Overview
This unit is designed to help students become self-directed, active and confident learners. It introduces them to a range of theories and concepts to facilitate the development of practical skills and positive attitudes necessary for success in university. There will be opportunities for critical self-reflection on key aspects of student life, including: individual learning preferences and study habits; time management and goal-setting; individual study and career paths; note-taking and assessment strategies. Students will practise critical thinking, and apply information literacy skills to their research. They will learn to negotiate the procedures and systems used at CQUniversity, and practise communication skills in a range of contexts.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Non-award unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Coordinators and Self-reflection
Streamlining resources on Moodle
Reduce the number of optional resources and activities and create a consistent look within each tile on Moodle to make the site less busy.
Feedback from Unit Coordinators and Self-reflection
Simplifying study guide
Remove the discussion forum invitations as numbered activities in each module, and leave as Moodle activities only.
Feedback from Students
Acknowledgment of actively engaged students
Continue to provide positive reinforcement and encouragement to actively engaged students through regular email correspondence throughout the term.
- Develop strong study habits and effective learning strategies to become a confident and self-directed learner
- Apply critical thinking skills in a range of contexts, with a particular focus on critical self-reflection
- Set and manage goals for individual study and career paths
- Find and evaluate relevant, scholarly research
- Negotiate procedures and systems used at university
- Develop communication skills appropriate for higher education
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||
| 4 - Online Quiz(zes) - 10% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Self Management | ||||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||||
| 3 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 4 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 5 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 6 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 7 - Cross-Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical Practice | ||||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Textbooks
Preparation Skills for University Study Guide
Edition: 10 (2024)
Authors: School of Access Education
CQUniversity Publishing Unit
Rockhampton Rockhampton , QLD , Australia
Binding: Spiral
Additional Textbook Information
The study guide for Preparation Skills for University (SKIL40025) is available on the unit Moodle site; however, we strongly advise that you print your own copy. You will need a hard copy to complete activities and take notes. The study guide cannot be purchased from the CQUniversity Bookshop. Your Access Coordinator will provide you with advice on printing options.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
t.james@cqu.edu.au
b.c.knight@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Preparing for University
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Active Learning Strategies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Learning Styles and Personality Types
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Research Skills (Finding and Evaluating Scholarly Information)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Active Reading and Listening (Introduction to Note-taking and Paraphrasing)
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Stress Management and Resilience
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Oral Presentation Skills
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Assessment Strategies and Brain-Based Learning
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Critical Thinking
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Clever Career Planning
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
World of Work
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Unit Coordinators:
Trixie James
email: t.james@cqu.edu.au
phone: (07) 41507146
Breanna Knight
email: b.c.knight@cqu.edu.au
phone: (07) 49707628
1 Written Assessment
Learning Portfolio A is a series of reflections and activities written in response to Modules 1, 2 and 3 of your PSU Study Guide. Using the template provided on the Moodle unit site, fill in your answers to the questions provided.
Please note:
- This is not an essay but a series of answers.
- First person (use of I, my, myself, etc.) is acceptable.
- Full sentences are required (no bullet points) except when listing your goals (Module 2).
- Formal referencing is NOT required. (Please ignore the mention of Harvard Referencing in the advice below as this is an automatic feature of the Unit Profile system and not relevant to PSU.)
- No title page is necessary.
Word length: 1000 - 1400 words. The wording of the questions should not be included in your final word count.
Please find further details on the PSU Moodle site. Go to the ASSESSMENT tile and click on the Learning Portfolio A tab. This is also where you will submit your assignment.
Please ensure that you submit a Word document. (PDF files are not appropriate for this assignment.)
Week 5 Tuesday (2 Apr 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Learning Portfolio A will be returned via the unit's Moodle site two (2) weeks from the due date or submission date, whichever is later.
The task assesses your understanding of key concepts from Modules 1, 2 and 3.
