Academic Skills (ACAD) 125 Comprehensive Study Skills

Academic Skills (ACAD) 125 Comprehensive Study Skills

Academic Skills (ACAD) 125 Comprehensive Study Skills

Online course syllabus

The goal of this course is to enable the participant to be a successful and efficient student. This goal will be met as the student applies what has been learned to academic subjects. The skills and techniques taught in the course cover such areas as time management, memory, notetaking, textbook study, and test-taking. In addition to study skills, the student will review some basic reading strategies although this is not the main purpose of the course.

Instructor / Email address / Office Location / Phone
Melanie Marine / / Reading Study Center
Nursing Education 201B / 424-1031*

* This is the department phone, which does have an answering machine.

Course Organization:

Assignments / The course is normally organized into six weeks of work (plus a final exam) with objectives for each week. But because its summer, we must condense it to 4 weeks. So, there will be two units due each week and then one week to write your final exam. (Each Unit contains 3 topic or modules of work.) The objectives for each week are listed under the agenda for each section. Activities enabling you to meet these objectives are included in each week. Please check the due dates sheet to see when discussions and modules are due. To complete a module, please carefully read the directions on each page in D2L. When reading in the textbook is required, exact page numbers are listed. Please read first, before working on any assignments. Progress through the modules in the order they are given. Full completion of each unit is worth 10 points toward your final grade
Discussions / Each module contains a discussion question for you to answer. Additionally, you will need to respond to at least two of your classmates’ answers. This is an excellent opportunity for you to discuss with your peers ideas that work for them! Please check the due dates section to see when each discussion must be completed by. Completion of each unit discussion assignment is worth 5 points toward your final grade. The discussions will be graded using the following rubric:
Points / Criteria
5 / clear and logical statements; explanation and/or examples provided to support ideas; shows insight; few grammatical or stylistic errors, if any
4 / clear statements with appropriate explanations or examples; some grammatical or stylistic errors
3 / clear statements with limited explanation or examples; several grammatical or stylistic errors
2 / some unclear statements or incorrect explanations or examples; obvious grammatical or stylistic errors which interfere with content
1 / confusing, lacks explanation of reasoning; obvious grammatical or stylistic errors which make understanding impossible.
0 / not submitted on time or unreadable
Final Exam / The final exam will be in essay format. You will be given 5 essay questions and need to respond to 3 of them. The essay questions will be worth 10 points each, for a total of 30 points and are due no later than 3:30pm on Thursday, July 10. Guidance regarding the essay will be given in the content area on the D2L site.
Grading / 120 total points, divided as follows:
Assignments / (6x10) = 60 points
Discussions / (6x5) = 30 points
Final Exam / 30 points

Final Course Grade will be determined as follows:

A / 93%-100%
A- / 90%-92%
B+ / 87%-89%
B / 83%-86%
B- / 80%-82%
C+ / 77%-79%
C / 73%-76%
C- / 70%-72%
D+ / 67%-69%
D / 63%-66%
D- / 60%-62%
F / Below 60%

Course Outline/due dates:

Unit / Due Dates / Modules (Topic)
Unit 1 / June 15-17
Answer discussion question by June 15. Respond to two classmates' answers by June 16.
All 3 modules complete by June 17. / Goal Setting
Time Management
Procrastination
Unit 2 / June 18-20
Answer discussion question by June 18. Respond to two classmates' answers by June 19.
All 3 modules complete by June 20. / Learning Principles
Learning Styles
Learning and Memory
Unit 3 / June 22-24
Answer discussion question by June 22. Respond to two classmates' answers by June 23.
All 3 modules complete by June 24. / Preparing for a Lecture
Cornell System
Using Notes to Study
Unit 4 / June 25-27
Answer discussion question by June 25. Respond to two classmates' answers by June 26.
All 3 modules complete by June 27. / Textbook Reading
Textbook Marking
Taking Notes from a Text
Unit 5 / June 29 – July 1
Answer discussion question by June 29. Respond to two classmates' answers by June 30.
All 3 modules complete by July 1. / Preparing for Exams
Study Sheets
Concept Maps
Unit 6 / July 2-4
Answer discussion question by July 2. Respond to two classmates' answers by July 3.
All 3 modules complete by July 4. / Test-Taking Strategies, including Multiple Choice and Essay Exams
Week 7 / Due Thurs. July 9 / Final Exam