Preparing

for University
Success
Session 2: Digital Skills
and Discovering
Information

Lecturer:
Email:

Module Leader: Nafesa

Hamid
Email: nhamid@arden.ac.uk
My Research and Digital Skills

2
 GUS Fellowship Survey
Invitation on AI
Exploring AI, Academic Integrity and Ethical Guidelines

We are conducting an exciting Global University Systems(GUS)

research project to understand students' and academics’ attitudes
toward academic integrity and the ethical use of AI in education.

What’s it about?

•Exploring AI’s use, benefits, and challenges in learning.

•Understanding its impact on knowledge and skills in Higher Education.

Why join?
•Quick: Takes approx. 6 minutes.
•Anonymous: Fully confidential.
•Valuable: Your feedback informs ethical AI policies and research.

Take the survey now!

For questions, contact:
Dr Marzia Coltri (mcoltri@arden.ac.uk)
Prof Dr Sara Ramzani (sara.ramzani@gisma.com)
Outcomes of
this module

4
Session 1 - Recap

Answer the following questions based on our first

session last week.

• What is a growth mindset and why is it helpful to adopt a growth

mindset at university?

• What do you remember about the two types of motivation from last
week's lesson? Key reading of module: (Piscitelli, 2013)

• How can your SMART goals support your learning in block 1?

• Why is it important to identify your own learning preferences? Refer

back to ‘active learning’ strategies from lesson 1.
5
Learning outcomes of this module

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:​

1. Reflect upon the transition to university and the strengths that you bring to
university study
​
2. Demonstrate an increased ability to locate, evaluate and read academic sources
required for university study and assessment

3. Present information to demonstrate increased confidence in communicating in a

range of scenarios for the university context (including academic and personal
preparedness)
​
4. Identify appropriate digital resources/tools required for a restricted range of
given purposes and tasks, with guidance

6
Module Topics
Session Learning Topics and Activities
Session 1 Welcome to University
Session 2 Digital Skills & Discovering Information
Session 3 Developing your Academic Practice
Session 4 Introduction to Referencing & Academic Integrity
Session 5 Reading Academic Sources (part 1)
Session 6 Reading Academic Sources (part 2)
Session 7 Reading as a Research Activity
Session 8 Reviewing your Work
Session 9 Planning & Reflecting
Session 10 Assignment Help Hub (no taught session)
Final assignment In the 10th week of your module, Wednesday 2pm via
submission Turnitin link on the relevant iLearn site

7
Session 2 Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Assess and evaluate your individual digital

capabilities

• Evaluate and implement a range of strategies to

navigate iLearn
​
• ​Demonstrate an understanding of and effectively
use a range of digital tools for study purposes ​
​
8
 1 Self-efficacy and Digital Skills

2 Building a Class Community Forum

Session
Contents 3 Library Search in Practice

Overview 4 Reflective Writing

5 Assessment Task 1 – Reflective

Writing

9
Self-efficacy and
Digital Skills

10
 Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief in yourself to be able to plan and perform
actions to reach a specific goal (Bandura, 1997).
Go to Week 2 of your workbook and • After completing the activity.
complete Activity 1, a self-efficacy What does self-efficacy mean to
questionnaire. you?

• Why is it important for students at

university to have good self-
efficacy?

Research has found that self-efficacy

correlates with academic performance.
Students with low self-efficacy may
struggle with and avoid study tasks,
while students with higher self-efficacy
are willing to challenge themselves with 11
Improving your self-efficacy
Look at the questions again in the self-efficacy questionnaire.
How can you strengthen your own self-efficacy?
In pairs or small groups, complete Week 2 – Activity 1 b in your workbook.

Class
feedback:
Suggestions on
strengthening
our self-efficacy

12
Digital Skills
As a blended-learning student, it is important to reflect on
your digital capabilities to support building self-efficacy.
Pair or small group discussion:
• How confident do you feel using a laptop, computer, or other device to
complete work?
• How comfortable do you feel when using a new digital tool or application for
the first time?
• What is your prior experience of using Microsoft 365 applications, for study
and/or work purposes? (The Microsoft 365 suite includes widely used apps
such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote.)
• What digital skills would you like to develop at university, and how will they
help you with your learning and future aspirations?

