Ngā rauemi: Resources

Quick Guides

Academic Writing Skills

Academic writing is a key capability you will need to develop in your tertiary studies. There are many new skills you will need to master, such as:

Here are some useful web resources that you can use: 

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Quick Guides


Basic Study Skills

Essays, Reports, Assignments

Being able to understand different assignment and assessment requirements is a key skill to achieving success in your studies. There are many types of assignments including:

Add to this range the variety of media platforms employed (like written, Google, or Microsoft applications), and you have a lot to understand.

This section will discuss the major requirements of all of these assessment types and provide some useful tips to their successful completion.


Stages of Completing an Assignment

Read the assignment question well and break it down into specific tasks or requirements.

Develop a plan for the assignment completion including milestones and dates

Make a structure from the breakdown of the thesis question and assignment requirements from Rubrik

Research your structure topics. Save excerpts of interest to a file or folder, noting sources.

Write at least one draft using structure, with references. Grammar and spell check. 

Review and Edit: Ask Learning Facilitator or Studiosity to review if needed.

Proof read: double check requirements have been met and submit.


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Quick Guides


Exams and Tests

Preparing for Exams and Tests

Preparing for and sitting exams can be a very stressful experience. Being well prepared for exams can improve your overall results dramatically. Exam proficiency is not just about how much you have learnt, but also about the discipline of being organised, using time management, having an effective strategy and prioritising your effort to those areas which will gain you the most marks in the allowable time. Here are some resources which may assist you to get the grade that you deserve.

Here are some useful tips:

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ICT resources

Getting Started

Problems logging in?

If you are having difficulties logging in, or you have forgotten your password ( you may be locked out after 3 incorrect tries) you need to contact the helplines 07 5576199 or 0800 864646 during campus hours (8:00 - 4:30). They will reset your password. If you are on campus, your teacher, library staff, or Learning Facilitators will be able to help you. For other IT related FAQs visit our website.

Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a suite of Google software applications for your use in education. Some Toi Ohomai courses are built around the Classroom application, which is fully compatible with the full suite of Google educational software, including Docs, Slides, Meet, Sheets, Slides, Sites, YouTube, Drive and others. The following resources are useful for training new users about how to get the most out of these applications. 

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a suite of office applications, used in education and business environments. It includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams, Outlook, One Note, One Drive, and many others. The following resources will provide you with all you need to get the most out of this software and provide you with a sound ICT skillset, that will serve you well into the future.

Moodle

Moodle is a Learning Management System used in many of our courses at Toi Ohomai. It provides educational resources, forums, quizzes, and grading facilities. It is the backbone of our educational system. Here is a practice Moodle course for beginners.

Moodle Get Started course - How to use Moodle, Turnitin, Quizzes ... (Login required)

Moodle App (free download from your app store) 

Moodle App is a convenient app designed for mobile devices, to enable you to access your Moodle courses wherever you might be. Just download the free app and log in to your Toi account.

Turnitin

This is a plagiarism checker application that enables teachers to compare your work with millions of other academic works, to determine its authenticity. You can make a practice submission to Moodle Get Started (self-enrolled course) to familiarise yourself with the process,  that is:


Math Skills

There are very few professions that do not require some proficiency in mathematics. In this section, we have gathered together some of the best online math resources available, from beginner through to University level. These are designed to support classroom learning and to bridge gaps in students' knowledge when returning to tertiary studies. 

Subject areas include:

Web Sites


Research & Referencing

See a Faculty Librarian for research and referencing assistance. 

Faculty Librarians are specialists in researching and APA 7 referencing. For information about how you can contact a Faculty Librarian visit this weblink. Appointments can also be made through the Help Desk.

Searching the Library Database

The Toi Ohomai Library searching tool is called Koha and can be accessed from many of the Institute's portals.

Here is a direct link.  https://toiohomai.mykoha.co.nz/ 

There is also a set of help guides for using Koha which may be useful.

https://toiohomai.libguides.com/c.php?g=849394 

The library has a number of electronic resources that can be accessed via the Koha search engine. These can also be accessed directly through the library Databases.



Evaluating Resources

Being able to evaluate resources is an important skill as a researcher. The value of your research is highly dependent on the quality of the resources you can discover. Academic research usually requires resources that have been peer-reviewed. Sources that are not peer-reviewed can also be valuable but must be used with discretion, understanding how to ascertain their credibility and therefore their value as a resource.


Incorporating Academic Sources into Your Writing

Once you have found the information you need for your writing, you need to recognise the authors in your work. This is attribution, more commonly called referencing, and formal processes have been established to do this correctly. At Toi Ohomai we use APA 7th Edition to do this. Whether the work is incorporated as a direct quote, paraphrased or summarised, or even your own work, by following the correct process, you will avoid plagiarism and enable readers of your work to locate the sources of your information. Referencing is, in effect, what differentiates academic writing from other writing. The Toi Ohomai resources listed above will provide all the information you need to reference your work correctly using APA 7. It is a complex process and it is worthwhile to spend some time to become familiar with it, particularly if you intend to seek higher qualifications. The following resources will also be useful.

Web Sites

Videos

Quick Guides

Academic Integrity and the Use of Artificial Intelligence

Toi Ohomai's Policy about Academic Integrity and the Use of Artificial Intelligence

Academic integrity is making sure that all work that you submit for assessment is your own. Experts, other students, whanau, or friends may advise you, but cannot complete your work in full or in part. Today, there are many resources available online that subvert student academic integrity by offering, usually for a fee, to create assessments on your behalf. The Toi Ohomai policy around this is clear. All work that students submit for assessment must be wholly created by themselves, with the exception of properly attributed and referenced materials from other authors (see APA 7 Referencing guides and resources in this section). 

The Artificial Intelligence policy for Toi Ohomai Te Pukenga is linked below. Where generative AI has been used it must be paraphrased and/or referenced. The Turnitin academic integrity tool will detect the presence of generative AI and notify your kaiako.


Karakia & Waiata Booklet

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2024 Wall Planner

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