- Develop strong study habits and effective learning strategies to become a confident and self-directed learner
- Apply critical thinking skills in a range of contexts, with a particular focus on critical self-reflection
- Set and manage goals for individual study and career paths
- Negotiate procedures and systems used at university
- Develop communication skills appropriate for higher education
2 Online Quiz(zes)
You will need to complete Quiz 1 on the Moodle unit site. To prepare for this, complete Modules 4 and 5 from your PSU Study Guide.
The quiz will be available from the beginning of Week 5 and will stay 'live' until the end of Week 6. Go to the ASSESSMENT tile on the Moodle unit site and click on the Quiz 1 tab.
There are 40 questions. The quiz is worth 20% of your overall mark for the term.
This is an 'open book' assessment which means that you are free to refer to any printed or online materials from the unit. If you do browse the Web (e.g. if you go the CQUniversity Library homepage), you need to open a new 'window' (screen). If you don't, there is a danger that you won't be able to get back to the quiz.
The quiz will remain open for 3 hours, but you should not need anywhere near that time. Don't panic if you do get locked out for whatever reason. Just contact your lecturer/tutor who will reset the quiz for you.
1
Week 6 Friday (19 Apr 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
The quiz is set up so that you will know your score as soon as you have finished.
This quiz assesses your understanding of key concepts from Modules 4 and 5.
- Develop strong study habits and effective learning strategies to become a confident and self-directed learner
- Find and evaluate relevant, scholarly research
- Negotiate procedures and systems used at university
3 Written Assessment
Learning Portfolio B is a series of reflections and activities written in response to Modules 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of your PSU Study Guide. Using the template provided on the Moodle unit site, fill in your answers to the questions provided.
Please note:
- This is not an essay but a series of answers.
- First person (use of I, my, myself, etc.) is acceptable.
- Full sentences are required (no bullet points).
- Formal referencing is NOT required. (Please ignore the mention of Harvard Referencing in the advice below as this is an automatic feature of the Unit Profile system and not relevant to PSU.)
- No title page is necessary.
Word length: 1600 - 2200 words. The wording of the questions should not be included in your final word count.
Please find further details on the PSU Moodle site. Go to the ASSESSMENT tile and click on the Learning Portfolio B tab. This is also where you will submit your assignment.
Please ensure that you submit a Word document. (PDF files are not appropriate for this assignment.)
Week 11 Friday (24 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Learning Portfolio B will be returned via the unit's Moodle site two (2) weeks from the due date or submission date, whichever is later.
The task assesses your understanding of key concepts from Modules 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
- Develop strong study habits and effective learning strategies to become a confident and self-directed learner
- Apply critical thinking skills in a range of contexts, with a particular focus on critical self-reflection
- Set and manage goals for individual study and career paths
- Negotiate procedures and systems used at university
- Develop communication skills appropriate for higher education
4 Online Quiz(zes)
You will need to complete Quiz 2 on the Moodle unit site. To prepare for this, complete Modules 1, 11 and 12 as per the schedule in the Unit Profile.
The quiz will be available from the beginning of Week 11 and will stay 'live' until Monday of Week 13 (Review/Exam Week). Go to the ASSESSMENT tile on the Moodle unit site and click on the Quiz 2 tab.
There are 20 questions. The quiz is worth 10% of your overall mark for the term.
This is an 'open book' assessment which means that you are free to refer to any printed or online materials from the unit. If you do browse the Web (e.g. if you go the CQUniversity homepage), you need to open a new 'window' (screen). If you don't, there is a danger that you won't be able to get back to the quiz.
The quiz will remain open for 2 hours, but you should not need anywhere near that time. Don't panic if you do get locked out for whatever reason. Just contact your lecturer/tutor who will reset the quiz for you.
1
Review/Exam Week Monday (3 June 2024) 11:45 am AEST
The quiz is set up so that you will know your score as soon as you have finished.
This quiz assesses your understanding of key concepts from Modules 1, 11 and 12.
- Develop strong study habits and effective learning strategies to become a confident and self-directed learner
- Set and manage goals for individual study and career paths
- Negotiate procedures and systems used at university
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