13
 Digital Skills
Watch a short clip about navigating iLearn and complete Activity 2 a in your
workbook.
• While watching the
video, write down
any questions you
still have about
navigating iLearn.

• It could be
something simple
that you need help
with in iLearn.

Any questions are

welcome!

14
Navigating iLearn
Lecturer demonstration - While your lecturer demonstrates how
to navigate iLearn, you will practise finding the following in iLearn:
​
• Locating your iLearn lesson and face-to-face
lesson materials Now complete the rest of
Activity 2a in your workbook.

• Locating your assessment brief​ ‘Practise navigating iLearn:

checklist

• Locating Arden Library​ Once you have completed this

checklist, if you cannot do any of the
tasks in the checklist, ask your
• Locating the Microsoft applications online lecturer for help.

• Locating your student Outlook email

15
 Book your Online Welcome
Tutorial
All students should attend a Welcome Tutorial in your first 4
weeks.

Your Welcome Tutorial will be with a Foundation Year lecturer who teaches on your
campus.
It lasts 20 minutes and is held online (using Zoom). Times are available throughout the
week.

In the tutorial, you can:

 Ask questions
 Tell us about yourself
 Discuss your action plan
 Find out more about your programme and university study

Book by scanning the QR code: you can also find the link to book on your module iLearn 16
Building a Class
Community Forum

17
Class Community Forum
Pair or small group discussion:
​
• Why is a community important and how can it support you?​

• What did you learn about discussion forums from iLearn lesson?
Refer to:
Topic 2: Your digital tools - FDY3001 | Lesson 2 | Preparing for University Success BL | Rise 360 (
articulate.com)
​

• What is discussion forum etiquette?

Refer to:
Topic 2: Your digital tools - FDY3001 | Lesson 2 | Preparing for University Success BL | Rise 360 (
articulate.com)
​

• How can a class discussion forum help with your learning? 18

Creating our own group community forum
Live demonstration: How to find your own student group’s
discussion forum in iLearn. Discuss in pairs/small
groups:​

1) Discussion forum etiquette​?

2) How should it be used

weekly? What are its benefits​?

3) Responding to an activity?​

4) Designating a class
community coordinator​

5) Now, have a go at
responding to an activity set
by your lecturer in the
discussion forum and engaging
with other members in the 19
forum.
Library Search in
Practice

20
 You can scan the QR code on your
phone to access your iLearn – Lesson
2 – Topic 2.
Library Search in Practice

Pair or small group discussion:

​​
• What did you learn about Arden Library from your iLearn lesson?
Refer to:
Topic 2: Your digital tools - FDY3001 | Lesson 2 | Preparing for University Success BL | Rise 360 (articulat
e.com)
​
• What type of source materials can you find in the library?
Refer to:
Topic 2: Your digital tools - FDY3001 | Lesson 2 | Preparing for University Success BL | Rise 360 (articulat
e.com)
​

• Which search pages can you use in the Arden Library?

Refer to:
Topic 2: Your digital tools - FDY3001 | Lesson 2 | Preparing for University Success BL | Rise 360 (articulat
e.com) 21
Live demonstration: Using the Arden Library
While your lecturer demonstrates how to use the Arden
Library, take notes on the following questions.

• Where can I access the university ​https://library.arden.ac.uk/

library?

Academic journals, books, Government documents,

•What kinds of sources can I access?​ newspapers, reports

A source or publication type e.g. academic journal or

•Which basic filters should I select when book / date range / peer-reviewed?
trying to find a source?
Does anyone want to share their steps to navigate
• How do I navigate the university library? the Arden University Library?

22
Searching for sources
In pairs or small groups, decide which of pages in iLearn you would click on if
you:
• Want to locate a journal?

​
Subject Academic
• Want to book an online academic skills
Guides Skills
workshop? (Please feel free to book a
workshop).
English
A-Z of
​ Language
Databases Hub
• Want to search for a book?

­​
• Want to search for sources related to a Browse Recordings
Journals
topic you are researching?

