Academic Skills Unit
ASK workshops
We offer a programme of generic skills workshops for students. MORE
Evening appointments
To make an evening (5pm-8pm) appointment, please telephone 023 9284 3028.
Friendly, professional and resourceful
ASK provides a friendly & professional service, together with a range of online & paper resources. MORE
Academic Skills Unit (ASK) Team
Meet the ASK team. MORE.
Welcome to the Academic Skills Unit (ASK) website. Our purpose is to promote the development of the academic skills and literacies that students need to be successful at university level study. We achieve this by:
- delivering individual and group teaching, and support sessions for students who present complex academic skills issues;
- working collaboratively with faculty staff in the development and delivery of programmes to support students' skills development;
- providing pedagogically informed electronic and hard copy skills resources for staff and students, and
- engaging in scholarship and research to be a current and authoritative source of information and methods for curriculum development and innovation.
We have an online, self-access study skills resource, Skills@portsmouth, which is available within your Victory homepage. You can also access a selection of handouts by clicking on Resources in the left-hand menu. Hard copies of these are available from carousels in the Nuffield Centre and the University Library. Our resources cover such areas as:
- understanding and managing independent learning, including time and task management;
- effective academic reading and note taking; effective learning from lectures;
- analytical and critical thinking; reflective thinking and writing;
- academic writing, including clarity and grammatical accuracy, cohesion and coherence, plus essay and report writing.
In addition, we run a series of skills workshops during the academic year. These need to be booked in advance by using the online booking system within the relevant workshops pages.
ASK lecturers can provide confidential 1-2-1 tutorials for students who have more complex skills needs. Please note that we cannot proof read, check or correct students' assignments and never comment on subject content.
To book onto a workshop or book an appointment you can contact ASK:
- in person, at Nuffield Centre Reception;
- by phoning (023)9284 3028, or
- by emailing academicskills@port.ac.uk
We are centrally located in the Nuffield Centre, across the road from the Students' Union building.