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What do users say?

Unsolicited Comments:

“I have been using the Study Skills Handbook for many years and find it of great value to the students and staff. It allows our Pastoral Care/Wellbeing coordinator to plan their annual program by utilising the variety of areas/modules found within the site.” Principal, Peninsula International School Australia, Malaysia

“The Handbook has been a great success.”  Head of Faculty-Exceptional Learners, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, QLD

“I have added links inside our MOODLE in the revision centre for each year level with the automated access, great idea. Fab resource.” Head Of Faculty – ICT, St. Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace

“Many thanks for a great product.” Director of Teaching and Learning, St Edmund’s College, Manuka, ACT

“I did receive the latest package thanks and the handbook continues to look fantastic.”Head of Senior School, Penrhos College, WA

“The sample newsletter items are excellent. I have been using them regularly. We have a newsletter going out next week with a deadline of Monday afternoon. Do you have the Skills Tip for November in advance I can use? Feedback on these have been fantastic. Thankyou.” Handbook Coordinator, St Greg’s College, Campbelltown, NSW

“I have been surfing around the handbook and it is really wonderful. I am sure that our students will get a lot out of it.”
Head Teacher, Teaching and Learning, Moorebank High School, NSW

“Thanks for the information, updates and ongoing communication. We look forward to using the program quite extensively this year.” Director of Special Education, Methodist Ladies’ College, Kew, VIC

“Thanks for helping out our students. Your product and your services are exemplary!”
Coordinator Digital Learning in Distance Education, CLI Strathfield

“Can I just say thank you for the monthly emails and newsletter ideas. Much appreciated and always used by us.”
Deputy Principal, QLD Academy for Science, Maths, Technology.

“The ELES Study Skills Handbook is such a great resource and plays a growing part in our school community. I think it is a great idea to include our password in next year’s diary – the suggestions for our diary were most helpful. Thanks for the great service.” Teacher , Duncraig Senior High School WA

Comments from Parents and Students using the site (usually after they have had a question answered):

– “I like its ability to give guidance to me – a student that used to use the most ineffective study techniques and my results just frustrated me and made me feel dumb. Fav sections are: organisation, summarising, learning techniques and mathematics (my rank went from 52nd in the year to 4th!!!!!!!!)”

– “Thank you sooooooooooo much! You actually looked at my notes thoroughly and your feedback was amazing and much appreciated. Honestly thank you so much! That really did help, and if it weren’t for you I’d probably still be doing nothing until the exams! ”

– “Keep doing what you’re doing because you help all us lost teenagers!”

– “HI I LOV UR WEB SITE LOL”

– “Hey, you guys are great help! Thank you very much for all the tips and guides you provide us.”

– “Thanks so much for your detailed reply; you are clearly a dedicated educator.”

– “The multimedia interactions are very amusing and informational.”

– “Thank you very much – Your advice is great and I will definitely practice the effective note taking. The Study Skills Handbook was a life saver in high school!”

– “Thanks- I’m really enjoying and learning a lot from the website! :).”

Comments from past evaluations:

Arthur Phillip High School
USE: encourage students to use at home
Show students skill on digital projector and have them work on it at home note deficiency in skill, check what SSH has to offer, then refer students- if it’s critical, work through with students as class group to make sure they GET it!
LIKEMOST: easy navigation, variety of tasks, chunking of ideas/skills, sequence is logical progression
MOSTUSEFUL: Organisation, summarizing, importance of notemaking
NEWSLETTER: It’s a reminder, we keep a set of flyers handy for new enrolments and parents when they pop in.

Broughton Anglican College
USE: All of these ways
LIKEMOST: So much detail and allows students to follow their interest/needs.
MOSTUSEFUL: Mixture but probably the games and encouragers mixed with the info.
SUGGESTIONS: It really works very well in a very diverse area for all learning styles.

Chisholm Catholic College W.A.
USE: We place an edited version of the monthly newsletter item into the School newsletter which is aimed at parents. The intention is for students to work through the units with their parents. Placed on school intranet. Students encouraged to use at home through regular notices in school newsletter & supplied study tips.
LIKEMOST: Easily accessible from school & home; easy to navigate.
MOSTUSEFUL: Organisation of units.

