Effective Learning Service

The Effective Learning Service (ELS) offers guidance and support to students who wish to develop their academic writing and study skills. Our aim is to help you become as self-reliant as possible as you progress through your degree programmes here at QMU.

For students with a QMU login, access our full set of guides, tools and videos at the ELS Resource Hub or Make a 1-1 appointment below:

Access the ELS Resource Hub

Make an online or in-person appointment with the ELS team

1-2-1 Appointments
Writing and Study Space
Study Skills Workshops
Getting in Touch
FAQs

1-2-1 Appointments

ELS offers a mixture of online and in-person appointments. In an online appointment we communicate guidance and advice on your assignments via e-mail or Teams. If you have any follow up questions on the advice given, then just contact us by email.

If you have an appointment, then please try to send your work to us (along with the assignment brief if possible) at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment time. All in-person appointments will be in the ELS room (1153 in the LRC). We can only look at 1,500 words of writing per appointment. Please note that if you are an online QMU student, then you should email ELS@qmu.ac.uk to arrange your appointment.

Make an online or in-person appointment with the ELS team

Please book with only one ELS advisor at a time, once per fortnight, and do not send any work to us if you do not have an appointment.

Writing and Study Space

Study Skills Workshops

Regular study skills workshops on a wide range of topics will be run throughout the academic year. The workshops below are small, informal, and aimed at undergraduate students, although postgraduates can join too if there is space available. These workshops will be delivered online via Microsoft Teams.

Book a study skills workshop

Session	Dates and times
Engaging with Lectures	Wed 2nd October 1-2 pm	Thu 3rd October 11-12 pm
Essay Planning	Mon 7th October 1-2 pm	Mon 14th October 11-12 pm
Dissertations	Wed 16th October 11-12 pm	Fri 18th October 1-2 pm
Essay Writing	Mon 21st October 11-12 pm	Mon 28th October 1-2 pm
Literature Reviews	Wed 30th October 1-2 pm	Thu 31st October 11-12 pm
Plagiarism and Turnitin	Mon 4th November 11-12 pm	Mon 11th November 1-2 pm

Getting in Touch 

What happens in an appointment?

An ELS advisor will discuss any concerns you have, such as taking notes, reading effectively, planning and structuring essays or exam techniques; and then work out various strategies to help.

The ELS does not proofread or check completed essays – the aim of the sessions is for you to build up the skills and confidence you need to tackle academic tasks successfully yourself.

Appointments will usually be held in room 1153. One session is enough in many cases, but students often have several sessions over a semester.

How to book an appointment?

The best way is to choose a day and time which suits you and book it using this link.

If you need to get in touch for any other reason, then just send an email message to:

ELS@qmu.ac.uk

FAQs

How can I book an appointment for ELS support?

We use StudentCentral for bookings.

How often can I book an appointment?

In the interest of fairness, please book with only one ELS advisor at a time, once per fortnight.

I cannot see any appointments listed, even if I look ahead…

Our appointments tend to get booked up quite quickly, which is likely to be why none are showing. Emailing us at ELS@qmu.ac.uk can be a good way forward. We upload our availability around 2-3 weeks in advance, and each advisor has different working patterns, so bear that in mind if looking ahead, or for a specific day.

Can I book with an international or home advisor if I do not fit that category?

You can, but please notify the advisor in your booking comments. They will do their best, but may have to cancel your booking and prioritise an under-served group of students.

Do I need to have a draft-in-progress to book an appointment?

It is beneficial to have something to share with an advisor, and this can be a previously submitted assignment, including at college. We can support you without a draft, but please mention some specific academic skills when booking, such as essay writing or time planning.

How many words can you look at in a single session?

We can discuss up to 1500 words of your draft with you. If the overall assignment is longer than this, then it’s best to send us the key sections you want us to focus on.

I have a draft, how should I send it?

You can either attach it as a Word document to the StudentCentral booking page or send it to the advisor you have booked with directly. Please include the assignment brief that matches up with your draft.

When should I send my draft?

At least 24 hours in advance of your appointment time, if possible. If you do make changes closer to your slot, then it’s useful to send those too so we have the most up-to-date version.

It is hard to find a slot that fits my studies and placements…

Try one of our ‘email’ appointments, which you can select within our ‘Online’ session types listed on StudentCentral; you can then look over our feedback whenever it suits you.

Can you do a ‘quick check’ or proofread of my essay or reference list?

ELS supports you to become more confident and independent in your academic work and is not a ‘proofreading’ service, and while we do welcome drop-ins at ELS, more sizeable queries will tend to require an appointment.

Guides and Resources

Leaflets:

Quick guides:

The LRC also has a wide range of study skills books available in individual subject areas.

Key study websites at QMU:

See our Library section for useful study and information skills.

The Library also runs a wide range of online workshops throughout the academic year on topics such as Harvard and APA referencing, how to use the Cite Them Right website, and an introduction to reference managers.

The Coming from College area of the website has a collection of seminars and podcasts covering a great variety of topics connected with academic life and study.

Other key study websites:

Academic Phrasebank - A site containing lots of examples of academic English arranged by function.

Three Shapes

The ELS Three By Threes are a set of interlinked short videos, which break down key Study Skills topics into manageable steps. We currently have videos on five topics: An Introduction To Academic Culture, Positive Time Planning, Planning Assignments, Using Sources Effectively and Rethinking Reading.

If you are enrolled at QMU, the best way to access the 'Three By Threes' is by registering on Canvas.

If you have not yet enrolled at QMU, you can access the videos and resources via Sway.