23
Using BrowZine to search for journal articles

BrowZine is Arden's academic journal platform where you

can browse and read thousands of academic journals.
• Journal articles typically report the
results of research and are the gold Practise using BrowZine:

standard of academic sources!

• Type your subject into the field
• As you will have noticed, the library and see what journal titles come
up (or click on ‘Browse Subjects’.​
portal gives you access to journal ​
articles related to your keywords. • Select one and browse some of
the editions. Note the kinds of
• But if you want to browse a whole topics the journal articles
explore.
journal, you can find them in BrowZine.
24
Using BrowZine to search for journal articles

Live demonstration of using BrowZine:

25
Library Search in Practice (Task B of your
assessment)
Now that you have explored the Arden Library:

Search for two relevant sources in the Arden Library for the
research question below, which can be found in Task B of your
assignment brief.

​
What factors motivate cyberbullying on social media
platforms?​
​
26
Reflection – in your notes, answer the questions
below.

• What steps should you take to find a source in the library​?

• The importance of working as a class community?

• What would you like to learn more about from today’s

session so far regarding searching the Arden Library?
Set yourself a short-term goal for this.
For example:
“I need more help on how to use the filters in the Arden Library when
searching, so I will sign up for an academic skills workshop called
Advanced Library Searching.” 27
Take a break
20 minutes

28
Reflective Writing

29
Reflective writing

Discuss in pairs or small groups:

•What is reflective writing?​

• How do you think being reflective helps with your learning?​

• What features do you think are used in reflective writing?

30
Reflective writing
Think about today’s session so far and discuss with your
peers:
What happened?

Complete the
What would you
What were you
“Practising
do next time?
What goal would thinking and
you set for feeling? Reflective Writing
yourself?
(Gibbs, 1998)”
worksheet with your

What was good and

reflections about
What can you
summarise? What bad about the
else could you experience? today’s lesson.
have done?

What else can you

make of the
situation? 31
Features of reflective writing
Read the reflective writing example. In pairs or small
groups:​
Think about
Features the features
of reflective writing:below. Reflective writing example:
• Vocabulary used?​ (Scan the QR code to access article)

• Structure?​

• Tone? Formal/Informal?​

• Narrative perspective?
(First/third/second person)​

• Is it a subjective piece of writing

Practice makes perfect: The power of music and academic stud
y. | Arden Library
(personal opinion) or objective
32
(facts)?
Features of reflective writing
Having read a piece of reflective writing and explored journal articles this
lesson, what differences can you see between reflective writing and
academic writing?

Complete the activity

Writing style below. Structure?
Vocabulary Tone? Narrative Subjective
used? perspective or
? objective?
general First person
Reflective simple informal narrative
Subjective
paragraphs
Writing

essay-style Third person

Academic complex format formal narrative
Objective
writing
essay-style Subjective
First, second
complex format or formal or (opinions) or
Hints: general
or third
or simple? informal? person?
objective
33
paragraphs? (facts)?
Assessment Task 1:
Reflective Writing

34
Assessment Task 1: Reflective Writing
Refer to Task A of your assignment brief.

Create a plan or mind map

about each bullet point in
Task A.

This will help you structure

your reflective writing.

35
 Create your Mind Map: Task A – Reflective Writing

Here is an example
with some ideas to get
started on your own
mind map for your
assignment – Task A.

36
My Assessment and iLearn – Week 2
Return to your booklet and complete pages 34 and
35.
This will help you review your assessment.

37
Plenary

In pairs or small groups, answer the following

questions:

• Advise a student on how to search in the Arden Library.

• What are some features of reflective writing?

• A question you have about the PfUS assignment.

38
Online (Zoom) Welcome Tutorials (Weeks 1 – 4)
All new students need to have a Welcome Tutorial
QR CODE
with a Foundation Year academic from your campus – you need to fit one in
at some point in your first 4 weeks.
• Tell us about yourself
• Get help with IT
• Get answers to any questions about university
Welcome Tutorial
Click here to book a Welcome Tutorial or scan the QR code

Module Tutorials (Available all semester)

An online (Zoom) 20-minute tutorial with a Foundation Year academic at a
time to suit you.