Geraldton Grammar School
USE: This year we trialed the use of the resource with our year 12 cohort. We have used it by taking students to computer labs and working through sections as a class. Students have also been able to access from home.
LIKEMOST: I like the way it is laid out. The connections between sections are easy to see and navigate. The games/puzzles are also popular.
MOSTUSEFUL: The preparation for exams seems to be the most popular with students. I think that the setting up for study and ignoring distractions will be useful for our middle school students.
MODULE: I like the idea of students being able to go where they feel they need to. I think this is the strength of online resources.

Helena College
USE: Currently it’s left to students to use in private study (years 11-12) and at home but next year it will form part of a more structured info skills program in years 7 and 8 particularly.
LIKEMOST: Students can work at own pace and for their own targeted areas where they need extra assistance.
MOSTUSEFUL: The fact that it’s online and interactive.

Hills International College
LIKEMOST: It’s actually very clearly structured, and reasonably ‘punchy’. I particularly like the ‘extras’ which make the whole site seem less academic and more accessible.
MOSTUSEFUL: The easy breakdown of sections for each area/question is really useful, so that students are not wading through content they don’t want/need at any given time. This allows them to choose the content they need, when they need it.

Katanning Senior High School
USE: So far, we have introduced all year 10’s to the handbook through English classes at school. Some classes have been required to complete topics at home. Others just encouraged to. Haven’t been printing off worksheets.
LIKEMOST: Flexibility – easy to find something relevant and useful to every child.
MOSTUSEFUL: Audio and video links.

Macarthur Anglican School
LIKEMOST: The clear communication methods used and interactive nature of the handbook. It’s all fantastic.

Mater Dei College
LIKEMOST: Provides useful tips that I can use both in formal class settings and as input to the community as part of my weekly “Learning Matters” column in the College Newsletter.
MOSTUSEFUL: The goal setting and general study skills have been of most use to our Year 12 students.
MODULE: My first impressions are that the general browsing model currently in use is very suitable as it allows students to be self-paced from home. It does not stop me from specifying certain sections at certain times as part of class instruction.

Marcellin College Randwick
USE: It is generally left to parents and students to access at their leisure. There is talk of devoting some ‘pastoral time’ to adopt a more consistent approach next year.
LIKEMOST: Variety and depth of treatment – suits most learners and parents.

Moorebank High School
USE: It forms the basis for the Year 8 “Becoming an Achiever” course. This course was delivered during roll call (20 mins each morning, 10 mins on Tuesdays). This has proven to not be the best way to deliver this course and so, for next year, Year 8 have been allocated 2 periods per cycle (1 period each week) for study skills. The handbook will continue to be the basis of the course. Our school diary (the Learning Curve diary) supplements and partners your handbook. “Becoming an Achiever” builds on the Year 7 course “Skills for Success”.
LIKEMOST: It is self directed. It covers a wide range of topic areas. It offers students a variety of methods of engagement. It uses age and interest appropriate language and examples.
MOSTUSEFUL: The most useful sections are all the practical, easily implemented tips that appear throughout the handbook – things that the Year 8 students can take on board with the minimum of effort and see an impact almost immediately.

Queensland Academy for Science Math and Technology
USE: We used it as a semester program – one session a week and followed it up with reflective journals before and after exams. They worked in small classes and as a large lecture group. Some areas were supported by guest lectures from our student services team.
LIKEMOST: As a teacher I could track what the students were doing. Although the handbook is really structured for State curriculum most areas supported what the students need for International Baccalaureate.
MOSTUSEFUL: Study habits and notetaking were particularly useful. Parts of the exam preparation were good.
MODULE: Thank you for developing the area to locate passwords! We tracked student usage because we linked it to outcomes.

Smith’s Hill High School
USE: updates in each newsletter, Counselor referrals for struggling students.
LIKEMOST: funky up-to-date nature, constant updates
MOSTUSEFUL: trackability, segmentation, areas of concern can be addressed specifically
USE: All teachers have access to it. We get Prue to come and do sessions with all 7, 10, 11 and 12 students. It is promoted heavily in fortnightly newsletters. Links to it are on the school website.
LIKEMOST: Students can track progress, different things are added regularly.
MOSTUSEFUL: Different things for different students – helping them get organised is big, though.

St. Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace Brisbane
USE: We use the handbook in a variety of ways. We have a link to it on our school website; have links to it via our school intranet; refer to it in our newsletter; refer to it in year level assemblies; use study tips in the newsletter; inform parents at information and orientation evenings; use as a class activity for learning support classes; use as tutoring tool in study skills sessions.
LIKEMOST: Information is presented in a variety of formats and therefore caters for all learning styles. The topics are relevant and student friendly. The access from home and school is most important. It also gives parents ideas and strategies of how they can support their sons/daughters in a constructive way re studying.
MOSTUSEFUL: The new modules look to be a great idea. The access to relevant, specific information is very important. I think the students are enjoying the interactive aspects.

St Gregory’s College Campbelltown
USE: We’re still developing ways to use the handbook. We publicise the handbook in the Homework guidelines in the student diary. Recently Prue has worked with Year Coords to find ways to integrate study skills / time management into Pastoral Care programmes.
LIKEMOST: The way it caters for a variety of learning styles. Excellent sheets that can be printed. For a busy Year Coord, this could be a ‘one-stop shop’. Visually very appealing. Lots of effective tips and guides.
MOSTUSEFUL: The bits dealing with HOW students can revise.
SUGGESTIONS: I really think it’s a remarkable resource and most bases are covered.

St John Bosco College, Engadine
USE: Encourage them to use at home, encourage teachers to use with students. Advertise in diary and newsletters.
LIKEMOST: Well structured and easy to navigate, not cluttered. Tracking system is a great idea. Multimodal and interactive, written, audio, quizzes, etc to keep kids interested. Always new things and responses to queries.
NEWSLETTER: Definitely it’s great.
LINK: On the student’s personal internet desktop.

The Scots College
USE: We use selected sheets as part of the tutor group programme (pastoral care), twice a week in Term 1. Then we encourage the students to use the online version when special times of research/exams are coming up.
LIKEMOST: Quick, punchy lessons. Not necessary to have loads of resources. Can do a unit in 20-30 minutes
MOSTUSEFUL: It varies with each year group and at what stage of the year they are at. The exam tips and memory aids are good. Concrete exercises to improve these are great.

The SCOTS PGC College
USE: Pastoral Care time and home use
LIKEMOST: User friendly and electronic that is accessible at home to all our students

St Stephens School Duncraig
USE: Used as a resource that families and students are referred to. Learning areas particularly like the learning area specific parts of the site.
LIKEMOST: Ability to use it at school as well as home and learning area specific parts.
MOSTUSEFUL: Different for each student.

Sydney Distance Education High School
USE: Students access at home or at their home school.
LIKEMOST: That students can use worksheets and track progress.
MOSTUSEFUL: Everything! Especially that they can enhance skills in the areas of Reading, Maths, presentation, Research and Foreign Language.

Toongabbie Christian School
USE: All classes in the school in year groups have been allocated units. Yr 7 does first section, yr 8 does second yr 9 and 10 do it in electives and yr 11 do the last section. Complete the set units allocated by your coordinator over the year. You will need to map out when your classes need to complete set units. All units allocated must be completed by the end of the year.
LIKEMOST: the interactive nature of it, the students generally have a look at everything

Waverley College
USE: The handbook has been placed as a link on the homepage of the College website and the intranet. Students, teachers and parents can access this site easily. The site is promoted at all Parent Information evenings and highlighted regularly in the College newsletter. In the first year of use students are encouraged to use the site and some teachers use information from the site to incorporate in their lessons.
LIKEMOST: Easily accessible and user friendly. The units of work can be directed to different age groups.
MOSTUSEFUL: As our boys are not good organisers anything that is about organisation including planners etc has been helpful. Also the information on how to make study notes.

York District High School
USE:
1. Encourage students to use at home. Specific units are suggested.
2. Specific units are specified for students to complete during Form classes.
3. Study Skills is a focus of Form Teacher programs for the year and classes rotate through our IT rooms and labs to complete.
LIKEMOST:
1. Ease of access.
2. Student monitoring.
3. Content and mode of delivery – IT focus.
4. Newsletter and regular product information updates.