Essential Skills for Science and Technology

by Zeegers, Peter; Deller-Evans, Kate; Egege, Sandra; Klinger, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780195576078
• ISBN10: 0195576071
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The essential guide for any student embarking on their studies in the sciences or technology, this book introduces the core academic skills students need to learn effectively in this area and to prepare them for success in their (science) university science studies. It focuses on three keyskills areas: research, argumentation and critical analysis; quantitative methods; and the conventions of written and oral communication. It explains how to read scientific literature and understand its different language style, terminology, data and argument analysis, and conflicting interpretations. The book also explains how to take data from a range of sources to help student's construct - or arrive at - their own perspective on ascientific issue and how to present and communicate it in both written and oral forms. It also explains in great detail the basic laws of mathematics for the basis to learning in any branch of science and can be used as a reference tool and source. Key topics include an introduction to tertiary study, e-learning and assessment; reading scientific literature, thinking and arguing critically; writing, researching and presenting and quantitative methods including fundamental mathematics, calculus, problem solving and statistics. Focused on step-by-step skills development, this book aims to help readers become better students who are more likely to succeed in their science studies.

Author Biography

Peter Zeegers Is an education consultant and freelance writer and previously a lecturer in Chemistry and an academic adviser for the sciences and health sciences, Flinders University.
Kate Deller-Evans Lecturer in Higher Education (Centre for University Teaching) and also in the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Flinders University.
Sandra Egege Lecturer in the Student Learning Centre at Flinders University and topic coordinator in the Research Higher Degree Professional Development Program.
Christopher Klinger Director of Foundation Studies at the University of South Australia.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Guided Tour

Preface

About the Authors

You and Tertiary Study

You and the University

Being Organised

Learning and Researching

Modes of Learning for Higher Education

Lectures, Tutorials, and Laboratories

E-learning and Researchigher Education

Lectures, Tutorials, and Laboratories

Assessmentsand Research

Critical Evaluation

Reading Scientific Literature

Critical Thinking

Academic Argument

Writing and Presenting in the Sciences

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Referencing Styles

Writing for the Sciences

Writing a Report

Writing a Laboratory Report

Writing an Article Review

Presentation Skills: Talks and Posters

Editing Your Writing

Quantitative Methods

An Approach to Problem Solving

Fundamental Mathematics

An Introduction to Calculus

Basic Statistics

Appendices

Bibliography

Online Resources

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.