Academic Advice in Arts & Humanities
Undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate taught (PGT) students in Arts & Humanities can make an appointment or come to a class with the Effective Learning Adviser (or one of her Graduate Teaching Assistants) to talk about anything related to your academic work. Common topics include:
- academic writing (essays, dissertations, research proposals)
- argumentation
- engagement with literature, referencing and using/critiquing sources
- time and project management
- effective, evidence-based study and revision methods
We can advise you on current unmarked work or past assignments, including helping you in how you:
- interpret the question
- think about your argument
- plan your essay
- research and use your sources
- write and edit your work
- apply feedback
We can advise you within the context of your subject, but are unable to advise on specific content. Similarly, we encourage your ability to edit and assess your work and, therefore, cannot offer proof reading.
If you are a Postgraduate Research student (PGR), you can seek academic advice and support through the Researcher Developer team.
Dr Robyne Calvert
Effective Learning Adviser for the College of Arts & Humanities
Class Timetables
Summer Classes (June-August)
Dissertation Classes: Arts & SocSci PGT (In-person)
This course walks you through the process of writing a dissertation for the Arts & Humanities or the Social Sciences. This is aimed at PGT, but all students are welcome. This course meets in person in June, then repeats online in July.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) -https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10313
| Date | Time | Class | Class Description | Location |
| Monday 9th June | 11:00-12:00 | Succeding in Your Dissertation | This class introduces advanced academic research and writing approaches and tools to get you started on a successful dissertation project. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Friday 13th June | 11:00-12:00 | Organising Your Research | This class discusses how to work with sources for your research. It outlines different strategies to scope, critically review and map the literature or data relating to your research question. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Monday 16th June | 11:00-12:00 | Writing Your Literature Review | This class focuses on the literature review: what is it and what purpose serves in your dissertation. It also discusses how your literature review should link to your methodology. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Friday 20th June | 11:00-12:00 | Using Theory and Writing About Methodology | This class discusses what is a methodology, the difference between methodology and methods, how to justify your methodological approach and using theory as a methodological tool. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Monday 23rd June | 11:00-12:00 | Developing Your Dissertation's Argument | This class explains how to construct a convincing argument that successfully answers your research question. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Friday 27th June | 11:00-12:00 | Your Dissertation's Structure | This class explores how to link the different chapters of your dissertation together to ensure your thesis is coherent and cohesive. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Monday 30th June | 11:00-12:00 | Editing Your Dissertation | This class discusses how to effectively edit and proofread your dissertation, with tips on how to prepare the dissertation document for submission. | Davidson Building 208 |
| Friday 4th July | 11:00-12:00 | Referencing and Academic Integrity | This class introduces the principles of academic integrity and discusses how to properly reference your dissertation so that it adheres to these principles. | Davidson Building 208 |
Dissertation Classes: Arts & SocSci PGT (Online)
This course walks you through the process of writing a dissertation for the Arts & Humanities or the Social Sciences. This is aimed at PGT, but all students are welcome. This course meets in person in June, then repeats online in July.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) -https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10313
| Monday 7th July | 13:00-14:00 | Succeeding in Your Dissertation | This class introduces advanced academic research and writing approaches and tools to get you started on a successful dissertation project. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Tuesday 8th July | 13:00-14:00 | Organising Your Research | This class discusses how to work with sources for your research. It outlines different strategies to scope, critically review and map the literature or data relating to your research question. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Wednesday 9th July | 13:00-14:00 | Writing Your Literature Review | This class focuses on the literature review: what is it and what purpose serves in your dissertation. It also discusses how your literature review should link to your methodology. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Thursday 10th July | 13:00-14:00 | Using Theory and Writing About Methodology | This class discusses what is a methodology, the difference between methodology and methods, how to justify your methodological approach and using theory as a methodological tool. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Friday 11th July | 13:00-14:00 | Developing Your Dissertation's Argument | This class explains how to construct a convincing argument that successfully answers your research question. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Monday 14th July | 13:00-14:00 | Your Dissertation's Structure | This class explores how to link the different chapters of your dissertation together to ensure your thesis is coherent and cohesive. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Tuesday 15th July | 13:00-14:00 | Editing Your Dissertation | This class discusses how to effectively edit and proofread your dissertation, with tips on how to prepare the dissertation document for submission. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Wednesday 16th July | 13:00-14:00 | Referencing and Academic Integrity | This class introduces the principles of academic integrity and discusses how to properly reference your dissertation so that it adheres to these principles. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
Dissertation Writing Incubators (Hybrid)
Writing incubators provide a space for students to come together and work with members of the SLD's Peer Learning Team. We will divide our time between work (you choose what work you do, e.g. writing a section in your dissertation), and a break that provides space for you to ask questions about dissertations to SLD's Peer Learning Team.
