Effective Learning Service (ELS)

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.

Online and In-Person Appointments

Both ELS and ELS International offer 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.

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.

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
Taking Feedback Forward	Thursday 13th February 1-2pm	Friday 14th February 11-12pm
Essay Planning	Monday 17th February 1-2pm	Friday 21st February 1-2pm
Looking Ahead to Dissertations	Tuesday 18th February 12-1pm (* on campus session)	Thursday 20th February 1-2 pm
Literature reviews	Wednesday 19th February 2-3pm (* on campus session)	Friday 21st February 12-1 pm
Essay Writing	Monday 24th February 11-12pm	Friday 28th February 1-2pm
Using Sources Effectively	Monday 3rd March 12-1pm	Friday 7th March 11-12pm
Reflective Writing	Tuesday 11th March 1-2pm	Thursday 13th March 1-2pm

Writing and Study Space

This semester, the Effective Learning Service is opening its doors (1153 in the LRC), every Tuesday afternoon 1-4pm, as a Writing and Study Space. Bring along an assignment you’re writing up, or something you’re reading through, and work alongside your peers in a focused, friendly and encouraging environment.

An ELS advisor will be present to facilitate the space and provide informal support. You can pop along at any point in the three hours without booking but, if you can, please Register your Interest on StudentCentral.

Resit Programme

Every summer we also run a Resit Programme to help students to get through their resits successfully and to develop their academic skills and confidence for the following year. It is designed for undergraduate students, resitting modules as a second diet, but students sitting assessments as a first diet in August can also apply. This programme will run for two weeks in June.

Details and information on how to apply for the Resit Programme

Podcast of the Month

Listen to a short podcast on a different topic each month.

Listen to podcast on: Academic Writing

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 or ELSInternational@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. We do welcome drop-ins at ELS, but more sizeable queries will tend to require an appointment.

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 or ELSinternational@qmu.ac.uk

Study Skills Workshops

Do you want to find out

what ‘studying’ is all about?
tips and strategies for independent learning?
effective ways to plan, write and research?

ELS runs regular study skills workshops on a wide range of topics throughout the academic year. The workshops are small, informal, and aimed at undergraduate students, although postgraduates can join too if there is space available.

Workshops take place either on-campus or via MS Teams and places can be booked on Student Central, or for further information contact els@qmu.ac.uk.

Book a place

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.

Effective Learning Service for international students

The Effective Learning Service for international students at QMU is here to provide support for all students wishing to develop their English language skills.

Where are we?

We are based in room 1153 in the Learning Resource Centre – just follow the signs.

What do we offer?

Individual appointments (both online and in person) and In-sessional Academic Writing Classes.

What happens in an individual appointment?

During an appointment the tutor will work with you to identify your specific needs and develop a plan of action. We can offer personal help with any aspect of your coursework, study skills or exam preparation. We can help you improve but we will not complete your assignment for you or proof read your work.

It would be useful if you could send us by email any writing you want us to look at in advance. If the piece of writing is over 1,500 words long please indicate clearly which portion of it you would like to be considered. We would also like you to send us the assignment title, instructions and any marking criteria that you have been given.

If you would like to book an appointment then use the following link:

Book an appointment.

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.

How to contact us

If you drop by the ELS office (room 1153 in the LRC), then if an ELS Advisor is free, they will be happy to have a quick chat with you about how we can support you. You can also contact us by email at: ELSInternational@qmu.ac.uk