Teaching and Learning Center

Facilities

The Teaching and Learning Center is available for registered CalArts
students and current CalArts faculty. Students and faculty may use
available tables in the large or small room for individual or small group study. While the TLC is available by reservation or drop-in, priority is given for scheduled workshops and student tutoring.

• Group Study Room Use

• Computer Workstation featuring:
  ● Scan Text to Audio – This software allows students to scan text and convert into an audio file. Students can then download the file to their laptops or use the TLC computer to listen to the audio file.
  ● Dragon Dictation – This software can convert speech into text format. Students can speak and watch the computer complete their typing work.

How to Reserve the TLC
Reservations for the group study room may be made at the Library’s front desk.

Student Learning

Drop-In Writing Assistance

Need assistance with editing a paper?  Have a question about sentence structure? Come to the drop-in writing assistance session at the TLC in the Library. 

Fall Hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 1:00-10:00pm
• Thursday, Friday: 1:00-7:00pm

Peer Tutoring

Contact the Office of Student Affairs or 661.253.7874.

Academic Advising

Need clarification about Critical Studies requirements? Questions about the Residency and Breadth requirements? Contact the Institute Academic Advisor, Mike Fitzgerald.

Peer Academic Advising 

Peer Academic Advisors offer academic advising throughout the semester who can help you understand the Critical Studies requirements, general policies and procedures, and provide you with information regarding other campus resources. For more information, contact the Institute Academic Advisor, Mike Fitzgerald.

Student Resources

Art Terms

• ArtLex Dictionary

ESL Students

• Activities for ESL Students
  Grammar, vocabulary quizzes, crossword puzzles, podcasts, videos, and bilingual quizzes.
• Writing in North American Higher Education
• ESL Common Errors Workbook
• Online Video Presentations
  Check out UNC's video presentations on email writing, proofreading, developing vocabulary, using sources, etc.

Writing Tips

• Grammar Tips
  Need tips to improve your grammar? Check out this site.
• How-to Guide for Grammar
  This site will assist in using correct grammar in your writing. Resources include how to use adjectives and adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and articles (e.g., a versus an).
• Punctuation Assistance
  Need help with punctuation? This site provides help with using commas, quotation marks, hyphens, and sentence punctuation patterns.
• General Writing Resources
  This resource site will help you with the types of writing you may encounter in school, common writing assignments, mechanics of sentence organization and style, and the writing process.
• Proofreading Tips
  Check out strategies to improve your proofreading.
• How to Write a Research Paper
  Ten steps to help you write a better research paper.

Research, Citation, and Plagiarism

CalArts Plagiarism Policy (see page 31)
CalArts Copyright Policies and Guidelines
Archive Collectives Copyright

• Using Sources
  Discover why citing sources is important.
• What is Plagiarism?
• Types of Plagiarism
• How to Avoid Plagiarism

Time Management

• Organizational Techniques
  Need help getting organized? Check out this site for techniques.
• Online To Do Lists – Todoist, Remember the Milk, Toodledo
  Check out the online to-do lists that are accessible from any computer with an internet connection. Add projects or items and cross them off as you complete them.
• Take Charge of Your Time
  MIT offers an online course (free) that showcases several techniques to help you take charge of your time.
• Overcoming Procrastination
  To solve your procrastination problem, you must first learn the ways in which you avoid completing work. This site will take you through the steps of learning how you avoid work and what to do about procrastination.
• Procrastination
  Discover strategies to stop procrastinating.
• Stress Management
  With so many demands placed on you as a student, handling stress is an important aspect to juggling classes, socializing, work, studying, etc. Check out this site for stress management techniques.

Study Skills

• Importance of Sleep
  Learn how sleep is connected to concentration and vital to academic success.
• Learning Styles Survey
  Take the Learning Styles Survey to identify your learning style. The site also lists learning strategies to help you study that are matched to your unique learning style.
• Note Taking Software
  Evernote is downloadable note-taking software that can be used on a PC or Mac.
• Note Taking Methods
  This site provides ideas on how to take effective notes.
• Develop Better Concentration While Studying
  The site lists the causes of distraction and how to gain control over them.
• Reading Comprehension Skills
  Learn techniques before you start reading and to help recall information you have read.
• Basic Study Skills
  Need help with your study skills but not sure where to begin? Check out this online workshop to learn about the basics of study skills.
• Study Skills Handouts
  Check out the study skills resources to help in getting ready to study, taking in the information, and processing the information studied.
• Study Skill Strategies
  Learn strategies for success, note taking, how to read a textbook, view schedule planners, and more.
• College Study Strategies and Tips
  The University of Illinois at Chicago provides information on time management, how to study, and taking notes.
• Study Guides and Strategies
• Study Smarter, Not Harder
  Discover where and when to study, how to read effectively, and how to take effective notes.
• Studying with ADHD
  This site offers suggestions for helping with and overcoming ADHD in class, with homework, and with learning.

Online Modules

• Time Management Strategies
• Increasing Textbook Reading Comprehension
• Strategies for Improving Concentration and Memory