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You can make an appointment to come to the EDU Learning Assistance Centre for an individual one-hour consultation with a learning consultant. This service is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in the Australian School of Business and other Faculties who are seeking assistance related to a Commerce/Economics course. For courses conducted by other Faculties, students can seek individual assistance for assignments from the UNSW Learning Centre.
The consultations are free and are provided in a friendly and supportive environment. We also encourage small group consultations so if your classmates share similar concerns with the same assignment, make a time to come and discuss this as a group.
To request a consultation with the EDU you can contact us directly by phone on 93855584 or in person at Room G07, Ground Floor, Australian School of Business Building. Please note that the EDU provides a limited individual consultation service and not all requests for consultations can be met. Preference will be given to those who are assessed to be in the greatest need of assistance.
How we can help
You can consult the EDU Learning Assistance Centre for advice on areas related to your study. We want to help you to settle in and adapt to the demands of study at UNSW and in the Australian School of Business, and make sure you are on the right track.
Business courses are designed to develop professional business research and communication skills as well as academic skills. This means that some of the projects and assignment types e.g. marketing plans, reports, case studies, and research methods may be unfamiliar to students, especially those with no professional experience. Lecturers and tutors will provide guidance in these tasks and support your development of these skills. Students may be referred to the EDU by their lecturer or another staff member. However, most students come to a consultation because they have identified areas of learning and skills they want to improve.
We can help with:
• Study skills
You may wish to discuss time management, effective reading strategies, research skills, note-taking and revision techniques, exam preparation and technique, oral presentation skills or group work strategies.
• Teaching and learning approaches and expectations
You may also wish to discuss general academic issues such as the teaching and learning approaches in Business, and the lecturers' expectations of students. This might apply especially if you are beginning university study, or returning to study after some time, or if your previous study was in another field, or if your previous education was in another country.
• Writing and communications skills
You may wish to improve your writing and communication skills in general, or to discuss a specific assignment or assessment task. We offer general advice on:
- the expected structure and style of assignments including professional business genres such as reports and case studies
- strategies for assignment writing e.g. analysing the question, planning, researching, structuring, drafting and editing
- critical analysis in your writing
- reading and research
- referencing techniques
- expression, grammar and punctuation
- written exams
- oral presentations
• A consultation to discuss a specific assignment
You can consult us at any stage of preparation of a specific assignment. We will work with you to help clarify your ideas, your research methods, and your planning and organisation of ideas. We can also read and discuss a draft (or part of a draft) of your assignment during the consultation to help you identify its strengths and weaknesses, and to assess how well you are answering the question and fulfilling the requirements of the assignment. We can help you to develop strategies for editing and refining your work and will comment on your expression and style.
Aspects of assignments which students often ask us to comment on are:
- Appropriate structure and style
- Clear flow of ideas and coherent argument
- Evidence of critical thinking
- Clear and grammatically correct expression
- Appropriate use of reading and research and referencing techniques
Note that the aim of these consultations is to help you to develop the understanding and strategies to improve your own study techniques and written and oral communication skills.
• English language skills
Students whose first language is not English can seek help to improve their English expression. We will normally do this in the context of a particular assignment or assessment task. We may also suggest programs for individual study. We can also give you information on where to obtain more intensive English language instruction.
Consultations for group assignments
ALL group members should attend as the consultation is to help you to improve your knowledge and skills for group work. We will read and comment ONLY on those parts of the assignment, which were written by students who are at the consultation.
Consultations for presentations
You may consult with us about your individual or group presentations. The consultation time may be used to rehearse and receive feedback on your presentation. Audiovisuals may also be discussed if provided with the presentation.
Services we do not offer in a consultation
We do NOT:
• proofread, edit or "correct" your essays for you
We aim to help you to improve your communication and editing skills not correct your work for you. During the consultation we will point out errors and help you to correct them yourself, but we will not proofread your draft.
• help with the specialised subject content of assignments
We are not subject specialists. We can comment on how well you seem to address the question and achieve the aims of the task but we cannot comment on whether or not the content is "correct".
• provide subject coaching
Consult your lecturers and tutors in their consultation times for assistance with the course content. Find out what extra assistance is offered in your School, for example, the Pitstop drop-in tutorial in the School of Economics and the PASS groups in the compulsory first year undergraduate courses.
• check resumes, job application letters or exchange/scholarship applications
The UNSW Careers and Employment Unit, Level 2, East Wing, Quadrangle Building, offers individual assistance and workshops on writing resumes and cover letters, and on various aspects of the job interview and selection process.
However, if you are still worried about your courses, or are not sure who can help you, come and discuss this with us.
Preparing for a consultation
We will probably not be able to read all your assignment or discuss all your concerns in one consultation, so you need to make the most of the time.
Before you come
Prioritise: What do you want to discuss in the time available? Think carefully about your reason for coming so that you can ask the learning consultant to focus on those reasons. If you wish to discuss your assignment, decide on which aspects: e.g. Are you concerned about the structure? Or the referencing? Are you concerned that you have not answered the question sufficiently? Are there particular paragraphs, which you think may not be clearly expressed? Are there particular questions about grammar you would like to ask?
Remember that we will probably not be able to read and discuss every page of the assignment in the consultation.
Note: If you are bringing the draft of an assignment, read it through carefully and correct as many spelling/ punctuation and/or grammar mistakes as you can before you show it to us. Perhaps use a spell check program or show the draft to a friend.
If you can't come to your appointment:
Please contact us to cancel your appointment so that we can re-allocate that time to another student. Try to give us 24 hours' notice. You may not be offered future consultations, if you do not come for your appointment OR do not cancel it.
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