Nuts and bolts session

Title: Implementing an applied skills & scholarship unit as a means of developing generic skills (and minimizing attrition).

Paula Callan and Waveney Croft

This paper describes a first-year skills unit that has been introduced at the Carseldine campus of Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. The unit, which is taught by a team of academics and librarians, aims to provide first year students with the foundation skills and knowledge necessary for effective and efficient study and for an enjoyable and successful university experience. These skills include basic competencies in using information and communication technologies, academic research and writing skills, critical thinking and time management. Most of the students taking the unit are enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts , the Bachelor of Social Science or the Bachelor of Human Services; many are mature age students. Feedback has been very positive and the unit remains a popular choice.