Workshops and events

We offer a wide range of workshops and special events to help you reach your full potential.

Semester 2 workshops and events

All Oxford Brookes University students can benefit from the range of workshops and special events listed below. There are some that are in-person on-campus, but many are on Zoom so that you can access the session from wherever you happen to be.

Below is a timetable for what we are expecting to offer in Semester 2. Please check back at the beginning of semester to book your place.

How to access our online workshops

If you have never used your student ID to access Zoom before, please register for a free account before registering for any of our online sessions using your student number and normal password at the link below.

Once you have done this, you should then be able to register for online events and attend our online sessions using the links in the workshop descripriptions below. For further advice on signing into Zoom, downloading the Zoom app, and ensuring that you are always signed in with your Brookes ID, please see the page below.

Our Semester 2 workshops in calendar view

Semester 2 maths and statistics workshops

Thinking statistically: Tuesday 11 February at 12.00pm & Thursday 20 February at 12.00pm (booking opens 17 January)

This session will briefly introduce the different areas (descriptive, inferential) and vocabulary related to statistics. By the end of the session you will be able to:

demonstrate a useful understanding of statistical vocabulary
recognise when it is appropriate to use statistics
describe the different areas of statistics
evaluate when the different areas of statistics are relevant.

Using Excel for data analysis: Friday 14 February, 12.00-2.00pm (Headington Campus - booking opens 17 January)

Designed for students at any level including beginners, this interactive session will introduce you to the essential tools and techniques to navigate and utilise Excel for your research. We will review how to create and format spreadsheets, use basic formulae and functions, and analyse data effectively. We will work through practical exercises together and by the end of the session, you will have built your confidence in using Excel, working with data and finding further resources to keep building your skills.

Using SPSS for data analysis: Monday 17 February, 12.00-2.00pm (Headington Campus - booking opens 17 January)

This hands-on practical SPSS Workshop will help you to get started with quantitative data analysis in this software. In this session, you’ll learn to navigate the SPSS interface, input and format data efficiently, and perform descriptive data analysis to summarize key statistics as well as discover how to create graphs and charts to effectively present your findings. This session is designed for beginners and offers practical skills to enhance your research projects, dissertations and coursework.

Getting Started with a dataset: Monday 24 February, 12:00-1.30pm (booking opens 17 January)

This workshop is designed to assist students who have a set of collected data and are unsure where to begin. We will briefly define the different areas and types of statistics before discussing how to approach a dataset. We will focus on two main points - understanding the data you have and defining what you want you want to investigate. We will use a mock dataset to put this knowledge into context. By the end of this session you will be able to:

recognise when it is appropriate to use different areas of statistics
demonstrate some practical skills that can be applied to any dataset, e.g. graphs
evaluate and manipulate a dataset
understand how to develop a strategy to analyse a dataset.

SPSS Training on Moodle

This online course takes you through downloading and setting the software up and then using it for data organisation, presentation and analysis. It is a course you can enrol on yourself via Moodle but there are no assignments or assessments. Its purpose is to support you in using SPSS for your work.

Enrol on SPSS Moodle course

Semester 2 Study Smart: The weekly drop-in for developing research and writing skills

Every Wednesday from 29 January to 9 April and 30 April (Think Tank - Headington Campus)

In semester time, there is a weekly drop-in service where you can turn up at any time between 12.30 and 3.00pm and get expert advice on any aspect of your studies. It may be that you want to organise files on your computer more effectively or find about the technology we use at Brookes for learning, or you might want to improve your referencing, take a skills audit, or get some help with some aspect of the dissertation process. Whatever your query, Study Smart is an opportunity to get expert, friendly help without an appointment.

Semester 2 General workshops (weeks 1-3)

Week 1: Structuring a literature review

A literature review can seem like a daunting task, but like most text types it has a specific purpose and structure, which this session will outline. We will discuss the organisation and language of literature reviews, with 30 minutes at the end of the session for you to ask any questions you may have.

Thursday 30 January: 12.00-1.30pm (repeats on 4 February and 11 March)
Booking opens 17 January

Week 2: Using time effectively at university

On any university course deadlines tend to approach us very quickly and everyone has commitments beyond their studies. Therefore, it is essential to have effective time management strategies, and this session explores ways of organising time to meet short, medium and long-term goals. It will explore the causes of procrastination, along with digital strategies that can help you feel a sense of control over your workload. Invest an hour of your time on this session and you might save hours in the weeks to come!

Monday 3 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 2: Structuring a literature review

Tuesday 4 February: 12.00-1.30pm (repeats on 11 March)
Booking opens 17 January

Week 2: What to read and how to read it

Most of us have had the experience of reading for an hour and not getting anything out of the process. How to read effectively for academic purposes is not at all obvious, so this session explores how you know when you have got what you need out of your reading, and how you can read in a way that is effective, efficient, and open to new perspectives.

Thursday 6 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 3 - Writing clearly: Making it easy for the reader to see how good your ideas are

When you are focusing on what you want to say, it can be easy to forget that your reader needs to easily follow and understand your ideas. This session will show you some simple ways to keep your reader engaged and clear about the points you want to make, allowing your good ideas to stand out and be noticed.

Monday 10 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 3 - Grammar: What makes a good paragraph?

Knowing how paragraphs work is essential in ensuring that your ideas are effectively expressed in your writing. Poor paragraphing can result in really important arguments being hidden among minor details, and can also leave your writing feeling disorganised and not well-focused on the topic. This workshop will help you reach your paragraphing potential!

