Moving Up

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Moving Up

• Academic Skills in Higher Education
• Presented by Allene Tuck

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Study at HE level

• Whats different?
• What are the issues for dyslexic students?
• What are the strategies?
• What can tutors do to help?

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Whats different about HE?

• Higher level
• more analysis
• manipulation of sources
• more reflection
• own input
• More of it
• too much information
• too little time

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Independent study

• Organisational skills
• prioritise
• selective
• motivate yourself
• Knowing what is required
• less guidance
• need but cant get overview of course structure
• lack of examples
• uncertainty (no right answer)

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Typical Features of Dependent Learners

• You predominantly respond to the pressures of the
  system through deadlines, penalties marks.
• The content and resources you utilise are
  determined by your tutors.
• You follow your tutors instructions to letter
  and dont go much beyond it. You find it
  sufficient.
• You find little opportunity in your studies to go
  beyond tutors instructions, and you may not be
  encouraged to do it either.

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Typical Features of Independent Learners

• You respond to the external pressures, but you
  are also seeking personal satisfaction and what
  to learn as much as you can.
• Although your tutors have given guidance on
  resources you need, you happily seek out your own
  resources.
• You are keen to develop personal strategies for
  learning.
• You are keen to reflect on what and how you
  learn.

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Stress factors

• Confidence levels
• dyslexia self image
• Awareness levels
• - skills required v current abilities
• Unexpected course elements
• - (theory in practical courses)
• Organisational demands (again!)
• study v life

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Dyslexic issues

• impact of core deficits
• - memory, literacy
• trade offs
• - new old skills
• - time v accuracy

• I dont know how to
• improve my work
• find a critical pathway

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Case study A

• Nursing student, mature, seconded
• - very talkative
• - low confidence in formal writing
• Problems
• structure whole essay, paragraph, sentence
• lots of errors
• key points buried
• cant see how writing appears to reader
• grappling to combine parts of writing process

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Strategies A

• break down writing task structure levels
• language construction
• - signposts/transitional phrases
• annotated essays
• - language functions
• use oral skills but channel
• general ? specific
• - pyramid charts

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Case study B

• Art student with writers block
• huge discrepancy visual/writing ability
• minimal reading writing lacks references
• organisation difficult doesnt use VLE, respond
  to emails, read handouts
• - result failed assignment, missed info

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Stategies B

• know and use your learning style
• course/unit overview
• identify key contexts/language
• pre-empt crises

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How tutors can help

• Assignments
• - clear guidelines with examples
• - detailed, positive feedback
• Lectures
• - visual aids
• - notes in advance
• Reading
• - prioritised reading lists
• Practical work
• - clear handouts, instructions repeated

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Further information

• Useful websites
• www.soton.ac.uk/studentsupport/ldc/
• British Dyslexia Association
• http//www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
• Dyslexia Action (formerly the Dyslexia Institute)
• http//www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/
• AchieveAbility Widening access to HE for
  students with specific learning difficulties
• http//www.achieveability.org.uk/extra710.html