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Improving Your Marks in Academic Writing

Understanding the Question Videos

Understanding the Question - 8 mins

In this video recorded live during the Introduction to the Key Skills Workshop on the 22nd September 2020, Alex from the Skills team outlines tips and advice for ensuring that you understand the assignment question so that you can ensure that your answer in relevant and hits the marking criteria.

How can I Check that I am Answering the Question Correctly? - 8 mins

In this 8 minute video from the Understanding the Question livestream, Naomi and Alex from the Skills Team discuss ways that you can check that you are answering the question throughout your assignment.

Understanding the Question - The First Steps of the Assignment Journey Video Podcast - 21 mins

In this episode of the Assignment Journey Podcast Alex and Naomi (Senior Skills Officer), go through what the first steps are that you could take when you are given an assignment. They discuss using the assignment brief and what questions you can ask to understand the question. Their advice is backed up by voices of current University of Derby Students.

Proofreading Videos

Proofreading Methods - 3 mins

Proofreading is much more than just checking your spelling, punctuation and grammar. In this video Alex from the Skills Team what he checks when he proofreads his work.

Tips for Proofreading - 8 mins

Alex from the Skills Team outlines a number of key tips to bear in mind when proofreading.

Referencing and Proofreading: The Assignment Journey Podcast - 50 mins

In this episode Alex is joined by Naomi Bowers-Joseph to discuss Referencing and Proofreading. Naomi does workshops on referencing and wrote the workshop that Alex regularly uses in online sessions. Alex and Naomi discuss how proofreading is much more than checking spelling punctuation and grammar, and talk about using Cite Them Right. Their advice is supported with the voices of students.

Word Tools for Academic Writing - 12 mins

In this video from the Microsoft Word workshop, Alex from the Skills Team, showcases Word tools that are useful in writing and editing an assignment.

These tools include:

- Inserting a page break

- Inserting a new page

- Selecting text

- Find and replace tools

- Remove formatting button

- New Window

Mindset Videos

Self Motivation and Independent Learning - 15 mins

Alex from the Skills team outlines tips and advice for independent learning, beating procrastination and self-motivation at University.

The Mindset of a Successful Student with Eliza Patrascu Video Podcast - 36 mins

Alex interviews Eliza Patrascu about her reflections from her time at university. Eliza discusses her mindset that she held at the start of university and her mindset towards university now that she has graduated. We also discuss learning your limits, and going to the world with an open mind

From A-Level 'Failure' to University Success with Joel Boulter Video Podcast - 40 mins

In the final success as a student podcast, Alex and Joel Boulter discuss how they found success after underperforming at A Level. They also discuss how to you can get the most out of your student experience to turn A Level disappointment into university success.

Failure is an Opportunity to Grow with Dr David Robertshaw Video Podcast - 42 mins

David Robertshaw and Alexander Wood give our own examples of where we have failed in the past and how we have used these failures to shape our future successes. We will discuss how failure is part of the journey, why you should aim high and how we overcome imposter syndrome.

Boldness and Taking Opportunities with Sue Jennings Video Podcast - 55 mins

Alex and Sue Jennings (Head of the Law School) discuss how you can take opportunities and learn to be bold. Throughout the series a consistent theme of the advice given by other staff has been to take the opportunities that come your way and in this episode dedicated to the topic, we will discuss how you can evaluate the opportunities that come your way, how to find opportunities and how to be confident and bold enough to take them.

Creativity and Problem Solving with Professor Ian Turner Video Podcast - 55 mins

Professor Ian Turner discusses how you can develop a creative mindset, problem solving under pressure and advice for being successful as a student.

'Believing that you can Improve' - Growth Mindset with Dr Fiona Shelton Video Podcast - 25 mins

In this episode Alex discusses how to develop a growth mindset with Dr Fiona Shelton. A growth mindset means believing that you can develop in a certain area rather than your abilities being fixed. It is a skill that will help you develop other skills, particularly ones that you are not as strong with. We will discuss, what a growth mindset is, how you can grow through perseverance, and the relationship between growth mindset and feedback.

'Are Geniuses Born or Made?' Growth Mindset with Associate Professor Melanie Pope Video Podcast - 41 mins

In this episode Alex further discusses how you can develop your growth mindset in an insightful interview with Associate Professor Melanie Pope. In this interview we discuss topics including are geniuses born or made, how you can develop through failure, and much more. This interview builds upon the discussion that I had with Dr Fiona Shelton in Growth Mindset Part 1 but can be watched as a stand alone episode.

Beating Procrastination Video Podcast - 32 mins

Alex, Naomi and Diana from the University of Derby Skills team discuss how you can beat procrastination, sharing their methods, tips and tricks.

Finding Your Passion and Purpose with Anisha Johal Video Podcast

In this episode, Alex interviews recent first class graduate Anisha Johal about her experiences as a student. Anisha got involved throughout her time at university to develop her skills and find her passions.

Finding Your Feet at University with Katie Harrod Video Podcast - 42 mins

Recent foundation year Law student Katie Harrod and host Alexander Wood discuss their experiences in finding their feet at the start of university. We discuss our reflections from our first year, how you can settle in and make friends, and how you aren't alone if you are feeling overwhelmed in your first few weeks.