The Study Skills course is designed to equip second-year LMD students with the academic competencies, cognitive strategies, and methodological tools necessary for successful university learning. It introduces key higher-education skills that support independent study, critical engagement with academic content, and effective communication in both written and oral form. Over two semesters, the course develops students’ ability to understand how they learn, evaluate and reflect on their academic practices, think critically, express ideas coherently, and participate confidently in scholarly tasks.
In the first semester, the course introduces students to learning styles and strategies, emphasizing the importance of metacognition and autonomous learning. It then extends to reflective learning, helping students analyse their experiences for continuous improvement, and to critical thinking, enabling them to question assumptions, evaluate evidence, and engage thoughtfully with academic issues. The semester concludes with report writing, a key academic genre that consolidates clarity, structure, coherence, and evidence-based writing.
The second semester focuses on productive academic communication skills. Students learn synthesis and paraphrasing techniques, essential for processing sources ethically and integrating information effectively. The course also covers referencing, quotation cards, and bibliography, ensuring students can document sources according to academic conventions. Through theme selection and narrowing down, students practise formulating researchable topics through guided classroom discussion. The course culminates in oral presentation, allowing learners to develop confidence, organization, and clarity when speaking in academic contexts.
Across both semesters, the course fosters intellectual independence, academic integrity, and professional communication competencies essential for advanced study and lifelong learning.
- Teacher: Farida Bekhouche