Study skills

Open College of the Arts

Student Support
This booklet is one of a series of guides for students studying with the OCA.

Others in the series are:

• Keeping sketchbooks and learning logs

• Assessment and how to get qualified

• Looking at other artists

You can either download a pdf copy from our website www.oca-uk.com or ring the
office on 0800 731 2116 for a paper copy.

Illustrations: Caroline Firenza

Study skills
What are study skills?
Because you are studying a creative subject you may imagine you
will not have much writing to do. However, OCA’s courses are
both practical and academic. Even the art courses have written
elements to them. These are as crucial to your development as
the practical side. That’s why taking a look at this study skills
booklet is just as important if you are studying sculpture, painting
or any other practical subject as a directly academic course such
as Visual Studies or Art History for example. Many of OCA’s
courses have written assignments at some point in them.

As an adult learner your approach to

learning may be different from the last
time you studied, especially if that was at
school.

You can choose what you want to study,

have professional and/or personal
motivation for studying and you will have
to fit your study activities around other
responsibilities.

You control your learning environment.

As a result, you must think about things
like time management, goal setting, and
pacing yourself through a new learning
experience. You may also have to refresh
your knowledge on essay planning and
you may be new to using the web as a
learning resource. Your most significant
considerations will be time and space to
dedicate to your learning.
Starting out
What to do when you start your course
Read the introduction and then look through the whole course. Make a note of
any questions you might have and consider a rough timetable you can work from
to complete the course.

Fill in your Student Profile. Use this to tell your tutor a little about any past
experience you have and how confident you feel about learning some of the skills.
This is your first link with your tutor and gives you the chance to introduce yourself.
Give your tutor as much information as you can
about your previous experience, your reasons
for exploring this subject and what you
expect to achieve from taking the
course. OCA tuition is on a one-to-
one basis and so it is possible for
our tutors to angle their advice to
meet individual needs; but only if
these are defined in the Student
Profile. When the tutor
receives your Student Profile,
they will write to you, and
suggest a date for the submission
of your first assignment in line with
your timetable. If you feel you can complete
the section earlier, then do. If you feel you need a little
longer, that’s fine too. If, however, there is going to be a big delay, contact the
tutor and give an anticipated new date for the submission of your assignment.
When you submit an assignment your tutor will comment and advise on your work
and answer any questions relating to the course.

Once you have looked through the course and sent off your
student profile, you can begin to start your first project.
Time management
Managing your time
You are responsible for managing your own study time.
In order for you to do this well:
• be aware of your own time management
• be aware of how much time each type of task takes you to complete
• allow time for unexpected events
• schedule an appropriate amount of time for things like library and museum
visits
• specify practical targets in your time-planning.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• do I usually meet deadlines?
• do I keep most appointments?
• do I find that I often have to rush things at the last minute?
• does it take me some time to get started?
• do I panic if I know that I am wasting time?
• how IT literate am I? Do you need to make allowances for using a
computer?

Do you need to make

changes to some of your
thinking about time in
order to manage your
studies well?
Improving time management
You may find that you have lots of competing deadlines and not enough time to
do all of the set tasks. Use the following priority setting checklist to help you:
• write a list of all of the tasks that you have to do
• divide the list into the essential tasks and then the tasks that can wait
• identify the most urgent task on the list
• work out the best way to do things
• work out how long you can spend on each task
• enter each essential task into your timetable and diary.

Time saving suggestions

• when note taking use headings and keywords – avoid full sentences
• leave lots of space so that you can add more information as you find it
• if two writers are making the same point, note in the margin a cross-
reference to your earlier notes – do not write out same information twice
• keep all of your notes in one place or one folder if on a computer
• file notes as you go along
• number your pages, and label or colour code them by subject in the top
outer corner, so that you can arrange and find information easily
• read only what is relevant to your set module
• note the page reference from the book and write the initials of the book title
so that you can easily refer back to it
• carry a small notebook or sketchbook with you so that you can write down
or draw any new ideas that you might get
• use OCA’s online forum to contact other students to share research methods
and ideas.
Developing research skills
Use your local library
Visit your local library early on and find out about the range of services that it
provides, for example:
• handouts on how to use library facilities
• use of the internet and help in developing internet search skills
• academic journals
• specialist collections
• specialist magazines/newspapers/back editions
• photocopy services
• videos, CDs, microfiche and slides.

Taking notes
Notes are a useful record of important
points for future use and they can help
the flow of your writing, and help you get
organised in order to get started. Notes
can aid understanding and summing
things up briefly can help your long term
memory. Even if you are a regular
computer user it can still be helpful to
make notes on paper. However more and
more people are now just as happy
making notes on their computer, which
has the added benefit of making web
referencing easy. Make notes whichever
way suits you best.
Note taking checklist
• make notes as you find information, in chronological order
• think before you write and keep your notes brief – always use your own
words unless you are quoting directly
• if writing on paper leave space or a wide margin so that you can add notes
as you need to
• note down key words and main ideas but avoid writing whole sentences
• make use of any abbreviations and number different points – link these
points by using arrows, boxes or dotted lines
• make a note of the exact source of the information but write it in such a
way that it is useful to you
• don’t copy out whole chunks of
information or quotations and
avoid writing out more notes
than you can actually use
• never re-write notes to make
them clearer – this can be a real
time waster
• link different pieces of
information by colour coding
and draw rings around specific
information in order to make it
stand out on the page
• if you prefer to keep notes on
your computer save web links
to valuable references, making
brief notes to explain what
each web link refers to.
Using the internet
The internet has a huge range of information and allows you to browse across an
enormous range of sources. The internet should be your key research tool. If you
don’t have a computer with internet access at home, make sure you set up time to
use the internet at the library or at a friend’s house.

