Learning Lab

Good afternoon, my name is Christine Tran and this year, I will be completing my Honours in Economics and Finance. I'm here this afternoon to provide you with a student's perspective of the Learning Lab website. (personalised opening)

After viewing the site, I feel that it will be of great benefit to not only students, but also to lecturers and other university staff. The website is user friendly as it is easy to navigate, providing answers to questions that I imagine lecturers and university librarians must be faced with on a regular basis. This is a resource that lecturers, librarians and student mentoring groups such as SLAMS can refer students to. (Introduces topic)

The website consists of six links: There's the study skills link which includes note-taking skills, referencing and time management. Writing skills, which includes tips on how to summarise and paraphrase. There is also the assessment task section which includes tips on how to go about completing assessment tasks. Maths essentials-which provides some revision of basic mathematical concepts that may have been forgotten since leaving high school. There is also a link outlining different types of on-campus student services; and also a place to submit any queries online.(visual aids-points to screen)

Since* I am undertaking my Honours year, research is a major component of my program, so it's great to have a site that offers online tutorials on how to reference and footnote different resources, literally at my fingertips. I know that many students are still confused about how to reference and which style of referencing RMIT accepts. This site goes through all these skills step by step in an easy manner.(linking*/uses cue cards) (eye contact, personalises)

In the assessment tasks section* of the site, it shows students how to complete assessment tasks such as essays, reports and literature reviews. There are some students that wouldn't even know how to begin to complete these tasks. Particularly for international students, where English is their second language, this may prove to be especially difficult. The Learning Lab website goes through the definition of the assessment task and walks the student through exactly what is expected of them and how to go about completing it.(linking words*) (speaks to a specific group)

One of the most useful skills* taught on the site is how to go about revising and preparing for exams. I know for a fact that many students perceive exams as a big memory test-cramming everything in the week before the exam. However, this site teaches students how to go about practising good study skills, so that they learn to study on a regular basis, which makes the process of preparing for the end-of-semester exam a whole lot easier.(linking words*) (uses cards, personalises)

What I like about this website* is how it sets out basic fundamentals that every student should know, but may be too embarassed to ask. Sometimes when students reach university level, they don't feel that they should be asking because it's already expected of them to know all this. However, by publicising the site to students, they will always have a site to go to if they are unsure of anything.(linking words*/smiles/personalises)

Furthermore*, since all of this is readily available online, students do not need to bother lecturers with these sorts of queries, leaving them more time to assist students with queries relating to materials being taught. (linking words*) (use of voice techniques) With the launch of the Learning Lab, I'm sure that the skills learnt will provide students with good solid learning skills that will assist them in performing to their full potential in all their courses.(use of voice techniques)