Adam Edwards JIBS User Group Resource Discovery event February 2013

Adam Edwards

Summon@Middlesex:The Good, the Bad and the Irritating

Things to say

• Catalyst for changed teaching

• Why we like it

• Yes, but ….

• Where are we going?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajourneyroundmyskull/4788590225/

The teaching challenge

Move from

“ …lifting and transporting textual substance from one location, the library, to another, their teacher’s briefcases.”

To“..searching, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing,

selecting, rejecting…”

Kleine (1987)

Inspiration

• Less is more

• Cloning

• Discussion

• Learning by doing

• Learners, not the taught http://advedupsyfall09.wikispaces.com/Sara+Woodard

Chen and Lin (2011), Markless (2010)

Our approach

• Problem based

• Interaction & exploration

• Skills not techniques

• Fun

Deep Learning

Diekema et al (2011), Wang (2007)

Context

• Thinking about resources• Keywords• Summon hands on• Evaluation

Thinking about keywords

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/

The real thing

Your first piece of coursework for CCM2426 will be based on the Cornish Villages 4G trial

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidelong/300188454/

• Keywords

• Alternative keywords

• More specific keywords

• Related subjects

Summon is…

• Easy to use

• Refining tools

• Reference generating

• Learn by doing

“That is so well sick man, innit!”

Almost total recall

Search tools used

Attendees Non-attendees

Google 68% 63%

Wikipedia 38% 27%

Summon 68% 40%

Library catalogue 30% 59%

Smith, Edwards (2012)

But…

• Not everything indexed

• Fails to link

• Duplicate entries

The EBSCO problem

Downside

• Business team don’t use Summon– Business Source Complete– Failure rate– No Keynote

• Creates doubt– Students unimpressed– Librarians worry

Solutions

• Normalisation• Indexing• EBSCO

– Demote– Alternatives?– But collections good…– Buy EDS?

Where is this leading?

• Customer needs• Rivalry kills discovery tools?• Google cleans up?• Could do better• JIBS & JISC role

Conclusions

• Changed our teaching

• Not perfect

• Could be excellent

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturalturn/3264726560/

Adam EdwardsLiaison Manager Science and TechnologyMiddlesex [email protected]

References

• Chen, K. and Lin, P. (2011), Information in university library user education, Aslib Proceedings, 63 (4) 405.

• Diekema, A.R., Holliday, W. and Leary, H (2011),  Re-framing information literacy: Problem based learning as informed learning, Library and Information Science Research, 33, 261-268.

• Kleine, M. (1987), What is it we do when we write articles like this one-Or how can we get students to join us?, Writing Instructor 6, 151.

• Markless, S., (2010), Teaching information literacy in HE: What? Where? How?, presented at King’s College London, 9/12/10. [Notes taken at the event.]

• Smith, S. and Edwards, J.A. (2012), Embedding information literacy skills as employability attributes, ALISS Quarterly, 7 (4), 22-27. http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/9298/

• Wang, L. (2007), Sociocultural learning theories and information literacy teaching activities in Higher Education, Reference and User Services Quarterly, 47 (2), 150.