Academic Skills for University Success: Capstone
Description
When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
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About this course: This Specialization is aimed at preparing students for undergraduate study in an English-speaking university. The course equips you for full participation and engagement with your studies by building awareness and understanding of the core values and expectations of academic culture, and providing you with practical strategies to apply to your studies. In the Capstone Project, you will apply the academic knowledge and skills you have learnt throughout courses 1-4 to research, write and present a project proposal that addresses a complex, real-world problem related to your field of interest and/or future study. After completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Appl…
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When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About this course: This Specialization is aimed at preparing students for undergraduate study in an English-speaking university. The course equips you for full participation and engagement with your studies by building awareness and understanding of the core values and expectations of academic culture, and providing you with practical strategies to apply to your studies. In the Capstone Project, you will apply the academic knowledge and skills you have learnt throughout courses 1-4 to research, write and present a project proposal that addresses a complex, real-world problem related to your field of interest and/or future study. After completing this course, you will be able to: 1. Apply a range of idea generation techniques 2. Apply research strategies to search, collect, select, process, and cite information 3. Use the research process to develop and critically analyse ideas 4. Apply critical thinking skills to evaluate and analyse ideas and evidence 5. Use problem-solving skills to identify gaps in knowledge and define issues 6. Develop creative and innovative solutions to real-world problems 7. Use appropriate academic genres for written texts and multi-media presentations 8. Use written and oral skills to communicate ideas effectively for academic contexts
Who is this class for: This course is for learners who have completed the first four courses in this Specialization. It is a high-level academic skills course designed to increase your level of academic preparedness prior to commencement of your studies in an English-medium university. The course equips you for full participation and engagement with your studies by building awareness and understanding of the core values and expectations of academic culture. The course may also benefit learners who have already commenced their studies and would like to further improve their academic skills to support and increase their chance for success at university.
Created by: The University of Sydney-
Taught by: Katherine Olston, Deputy Director (Digital Learning)
University of Sydney Centre for English Teaching -
Taught by: Luke Alexander, Academic Literacy Instructor and MOOC Learning Instructor
Centre for English Teaching -
Taught by: Lydia Dutcher, Education Manager, Graduate Programs
Centre for English Teaching -
Taught by: Jessica Blackburn, Academic Literacy Instructor and MOOC Learning Designer
Centre for English Teaching
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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The University of Sydney The University of Sydney is one of the world’s leading comprehensive research and teaching universities, consistently ranked in the top 1 percent of universities in the world. In 2015, we were ranked 45 in the QS World University Rankings, and 100 percent of our research was rated at above, or well above, world standard in the Excellence in Research for Australia report.Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction to the course & How to identify a real world problem
In this module, you will be introduced to the course and then begin your project proposal. You will do this firstly by choosing a community that means something to you and identifying a real world problem within that community you would like to solve. This will help you to create a project that means something to you and that you can be passionate about. Then you will brainstorm the causes and effects of that problem before finally writing out a problem statement!
8 videos, 9 readings expand
- Video: Welcome to the Academic Skills for University Success Specialization!
- Reading: Overview of Weekly Topics & Learning Outcomes
- Reading: Assessment Overview
- Video: 1.1a Introduction to the Capstone
- Discussion Prompt: Introduction Forum
- Video: 1.1 Discussions
- Video: 1.1 Weekly Peer Review
- Video: 1.1 Resources
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Video: 1.2a Identifying a Real World Problem
- Discussion Prompt: Communities
- Video: 1.3a Causes & Effects
- Video: 1.4 Writing a Problem Statement
- Reading: Stage 1 - Step by step example
- Reading: Community Brainstorm
- Reading: Issues Brainstorm
- Reading: Cause & Effects Brainstorm
- Reading: Word Storm
- Reading: Question Map
- Reading: Mind Map
Graded: Problem statement
WEEK 2
Researching the Current State
This module relates to Stage 2 of your Capstone project. Use the resources here to help you search for information, collate and then use the information in order to assess and describe the current state of your issue.
2 videos, 2 readings expand
- Video: 2.1a Searching for, Evaluating & Using Information for the Capstone
- Discussion Prompt: Researching!
- Discussion Prompt: Causes & Effects
- Video: 2.2a Writing a Background Paragraph
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Reading: Processing and Coding
- Reading: Stage 2 - Step by step example
Graded: Background paragraph
WEEK 3
Solving the problem: Defining the Desired State
This module relates to Stages 3, 4 and 5 of your Capstone project. Use the resources here to help you generate ideas and then combine them with research for the desired state. You will then brainstorm possible actions you could do in order to bridge the gap between the current state of your issue, identified in Stage 2, and your desired states. You will also need to evaluate and refine those actions.
2 videos, 2 readings expand
- Video: 3.1a Defining the Desired State
- Discussion Prompt: Desired State
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Reading: Stage 3 - Step by step example
- Video: 3.2a Evaluating the Actions
- Discussion Prompt: Proposed Actions
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Reading: Stage 4 and 5 - Step by step example
Graded: Evaluating actions
WEEK 4
Write the project proposal
This module relates to Stages 6 and 7 of your Capstone project. Use the resources here to help you summarise your project, create SMART goals, a detailed action plan and a list of all the participants and resources your project will require. You will also find resources on polishing and refining your proposal for submission.
