Gaining the advantage: advocates for literacy: a peer learning approach - Wendy Stanton, Paul Fodor & Ruth Curtis

04/09/2023 1Event Name and Venue

Gaining the Advantage

Advocates for literacy: a peer learning approach

Wendy Stanton, Ruth Curtis, Paul Fodor

University of Nottingham

April 2014

Outline

• Role of the Information Literacy Advocates (ILAs)• Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA)• Developing and implementing the ILA module• ILA experience• Library staff experience• Moving forward

Information Literacy Advocates

Introduced …

In 2013/14 as a 10 credit extracurricularmodule on the Nottingham Advantage Award

Their role …

“To provide support to fellow students to develop their knowledge and essential skills for

information literacy”

Why peer support?

• Communication• Critical thinking• Self-confidence• Competence• Employability

Stone, R, Cooper, S and Cant, R (2013)

The value of peer learning in undergraduate nursing education: a

systematic review

Nursing http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/930901

Nottingham Advantage AwardWhat is it?

• Gateway to over 160 extracurricular modules

• Develops student skills and employability

• Unique edge to present to potential employers

• NAA recognised on degree transcript

• 30 credits to achieve NAA

Why introduce an ILA module?

• New Graduate Nurse Curriculum 2012/13– 1 intake of increased student numbers across two campuses– Focus on student centred/independent learning– Challenge: Increased requests for one to one support?

• Embedded information skills training– Additional sessions integrated within curriculum– Challenge: Simultaneous delivery across 2 centres– Challenge: Larger groups

• Overlap with NAA Peer Mentoringfor Nursing Students module– Realised peer mentors were being

asked to help with library use

Focus of the ILA module

Why? To support 1st years on the Graduate Nurse Curriculum

Who? Recruit 2nd year nurses and above across both centres with experience of library and information skills

When? Sept to Dec 2013 to coincide with embedded training sessions and a 1st year assignment

What? Participate in training sessions,respond to enquiries,andprovide one to one help

Implementing the ILA module

•Module specification written

•Feedback from NAA Office

Approval

•NAA website, Peer Mentor Award and School meetings

Marketing

•7 students recruited across sites

•Enrolled via Moodle

Recruitment

•Handbook/supporting material

•Made available on Moodle

Documents

•Half day induction training

•Fortnightly progress meetings

Training

• 10 minute presentation

• Portfolio of evidence

Assessment

•Module specification written

•Feedback from NAA Office

Approval

•10 Credits awarded (30 credits required for NAA)

•20 contact hours needed

•40 independent study hours expected

•Training requirements

•Assessment requirements

•Learning outcomes to be achieved

Assured NAA Office we could measure skills developed by mapping learning outcomes to evidence

submitted

•NAA website, Peer Mentor Award and School meetings

Marketing

•7 students recruited across sites

•Enrolled via Moodle

Recruitment

•NAA website

•NAA Peer Mentoring for Nursing Students module

•School of Health Sciences Curriculum meetings

•Learning Community Forum

•Faculty Library User Group

•7 UGs recruited: 4 Nurses, 2 Medical Physiology & Therapeutics, 1 Psychology

•Handbook/supporting documents

•Made available on Moodle

Documents

•Module handbook

• Induction training material

• Hours tracking sheet

• Enquiry record

• Module evaluation form

All documents made available on Moodle

•Half day induction training

•Fortnightly progress meetings

Training

• Compulsory half day induction training

• Supporting documentation

• Activities

• Refresher training on search skills and using resources

• Hands on practice

• Discussed ideas for promoting ILA role to peers, generating contact hours and developing an ILA

community

• Compulsory progress meetings with librarians

• Fortnightly – dates provided to students

• Facebook page created to maintain communication

• 10 minute presentation

• Portfolio of evidence

Assessment

10 minute presentation outlining:

• Achievements and future plans to apply learning

Portfolio of evidence demonstrating:

• Development of IL, reflective and organisational skills

and including:

