Academic study ability
Student wellbeing and accessible studies have been a development focus at Movi for more than a decade. With the help of the team, the aim has been to ensure that all Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ students have the most accessible and effective solutions for the different stages of their studies. The team supports accessible studies by developing courses as well as creating and maintaining various websites to support studying, teaching and guidance, among other things. By organising training and creating support materials, the team also strengthens teachers’ pedagogical competence and support for study-related wellbeing.
The team works closely with other actors in the university, including Student Life. There are also stakeholders outside the university: in cooperation with the Finnish Kennel Club, Movi's Academic Study Ability team organises campus dog activities, making JYU the first university to do so in Finland. In addition, the team has established connections with other educational institutions (e.g., Jamk, Gradia) and the FINELC network of university language centres.
You can find more detailed examples of our activities below.
The Academic Study Ability team has created the Academic study skills website for students. The website also provides support for instructors and teachers in their work.
The core of the Academic study skills website concerns the communication and language competence needed in studies and in working life. As students’ academic study skills improve, their studies tend to progress more smoothly, and their agency also develops. Practising study skills strenghtens students’ academic expertise.
By exploring the site, students learn to identify what study skills they already have and where they could improve. The content of the website has been designed to be as practical as possible, so that students can work on their skills by themselves in their everyday life. The English-language site is tailored to the needs of international students.
Material for the website has been produced in collaboration with the Open Science Centre and the Open University, among others.
Accessible Movi website to support teachers
To support the work of the teachers at Movi, the Academic Study Ability team has created the Accessible Movi website on the Movi intranet.
For example, the website provides
- information on various challenges in learning and tips on how to address them in teaching
- pedagogical methods that benefit all students.
Pedagogical afternoons
The Academic Study Ability team has organised pedagogical afternoons for Movi staff on topics including:
- accessibility (learning challenges, safe and peaceful working conditions, communication confidence and social anxiety, accessible teaching materials)
- aspects of wellbeing and learning ability in curriculum work and pedagogical practices.
Training in the basics of university guidance
The Academic Study Ability team has been involved in organising training in the basics of university guidance for all university staff. The team is responsible for the section on supporting study skills in guidance and teaching (Opiskelutaitojen tukeminen ohjauksessa ja opetuksessa).
Movi offers students support and help to speed up their studies, for example through courses in confidence in presenting and writing, and preparatory courses in foreign languages.
In the communication confidence studies, students gain positive experiences of presenting, supportive guidance and peer feedback. In the writing course, students learn to identify their own strengths and areas for development as writers and to cope with challenges related to writing, for example, at different stages of their thesis writing process. Preparatory courses in languages allow students to revise what they have already learnt and strengthen their language skills.
In cooperation with Student Life, the Academic Study Ability team organises Student’s Compass workshops related to study support and student wellbeing. The workshops have also involved campus dogs. It is also possible to meet the dogs at informal gatherings.
