in class
To prepare for a seminar so that everyone can discuss it
So much to read...
...so little time!
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Good reading practices
Allow you to select the most appropriate
materials to read
Ensure that you are reading the material critically
Reduce the time spent on reading it
Ensure that the notes that you take from your reading are usable afterwards
‘Why am I reading?’ Define your purpose
Specific piece of information?
Getting an overall feel for a piece of work?
Background reading?
Deeper understand of a topic?
• Reading your tutor directs you to• Within Moodle, Reading List or
Knowledgecast
What should I read?: Directed reading
What should I read?: Directed reading
Required
It is expected that you have read
this before coming to classWill be the basis of the discussion
in the seminar
Recommended
You don’t have to read it all, but reading a selection from the recommended list
will allow you to have a better understanding of the topic and contribute to the
discussion
• Take your lead from the suggested reading
• Use bibliographies and the sources that they have mentioned
• Do your own searches on our databases and in the Learning Resource Centre
• Ask your tutor
What should I read?: Self-directed reading
• Textbooks – good for background information
• Journal articles – good for applications of models and theories in depth
• Newspaper articles – for real life examples and up-to-date information
• Websites – but always with caution!
What types of sources might you be reading?
Reading critically
Facts v. Interpretation
To non -critical readers, texts provide facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorising the statements within a text.
To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject matter. Critical readers thus recognise not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the subject matter.
(Kurland 2000)
Questions to ask yourself...
When/where was it written?
How does this information relate to what you already know?
What evidence have they used? And are there any gaps?
Do you agree with this interpretation of the evidence?
Effective reading tips
Always keep your reading goal in mind
When looking at books, look at the index and contents page to see where in the book to start
Use the abstract or executive summary to see if an article or report is relevant
Effective reading tips
The first paragraph and the last paragraph of a chapter or article should give a good idea of the main topic and argument of the work
Quickly scan for keywords and phrases of interest, and then go back and read more closely.
Taking notes
Allows us to reproduce information at a later date
Remind us of information at a later date
Concise way of capturing key information
Enables us to organise information and our ideas
Ensures active learning
Note-taking: Why do we take notes?
Ensures that we understand what we have just read
Different methods of note-taking
Annotating SummarisingVisually
(Mind maps)
Taking notes: Annotating
Taking notes: Annotating
Taking notes: Summarising
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. 3rd edn. London: Palgrave Macmillan Page 7: It is best to prepare properly for university course: ways to prepared include foundation courses, access or short courses from the university or local college. It is also possible to do foundation degree, which is equivalent to two years study – this can be taken part time. There are people who can offer advice, including a mature student adviser, life-long learning – see the university for advice.
Taking notes: Visually
Preparation for university course
Access and short courses from colleges and universities
Equiv x 2 years ft study
Access routes
Foundation degrees
Modes of study
Full time
Part time
People to ask:Student adviserLifelong learning centreOther members of staff
Taking notes: Things to remember
Take notes on second reading
Make it clear in your notes any sections that are copied directly from the text, and note page numbers of
diagrams or key points
Make use of highlighters, different colours and abbreviations to make your notes clear, concise and easy
to read
Organising your note taking
Paper based?
Date your notes, keep them tidy, file them afterwards
Organising your note taking
Using a computer?
Back up your files, name your files sensibly and keep them organised
Organising your note taking
Always ensure that you have all the information you need to use this information in your assignments
Author, title, date of publication, publisher details, page numbers, web address of any online sources
In this Knowledgecast, we have:
• Looked at the role of reading in your studies, including directed and self-directed reading and considered the purpose it serves
• Looked different types of reading materials and what to be aware of when reading them
• Introduced the idea of reading critically and provided some questions to provide critical thinking framework
• Looked at some note-taking techniques that you can start to put into practice.
Knowledgecast Summary
• Bring a copy of the Harvard Business Review article from your reading for International Business Strategy (301LON) ‘Ten ways to create shareholder value’ by Rappaport.
• You may find it more useful to print it out.• You will find this through the Reading List link in
the 301LON module.
Preparation for the seminar
• ‘Bibliography’ by gadl http://www.flickr.com/photos/gadl/320300354/sizes/l/in/photostream/
• ‘168th of 2nd 365: A choice. Which translation to continue reading?’ by dumbledad http://www.flickr.com/photos/dumbledad/4988915427/sizes/o/in/photostream/
• ‘Questioning’ by Ann Douglas http://www.flickr.com/photos/anndouglas/422362185/sizes/o/in/photostream/
• ‘reading aloud: j reads Harry Potter (2)’ by anna_t http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna/199723292/sizes/o/in/photostream/
• ‘Notes’ by English 106 http://www.flickr.com/photos/english106/4357529719/sizes/z/in/photostream/
• ‘jour048’ by Guillaume Brialon http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumebrialon/3288150201/sizes/o/in/photostream/
• ‘MacBook keyboard’ by alcomm http://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomm/217097889/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Image credits
• Kurland, D, (2000) What is critical reading? [online] Available from: http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_reading.htm. <6 January 2010>
References