• Have a quick question about your module(s)?

• Get feedback on your draft coursework

Click here to book a Module Tutorial or scan the QR code.

Module Tutorial
Semester 1 modules
PfUS: My Research and Digital Skills
• These are additional sessions every Friday at 2pm for this module

• The sessions will be for one hour and are held online via Zoom.

• If you need more help understanding this module, research skills, digital skills, or the
assessment, please come to the session.

• The session is run by the module leader and module curriculum support, who will be
happy to help you!

• You can find the Zoom link in your iLearn on the PfUS module page.
Select the tab: ‘My Research and Digital Skills’ or just join the link below!

Zoom link:
https://arden-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/94862354168?pwd=XEPje154VNEiYq9QC5qBP8eAQbrk4U
.1 40
Flipped Learning
We use a ‘flipped learning’ approach on the Foundation Year.​
This means that you should independently study the iLearn activities before you come to
class. ​
Class time will involve you participating in activities that will draw on the ideas you have read
about on iLearn.​
Don’t worry – you won’t be lost if you haven’t done the reading, but it will accelerate
everyone’s learning if you have some understanding of the key concepts when you get to
class.​
So, this week, study lesson 1 (if you haven’t already) and study lesson 2 in preparation for
next week’s lesson.​
Bonus independent learning activity: there is a lot of background info about ‘how assessment
works at uni’ in lesson 10 on your iLearn (My Learning). Read a little every week as part of
your independent learning.​
​

41
Independent study and research for this week

Begin your
Pass First
Time learning
by completing
Complete your Preparing the micro-
for University Success,
iLearn - Lesson 2 for this credential
week. course

You must also review next

week’s iLearn - Lesson 3
before we meet again. Topic: Pass First Time Ov
erview | Pass First Time F
oundation Year | iLearn H
ome (rdi.co.uk)

42
 What is Arden
University Students'
Association?

We are Arden University Students’ Association, which was established in

response to your feedback, as students, to have greater representation at
Arden.

We represent all Arden University students studying across distance and

blended learning, with the purpose to advocate and champion your best
interests, no matter what or where you study.

We work with Arden University staff to ensure you get the right support,
guidance, and best opportunities to thrive during your studies at Arden
University.

If you would like to learn more:

Check out our website www.ardenstudents.org

Or email us at studentvoice@ardenuniversity.ac.uk
 What is the Student
Representative Network?

The Student Representative Network is a team of incredible student volunteers

who represent you on your programme, among other ways, to make sure your
student experience is the best possible. They work closely with the Students’
Association team and our full-time Students’ Association President, Dace
Rozina.

Being a Student Representative is a voluntary position. You are responsible for

gathering feedback on all aspects of the student experience and sharing it
across the university community, including academics and staff members, to
support positive change at Arden University.

If you are interested in applying to become a Student Representative or would

like to know more, please contact the Students’ Association team at
studentvoice@ardenuniversity.ac.uk for more information.

This is a unique experience to develop professional skills in supporting your

future career, as well as make active change on the lives of other students at
Arden University.
 What is Unitu?

Unitu is a student forum platform where you can post any questions, ideas,
issues, or praise about your student experience. This can be anything from
where to find the right information, to new big ideas on developing something
special at Arden University.

It is a space designed for you, and other students like you, to discuss and share
feedback with staff, and to get the right responses from the right people.

We are excited to hear your ideas so we can create change together and make
your Arden experience the best it can be, no matter what, where, or how you
study.

You can access Unitu through the Student Hub or iLearn.

 What other help is available for me?
Book a 1:1 online tutorial with support services
1. On-site/online Academic skill tutor appointments and workshops at
https://library.arden.ac.uk/academic-skills

2. English Language Hub

https://library.arden.ac.uk/english-language-hub

3. Want to know where to find key texts?

https://library.arden.ac.uk/institute-foundation-studies

4. Opportunities to submit a draft of your assignment for feedback – week 5

5. Other help: student support, student finance, well-being team, student success coach, career
team, IT support and many more

46
Thank you

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