ASU Services for Staff
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What can we do for you?
ASU services are available to staff to support all aspects of their students' study at university, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We can:
- Develop and deliver a workshop or series of workshops specific to your subject and the needs of your students. Request a session or contact our manager to discuss your needs.
- Teach classes or develop materials on cross cultural communication
- Teach classes on professional skills:
- teamwork
- presentation skills
- Work individually with students in need of academic or language support on study skills or assessment tasks.
- Develop online faculty-specific programs as part of the Academic Interactive Portal Resources, (AIRport).
Currently we offer online programs in the faculties of Law and Science and are developing a program for the Education faculty. - Monitor students' uptake of the services we offer, including the Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA), individual tutorials and workshops. Information about student usage can then be reported to faculties and recommendations made for further support if required.
Collaboration with faculties
We frequently work with academic and professional staff in various departments to:
- develop language & academic skills programs and workshops;
- team-teach workshops on subject-specific requirements or skills - eg. legal essay writing;
- provide faculty-based individual tutorials targeting 'at risk" and NESB students;
- participate in faculty orientation sessions;
- develop discipline-specific academic orientation programs;
- develop professional skills workshops and programs - eg. team building; effective presentations
- develop workshops for tutor-training programs;
- coordinate faculty peer-mentoring programs;
- conduct mentor training;
- undertake joint research projects
Targeted workshops
In Semester 2, the Academic Skills Unit (ASU) will again offer university-wide and faculty-based generic workshops on language and academic skills (see www.services.unimelb.edu.au/llsu/classes/). Upon request, the ASU also develops and delivers workshops tailored to specific subjects ('targeted workshops'). Subject coordinators are invited to consider how an ASU targeted workshop could be integrated into Semester 2 teaching programs, by thinking about how such a session could
- fit with your subject's curriculum objectives and generic skills (e.g.: critical thinking and analysis; written & oral communication; problem solving; etc.)
- help to maximise students' performance on given assessment tasks
- help to develop your students' generic skills beyond the life of your particular subject (e.g. UoM Graduate Attributes)
- be timed for maximum benefit.
Workshops for new tutors: contributing to your faculty's tutor training program
In 2007, the ASU will offer new tutors an insight into teaching from the students' perspectives through discussion-based workshops around student learning issues, including:
- What makes a good tutor? A student perspective of the qualities of effective tutors.
- Where are our students coming from? Understanding the needs of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and developing strategies for inclusive teaching.
- How can we encourage students to participate? Techniques for encouraging active participation in tutorials.
Delivered in an interactive, scenario-based format, the workshops will provide both opportunities to discuss issues in teaching students from diverse backgrounds and also strategies for improving classroom participation.
In addition, participants will learn about the resources on teaching and learning available to them as well as those available to their students.
For more information about how the ASU can contribute to your tutor training program, please contact Laurie Ransom.
Working with students
Please note that we do not provide a proof reading service for students or advise on content, or what ideas or arguments to include. Advisors may point out patterns of error, make suggestions for improvement, ask questions or help in the editing process - but not simply correct the work.
Visit our services charter page for further information about what we do.
Request a set of faculty-targeted PowerPoint slides about the ASU to use in your lectures.