Monday 10 February: 4.00-5.30pm
Booking opens 17 Janaury

Week 3 - Understanding assignment briefs

Have you been given an assignment that you are not sure how to approach? Perhaps you’ve struggled in the past to understand exactly what you need to write? This session will show you how to use your task instructions and other resources to get a clearer idea of what your lecturers are hoping to see. Perfect for undergraduates or anyone who wants more confidence in this area, this session will last one hour and be followed by a chance for you to ask questions and discuss your specific assignments.

Thursday 13 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Students working at a table in the library

Weeks 4-6

Week 4 - Planning and Delivering Presentations

As well as having strong content, outstanding presentations must also be well planned and communicated clearly. In this session we will learn some essential strategies for deciding what to include, and how to include it, in order to make it easy for your audience to understand your ideas. We’ll also work on verbal delivery, using pace and intonation to keep your talk clear and engaging. The workshop will be one hour, with an extra 30 minutes at the end for you to ask questions and discuss your own presentation assignment.

Monday 17 February 4.00-5.30pm
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 4 - Using your reading to develop strong arguments

Reading and research is an important part of the writing process. At university, your job is not just to repeat what other people have said, but to reach your own conclusions and present your own arguments based on what you have researched. This session explores how good notes can be used to help you find your writing ‘voice.’

Tuesday 18 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 4 - Using generative AI in you research process (a Brookes Library workshop)

Struggling to find the right sources for your assignments? Want to speed up your research process and uncover hidden gems in academic literature? Join us for an exciting hands-on workshop where you'll discover the power of AI tools like Research Rabbit, SciSpace, and Keenious. Learn how these cutting-edge platforms can help you find, organise, and expand your research, in combination with traditional library databases. You'll get to explore how AI can make your research smarter, more efficient, and even fun! Whether you're working on essays, projects, or dissertations, this session will give you the skills to supercharge your academic work and stay ahead of the curve. Don't miss out on this chance to level up your research game!

Tuesday 18 February: 5.30-6.30pm (repeats 13 March)
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 5 - What does it mean to be critical?

Students are often told that their writing should be more critical, but how do you do this? This workshop explores the value of questions in moving from being descriptive to more critical, and where your own ideas fit in the research process.

Tuesday 25 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 5 - Planning an essay and staying on task

Essay tasks come in many different forms, and it may be hard to decide what to include and how to structure your main body. Making a plan based on your instructions will help you to get started, stay on task, and feel more confident that your finished assignment is clear and focussed. This session is suitable for undergraduates and any student lacking confidence in their essay planning. It will show you both how to make a plan, and how to use it!

Thursday 27 February: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 6 - Essay writing: Introductions and conclusions

It seems logical to write the introduction to an essay first, but in fact it can be easier to perfect this part later on, once you know what the essay is really trying to say. Whenever the time comes, it is useful to know the typical features of introductions and conclusions, so you can write them with confidence and efficiency. This session will outline the most common “moves” that these key sections include, and the language to make them clear and effective.

Monday 3 March, 4.00-5.30pm
Registration opens 17 January

Week 6 - You need more analysis!

What exactly is analysis? Why is it so important in academic writing? How can I include more in my writing? Join us for this session where we will take the mystery out of analysis. We’ll also practice distinguishing between analysis and description and learn the types of questions you need to ask yourself when analysing a topic.

Tuesday 4 March: 4.00-5.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 6 - Finishing your dissertation

Feeling overwhelmed by your dissertation? This session will look at how to manage these final stages of your project. We will discuss planning your time, keeping motivated, fitting in other commitments, and keeping going until the hand in date as well as some of the common formatting issues that come up in the final stages.

Thursday 6 March: 12.00-1.30pm (repeats on Friday 14 March)
Booking opens 17 January

Four students working on laptops at a table

Weeks 7-12

Week 7: Typical mistakes in sentence structure

This session explores the elements of an effective sentence, and the conventions of using sentences effectively in academic writing to convey complex ideas in interesting ways. By getting back to basics the hope is that you will be able to write with enhanced confidence and creativity.

Monday 10 March - 4.00-5.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 7 - Improving academic style

Would you like to make your writing sound more “formal” or “academic”? Effective academic writing follows certain conventions of style and clarity, which help you communicate your ideas in an appropriate and convincing way. This one-hour session will cover some top tips for writers who are new to the style of writing required at university, or who wish to improve in this area. There will also be time at the end to address any specific questions you may have.

Tuesday 11 March: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 7 - Structuring a literature review

Tuesday 11 March: 4.00-5.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Week 7 - Using generative AI in your research process (a Brookes Library workshop)

Thursday 13 February: 5.30-6.30pm
Booking opens on 17 January

Week 7 - Finishing your dissertation

Friday 14 March: 12.00-1.30pm
Booking opens 17 January

Calendar view of all Semester 1 workshops

Frequently asked questions

Who can attend a workshop?

Most of our workshops are open to any year and any department. Some of our workshops are tailored specifically for UGs or PGs, or for specific faculties. This will be specified in the workshops description.

How are they run?

Many of our workshops are in the form of a one-hour interactive Zoom session with other students. You are encouraged to have your camera on at all times. Zoom workshops are usually about an hour long with half an hour at the end for Q and As.

How to book a slot?

Please use the registration forms which can be found in the workshop description. You will receive a calendar invite containing the joining instructions for the workshop you booked. Please accept this calendar invitation to confirm your place. You will also receive an email containing the workshop information.

How to cancel a booking?

Please email academicdev@brookes.ac.uk to let us know if you can no longer attend.