WESTMINSTER

EXCHANGE

GIS
Guided Independent Study
—A Brief Guide

Edition 2, March 2010

WESTMINSTER
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GIS—Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide

A Westminster Exchange Guide

Will Whitlock and Ann Rumpus, Westminster Exchange

Edition 2, March 2010
Edition1: May 2008

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© Westminster Exchange, University of Westminster (2010)

GIS—Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide
Will C. Whitlock and Ann Rumpus
Westminster Exchange

Contents

1. What is GIS? ............................................................................................................ 1

2. What are the Purposes of GIS? ............................................................................... 2

3. Placing GIS in the Context of the Module and Course............................................. 3

4. Questions to Ask when Planning and Delivering GIS .............................................. 3

5. Further Reading ....................................................................................................... 4

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 GIS—Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide
1. What is GIS?
Guided independent study (GIS) is a highly desirable aspect of learning in all courses,
throughout their delivery; work is given to student to undertake on their own or in group,
but with structured guidance (resources may also be provided, where appropriate to the
task and level of study). Recent attention to student independent study has resulted in
the designation of certain weeks in the University calendar as primarily for GIS. The
University Calendar from 2010/11 onwards expects that GIS weeks will be included in all
courses but leaves it to the Schools to determine where within the semesters these will
fall. Course teams should use this as an opportunity to help students develop
independent learning habits and to extend their learning experiences. Course Teams are
encouraged to be imaginative in the development of GIS activities. These activities might
usefully include the following—not an exhaustive list—any of which could be included as
features throughout the learning experience of a module and course.
a. Selected extracts from texts and/or journal articles with questions to guide and
direct student engagement and outcomes.
b. A small information retrieval exercise directed to help consolidate, integrate or
induce learning. At Level 4 this might include more indication of information
sources which can be used than it would at Level 6.
c. A data analysis exercise or case study to provide practice and as a means to
facilitate critical interpretation.
d. An online short-answer quiz, which is formative and that is designed to help
students assess their learning prior to a summative assessment. Answers can be
provided, with recommendations of further texts the student can explore, or these
can be discussed in a later class.
e. Asking students to undertake an online simulation exercise, possibly in groups.
f. Independent (and safe) practical exercises in laboratory or studio for consolidation
and reflection.
g. Museum or gallery visits with directed assignments to meet specific learning
outcomes.
h. Activities to review a range of resources (library, case studies, projects,
dissertations) with a view to developing a draft project proposal.
i. Online learning activities with resources designed specifically to provide feedback
on learning.
j. Undertaking a peer assessment activity, as a group exercise, possibly online.
k. Small-group activities or action learning sets associated with consolidation, review
or revision.
l. A reflective exercise to promote self-awareness and to help the students
contribute to their Personal Development Planning (PDP) processes/portfolios.
m. A small scale project using data gathering from outside the University (but
ethically acceptable).
n. Tasking the student to reflect on their broader experience from work and life so as
to develop their own examples to underpin their theoretical understanding (and to
contribute to their PDP).
o. Making contact with an employer or using resources to analyse a particular
employment role in the context of the subject being studied.
These examples highlight the principles of GIS as a means by which students learn to
work on their own, adopt enquiry-led approaches to learning, develop their individual
learning habits and become self-aware about their learning capabilities, so that they
graduate as lifelong learners. Students are not necessarily capable in these areas when
they commence their degree studies, but through appropriate guidance they can be
encouraged to develop their abilities. Although the current University focus is on
transition at Level 4, this applies equally well at postgraduate level, where students might
need support in applying work-based experience to their learning, and studying at a
greater level of intellectual demand and autonomy.

The GIS periods in the course delivery calendar formally recognise the importance of
course teams providing structure and support to students in developing their knowledge
and their cognitive and graduate skills. However, it is essential that these GIS periods are
seen as a fundamental part of the learning strategies that support the students in
achieving the learning outcomes of their course and modules.
GIS is not simply leaving the students to work on their own in an unstructured way. Nor is
it simply an add-on to the learning experience that is unrelated to the learning outcomes
of the provision. The most effective strategy for GIS is when it is a purposeful part of the
whole course/module learning and teaching strategy so that GIS weeks are integrated
with GIS activities throughout the course/module. The most effective activities are those
that are designed to consolidate, integrate, or induce better understanding and deeper
learning.