Dissertation Writing for International Students (In-person)
This particular course will be led by the team of Effective Learning Advisers for International Students.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=15181
| Date | Time | Class | Class Description | Location |
| Tuesday 24th June | 11:00-12:00 | Reading for your Dissertation | This class explores strategies for selecting and completing reading for your dissertation. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Wednesday 25th June | 11:00-12:00 | Being Critical of Literature | This class discusses how to write about academic literature in a critical and analytical way in your literature review. | Davidson Building, 208: Mian Lecture Theatre |
| Tuesday 1st July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing about Methodology | This class discusses how efffectively to plan and write the methods/methodology section in your dissertation. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Wednesday 2nd July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing about Data and Findings | This class discusses writing about data and findings in your dissertation and osme elements of presenting data in graphs and figures. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Tuesday 8th July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing a Discussion Chapter | This class explores the aims and writing of the discussion section/analytical sections in your dissertation. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Wednesday 9th July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing an Introduction Chapter | This class discusses dissertation introductions, including the aims, what to include, and what academic markers will expect. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Tuesday 15th July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing a Conclusion Chapter | This class explores dissertation conclusions, including the aims, what to include, and what academic markers will expect. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
| Wednesday 16th July | 11:00-12:00 | Writing a Dissertation Abstract | This class discusses dissertation abstracts, including the aims, what to include, and what academic markers will expect. | Davidson Building, 208: Main Lecture Theatre |
Dissertation Peer Workshops for International Students (Hybrid)
This particular course will be led by the team of Effective Learning Advisers for International Students.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=15181
| Date | Time | Class Description | Location |
| Wednesday 25th June | 15:00-16:00 | In this session you will be able to discuss criticality, what it means to approach reading critically, and practice doing so with the help of a facilitator. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Thursday 26th June | 15:00-16:00 | In this session you will be able to discuss criticality, what it means to approach reading critically, and practice doing so with the help of a facilitator. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Wednesday 2nd July | 15:00-16:00 | This session offers you a space to reflect with your peers on what makes good/bad methodology, techniques on how to choose the right one for your project, and how to write about it in your dissertation. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Thursday 3rd July | 15:00-16:00 | This session offers you a space to reflect with your peers on what makes good/bad methodology, techniques on how to choose the right one for your project, and how to write about it in your dissertation. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Wednesday 9th July | 15:00-16:00 | Dissertations have a range of different chapter types. Discuss and engage in facilitated activities with your peers to learn more about the demands of each of these kinds and how to approach writing them. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Thursday 10th July | 15:00-16:00 | Dissertations have a range of different chapter types. Discuss and engage in facilitated activities with your peers to learn more about the demands of each of these kinds and how to approach writing them. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Wednesday 16th July | 15:00-16:00 | In this session you will think collaboratively about the work that introductions and conclusoin are supposed to do in the dissertation, and consider strategies to write them. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
| Thursday 17th July | 15:00-16:00 | In this session you will think collaboratively about the work that introductions and conclusoin are supposed to do in the dissertation, and consider strategies to write them. | McMillan Reading Room, 305 and online (click here to join on Zoom) |
Dissertation Writing Skills (Online)
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=15181
| Date | Time | Class | Class Description | Location |
| Tuesday 10th June | 14:00-15:00 | Progressing in Academic Writing at UofG: Writing your Dissertation | This session supports students in developing the academic writing skills and confidence needed to plan, structure, and begin their dissertation at the University of Glasgow. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Tuesday 17th June | 11:00-12:00 | Demonstrating Authority in Dissertation Writing | This session explores why and how to demonstrate authority and credibility in your work to produce a convincing dissertation | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Thursday 19th June | 10:00-11:00 | Back It Up: Incorporating Evidence in your Dissertation | This session will provide you with practical tools to effectively integrate evidence in your dissertation, strengthening your argumentation and analytical skills. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
| Tuesday 22nd July | 11:00-12:00 | Turning your Master's Dissertation into a Publication | In this session, explore how to turn your Master's dissertation into a publishable output, such as an academic article, with practical advice on choosing what and where to publish, navigating the publication process, co-authorship, and peer review. | Online (click here to join the Zoom) |
Introduction to Statistics (for any UofG Student) (In-person)
This particular course will be led by the Maths and the Statistics Advisers.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=19841
| Date & Time | Title | Description | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 4th Jun 12:00 - 13:00 |
Maths for Stats Workshops: Understanding Formulae |
