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Survival Guides offer brief introductions to a range of approaches to, and aspects of, university study and learning - and are specifically written for UWA students. Have a look to see which survival guides suit your needs! ReviewMarshall, Lorraine and Frances Rowland (2006) A Guide to Learning Independently. Fourth Edition. Sydney: Pearson Longman. Taking control of your own learning is vital for succeeding at university. This is a task that requires careful consideration of how you learn and why you are learning, as well as developing techniques for enhancing and applying your learning. Marshall and Rowland begin by asking their readers to explore how their context – their past experiences and their goals for the future – informs their understandings of university teaching and learning. They emphasise critical engagement, characterised by asking questions and evaluating the relevance of information, as a key to independent learning. The most common way you will demonstrate your learning is through assessments. Marshall and Rowland break down the stages to completing assessments: identifying what the assessment is asking you to do, unpacking the topic, thinking about and deciding on avenues of approach, researching – and keeping track of that research. In the next section, Marshall and Rowland look at finding and managing information. They categorise different information sources - readings, lectures, tutorials as well as libraries – and show how these difference sources require different approaches. For example, when reading, it is helpful to identify the purpose for doing that reading: are you looking for an overview, specific information, themes or to critique the reading? These chapters also cover preparation and review for these information sources, offering a range of approaches to note-taking to suit individual learning styles. The final section covers communicating and applying information across university contexts: oral communication in discussion groups and written communication in forms such as essays and scientific reports. They address the process of writing, techniques for improving your writing, and the conventions of university writing. By breaking down the process of writing essays and reports, they offer tips for overcoming problems (or stopping problems from happening) at any stage of writing. Under the heading of conventions, they give an easy-to-follow guide to referencing. The last chapter, on learning from evaluation, is very useful. It encourages students to understand how they are evaluated and what they can learn from evaluations so they can improve in the future This book will be a useful reference for students starting study at university because of its range of topics and in-depth but accessible approach. This book is targeted at students in the early stages of their university careers: those considering tertiary study, students making the transition into the university environment, and students seeking to further develop the way they deal with the challenges of university study. It is up-to-date, with a clear understanding of how the contemporary university environment shapes teaching and learning. Marshall and Rowland offer clear suggestions on how to apply the ideas presented in the book, but – appropriately enough – there are no templates or exercises for the reader to fill out. Instead, readers are encouraged to identify the approaches that will work for them and to carry them out. Reviewed books can be borrowed
from Student Services,
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