This article is from the October 2002 issue of Update.
The LibCT project at the University of Sheffield Library (see September Update, p.52) involved collaborating with academic departments to find ways in which library services can be integrated into the university’s virtual learning environment, WebCT. But, in addition, the question arose of the library’s ‘presence’ within the university’s virtual learning environment (VLE). The idea of creating a kind of information way-station, in addition to the library’s substantial set of web pages, was not initially attractive: it suggested self-importance rather than service. I would prefer to see the library working closely with academic departments to integrate services into courses and modules delivered over WebCT to ensure that information resources and course content are knitted together seamlessly for the full benefit of students.
The issue of the library presence was discussed in detail at the first meeting of the LibCT Steering Group, attended by librarians, academic staff and a representative from the university’s Learning Media Unit, the project’s funders. From this it emerged that the library’s user community wanted a library presence in the VLE because it could benefit the university in two distinct ways. First, there was a gap in key skills provision across all courses and they felt that an information skills module for use by all faculties would start to meet this need. Second, if there were a generic model, courses which had not yet started using WebCT would be encouraged to take the plunge. (In fact, in general, take-up of WebCT across the whole university is impressive — 12,000 users across 200 modules.) WebCT has bulk-registration facilities, so the module could be loaded automatically into the learning spaces of all students, placing a guide to information skills at their fingertips for whenever the need arises.
The LibCT Steering Group does not have a mandate to create an official module for information skills, though the preliminary ideas may be transformed into one over a period of time. At this stage, we have simply created a resource. It should also be pointed out that the library has already contributed to a module entitled Library Information Skills for Successful Research, aimed at postgraduate students, via the Graduate School’s research training programme. This is not yet delivered over WebCT.
Generic versus specific skills models
The idea of creating a generic information skills resource is, on the face of it, quite straightforward. But producing a resource which students from all disciplines might be enticed to actually use, which fits in with their ways of studying and with the requirements of academics, and which is appropriate to a VLE, is not that easy. One of the main problems is how to address the specific requirements of students in diverse disciplines.
There is also the closely linked question of how generic is generic? In higher education, can a faculty information skills resource be as good as a departmental one? Can an institution-wide resource be as useful as a faculty design? Where do nationally-created resources lie in this spectrum and what might be the relationship of cross-sectoral resources — e.g. higher education to further education — and, indeed, international initiatives? These can all be acceptable standpoints depending on the intentions behind the design and the uses made of a particular set of resources.
Is a generic approach possible?
In the Sheffield instance, once the library had been encouraged to develop information skills in WebCT and the concerns about the generic approach had been recognised — while continuing to be debated — work began on developing the resource.
As already stated, the intention was to create a WebCT-based information skills resource that could be integrated readily into the majority of academic courses in the university. It would be directed particularly — though not exclusively — towards undergraduate study. Students would be able to visit it in the VLE and return to it at their convenience to understand more and make further discoveries.
User focus is the key to the success of any skills resource. Though undergraduate students have not yet been involved directly, information about student responses to WebCT is being gathered, much of it gained from discussions with academics during the LibCT user needs survey.
We are also retaining a healthy cynicism about student interest in, involvement with and attendance at, user education sessions. Heery and Morgan1 correctly stress the need for relevance in user education, emphasising that ‘if it is the perception [of students] that such a programme will not help, then they will vote with their feet’. Relevance is easier to achieve in subject-oriented sessions or skills packages, but possibilities do exist for improving relevance when taking the generic approach. For this reason, the resource is being constructed as two linked elements: Quick Start and Search Skills.
Discussions with academic staff have confirmed the emphasis placed on relevance by students, especially where this relates to completion of assignments and the attainment of grades. We are also assuming that a large number of students are ‘doers’ and would prefer to be able to put a toe into the water of information retrieval rather than first having to wade through the structure of the subject. In other words, we are practising relevance through brevity!
