A flexible model for giving information literacy and learning support to large cohorts of students using Technology Enhanced Learning.

Abstract

The challenge facing the Faculty of Management Library Support Team at Bournemouth University is how to support large cohorts of BA Business Studies students. Such large groups make traditional small group methods of teaching information literacy no longer viable. Library support for final year students comprises a mixture of lectures, workshops and online materials. The face to face sessions include the use of software such as Padlet and Socrative. Students are able to use their own laptops, tablets and smart phones with the software thus making lectures an interactive rather than a passive learning experience. Panopto software is used routinely to record lectures. The Library Support Team also uses the Panopto screen capture facility to record short tutorials on a range of topics. Most of these recordings are between five and ten minutes long. This bite sized approach makes it easy to tailor the use of the recordings to the needs of the students. The Library Support Team work closely with the dissertation tutors to support the students. The librarians and lecturers have adopted a triage approach. Dissertation tutors direct students needing support from the Library Team to a range of materials on the VLE. These include workshop recordings, video clips and links to useful online resources. Any students needing further help and support can use a link to the Library’s online booking system to make an appointment with a member of the Library Faculty Support Team. Future development plans involve using a product called LibWizard to develop interactive online tutorials. These can then be used both inside and outside the classroom. This session will reflect on the mix of traditional methods and online tools used to support the students.