LearnHigher

LearnHigher is a collaborative network which aims to promote and disseminate research into the effectiveness of resources and interventions to develop student learning, and to use that research to inform the development of peer-evaluated resources. The network was founded by members from 16 universities, and funded from 2005-2010 as part of the CETL initiative (Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning). Following the end of CETL funding in July 2010, LearnHigher has become affiliated with the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE). 

LearnHigher has developed a range of resources and information on key practices for study at university, for use directly by students, or to support and inform tutors. All of the resources and research developed are freely available for consultation, use or adaptation via the LearnHigher website.

At the University of Reading, LearnHigher research has been carried out by members of the University Study Advice team. Although our research covers all aspects of learning development interventions, we have a specific focus on two learning areas: Report Writing and Time Management.  

• Research
• Resources

Research

Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups conducted with students, academic and support staff at the University of Reading have produced a body of data on the issues faced by students at university in the areas of time management and report writing. In particular, we have been interested in:

For report writing -

• What are the core features of reports?
• What are the similarities and differences between reports in different disciplines?
• Is it effective to teach report writing as an academic writing genre?

For time management -

• What are the best ways to deliver advice on effective time management?
• Which strategies are effective with particular issues such as procrastination, or dealing with distractions?
• How do needs differ amongst different student communities? (e.g. mature students, foundation students, postgraduates, part-time students etc)

Some examples of the papers and posters we have produced during the course of our research:

Report writing research papers and posters -

• Academics' needs in supporting student report writing
• Reports as informative writing

Time management research papers and posters -

• Using practice-led enquiry to develop resources for time management
• Student procrastination - effective interventions

 

Research overview

As a collaborative network of 16 partner universities LearnHigher was the largest, and one of the most productive of the CETL initiatives, generating a wealth of insights into student practices from a diverse range of student communities. Telling a coherent story from this data is a challenging task,  undertaken by Kim Shahabudin from the Study Advice team at Reading.

A report on this project is available in electronic form via the LearnHigher website and via the link here. Titled Investigating effective resources to enhance student learning the report describes common concerns and issues in learning development. These were drawn from a collation of the findings of LearnHigher research into student academic practices and the development of resources that aim to enhance them.

back to top

Resources

As a result of our research, we produced a number of peer-evaluated resources to support students and teaching staff in developing effective practices in report writing and time management. Many of these can be found on the Time Management and Report Writing sections of the LearnHigher website, including our award-winning multimedia workshop resources for tutors on report writing and time management.

Another innovative project has seen the development of folding Year Planners. These have been taken up enthusiastically by students at Reading, and by a number of other higher education institutions in the UK, and even internationally. More information on folding Year Planners.

LearnHigher research has also informed our work at Reading supporting student learning development at the University, including:

• New series of A5 Study Guides, including essay writing, literature reviews, dissertations, presentations, referencing and exam preparation as well as report writing and time management
• Completely revised Study Advice website
• New workshops on key study skills 

We have also created a series of adaptable teaching resources for staff to use in embedded training on time management and report writing. These resources can be used to run whole workshop sessions, or individual icebreakers and activities can be integrated into seminars and lectures, using subject specific examples. The workshops and activities come with Powerpoint slides and teaching notes: 

Time Management adaptable teaching resources:

Workshops

• Planning your time and getting organised: workshop slides, teaching notes
• Making more hours in the day: workshop slides, teaching notes 
• Get started & keep going: How to overcome procrastination: workshop slides, teaching notes
• Time management for exams:workshop slides, teaching notes

 Icebreakers

• What can help you to manage your time?
• The dog ate my homework
• What stops you from studying?
• What kind of reviser are you?

 Activities

• Getting yourself informed: What do you need to know?
• Breaking bad habits: What do you need to change?
• Dealing with distractions
• Making quick plans for exam answers

 back to top

Report Writing adaptable teaching resources:

 Workshops

• Planning and structuring your report: workshop slides, teaching notes
• Focussing on sections of a report: workshop slides, teaching notes
• Academic writing for reports: workshop slides, teaching notes
• Using graphical data: workshop slides, teaching notes

 Icebreakers

• Who writes reports?
• Thinking about your audience
• What do you want from this report writing workshop?

Activities

• Analysing sections of a report
• Summarising information
• What's wrong with this picture? Assessing graphical data

back to top