• 2 in-depth reflections of peer enquiries

• Hours tracking record to show contact hours

To recap, we expected ILAs to …

• Promote ILA service to peers through own ideas• Develop their IL, reflective and organisation skills• Accumulate 20 hours contact time• Maintain regular contact with library staff • Develop an ILA community

Promoting the ILAs:Facebook and email

Separate Facebook pages were set up by the

Derby and Nottingham ILAs to support peers on both campuses

and group emails were sent

Promoting the ILAs: Posters

Posters were displayed in Derby

and Nottingham libraries promoting the

ILA service

Promoting the ILAs:Library drop in sessions

Little use was made of library drop in sessions by peers

Promoting the ILAs:Information skills sessions

Actively participated in information skills training sessions in Derby and Nottingham

Promoting the ILAs:1st year lecture – Derby

In Derby we introduced our ILA role to 1st years on our course at the start of one of their academic lectures

Promoting the ILAs:Halls of residence – Derby

Living in halls in Derby, I was frequently asked

for help by other students on my course!

Supporting peers

We helped our peers with a range of enquiries:

• Searching for books on the library catalogue• How to print and scan documents• How to reference material in assignments• Structuring a keyword search• Searching for journal articles on a database• Accessing online resources• How to structure a lab report!

Difficulties experienced by ILAs

Accumulating 20 contact hours• Why? Fewer peer requests for help than expected as not all

courses had assignments due Sept to Dec 2013• Why? Coincided with clinical placements and coursework

deadlines

Maintaining regular contact with librarians• Why? Coincided with clinical placements and coursework

deadlines

Developing one ILA community• Why? ILAs based across two campuses• Why? Some ILAs missed group induction

training and never met other ILAs

Development of skills

“I have improved on certain transferable

skills … communication, researching

and supporting others”

“My information literacy skills have

dramatically improved and I feel so much

more confident to use these skills in my own

learning.”

“I have developed my literacy and peer

support skills which are essential as a

nursing student and for future practice”

“I learned how to really explain myself effectively and how to

transfer my knowledge in the best way.”

Did the ILAs make a difference?

The ILAs …• Actively participated in information skills sessions• Volunteered to help out on the subject enquiry desk• Provided 121 support for student nurses, referred by

library staff during busy periods

Their peers …• Responded positively to

ILA support in trainingsessions

Was it hard work?

• Recruiting students– Spreading the word

• Preparing the documentation– Module specification, training material,

supporting documents

• Communicating with ILAs and maintaining momentum– Regular emails and Facebook messages needed to prompt

and encourage progress meetings with library staff

• Assessing final presentations and portfolios– IL skills developed and learning outcomes met?– Individual feedback provided

Assessment: Learning outcomes

1. Knowledge and understandingLiterature searching – Types of resources – Quality information – Basic library services

2. Intellectual skillsDevelop search strategies – Identify keywords and

subject headings – Retrieve relevant material – Record references

3. Professional practical skillsEmployability – Continuous professional development

4. Transferable skillsCritical evaluation of information – Communication – Organisation – Independent learning

Critically reflect on 2 peer enquires and their ILA role

Knowledge and understanding

All students showed good

knowledge and understanding

Intellectual skills

Professional and transferable skills

Organisation skills

Contact hours

Reflection

First enquiry By the end of the ILA module

Worth the effort?

Various stakeholders benefited:

• ILAs, who proved effective development of – IL skills and confidence– Transferable, lifelong skills– Additionally, Paul was nominated for the 2013-14 NAA

Personal Development prize!– All ILAs were awarded 10 NAA credits!

• Students, who developed– IL skills and knowledge through peer support

• Library staff, who gained additional help– During information skills training sessions– On the subject enquiry desk– In dealing with requests for 121 help

Taking the ILA module forward

• Widen recruitment to include additional courses• Extend module running time to accommodate

clinical placements• Repeat induction training session to ensure all

ILAs are given the opportunity to meet each other• Arrange group follow-up sessions to review

progress and training needs and to facilitate development of an ILA community

• Enlist experienced ILAsto help train new recruits

Any questions?