Academic Advice in MVLS
Undergraduate and postgraduate taught students in MVLS can attend short classes, access slides and guides on Moodle, or make an appointment with the Effective Learning Adviser for the College (or one of her Graduate Teaching Assistants) to talk about anything related to their academic work.
Common topics include:
- academic writing (essays, lab reports, research proposals)
- critical analysis
- scientific presentations
- time and project management
- effective, evidence-based study and revision methods
Semester 1 Class Timetable
Live classes
Science Dissertation Writing
This particular course will be led jointly by the Effective Learning Advisers for MVLS and for Science & Engineering.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=12843
| Date & Time | Title | Description | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 30th Sept 11:00 - 12:00 |
Your Dissertation from Beginning to End | This class examines what the whole dissertation process looks like, from choosing a title to handing in your finished product. | Adam Smith Building 584 | |
|
Mon 7th Oct |
Writing a Literature Review | This class will explore the process of finding and critically analysing journal articles, as well as how to incorporate academic literature into your writing. | Adam Smith Building 584 | |
| Mon 14th Oct 11:00 - 12:00 |
Developing a Methodology | We outline things to consider when designing your research methods and discuss how to write your methods chapter. | Adam Smith Building 584 | |
| Mon 21st Oct 11:00 - 12:00 |
Presenting your Findings | This class looks at the most effective way of discussing your data and writing about your results in the context of your field. | Adam Smith Building 584 | |
| Mon 28th Oct 11:00 - 12:00 |
Editing and Proofreading | The class looks at the stages of editing and proofreading that you need to complete in order to achieve a polished and professional dissertation. | Adam Smith Building 584 | |
Science Writing: Advanced Criticality
This particular course will be led jointly by the Effective Learning Advisers for MVLS and for Science & Engineering.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10315
| Date & Time | Title | Description | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 9th Oct 12:00 - 13:00 |
Sourcing Evidence from the Literature | We will look at how to get the most out of academic databases, and what to look for when sourcing evidence from the literature. | 5 The Square 330 |
| Wed 16th Oct 12:00 - 13:00 |
Critical Reading | This class explores the next stage of critical analysis: reading your sources. We look at the questions you should ask and ways of keeping your records organised. | 5 The Square 330 |
| Wed 23rd Oct 12:00 - 13:00 |
Writing a Critical Review | In this class, we focus on how to structure and write a critical review of a single study. | 5 The Square 330 |
| Wed 30th Oct 12:00 - 13:00 |
Writing a Literature Review | This class looks at putting together a review of several studies that address a common topic. | 5 The Square 330 |
Communicating Science
This particular course will be led jointly by the Effective Learning Advisers for MVLS and for Science & Engineering.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=12927
| Date & Time | Title | Description | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 10th Oct 13:00-14:00 |
Academic presentations | This class covers designing and delivering an academic slideshow using Microsoft PowerPoint. | James McCune Smith Learning Hub 630 |
| Thu 17th Oct 13:00-14:00 |
Academic posters | We'll look at some academic poster examples, as well as how to present one at an event (either in-class or at a conference) and how to manage audience questions. | James McCune Smith Learning Hub 630 |
| Thu 24th Oct 13:00-14:00 |
Presenting data | This class looks at making tables and figures clear, and techniques to deconstruct dense visual data to highlight the most important parts to your audience. | James McCune Smith Learning Hub 630 |
| Thu 31st Oct 13:00-14:00 |
Defining your audience | We'll look at the different levels of science literacy you might expect across audiences (peers, experts, public), and how to cater to those differences. | James McCune Smith Learning Hub 630 |
| Thu 7th Nov 13:00-14:00 |
Persuasion, argumentation, and rhetoric | This class looks at techniques to communicate the meaning of data - e.g. analogy, demonstration, infographic, common misunderstanding, etc. | James McCune Smith Learning Hub 630 |
Pre-recorded classes and online materials
Science Writing: Fundamentals
> Moodle page for this series - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10316
This is an asynchronous course which you can access anytime. There are no live classes.
| Title | Description |
| Planning and structuring an essay | A well structured essay will ensure that your writing is clear and concise with logical flow. In this class, we'll look at how to plan your essay and structure your argument. |
| Lab report writing | A lab report usually follows a standard format, with each section of the report fulfilling a unique job. We'll work through these sections and tell you what the expectations are for each. |
| Reflective writing | In many science degrees (particularly in clinical subjects) you are required to reflect on your practice and communicate your learning. We'll look at how to write reflectively for an academic audience. |
| Referencing and plagiarism | This class will show you how to cite according to the University's requirements so that your writing is professional and credible. |
Assessments and Academic Development
> Moodle page for this series - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10317
This is an asynchronous resource which you can access anytime.
| Title | Description |
| Lectures, labs, and tutorials | We discuss how to approach your classes in a strategic way so that you get the most out this valuable time with your lecturers. |
| Working in groups | Group work is an integral part of many degree courses. This class will show you how to get the most out of assessed and informal group work. |
| Exam revision strategies | We will show you the best revision strategies, and how to combine them to the best effect in the weeks before an exam. |
| Avoiding procrastination | Procrastination is normal! But this class will help if you feel that it is getting in the way of your studies. |
Appointments
Undergraduate and PGT students can make an appointment with one of the advising team (GUID required). The booking diary shows appointments available in the next 21 days only.
Dr Rosalind McKenna
Rosalind has a PhD in Biology from the University of St Andrews, during which she used the ladybird-aphid predator-prey system to study behavioural interactions and search strategies. During her postgraduate study (2018-2022), she taught extensively in labs and tutorials, delivered lectures, and designed teaching materials. In 2019, Rosalind also designed and co-presented a course on data visualisation, delivered to secondary school science teachers for the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre (SSERC). From April 2022 to June 2023, Rosalind gained experience in the University of Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School in her role as the MBChB1 Teaching Administrator. She is now the Effective Learning Adviser for students in the College of MVLS.
Teaching Requests
Rosalind currently lectures on every undergraduate degree and most postgraduate degrees across MVLS. To find out what teaching she can offer on your course, email her: rosalind.mckenna@glasgow.ac.uk
Publications
Rosalind is the co-author of Presenting Scientific Data in R (Oxford University Press). This book, primarily written for students embarking on undergraduate bioscience degrees, aims to provide an accessible, straightforward, and approachable guide to data presentation using R.
Rosalind has also published a range of research and review papers on a variety of behavioural ecology topics.
rosalind.mckenna@glasgow.ac.uk
Room 316
McMillan Reading Room
University Avenue
University of Glasgow
G12 8QQ