Via the internet you can have access to the following:

• newspapers
• magazines
• gallery and museum collections
• OCA website
• library catalogues and information
• relevant TV and radio programmes
• government papers
• access to specialist providers.

Be aware of:
• propaganda or biased information that doesn’t provide a balanced argument
• advertising and press releases
• personal opinion
• research that has been published by the researcher without peer review, or
by trade associations that have a vested interest (check whether the
information is balanced)
• news information (as you know, different parts of the press present the same
story in very different ways).

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use information from any of
these categories in your work. You need to use it carefully and
demonstrate that you understand the shortfall in the information
(such as the missing argument, or biased viewpoint).
Using booklists
Booklists can be daunting even if you recognise some of the titles on the list.
During the course you will be provided with various booklists and you will need to
assess the importance of some books over and above other books – you cannot
read everything! Your tutors (and in some cases the course material) will let you
know which books are ‘essential’ for you to read and which are of a more general
nature. All book publications are in print at the time of the course materials being
published but of course this can change from year to year – OCA will attempt to
republish booklists when possible.

Developing reading skills

If you are not used to doing a lot of
reading, it may be worth looking on the
web for tips on developing your reading
skills. It’s very useful to learn how to skim
read to get the main points so that you can
judge whether it is worth your time setting
to for a more detailed read. The key to
successful skim reading is to take note of
headings, introductory sentences of paragraphs and summaries. This should provide
you with a sense of the text which may be all you need. Take a look at the
suggested web links for more detail on important reading techniques such as
skimming and scanning text.

Developing critical thinking skills

This involves you weighing up arguments and evidence for and against a particular
text, or position. You will need to consider an issue from all perspectives and
possibly do this more than once. Together with this you will be evaluating this
evidence in support of a particular text and also be looking at the implication of the
conclusions made by the writer. All of this takes a lot of time, energy and
persistence!
Checklist
• stand back from the information and examine it in detail and from as many
angles as you can think of
• find out how accurate the material is and check for any mistakes
• compare the material that you are reading with what other theorists are
saying – how does their perspective differ from what your writer is saying?
• look out for any assumptions that the writer is making and be critical of the
ways in which the writer has used data in order to persuade the reader to
agree with their particular theory.

Quoting others
In the body of your writing, whenever you refer
to someone else’s work, either directly or
indirectly, you must indicate whose work this is.
Include the surname of the author and the year
of publication, for example:
• as noted by R. Taylor (1999), who stated that…
Or • two art historians (Buck and Dodd, 1998), noted that....

Use quotation marks when quoting from someone verbatim and remember that
you may only quote up to 10% of an author’s work without breaching their
copyright.

When do you need to give a reference?

You must give the reference whenever you draw on a source of information:
• as the source behind a particular theory, argument or point of view
• for direct quotations
• for texts that you paraphrase rather than quote
• for specific information, for example a case study or statistical data.
Using references
In academic writing, it is essential to state the sources of ideas and information.
Such references allow the reader to refer back to the sources. There are some key
reasons for providing references:
• acknowledging a source is a courtesy to the person whose idea or words you
have used or referred to
• by giving a source you are making it clear that you are not trying to pretend
somebody else’s work is your own
• if you need to check something later, the reference will help you find it again
more easily
• the reader of your writing will have more confidence in what you are writing
• thoroughness in your referencing suggests that you will also have been
thorough in your checking of the facts.

Information that needs to be included in

a reference
The following information is ordinarily provided:
• the name of the author(s)
• the full title of the work
• for journal articles, the name of the journal and the number of the volume
• the edition (if relevant)
• the name of the publisher
• the location of the publisher
• the publication date
• relevant page numbers.
Presenting your work
Finishing your report
You must write out full details in a list of References that must be in alphabetical
order, for example:
• Michael Freeman, Complete Guide to Photography, HarperCollins, UK, 1995
• Honour & Fleming, A World History of Art, Laurence King Publishing,
London, 2002
• S. Maitland and P. Matthews, Gardens of Illusion, Cassell & Co., London, 2000

Do not include any publications that you have not directly referred to in your
assignment, but do include television programmes, websites and videos used. Some
helpful phrases to introduce references are:
• as A points out, …
• according to B …
• as C …
• to quote from D, …
• in ‘Relative Values’, B and D wrote that …
• in an article entitled Textile Art Now, E wrote that …
• writing in 1999, F argued that …
• referring to G says that …

