Implementation and evaluation of embedded study skills support within an undergraduate degree program

Abstract

As student numbers and the diversity of the student population entering higher education are increasing worldwide, it has been observed that the number of students who possess inadequate study skills is also rising. In order to maintain continuation and achievement, higher education institutions therefore face the challenge of tackling this issue. To address this concern an independent study module was developed and introduced into an undergraduate Bachelor of Science at a UK University. This module embedded study skills in a contextualised manner into the degree programme using an experiential learning approach. The impact of this module on students' engagement with and perceived ability in study skills was assessed by the completion of pre-post module skills audits and module evaluation questionnaires. Following completion of the module students' perceived ability in a range of study skills, most notably information seeking skills, writing skills, and spoken communication was enhanced. Students engaged well with the online independent nature of the module and the experiential learning approach asking for more tasks to support their learning. Students' engagement was low in areas where they perceived they were already competent or did not see the relevance of the material. Embedding study skills development within the academic program using an experiential learning approach was therefore shown to be an effective way of enhancing students’ skill levels.