Eating the Elephan t Linda Jones University of Portsmouth
Dec 04, 2014
Eating the
Elephant
Linda Jones
University of Portsmouth
First identify your elephant
Target the problem
Access
Referencing
Identify stakeholders & recruit teamReferencing @Portsmouth (R@P)(University-wide initiative)
Academic Skills Unit
Department of Curriculum & Quality Enhancement
Dissertation Supervisors
Faculty Librarians
Floor manager
Library Web Developer
Body in the Library (BiL)(Departmental pilot)
Academic Course Leader
Faculty Librarian
Library Assistant (NVQ candidate)
Department of Curriculum & Quality Enhancement Web Developer
Analyse the problems: Referencing
Look for a solution: Referencing= R@P
Analyse the problems: Access
Look for a solution: Access=BiL
Start smallThe benefits of a soft launch
R@P was piloted as a in-house Access database of queries and answers.
R@P started with the basics, i.e. how to reference a book, an article, and a website using the most widely adopted system. It
grew as it attracted queries.
BiL was aimed specifically at one study skills unit with little or no publicity.
Think big
R@P has grown to cover both OSCOLA and Vancouver and is still expanding to cover new resources.
It is now being linked to by numerous other institutions including our partner colleges, franchised courses and other universities.
Think big
BiL is being adopted within the piloting department for campus based students.
We are tailoring further editions for Digital Forensics and Forensic Accounting.
Utilise existing assets
R@P was initially based on an existing printed guide.
BiL linked to many of our printed guides.
Utilise existing assetsBy kind permission R@P links to both the Cardiff Index of Legal Abbreviations, Cardiff Citing the Law and Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities.BiL also links to some of our own information literacy “nuggets” such as The Information Literacy Landscape and Captivate demos.
Utilise existing assetsThe original idea for a virtual BiL came from an actual Fresher’s Fair event.
Our Web Developer came up with the idea for R@P’s selection tool whilst shopping on eBay.
Spend time on the designThe majority of BiL is generic guidance but actual resources and links to personal help are designed to be easily changeable.
Spend time on the designThe selection tool in R@P means that it can cope with an expanding range of resources and formats with no extra work.
Spend time on the designIn R@P each style utilises the same style sheet adapted to the specific system
The design makes it easy to emphasise common general principles.
Collect feedback and utilise it
With R@P we initially collected comments from staff and students:-
“It is the best thing about the University.”(Politics student)
“…has made my responses more efficient. I can in some cases simply point the enquirer to it, rather than using my response to
model references.” (Academic Skills Unit lecturer)
“It has really helped me understand what I am supposed to be doing.”
(Criminology student)
“The definitive guidance.” (Lecturer)
Collect feedback and utilise it
Now with R@P we use:-
New queries via the Contact us link to generate
additional guidance pages.
Logs of failed searches to identify useful examples
or items which need better indexing.
Collect feedback and utilise itWith the pilot of BiL we monitored use with
Google analytics:-
Launch of ICJS Course Induction
Centre
Study School
Linda promotes resource finding on discussion boards
Collect feedback and utilise itWe have also collected together some audio feedback to use
in promoting the resource next year:-
Sarah FranBSc Crime and Criminology MSc Counter Fraud &
Counter Corruption Studies
Lisa BSc Crime and Criminology
Alan KevinFD Police Studies MSc Criminology
Celebrate Success
Augus
t
Sept
embe
r
Octob
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Decem
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Janu
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March
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ne July
0
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2006-72007-82008-92009-10
Hits on R@P by over academic years from August 2006- mid May 2010.
2006-7 2007-8 2008-9 2009-100
50000
100000
150000
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250000
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350000
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Series1
Celebrate SuccessHits rates on R@P growing year by year.
Celebrate Success
The projects have been publicised with posters and
presentations at internal Teaching and Learning
Conferences.
Library staff involved in both projects have been given
Contribution Awards, Teaching and Learning Awards.
The projects have been mentioned in presentations at
Umbrella and LILAC conferences and have been
written about in various professional journals.
Be prepared for unexpected consequences
My email inbox has shrunk, although I doubt all the predicted 420,000 Referencing@Portsmouth hits
were really heading my way. Perhaps a more realistic plus is that access queries were down by
two thirds with the launch of the Body in the Library.
So are my elephants sliced, diced or tamed?
Perhaps, but …The Library has acquired a reputation for
imaginative and creative problem solving and for
delivering on projects.
Library staff have developed a liking for working
‘outside the box’.
I have been energised in my work on information
literacy.
What next?I am:-
currently involved in a bid to pilot a scheme for student information literacy mentors in our Business School.
involved in work on multi-level, cross-unit subject hubs in our VLE for Criminology.
looking at developing some guidance on developing Law dissertation proposals.
still nursing an ambition to develop a RLO on‘Weighing the Evidence’.
What’s that on the horizon?
No elephants were harmed in the making of this presentation
butuntil 4th July there is time to capture
one of your own on film.
For more information seehttp://www.elephantparadelondon.org