Bibliographies
A bibliography is a separate page to your writing and the reference will go at the
end of your report. It will include everything that you have read for your report
whether you referred to it in your writing or not. Always use the same style to the
one outlined in the above information about references, for example:
• Michael Freeman, Complete Guide to Photography, HarperCollins, UK, 1995
• Honour & Fleming, A World History of Art, Laurence King Publishing,
London, 2002
• S. Maitland and P. Matthews, Gardens of Illusion, Cassell & Co., London, 2000
Footnotes
Use these when you are quoting directly and give the precise details of the source,
whether a book, article or interview. If you are quoting from a printed source also
include the page number. If you are unsure about whether to use a direct quotation
or to paraphrase then always go for the first option. The following two systems are
both acceptable as long as you are consistent in your usage throughout.

Author-date system
This is where you give the name of the author, then the date and page number in
brackets after the quotation or reference in the main text. The full reference details
are then given in the bibliography.

Title system
This is where a number is given above the line and after the quotations, and the
reference is then given either at the bottom of the page or at the end of the critical
review. For example, 1. R. Taylor, Understanding and Investigating Art, 1999, p22.

Using illustrations
Always try to use illustrations where relevant. Remember that the purpose of an
illustration is to support your writing, so where possible try to have the image as
close to where it is being discussed as is possible – do not lump all of the
illustrations at the back of your written assignments or learning logs. You can also
include your own drawings and photographs where relevant – often
illustrations can be particularly effective if you are trying to convey
a great deal of visual information. You must always number your
illustrations and refer to them within the body of your
writing – do not make the mistake of expecting the
illustrations to ‘speak for themselves’. For example,
you would write ‘refer to figure 2’, or ‘see illustration
to figure 4’. Don’t forget to put a caption under the
illustration clearly stating what it is, including the date,
where it is from, and the name of the originator.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when a student uses the words of another writer but does not credit
that writer as a source. This can be done by mistake or on purpose but in either
case it is an offence and can result in failure of the course. If you are unsure
about what constitutes plagiarism speak to your tutor.

Writing assignments
• clarify the task
• collect and record information (research)
• organise and plan
• reflect and evaluate
• write an outline plan and first draft (if possible show this to your tutor)
• work on your first draft
• review it
• then build your final draft.

Structuring your assignments

Title – every assignment title has an implied or actual question within it. Your
entire assignment must focus on the title and address that question.

Introduction – this is where you say what you are going to do. You must show
your understanding of the assignment title and identify the issues that you are
going to explore. Give a brief outline of how you will deal with each issue, and in
which order.

Develop your argument or line of reasoning – in paragraph one you cover

everything that your introduction said that you would address, so for example, your
first sentence will introduce the main idea of the paragraph. Other sentences will
develop the topic of the paragraph and you can include relevant examples, details,
evidence, quotations, and references. You will then lead into the next paragraph.
Paragraph two and the other paragraphs – the first sentence, or opening
sentences, link the paragraph to the previous paragraphs, then introduce the main
idea of the paragraph. Other sentences will now develop the paragraph’s topic.

Conclusion – summarise your argument and the main themes. State your general
conclusions and make it clear why those conclusions are important. This is usually
one tenth of the written assignment.

Bibliography – list all of the books and other sources that you have referred to.

Presenting your written work

It is an OCA requirement that all assignments are typed so this may involve you
planning ahead if you do not own a computer. It is also preferable to email written
work to your tutor if possible. You may also want to consider the following more
general points:
• paper format (usually A4)
• use one side or both?
• number pages
• include your name and student number on each page
• use double spacing
• write as ‘one’, ‘I’ or ‘we’?
• reference page
• bibliography page.

Make sure you are consistent throughout.

More help
Suggested further reading
Barnet, S. A Short Guide to Writing About Art, Press, England, 1996
Buzan, Tony. Use your head. London,Chadwick and Eagle, 1995
Chambers, Ellie and Northedge, Andrew. The Arts Good Study Guide, Milton
Keynes: Open University Press 1997
Miles, T.R. and Gilroy. Dyslexia at College, London, Routledge Press, 1995
Richards, T. How to Win as a Mature Student, London, Kogan Press, 1995
Williams, K. Study Skills, London, Press, 1991

Useful websites on self study

• www.oca-uk.com
• www.howtostudy.org/
• www.how-to-study.com/
• www.ouw.co.uk/goodstudyguide/
• www.support4learning.org.uk
• www.brad.ac.uk/acad/management/external/els/pdf/ timemanagement.pdf
Notes
OCA's website www.oca-uk.com is your first stop for information about
courses, plus access to help, support, advice and tips from tutors and
other learners.

Register on the website, upload a picture if you like, and get chatting to
other students via the forum.

Find out about exhibitions and books recommended by fellow students,

discuss the state of contemporary art or the music industry, share tips on
techniques and processes, and share your thoughts on studying from
home.
Open College of the Arts

Michael Young Arts Centre

Redbrook Business Park
Wilthorpe Road
Barnsley S75 1JN

enquiries@oca-uk.com
0800 731 2116
www.oca-uk.com