IF0ASCJ: Introduction to Academic Skills and Communication

Module code: IF0ASCJ

Module provider: Global Academy

Credits: 20

ECTS credits: 10

Level: F

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Miss Natalie Drake, email: n.drake@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE IF0FSCJ (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE IF0ALSJ (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 25 March 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides international students with a structured introduction to the academic practices, communication conventions, and critical thinking skills required for successful progression to undergraduate study within a UK higher education context. It provides a foundation in academic writing, critical engagement with sources, and structured academic discussion (applicable across a range of disciplines).

The aims of the module are to:

• Prepare international students for the academic demands and learning practices in a UK university context across a range of disciplines
• Develop core academic skills, including academic reading and writing, critical thinking, referencing, and structured discussion
• Build confidence in articulating ideas, arguments, and responses to academic questions in both written and oral forms
• Develop strategies for time management, independent study and working in groups
• Provide the necessary linguistic foundation to qualify for an undergraduate programme.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Analyse academic sources to identify main ideas, supporting evidence, and author stance.
2. Produce a structured academic piece of writing following academic conventions.
3. Participate in an academic discussion, demonstrating clear communication, active listening, and reasoned responses.

Module content

This module will cover the core academic skills needed by Foundation students progressing to an undergraduate programme. These include introduction to UK higher education academic culture and expectations, understanding assessment criteria and marking conventions, academic integrity and ethical use of sources, critical reading, listening, and note-taking, academic writing and argumentation, academic discussion and communication skills.

This module is designed to be accessible to students who are not from a UK-based background and would like to transition to a UK Higher Education setting for undergraduate study.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Delivery of the module is face-to-face. A blended learning approach is used for teaching the module, with content elements provided online through guided screencasts, worksheets, and quizzes, while seminars and one-to-one tutorials with the teacher are conducted face to face in interactive classroom settings. Feedback and feedforward are provided through seminars and tutorials to aid in learner development. Students will also be expected to take responsibility for their own learning by setting goals and making regular use of resources including those from the University of Reading library and Blackboard (the University Virtual Learning Environment).

The schedule of this module, including start and finish dates, follows that of the January Start Foundation, which does not follow standard University Semesters. There is however significant overlap and Semesters referred to in this document are the University Semesters where most of this module teaching will take place. Information about specific key module dates will be provided by the International Foundation Programme prior to the start of the course. 

Study hours

At least 66 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

• Discussion: practice discussion
• Written assignment: Writing Essay plan
• Written assignment: main body paragraph
• Oral Written assignment: Peer review First draft

Reassessment

Additional costs