SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds Bite-size resources for academic skills development Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium Helen Howard Skills@Library Team Leader
May 24, 2015
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Bite-size resources for
academic skills development
Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
Helen HowardSkills@Library Team Leader
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
• Help students to develop academic skills to be independent, confident learners
o enhancing their current learning and research, as well as their future employability
• Provide online resources which staff can signpost to or embed in VLE module areas
Overall aims
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
• To improve our existing resources:o Some very long tutorials – hard to find the relevant bito Lack of consistent look, feel and navigation
Online learning resources - aims
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
• To create a set of short, focused online learning resources:o Easy to use, but interactive and engagingo Variety of topics: choose what you need at the right momento Can be used independently by students or within blended learning
Online learning resources - aims
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
• For students and staff:
Skills@Library website: by topic or online tutorials page
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-online-tutorials
• For staff
VLE: follow link from Skills@Library website lecturer page or from A-Z guides in VLE
Accessing resources
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students were asked to try a tutorial (outside of a teaching session):
•98% said tutorials were easy to navigate•88% said the level was about right•79% said that it improved their understanding greatly or quite a lot•92% would recommend the tutorial to a friend
Feedback
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
Feedback“Easy to use and vital
to completing assignments”
“I found it helpful in gaining a further
understanding in the subject area”
“It is easy to understand and apply to your own
work”
“i have it bookmarked on my laptop so i can keep
referring back to it.”
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
• Further topics to be added: critical thinking, note-taking, essay structuring, exam skills…
• Investigate adding more advanced elements• Improve the process of embedding into VLE
module areas
How could they be improved / future plans
Helen Howard, Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
“Useful if you don't know much about it, too basic if you do
though.”
SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills-online-tutorials
Skills@Library online resources
Helen Howard [email protected] Student Support & Student-focused Engagement Symposium
“I have found all the tutorials on skills@library very helpful so far” “I love all the tutorials as they are so
helpful and easy to access! :)”