E. Taylor Atkins, in a red shirt, stands at the front of a classroom, gesturing and pointing toward a large projected slide behind him that shows historical photographs and illustrations, as he explains the images to students in a classroom.

Teaching academic success skills for all students: An equity-centered approach

Best Practices, Teaching, Tips

Regardless of the courses we teach, we often expect students to show up already knowing how to learn on their own. Skills like note-taking, reading comprehension, and using technology effectively may seem natural, but many students need guidance before they can practice them independently. Taking the time to teach these skills explicitly invites students into a metacognitive process, helping them think about how they learn, not just what they’re learning. By intentionally practicing these strategies in class, we not only increase students’ chances of doing well in our course but also teach them strategies that will help them succeed throughout their entire academic journey.

These practices are often part of the hidden curriculum, an unspoken expectation that students already know the learning and study skills required for our courses. The reality is that not all students come in with the same academic experiences or preparation. Taking the time to teach these skills explicitly helps level the playing field, creating a more equitable learning environment and giving students a better chance to recognize, practice, and actually retain effective learning strategies. While students may “know how to study,” they may not know how to study within all our disciplines, making explicit instruction an important part of the learning process in any field.

Key academic success skills 

Reading and note-taking in the discipline 

Student typing on laptop on couchDiscipline-specific materials (textbooks, journal articles, case studies, problem sets, or reports) often need different reading strategies. When we help students understand why they’re reading something, what to annotate, and how to connect it back to the course as a whole, they’re better able to make sense of the material and learn more deeply. Consider incorporating in-class activities or providing videos and examples on how to read and take notes on the course materials to help students make better connections.

Studying for the course 

Students rely on study methods such as cramming, passively reviewing materials, and over-highlighting that aren’t helpful for long-term learning and can even be ineffective for short-term success. There is a misconception among students that effort impacts their academic performance more than their study methods do, so sharing effective study methods with them can help with information retention and overall success. Identifying basic study strategies, metacognitive practices, ways to avoid distractions, and places to study can help students who haven’t adapted their studying practices for college-level work.

Tech literacy 

Students working on laptops in business classWe often assume students know how to use Blackboard and other technology effectively, but many underuse or misuse its features. Because Blackboard is often the primary way students interact with our course, taking time to share where key course information lives, how often to check announcements and updates, where to find feedback and grades, and how to submit and verify assignments can reduce confusion and help students engage more confidently with the course.

Beyond Blackboard, students asked to use tools from Office 365, Adobe, or other technologies can benefit from tutorials, assistance, and guides, especially when they are expected to use new or specific features.

Preparing for assessments 

Even when extensive instructions are provided, students may misunderstand assessment expectations. Providing examples of successful work and guides for meeting those expectations (e.g., essay templates, rubrics, FAQs about technology or tools, project-start resources, or information about the Writing Center) can help make abstract ideas more concrete. Showing students how to break projects into manageable steps and use rubrics to plan their workload can help them produce stronger work and better understand expectations. Sharing tips and tools for organization, planning, and time management may be especially helpful. All Huskies have access to Outlook Calendar, Microsoft To Do, and Teams Planner to help stay on track, so help them utilize those resources to be successful in your courses.

Incorporating learning skills into your course 

It can feel like there’s never enough time in the semester to cover everything we’d like, and teaching learning skills can seem like just one more thing to fit in. However, when we take a few intentional moments to name and model these skills—through brief activities, shared academic support resources, or small classroom practices—we make learning expectations more visible and accessible for students. This not only supports academic success, but also builds students’ confidence, encourages a growth mindset, and reinforces that effective learning is a skill they can develop over time.

Resources 

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