2. What are the Purposes of GIS?

GIS can have a number of purposes—not mutually exclusive—that may be to:
• help students to understand what they are expected to learn independently
(especially at level 4);
• support reading and writing as core activities directed to information retrieval;
• enable students to uncover new knowledge and understanding, through enquiry–
led approaches;
• help students to apply concepts or theories to more practical elements of the
course;
• enable students to practice core techniques and manipulative skills central to the
discipline;
• encourage the students to draw on a wider range of sources of information;
• support students in understanding a wider range of research approaches;
• help students to integrate learning from a variety of sources and/or from a range
of modules;
• support students in applying and developing their analytical and critical review
abilities; and
• encourage reflection and a greater level of self-awareness, hence contribution to
the development of PDP and Career Management Skills.

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3. Placing GIS in the Context of the Module and Course
Course and module teams should consider how they develop their students’ capabilities
in these respects during the course and individual modules, and what learning outcomes
are being supported through GIS. It is important that students understand how GIS
relates to the rest of the module/course and how it relates to their preparation for
assessment and perhaps later modules.

Teams, in developing their approach to GIS will want to ensure that students are not
overloaded during designated GIS periods. The GIS activities should not exceed the
normal expected study time for a student on that module. The context of a course
attendance mode—full-time, part-time, September or January start, mixed mode should
be taken into account.

It must be made clear to students how GIS activities during the course and the
designated calendar periods are designed to support their learning. This maybe for
example:
• through helping them to prepare for and improve their performance in
assessments, with reference to particular assessments they will be undertaking; or
• to build on so as to develop their learning further in later parts of the module; or
• to get students to work together and so develop their group–working skills more
fully; or
• as a contribution to their CV development and future employability.
Clear guidance in what is expectedand any necessary materials and resources to
support students in their GIS activities should be identified and, ideally, provided
physically or electronically. You might well wish to provide more support and resources
at earlier levels in the course.
It is not expected that activities during the designated GIS periods should necessarily
require staff to provide individual feedback to the students on their performance—
although this might be appropriate in periods following GIS. However, generic feedback
on the outcomes of a GIS activity might be provided, on the module Blackboard site for
example or through classrooms discussions, to provide students with a means to self-
evaluate their learning. Staff will however want to build in means by which they can
monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the activities in order to inform annual
monitoring reports.

4. Questions to Ask when Planning and Delivering GIS

The foregoing will have raised many questions for course and module teams as to how
best to design their GIS approaches and activities. The following questions are provided
to help teams in their discussions on GIS, these questions are not given as imperatives
but as a tool for discovery.
a. Has the team agreed the principles and purpose of GIS in the learning and
teaching strategy?
b. Have cognate groups of courses (or Department or School) developed a set of
principles or policy on GIS?
c. Have teams (or Departments or Schools) identified good current practice that may
be used as the basis of a whole course strategy?

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 d. What learning outcomes of the course or module are you trying to develop through
GIS?
e. What are the benefits of these activities in enhancing your students’ learning
experiences?
f. Have you explained to the students how these activities will support their learning?
g. Have you considered the loading on students during the designated GIS periods?
h. What are the consequences for students who do not engage in these activities?
i. Do the GIS activities develop a greater degree of autonomy of learning as student
progress through the course?
j. Are the instructions to the students clear, and easily available?
k. Have you made these instructions available in plenty of time for students to ask
any questions they might have?
l. Are the resources the students might need readily accessible?
m. Have you built into the GIS activity sufficient reflection or feedback such that the
student can learn?
n. Have you linked GIS to PDP and Career Management Skills?
o. How does GIS support the delivery of work-integrated learning, entrepreneurialism
and employability within the curriculum?
p. Are the efforts of staff in producing these activities and maintaining the resources
worthwhile in terms of the learning support they will deliver?

5. Further Reading
• Biggs, J. (2003), Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham, SHRE:
Open University Press.
• Boud, D., ed. (1988), Developing Student Autonomy in Learning (2nd ed.).
London: Kogan Page.
• Cottrell, S. (2003), The Study Skills Handbook (2nd ed.). London: Palgrave
Macmillan.
• Habeshaw, T., Habeshaw, S. and Gibbs, G. (1997), 53 Interesting Ways of
Helping Your Students to Study (2nd ed.). Bristol: Technical and Educational
Services.
• Tait, J. and Knight, P., eds. (1996), The Management of Independent Learning.
London: Kogan Page in association with SEDA.
• Knowles, M. (1975), Selfdirected Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers.
Chicago: Follett Publishing Company.
• Northedge, A. (2005), The Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Open University.
• Race, P. (1996), Effective Learning: A Fresh look at Independent Learning,
University of Durham. city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/eff.learning/indep.html
• Rumpus, A., Whitlock, W. and Webster, J. (2009), Principles and Processes of
Curriculum Design. Edition 2, WEx Guide, University of Westminster.