In a 1998 overview of user education, Watson stated that ‘very few students embark on their university course with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to take advantage of an information-rich learning environment’.2 In 2002 this is probably still largely true, although large numbers of school pupils now utilise the worldwide web to supplement the information gained through traditional textbooks and lessons. Google and other internet search engines are hardly the most sophisticated entry points to the world of information, but they have provided a method for quick-and-dirty retrieval through the single, all-embracing search box.
Lean approach
Thus, in the lean approach adopted in Quick Start we focus on information resources rather than explicit information skills: intentionally, there is only the minimum of explanation. The first page lists three basic types of information — books, electronic journals and the internet — and points students to a single resource for each. For example, to find books, students are directed to the library’s online catalogue. The particular navigation facilities available within WebCT are also utilised so that these three key resources are only a click away, irrespective of the student’s location in the information skills resource.
There are features of WebCT which partially solve the naïve/experienced user dichotomy. As one of our academics pointed out, ‘no one is an experienced user in everything’, so we have not created alternative tributaries from the main stream. As WebCT automatically builds tables of contents for courses, these offer one point of entry from which the student can see everything, browse around and swiftly move to that part of the resource which is most relevant at that particular time.
The second page of Quick Start focuses on the specific. Currently, it is a list of faculties and departments, each linked to a new window that displays a handful of information resources. Again, we have stipulated that no more than six resources should be included for each department. These might include two bibliographic databases, key electronic journals contents or index pages and specific pages or resources at the RDN (Resource Discovery Network). We do not want to overload students with potentially useful information but to present them with a reduced set of resources for the majority of cases. They can jump to these immediately and try them out.
However, within each ‘departmental resources’ window a link is made to existing pages from the university library’s web, which lists comprehensive information sources for each subject. This has the advantage of using a substantial, existing resource and not reinventing the wheel.
The second element we are developing is a truly generic resource, entitled simply Search Skills. Primarily text-based, it is as brief as possible, following the principles we adopted for Quick Start. In the early stages of implementation, it comprises individual sections on ‘the usual topics’: finding by format and finding by requirement (e.g. ‘all items by a particular author’); the use of search terms; and referencing. We do not expect all students to consult it, but it is provided as a fall-back position for those with sufficient curiosity or need.
Making the most of the generic approach
The disadvantage of using the generic skills model is that you lose the link with subject-focused, practical applications. This not only deprives students of the opportunity to experiment with relevant resources but also, in a VLE, bypasses some of the possibilities and advantages of the technology. So, to a degree, the Quick Start element softens the generic approach of the information skills resource described. In fact, it might be argued that it is no longer based on a generic model.
Although the resource includes some subject focus, it still lacks a vital element — active links with courses. User education works best when fully integrated into the academic programme — confirmed by Heery and Morgan and Watson. In a similar way, information skills modules will be fully effective only when embedded in the core course programme as an active ingredient of the VLE.
Before the LibCT project, a small number of courses delivered through WebCT included not only links to the library catalogue in their course structure but also questions on its use. Academics have responded so positively to the project as a whole that we hope to significantly increase the number of courses that include similar formal information skills components. In this way, and possibly by utilising the question- and task-setting capabilities of WebCT, the generic information skills resource can be linked to sets of problems of specific interest to students in all departments in the university, forming a truly embedded and integrated, though generically-based, model.
And now...
The LibCT project has been running at the University of Sheffield since February 2002 and the information skills resource has been under development since April. The basic structure as outlined in this article is in place, together with much of the content, and has been well received by academics and library staff. Academic liaison librarians are now working together to fill the gaps in the content. As this progresses, they will begin discussions with academics about how to begin embedding the resource into WebCT teaching modules.
References
1 Mike Heery and Steve Morgan. Practical Strategies for the Modern Academic Library. Aslib, 1996.
2 M. Watson. ‘Overview: managing user education and training.’ In: T. Hanson and J. Day, Managing the Electronic Library: a practical guide for information professionals. Bowker-Saur, pp. 394-412.
Peter Stubley is Assistant Director, Library Services, University of Sheffield (p.stubley@sheffield.ac.uk).