These two workshops are designed as a reminder of the essential maths skills needed for statistics, and are aimed at students who have encountered little or no maths in their degree so far. This session will cover common mathematical notation, rearranging equations and the types of mathematical relationship you will need to be familiar with (e.g. linear, exponential). |
St Andrews Building 230 |
|
Thu 5th Jun |
Introduction to R | This first of six session introduces some of the basic functionality of R Studio. Bring your laptop with you to follow along! We will become comfortable with R Studio and use it to create impactful graphs and predictive models. This series is for any student who will be working with data as part of their assignments, project, or dissertation. It will cover some fundamental concepts in statistics as well as how to use R Studio, a widely used statistical environment, to perform and present analyses. | St Andrews Building 432 |
| Wed 11th Jun 12:00 - 13:00 |
Maths for Stats Workshop: What is Probability? |
These two workshops are designed as a reminder of the essential maths skills needed for statistics, and are aimed at students who have encountered little or no maths in their degree so far. This session will cover the basics of probability, introducing how we think about it mathematically and how this relates to real life. |
St Andrews Building 230 |
| Thu 12th Jun 12:00 - 13:00 |
Descriptive Statistics | This second of six sessions covers measures of central tendencies, dispersion, and position. Here we will be able to address the question "When is it better to use the median instead of the mean?" | St Andrews Building 432 |
| Thu 19th Jun 12:00 - 13:00 |
Probability | To certainly give students a better chance of answering the question "how likely was that?", our third of six sessions covers the basic rules of probability, as well as both discrete and continuous probability distributions | St Andrews Building 432 |
| Thu 26th Jun 12:00 - 13:00 |
Hypothesis Testing | This fourth of six sessions will cover hypothesis testing, which is used to draw conclusions about a whole population from a sample of data, e.g. how can news outlets call an election with only a fraction of the votes tallied? We will discuss how to choose the null and alternative hypothesis, and which distributions to use. | St Andrews Building 432 |
| Thu 3rd Jul 12:00 - 13:00 |
Simple and Multiple Linear Regression | This fifth of six sessions will discuss the relationship, or more precisely the correlation, between variables, and how to describe these relationships using simple and multiple linear regression. We will use R to generate a best fit line to pairwise ordered data, and then also generate a more complex linear model. | St Andrews Building 432 |
| Thu 10th Jul 12:00 - 13:00 |
Logistic Regression | Does the amount of time a student spends studying increase the probability of passing their course, and if so, what’s my probability of passing if I spend x hours studying? This last of six sessions will show how this can be answered using logistic regression, and how this can be implemented in R. | St Andrews Building 432 |
Pre-recorded Classes and Online Materials
These classes offer a mix of online materials and resources you can work through at your own pace. Some are classes held in the previous semester. All contain useful resources, including some recordings of past live classes. Check back regularly for updates.
Advanced Criticality
This course covers what do we mean by being critical in your academic work, a key skill in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences. The course introduces you to the key strategies to becoming a critical reader and writer. This course will run twice in Semester 1.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=24318
| Date | Time | Class | Class Description | Room No. (in-person class)/ Zoom Link (online class) |
| Tuesday 15th October | 13:00-14:00 | Critical Research as a Process | This class discusses defining the scope of your research question, critically reviewing your reading, and synthesising your research. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
| Wednesday 16th October | 13:00-14:00 | Using Evidence in Your Writing | This class explains the purpose of evidence and how to employ it in your assignments. | Adam Smith Building: 587 |
| Tuesday 22nd October | 13:00-14:00 | Using Theory in Your Assignments | This class focuses on the purpose of theory in the Arts & Humanities and the Social Sciences, and how to use it in your writing. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
| Wednesday 23rd October | 13:00-14:00 | Building Arguments I | This class discusses what is argumentation, its purpose in academia, and what are some of its defining elements. | Adam Smith Building: 587 |
| Tuesday 29th October | 13:00-14:00 | Building Arguments II | This class explores the different levels of argumentation in written assignments and how to build a coherent and cohesive argumentative piece of writing. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
| Tuesday 5th November | 13:00-14:00 | Critical Research as a Process (repeat) | This class discusses defining the scope of your research question, critically reviewing your reading, and synthesising your research. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
| Wednesday 6th November | 13:00-14:00 | Using Evidence in Your Writing (repeat) | This class explains the purpose of evidence and how to employ it in your assignments. | Adam Smith Building: 587 |
| Tuesday 12th November | 13:00-14:00 | Using Theory in Your Assignments (repeat) | This class focuses on the purpose of theory in the Arts & Humanities and the Social Sciences, and how to use it in your writing. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
| Wednesday 13th November | 13:00-14:00 | Building Arguments I (repeat) | This class discusses what is argumentation, its purpose in academia, and what are some of its defining elements. | Adam Smith Building: 587 |
| Tuesday 19th November | 13:00-14:00 | Building Arguments II (repeat) | This class explores the different levels of argumentation in written assignments and how to build a coherent and cohesive argumentative piece of writing. | 42 Bute Gardens: 916 LT |
Essay Writing
Our Essay Writing course is designed to give you a step-by-step guide on how to write a successful essay in the Social Sciences or the Arts & Humanities. This course will run once in Semester 1 and again in Semester 2.
