I was first introduced to the concept of Learning Development in HE at the University of Bradford. Encompassing a wide array of what many would recognise as ‘study skills’, the LD community is made of of dedicated HE professionals providing advice on areas such as essay writing, referencing, research, revision, group working, academic presentation and critical reflection, for example. Learning Development Advisors often work with academic, student support and library-based colleagues to provide workshops, one-to-one sessions, resources and transition activities designed to support students to develop the learning skills they need to thrive at University. These skills are especially important for students who may not have had the benefit of parents/close relatives who have been to HE or have come from areas of deprivation and low participation in HE. By supporting these students to develop their learning skills in a progressive and encouraging way, we can help to improve student attainment.
Some useful WP resources can be found below.
- The Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) maintains a useful website detailing information of conferences, research and an accreditation process for those working to support student learning skills in UK higher education providers.
http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ - The University of Leeds provide a comprehensive set of webpages providing information on a wide range of learning/study skills, open and accessible to the world!
https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1401/academic_skills - The University of Sheffield provides a range of study skills resources on their 302 website that are open access and available to all.
301 Study Skills at Sheffield University - Some good starter documents for pupils making the transition from school to University, providing an introduction to five key academic skills can be found on the UCAS website.
https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/student-life/study-skills-guides