Academic Skills

The ability to succeed in study at higher education, and in many careers is increasingly dependent on the development of a variety of intellectual and transferable competencies and skills.

Your study here will offer not only knowledge and intellectual development, but also personal development. 

We start this journey here, where you are encouraged to consider your experiences and skills you have developed so far in your education and career to date.

Skills for Learning

The Skills for Learning team provide resources to support the development of academic skills via online workshops and appointments, MyBeckett modules, web resources and podcasts.

Academic skills include the use of IT, numeracy, academic literacy, problem solving, critical thinking, working with others and research skills (see the Definitions section).

There's also a range of short MyBeckett modules to help you develop your academic skills and support your university success, available here: What academic skills modules are available? You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required.

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It is essential that you are comfortable with Academic Referencing to avoid being penalised or breaching our Academic integrity regulations.

Your course information module and the guidance for each assignment will provide details of the referencing style you are expected to use. 

Support will be available on this as you work through your course.

However confident you are (or are not) with numbers, you may find it helpful to assess your skill level and work out where your strengths and weaknesses lie. If there are areas you wish to improve, you may find the following useful:

Reflective writing involves critically analysing an experience, recording how it has impacted you and what you plan to do with your new knowledge. It can help you to reflect on a deeper level, as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through.

The Skills for Learning Team provide support on Reflective writing.

The Skills for Learning website has a fantastic set of resources to support you, including Essay Writing, Referencing, and Postgraduate Study Skills. Remember: if you are ever stuck there is plenty of help available - just ask. 

We understand the importance of being able to thrive in a digital society, and want you to be equipped with the necessary digital skills.

These can include:

  • Using word processing and presentation softwares;
  • Using online communication tools and softwares; and
  • Conducting yourself online safely and securely.

To support the development of these capabilities, the Skills for Learning Team offers interactive workshops, alongside self-study resources.

Google for Education also offer a variety of free lessons on Applied Digital Skills.

Critical thinking skills are essential for your study. You will need to understand key questions from many angles and perspectives and be able to construct (and deconstruct) convincing arguments. Critical thinking is not only central to succeeding in your studies, but also essential for the effective employee who needs to make good judgements based on evidence, arguments and experience.

Take a look at the Skills for Learning Critical Thinking section.

Please note that these are broad definitions to help you understand the terms listed, and the support available through the University may vary.

Academic Integrity: the expectation that teachers, students, researchers and all members of the academic community act with: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. To maintain academic integrity, you should avoid misleading your readers about any part of your research and refrain from offences like plagiarism and contract cheating, which are examples of academic misconduct.

Referencing: Referencing is how you acknowledge the sources you have used in creating your work. It ensures you get credit for your research, while also helping to avoid plagiarism. It is closely related to finding information and academic writing, which you can learn more about on the Skills for Learning website.

IT (Information Technology): the use of any computers, storage, networking and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data. Please note that Skills for Learning only provide tutorials and guides in specific areas of IT, such as the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher; if you require IT support, please contact Student IT Support in the Library.

Numeracy: being able to understand and use numbers in a range of situations, for example when solving problems or making decisions in situations involving numbers.

Academic literacy: being proficient in reading and writing about academic subjects. Being able to discuss and analyse formal, academic and subject-specific jargon.

Digital literacy: the ability and skill to find, evaluate, utilise, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.

Problem solving: the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritising, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.

Critical thinking: being able to think for yourself, ask what's really going on around you, and understand other people's efforts to manipulate your beliefs and actions. Critical thinking skills help us make informed decisions, solve problems, cultivate curiosity, manage our time better, and become more creative.

Working with others: the ability to effectively interact, cooperate, collaborate, and manage conflicts with other people in order to complete tasks and achieve shared goals.

Research skills: the ability to search for, locate, extract, organise, evaluate and use or present information that is relevant to a particular topic. Academic research is a specific type of research; a process of detailed and methodical investigation into an area of study.

Reflective writing: critically analysing an experience, recording how it has impacted you and what you plan to do with your new knowledge. It can help you to reflect on a deeper level, as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through.