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Education Team: Taught Programmes: Supporting your Teaching

Information literate students are most effectively developed when information literacy is embedded, and ideally assessed, within the curriculum.  For more information on how to achieve this, please contact your Information Specialist

The Library's Information Services Team supports the University’s strategic development of information literacy and digital skills.  The Information Services Team are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy or working towards the goal.  The team consists of Information Specialists who support all subject areas within the University and can offer information literacy support:

  • personal appointments              
  • information literacy development
  • workshops/lectures/virtual classroom 
  • drop in sessions
  • webinars

We also provide consultancy services to academics, providing advice and resources to promote skills development within the curriculum. For more information contact your Information Specialist. If you would like to arrange a teaching session, please complete the teaching request form below.

The Information Services Team have created an Information Literacy framework for Induction, Level 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The Information Literacy Framework is based around a number of national examples including

Information Literacy Case Studies

Who?
All new students are invited to a "Discover Your Library Live" session.  Each School timetables students by programme. 

Learning & Teaching Rationale
The main aim of Like your Library Live is to welcome new students to the Library Building and meet the friendly staff.

The objectives of the session are to

  • Highlight key library services and rules and regulations (videos playing on arrival)
  • Present an overview of "My Module Reading List", the Discovery Tool "Library Search and what the Library Building has to offer new students (includes interactive voting).
  • Meet the Learning Development Centre Team
  • Use the Self Service Machines to borrow, return and renew a book
  • Borrow and return a laptop
  • Print, Photocopy and Scan

An example of the level of content covered can be seen via the "New Students" Library web pages

 

Who?
1st year module taken by 1000 students in Term 1

Learning & Teaching Rationale:
The didactic lecture programme is accompanied by examples of the theoretical principles explored in the lectures typically using video,  practical examples, in-class exercises. These will be used to make the theory described "live" and aid translation fromtheory to practice. Students are expected to actively contribute to the online discussion boards on Blackboard. Students areexpected to prepare for the lectures each week by reading the specific chapter(s) for each lecture from the set text and attendance at lectures is essential.

Students are asked to attend 2 skills-based workshops that are essential for their coursework.  Library and Learning Services and the Learning and Development Centre will provide 12 x1-hour workshops in Weeks 2 - 4 to prepare students for their end of module assignment. In addition, 3 additional tutorials (1 webinar and 2 face-to-face) will take place from Week 5 onwards to address specific questions that students will have regarding their coursework.

Module Assessment
2000-word essay (+/- 10%) excluding bibliography. Students will be required to select from a range of  topics (team work, motivation, leadership, individual differences,...) and apply  them to a practical experience.

Library and Learning Services Workshop
The objectives of the Library Workshop are that students will be able to

►Use the module reading list effectively
►Explore Library Search to find relevant information
►Utilise the e-book databases to search within an e-book
►Explain the difference between a journal article and a book
►Find relevant journal articles via Library Search
►Begin the process of referencing your books and journal articles

Who?
2nd year Professional Practice module.  This module is taken by around 70 students.

Learning and Teaching Rationale
To have experienced all aspects of team work and various ways of presentation/communication, including typesetting in

  1. LaTex
  2. Appreciation of information searches and ethical and intellectual property issues relevant to investigative projects
  3. Development of time and resource management, revision skills, note-taking and mapping skills.

Library Workshop
The objectives of the library teaching session are

►Be aware of different information sources
►Search to find information full-text journal articles
►Finding and navigating e-books
►Academic journal articles
►Navigate the subject LibGuide to access resources and information
►Evaluate information found online
►Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
 

Who?
Final year project students.  

Learning and Teaching Rationale
Module Aims:

An individual project involving preparation of a research proposal and practical laboratory work within a key biomedical sciences discipline. The practical work will involve generation, critical review and analysis of data. Practical work will normally be based in
research laboratories at the University but may be in hospital laboratories or make use of IT where appropriate.

 

The Library supports the module objectives where the students are expected to selectively acquire data from lectures and written material and to be to use information and communication technologies appropriate to their practice.  Students are also expected to undertake a critical review of both primary and secondary literature in a discrete field.  The literature needs to be analysed and critical judgements formed.  The research needs to be presented in a concise and coherent written report. 

Library Workshop
The objectives of the Library workshop are

  1. Understand the importance of specialist databases for conducting a thorough literature review (example Cochrane Library)
  2. Identify and utilise individual databases and their LibGuide for your research need
  3. Be able to construct a search strategy using keywords and commands (including wildcards and Boolean operators) appropriate to the resource being used
  4. Know how to obtain full text articles, including those not subscribed to by Aston University, by requesting SCONUL Access or Inter Library Loans
  5. Be aware of and have an understanding of bibliographic reference management tools available, such as Endnote