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Science and Engineering skills development programs
To excel in today’s competitive employment market, university graduates and researchers need to have strong communication skills. Being able to produce grammatically correct, accurate, and concise reports, papers, and presentations will serve you long after you finish your Curtin education.
Science and Engineering Literacy (SELL) development program
The SELL Development program can help improve your academic language and writing skills.
They include the SELL Diagnostic (a written diagnostic task) at the commencement of your course, the SELL program, Higher Degree by Research (HDR) SELL, SELL PLUS, and embedded unit instruction.
If you would like to know more about the communication skills programs offered in Science and Engineering, or would like to enrol in SELL, contact the team at SELL@curtin.edu.au.
The SELL Diagnostic is a simple tool that allows us to gauge your current abilities and direct you toward an English Language Development Program that can address any gaps in your knowledge and abilities. It is conducted at the start of your enrolment to highlight areas of concern before they can impact your academic studies.
You will be presented with a short paragraph of information and a related graphic or figure. Based on the content presented, you are asked to produce one to two paragraphs on the topic. Most people finish the activity in less than 30 minutes.
You do not need to study for or make any preparations before undertaking the SELL Diagnostic; rather, it is meant to capture a short sample of your current ability to organise and write.
Once you have completed the assessment, we can determine if you would benefit from a program to improve your academic language capabilities.
Science and Engineering students complete the SELL Diagnostic when they enrol in Communications units.
If you are identified as needing guidance in academic writing, you may be required to complete the SELL program as part of your Curtin education. With this program, you can feel confident in knowing you are taking an important first step in strengthening skills that will be drawn upon in almost every unit of your Curtin degree course.
Once you complete the SELL program, you will have the knowledge, the skills, and the resources to set yourself apart from other university graduates through your written and verbal professional communications.
The program consists of a series of four topics covering:
Academic writing and paragraph structure
Paraphrasing and referencing
Sentence structure, cohesion and coherence
Editing, proof-reading and correcting common errors.
The topics are delivered through two-hour workshops that are offered throughout the semester at variable times to accommodate individual timetables.
The four workshops may be completed in any order, and can be either concentrated or dispersed in a manner that complements your schedule of assessments for your coursework.
You can access the SELL workshops schedule and other resources for developing English via our Blackboard unit, SELL.
The SELL Team is here to provide the Curtin community with guided programs and support to improve their writing and literacy skills within the science and engineering disciplines. These include:
Discipline-specific workshops
Online resources for self learning through Blackboard
Embedded unit instruction, so that language and literacy development is offered within units
Personalised just-in-time support through Studiosity, a Curtin Library service accessible via Blackboard
Alongside professional knowledge and practical experience, competency in written and spoken communication has been identified in Australia as essential to future employability in the Science and Engineering fields.
All Science and Engineering students at Curtin are expected to pursue the development of their language proficiency during their studies.
Curtin is committed to providing opportunities for students to develop their English, offering tutorials and workshops each semester. The workshops are Research Writing and English Language for Science and Engineering.
These workshops will be advertised every semester and this page will be updated accordingly once this information becomes available.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering also have dedicated Faculty Librarians who specialise in science and engineering. They offer search strategy and research support, EndNote workshops and individual consultations.
You can view all workshops and register through the Library website.
STEM Study Buddies are volunteer students who can help you with your first-year science and engineering units. This program is a peer support program set up to provide you with help on some of your first-year units. All Study Buddy facilitators have excelled in the unit previously.
You can find the STEM Study Buddies timetable and session locations on the Science Students Blackboard or the Engineering Foundation Year (EFY) Blackboard Organisation. The Study Room is located in Building 204 Level 2 in the foyer (see map).
STEM Study Buddies will help you reach your full potential by:
Providing additional support in a small group
Developing your problem-solving skills
Clarifying key concepts or applications
Extending your feedback on problems or questions
Establishing good study habits and support networks
This program is not a replacement for your lectures, workshops, or tutorials. Come to your study sessions prepared with questions and / or attempted problems for help in an open, accessible environment.
Studiosity is an online writing and study skills service that is offered for first year units.
Studiosity can provide you with 24/7 access to free online personalised feedback for short writing submissions, or chat live to real advisors who are experts in their fields and have your questions answered quickly.
You can access Studiosity through your Blackboard unit.
UniPASS is a free program of study sessions designed to help you maximise your grades for demanding units, strengthen your study skills and make connections with link-minded students. UniPASS is available for selected units on campus.