4 videos, 1 reading expand
- Video: 4.1a Big Picture & SMART goals
- Discussion Prompt: Are SMART goals really smart?
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Video: 4.2a Action Plans
- Video: 4.3a Participants & Resources
- Video: 4.4a Titles & Refining and Polishing
- Discussion Prompt: Project titles
- Reading: Stages 6 and 7 - Step by step example
Graded: SMART Goals
WEEK 5
Plan, write, and produce the video presentation
This module relates to Stage 8 of your Capstone project. Use the resources here to help you plan, develop and produce your video! Good luck!
6 videos, 1 reading expand
- Video: 5.1a Introduction to the Video Presentation
- LTI Item: CAPSTONE Project
- Discussion Prompt: Example Videos
- Video: 5.2a Creating the Storyboard
- Discussion Prompt: Resources
- Video: 5.2b Writing the Script
- Video: 5.3a Preparing & Recording the Script
- Reading: Storyboard template
- Video: Video Example 2 - Gateways For Girls
- Video: Video Example One - Early Career Teachers
Graded: Inspiring story
WEEK 6
Final Submission of Assessment
Graded: Project Proposal - Final Submission
Graded: Video Proposal - Final Submission
WEEK 7
RESOURCES - Optional
This module is for the resources from the other courses you have studied. There is no new, or extra, material here. You do not have to watch any of this material.
62 videos, 1 reading expand
- Reading: How to use the Resources Section
- Video: The Resources Section
- Video: PSS 2.1a Defining Problems
- Video: PSS 2.3a Analytical Tasks
- Video: PSS 2.3b Analytical Problems
- Video: PSS 3.2a Starting With What You Know
- Video: PSS 3.1a Understanding the Problem
- Video: PSS 3.1b Strategies for Understanding and Beginning the Problem
- Video: IDL 2.1a The Scholarly and Cultural Record
- Video: IDL 2.1b Defining Information 2
- Video: IDL 2.2b Understanding different kids of information (Journal Articles)
- Video: IDL 2.4a Defining an Information Need
- Video: IDL 2.3a Accessing Information
- Video: IDL 2.4b Developing a Search Strategy
- Video: IDL 2.4c Documenting & Evaluating the Search Strategy
- Video: COM 3.3a Conducting Research for Essays
- Video: COM 3.3b Conducting Research for Reports and Proposals
- Video: CT 2.2a Argument Spheres
- Video: IDL 3.1a Critically Evaluating Information
- Video: IDL 3.1b Critically Evaluating Web Resources
- Video: IDL 3.1c Critically Evaluating Wikipedia
- Video: IDL 3.2a Establishing Relevance
- Video: IDL 3.2b Establishing Relevance
- Video: IDL 3.4a Processing and Coding: Step 1 and 2
- Video: IDL 3.4b Processing and Coding: Step 3
- Video: PSS 4.1a Seeking Different Perspectives
- Video: CT 3.2a Common Fallacies
- Video: CT 4.1a Claims & Evidence
- Video: CT 4.2a Identifying Biases and Assumptions 1
- Video: CT 4.2b Identifying Biases and Assumptions 2
- Video: CT 4.2c Identifying Biases and Assumptions 3
- Video: IDL 4.3a Incorporating Sources
- Video: IDL 4.3b Incorporating Sources: Quotes
- Video: IDL 4.3c Paraphrasing & Summarising
- Video: IDL 4.1a Avoiding Plagiarism
- Video: IDL 4.2a Referencing and Attributing Sources
- Video: IDL 4.4a Referencing Software
- Video: IDL 4.4b Mendeley
- Video: IDL 4.4c Zotero
- Video: IDL 4.4d EndNote
- Video: PSS 3.3a Using Specialised Knowledge
- Video: PSS 3.4a Problem-solving with Special Cases
- Video: PSS 4.1b Learning from Other People
- Video: PSS 4.2a Applying forms of Reasoning & Thinking
- Video: PSS 4.2b Questioning Assumptions & Considering Alternatives
- Video: PSS 4.3a Using Creative Strategies
- Video: CT 3.4a Applying Systems Thinking
- Video: CT 3.4b Applying Systems Thinking Expert Video
- Video: CT 4.3a Using Critical Thinking to Evaluate Arguments
- Video: CT 4.3b Using Critical Thinking to Evaluate Arguments
- Video: PSS 4.4a Evaluating Solutions
- Video: PSS 4.4b Strategies for Evaluating Solutions
- Video: PSS 5.1a Communicating solutions in academic contexts
- Video: PSS 5.1b Communicating Solutions in Written & Oral Form
- Video: COM 4.2c Coherence & Cohesion
- Video: COM 4.3a Polishing and Refining Essays
- Video: COM 4.3b Polishing and Refining Reports & Proposals
- Video: COM 4.3d Editing for Language
- Video: COM 4.4a Formatting & Proofreading Written Assignments for Sumbission
- Video: COM 4.3c Incorporating Visual Aids in Written Assignments
- Video: COM 5.3a Preparing Visual Aids
- Video: IDL 5.1a Copyright
- Video: IDL 5.1b Creative Commons Licensing
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