Developing a Dynamic and Inclusive Study Skills Portal - Survey Data

This article outlines a student-led evaluation of a new online, cross-disciplinary Study Skills Portal designed to create an engaging and interactive asynchronous resource to support study skills teaching post-pandemic. The portal was created following Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and was designed for use in modules and self-directed learning. A “Students as Academic Partners” (SAP)-funded research project worked with three students (two undergraduate and one postgraduate) to conduct a mixed-methods study to evaluate the portal with the student body. An online survey (n = 710) and two focus groups (n = 7) were carried out to determine student awareness of the portal, whether students felt the resource supported their learning and whether content or delivery methods were lacking in the portal.

The study revealed that almost half of the students had not yet used the resource. Of those that had, however, over 90% said it had been supportive, and they would recommend it to their peers. Requests for future developments included more support for academic writing, clearer and more precise navigation of the portal and some in-person interaction to support the online delivery and create human connection. Work on the portal was undertaken by a new cross-institution Study Skills Community of Practice to share expertise and ensure the portal remains current. Feedback from students involved as research partners in the project also revealed significant benefits for students in this participatory research approach.