Abstract
The purpose of this research is to provide baseline data concerning
the academic study needs of undergraduate students at Al Akhawayn
University in Ifrane. The Centre for Academic Development and
Study Skills (CADS) at AUI has for five semesters run an academic
preparation program of courses that teach study skills. The research
questions asked how faculty rated students' abilities in these
study skills and the importance of those skills to the courses
they teach. Also of interest was whether there were important
differences in student skills across schools. A survey was the
primary data collection tool and the main assumption underlying
the study is that academic skills can be taught and will positively
affect student academic performance. Results showed that faculty
rate students as exhibiting above average abilities in these skills
areas and that they see the skills as necessary for their courses.
Results also showed some differences across schools. An aim of
the CADS program is to coherently link the needs of future courses
of study to its academic preparation program. From this survey,
preliminary analysis of the uses and needs of study skills and
critical thinking skills across the curriculum has been done,
pointing to the need for further investigation into program specific
skills and their individual impacts on teaching and learning.
Peter
Hardcastle
Abstract
The
Center for Academic Development was started in Fall 2000 in
response to a perceived need for Al Akhawayn students to
demonstrate stronger academic skills, better problem-solving
abilities, more effective communication skills and a greater
sense of initiative. In 2001-2, a study was undertaken to
determine whether the CAD program was producing students
with stronger skills, whether there was any predictive tendency
for enhanced success in the students' major studies after
succeeding in CAD courses, and how the admission criteria at AUI
correlated with the students' further performance. The
study found that GAT (entrance test) scores were not a good
predictor of academic success, but that scores on CAD courses
correlate well with academic success. In terms of both
student and faculty perceived satisfaction with the skills
development of CAD courses, students responded more favorably,
with overall self-ratings indicating improved skills, whereas
faculty were not as positive in evaluating the students'
acquisition of the skills taught in CAD courses.