> Moodle page for this series (includes slides and any recordings) https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10314
| Date | Time | Class | Class Description | Location |
| Thursday 23rd January | 12:00-13:00 | ILOs & Essay Questions | This class covers the importance of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and how to deconstruct and interpret essay questions. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 30th January | 12:00-13:00 | Researching your Essay | This class focuses on how to identify and review academic literature for your essay. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 6th February | 12:00-13:00 | Planning your Essay | This class explores how to create an effective plan to write your essay assignments successfully. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 13th February | 12:00-13:00 | Argumentation | This class discusses what we understand by an argument, what are its main distinctive features. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 20th February | 12:00-13:00 | Structuring your Essay | This class explores different ways to structure your essay to make sure it is organised around a central and coherent argument. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 27th February | 12:00-13:00 | Referencing | This class discusses why we reference in academia and how to reference your essay adequately. | 109 Molema Building |
| Thursday 6th March | 12:00-13:00 | Editing your Essay | This class focuses on the editorial process: how to go from a first draft to the final submission. | 109 Molema Building |
| Monday 10th March | 15:00-16:00 | ILOs & Essay Questions | This class covers the importance of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and how to deconstruct and interpret essay questions. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
| Tuesday 11th March | 15:00-16:00 | Researching your Essay | This class focuses on how to identify and review academic literature for your essay. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
| 15:00-16:00 | Planning your Essay | This class explores how to create an effective plan to write your essay assignments successfully. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
|
| Tursday 13th March | 15:00-16:00 | Argumentation | This class discusses what we understand by an argument, what are its main distinctive features. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
| Monday 17th March | 15:00-16:00 | Structuring your Essay | This class explores different ways to structure your essay to make sure it is organised around a central and coherent argument. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
| Tuesday 18th March | 15:00-16:00 | Referencing | This class discusses why we reference in academia and how to reference your essay adequately. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
| Wednesday 19th March | 15:00-16:00 | Editing your Essay | This class focuses on the editorial process: how to go from a first draft to the final submission. | Online (check SLD website for joining link closer to the time) |
Mastering Academic Writing
> Moodle page for this series - https://moodle.gla.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=12516
Our Mastering Academic Writing course consists of a series of resources and recorded lectures for those wanting to fine-tune their writing skills to an advanced level.
| Session Title |
| Explaining Yourself in Writing |
| Grammar in Writing |
| Sentence Structure in Writing |
| Logic and Flow in Writing |
| Formality in Writing |
Appointments
Undergraduate and PGT students can make an appointment with one of the advising team (GUID required). The booking diary shows appointments available in the next 21 days only.
All appointments will take place online.
Dr Robyne Calvert
Robyne Calvert is the Effective Learning Adviser for the College of Arts and Humanities. Robyne has a PhD in the History of Art, and has researched and lectured in art, architecture and design history and theory at the University of Glasgow and The Glasgow School of Art for over a decade. She has supervised many UG and PGT dissertations, and has also been a primary PhD supervisor.
Teaching Requests
Robyne is keen to develop teaching collaborations across all courses in Arts & Humanities. To find out what teaching she can offer on your course, get in touch by email.
Research and Teaching
As a Cultural Historian, Robyne's research and teaching interests span a wide range of topics, including: art, architecture, design, fashion, heritage and museum studies, digital and material culture, critical and creative writing, and academic literacies. She received a Pasold Fund PhD bursary for her thesis 'Fashioning the Artist: Artistic Dress in Victorian Britain, 1848-1900' (University of Glasgow, 2012). She is an active public historian, has been an expert on BBC radio, television, and STV programmes, and most recently has been featured on the National Trust for Scotland’s 'Love Scotland' podcast with Jackie Bird. Her monograph, 'The Mack: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and The Glasgow School of Art' (Yale University Press, 2024), won the Society of Architectural Historians GB Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion for an 'outstanding contribution to the study or knowledge of architectural history'.
Staff A-Z entry and publications
Room 316
McMillan Reading Room
University Avenue
University of Glasgow
G12 8QQ