Learning and Research Advice
We offer a wide range of learning support options to all our students, whether they are based on campus or studying with us online.
Whether you need advice on how to get that grade from an A to an A+, want to ensure your assessment writing is at university level, or have questions about APA referencing or research design, the Learning Advisors at Learning, Teaching and Library (LTL) are here for you.
LTL services are available whether you're based on campus or studying remotely and can be accessed face to face or online. In addition to the learning advice offered by LTL, many other support options are available at Lincoln University.
The experienced Learning Advisors in the LTL team advise our students in a range of key areas.
Support available
Learning Advisors can help you to develop self-directed learning skills and strategies to cope with the diverse learning environments at university. You'll learn to:
- Manage your study time effectively
- Listen and take useful notes from lectures, tutorials, labs, videos and field trips
- Use appropriate reading strategies for university study
- Develop revision skills and exam techniques.
Learning Advisors can help you to become familiar with a range of academic writing required at university, and to develop effective writing processes. You will learn to:
- Effectively plan and write well-structured assessments
- Incorporate and reference the work of others in your writing
- Write clearly and concisely
- Prepare and deliver a competent and coherent oral presentation.
If English is not your first language, you can get help with your academic English language skills to enable you to:
- Communicate confidently and accurately in the academic environment
- Understand how academic expectations and communication in the New Zealand university environment differ from those in other languages and cultures
- Learn strategies to continue your language development independently.
You can also find out more about studying English at Lincoln here.
If you need help to find and evaluate information, the LTL Learning Advisors can help you to:
- Analyse a research question for core concepts and information needs
- Make effective use of technical tools such as databases
- Evaluate and reflect on the value and suitability of discovered materials.
LTL offers mathematics and statistics assistance for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. If you are an undergraduate, Learning Advisors can help you develop numeracy skills to:
- Use the correct terms and symbols, basic concepts, processes and calculations required in your area of study
- Identify and use the correct process to solve relevant problems in your area of study
- Work independently on mathematical and statistical problems.
If you are undertaking postgraduate study, Learning Advisors can help you learn the basics of robust research design techniques including:
- Planning your research
- Identifying correct statistical procedures to solve problems in your field of study
- Inputting data ready for analysis and correctly interpreting the output results in statistical packages
- Generating graphs suitable for data analysis and presentation.
LTL's Learning Advisors can help research students develop the range of skills required to complete a research degree, including:
- Managing the research and writing process
- Managing information, including using bibliographic software
- Producing a clear and well-structured text
- Learning how to present your research in journals, conference presentations, poster papers and other media.
Accessing learning services
Learning advice comes in many shapes and sizes, depending on the nature of the assistance you require. Learning, Teaching and Library services are free, available face-to-face or online and for all Lincoln University students.
Learn more via Te Kete Wānaka, the LTL website.
Services include:
- Real-time chat facility, Ask Live: Have your questions promptly answered online by LTL Learning Advisors.
- Drop-in sessions: Meet and chat with a Learning Advisor to have quick questions answered (slots are available each day).
- Workshops: Take part in face-to-face or online small group sessions focusing on a range of study-related skills.
- Individual or small group appointments: Receive individual advice and personalised feedback on anything study related via a face-to-face or online meeting with a Learning Advisor.
- Peer-assisted study sessions (PASS): Take part in fun and informal peer-led study sessions associated with our core first year courses.
- Online resources: Access useful tip sheets and videos to help improve your academic skills.
Māori and Pasifika students
In addition to the variety of services described above, Learning Advisors can tailor workshops and appointments to your needs, including offering sessions in Te Whare.
International students
Apart from the many services described above, sessions can be tailored to meet the needs of international students, whether you have just arrived on campus or have been studying with us for some time.
Online students
We have a dedicated Online Student Success Advisor who provides academic advice and pastoral support to our online students around the motu and overseas.
Other learning advice at LU includes:
Skills for Success programme
The Skills for Success programme is designed for students from the Diploma of University Studies and will help to ensure that you reach your full potential with personalised support in a range of areas.
- Receive tutoring in academic writing and reading, maths and statistics, science, business and economics and Māori studies.
- Develop study skills so that you can make the most of your time, decide what to focus on first and discover which learning strategies work best for you.
- Get help with assignments and learn what is expected, discover how to break large tasks into more manageable chunks and understand how your assignments are graded.
- Receive general guidance including course advice, becoming familiar with university processes and knowing where to find information and other resources.