The Learning Lab offers a range of services and resources to support you to develop your academic skills during your time at LSE.
Whether you are looking for support with reading, writing, researching, planning or presenting- we are here to help.
Reading
Reading academic texts, and making effective notes from what you read, is an important skill.
The Learning Lab offers a variety of resources, designed to help you approach your reading lists in a way that is proactive, time-efficient, and critical.
- Workshops on reading and academic insight, note-taking, conquering your reading list, and critical reading
- One-to-one appointments with a Study Aadviser to discuss how to develop your reading technique to be as efficient as it can be. Bring along your reading list or reading notes, and you can work through it!
- Moodle resources, including an introduction to academic reading, engage with arguments and evidence in your reading, and a template for your reading notes
If you are looking for some support to help you engage productively with academic texts, and to produce notes that will be useful for your essay-writing and revision, come and see us!
Writing
Academic writing forms a key part of most assessments at LSE. Whether for an essay, report, project, or presentation, the Learning Lab can support you in developing a writing style that LSE markers want to read.
These sessions and resources can help you to understand what your essay questions are actually asking of you, how to build a coherent argument, and how to structure your writing to be clear, concise, and relevant to your point.
- Workshops on writing essays LSE markers want to read, constructing effective arguments in your writing, and making sense of your essay question
- One-to-one appointments with a Study Adviser to discuss how to develop strong, critical essay writing skills. Bring along your assignment briefs or essay plans if you like!
- Moodle resources, including constructing effective arguments, writing a literature review, essay structure and what is critical thinking
If you want to find your academic voice, and develop your writing skills in a practical way, tailored to what LSE markers want to read, come and talk to us!
Using AI
Learning how to use AI with confidence, control, and critical judgement is becoming increasingly important skill for students to master.
The Learning Lab can help you to use AI effectively and ethically, as well as to develop an understanding of where AI is useful for your studies, and where it is not.
We can support you in engaging with AI tools while maintaining your academic integrity, agency, and critical thinking skills.
- Workshops on how to use AI prompts purposefully and usefully
- One-to-one appointments with a Study Adviser, to discuss how you can use AI critically
- AI Labs, where you can put into practice the skills you need to use AI responsibly
If you have any questions about how to use AI as a support tool in your work, come and talk to us!
Professional development
The Learning Lab is here to support you to develop skills you will need both in an out of the classroom!
Whether you are looking for resources to help you with critical thinking, confidence in presenting, time management and planning, or general communication skills- we are here!
- Workshops on how to contribute meaningfully in classes, presenting with confidence, acing your oral assessments, and planning and prioritisation
- One-to-one appointments with a Study Adviser to discuss how to build your confidence in communicating, presenting, planning and critical thinking
- Moodle resources, including giving effective presentations, emailing busy academics, making your voice heard in seminars
- Our LSE World Cafés, which are events to which we welcome students, staff and alumni to come together and discuss some of the world's most pressing issues, through an interdisciplinary lens, in a laid-back environment
If you are thinking about how you can develop skills during your time at LSE that you can take out of the classroom into the world beyond, then get in touch! The Learning Lab is here to support you throughout your journey at LSE.