Learning Hub

Searching

• Searching: an introduction:
  • Learn how to search more effectively by finding key terms for your topic and combining them correctly.
• Structured searching for health students (using CINAHL and other databases):
  • Aimed at health students who need to carry out a structured search. It covers planning the search, using a framework such as PICO/PIO/PEO and searching using boolean operators and advanced techniques.
• Structured searching using PIO (for Social Sciences, Humanities and Law students):
  • May be of particular use to students on Early Years, Early Childhood Studies and Education courses who are undertaking a secondary research dissertation or research proposal.
• Keeping up to date:
  • Save yourself time and effort by learning how to set up alerts and RSS feeds from  online databases and journals.  

Critical Analysis

• Facts matter:
  • Learn how to become a more discerning reader and viewer of news media.
• Critical thinking:
  • Critical thinking is an essential skill at University as it helps you to analyse and assess information. Resources on this guide introduce the key aspects of critical thinking.
• Critical appraisal for health students:
  • Aimed at health students who are required to undertake critical appraisal of research. It provides basic level support for appraising qualitative and quantitative research papers. It's designed for students who have already attended lectures on critical appraisal.
• Quantitative data collection and analysis (including SPSS):
  • Quantitative research is concerned with gathering and interpreting numerical data. This data can be ranked (ordered), measured or categorised through statistical analysis.
• Installing SPSS:
  • ITDS instructions on how to download the latest version of SPSS for PC/MAC including the License code please follow the Self Support links at the bottom of this page.

Maths, Science and Engineering

• HELM:
  • Helping Engineers Learn Mathematics
• Khan Academy:
  • Practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalised learning dashboard for maths, science, computer programming and more.
• Drug Calculations:
  • Maths resources to help nurses facilitate the safe and accurate administration of medicines.

Writing

• Academic writing:
  • This resource provides an introduction to academic writing and is aimed at students who may be unfamiliar the basics.
• Report writing:
  • Learn about the basics of report writing: the purpose; the structure; and the writing style.
• Critical writing:
  • Following on from the Critical Thinking and Academic Writing support, this guide aims to help you take a more critical approach to your writing.
• Reflective writing:
  • Look at what reflection is, why it is valuable and how to integrate academic research into your reflective writing.
• Writing a business plan:
  • Basic introduction to business plans: looking at the purpose, audience and structure.
• Writing abstracts:
  • Discover the purpose of an abstract, what an abstract should include, good practice and making an impact.
• Structuring your assignment:
  • Understand how to plan and structure your assignments effectively.
• Proofreading:
  • This online tutorial will give you practice in different proofreading techniques that could help you gain higher marks.
• Using feedback effectively:
  • Assessment feedback is provided by your tutors to explain the mark given. Look at how to use different types of formative and summative feedback successfully.
• Academic writing support from Royal Literary Fellow:
  • This online guide covers writing essays and dissertations. The Alex Essay writing tool is a step-by-step guide to writing an essay.
  • Tutorials are also available with Royal Literary Fellows, who are independent of the university - see Royal Literary Fellows Facebook
• The School of Health and Life Sciences have produced Student Guidance for the Presentation of Assessed Written Work which students from this School may find useful. Students from other Schools can check Blackboard or their School intranet for guidance.

Presentations

• Presentation skills:
  • Tips and resources to help you prepare, plan and deliver an excellent presentation on your own or as a group. 
• Poster presentations:
  • This introductory guide gives key principles of academic poster design, covering content, layout and presentation. There are also some suggestions to help reduce anxiety.
• Creative thinking 
  • Based on practical ideas and theories, find out how to develop your creative thinking skills to support problem solving and innovative ways to approach a task.
• Digital Creation and Collaboration
  • Look at how to use Infographics and Sway to produce effective presentations.

Exams

• Exams and how to survive them:
  • This guide will cover: developing ideas for effective revision; preparing for an exam; creating an exam strategy; and dealing with stress.
• Succeed@exams:
  • Top tips to help succeed with exams include: managing stress; looking after yourself; preparation; the day of the exam; and getting help.
• Getting exam fit:

  • Everyone deals with pressure differently, but we're here to help. Check out this list of simple things you can do to help stay healthy and well during your time at university - and beyond.

Before you submit your assignment

• Check your Referencing:
  • You need to learn how to reference accurately in order to acknowledge your sources and to demonstrate that your writing is based on evidence. 
• Use Check Your Work for Plagiarism before submitting an assignment:
  • Students can use this to check the originality of their assignment before submitting the final version.
  • To access it, click on 'Organisations' in the left hand menu of the Blackboard Ultra home screen. 
  • The checker provides students with a similarity report. A high score indicates a high level of detected plagiarism, and a low score a low level of detected plagiarism.
  • There is more in-depth guidance on the ‘Check You Work for Plagiarism’ page.
  • You can only add one piece of work at a time, if you need to keep your Similarity Report please download or print it before uploading another document.
  • Uploading a document to Check Your Work for Plagiarism will not cause a match when you upload the same document for a real assignment

Succeed@Tees is a series of informal workshops:

• There is an online guide for each workshop
• Some workshops are recorded so you can watch them at your convenience

There are bookable 1:1 tutorials available to help with a range of skills:

• Academic writing and study skills support   
• Support with finding information for your assignments
• Referencing support
• Researcher support (Academic Staff, Doctorate / PhD Students)  
• English Language Support for international students

PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions):

• Students are trained to mentor and guide students in lower years to support their learning through study sessions. 
• As you progress through your studies you might also be interested in becoming a mentor.

It is never to early to think about careers & employment:

Many graduate job opportunities are competitive, so it's best to take steps to plan your career early on in your studies.