Case study of the BMedSci Health and Human Sciences (NURU146)

Overview

The Library has an active role in supporting students in the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery and is regularly involved in delivering workshops and creating online resources to help students develop their information and digital literacy skills (IDL).

IDL is already embedded in the programme at certain points to support literature searching for students, specifically:

• SNM142 Making use of information. This in an introduction to literature searching to familiarise students with the skills and tools to start discovering academic literature needed for their first year. Students are able to book one-to-one appointments with the Liaison Librarian.

• SNM2230 Research methods and paradigms. This recaps information searching undertaken in the first year and introduces more databases and more complex search skills in order to discover a wide range of relevant literature.

• SNM3243 Dissertation. Students are able to book one-to-one appointments with the Liaison Librarian and attend IDL workshops such as the dissertation masterclass.

Work carried out by the Library Student Associate focused on curriculum mapping in order to identify possible IDL interventions within the programme.

Initially this work focused on level one modules as the Library Student Associate was undertaking her studies at that level. Initial mapping suggested that there were resources that students undertaking the programme did not know about as they were not always easy to find. 

Reading lists were also highlighted as a way for students to discover academic literature, however not all modules used reading lists.

The Library Student Associate highlighted that the transition to higher education and literature searching was challenging, and that adding IDL support earlier in the year coupled with raising the profile of IDL digital learning objects to staff members would assist in the transition.

The module SNM133 has been identified as a module where IDL can be embedded to assist students with their transition to higher education. This would provide more information about Library services which will include practical exercises and visiting the Library as part of the module.

Over the summer vacation, the Liaison Librarian met with the programme level approach lead, who is also the programme lead, to look at implementing IDL further into the curriculum and raising awareness to academic staff of IDL digital learning objects provided by the University Library.

Outcomes

• Identified interventions which could take place in the curriculum.

• Worked with lecturers to increase awareness of support available in identified areas.

• Promoted the use of reading lists within the department.

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Reflections

Alia Gulfaraz, Library Student Associate

We were able to identify how students have a lack of knowledge about the skills support available online and where to find it.

In my first semester it would have been useful to discover the IDL digital learning objects online in order to help me in my first year of higher education and help me to develop skills for my essays.

I believe the changes will raise awareness of IDL within students' studies, and will encourage lecturers to promote the IDL digital learning objects more.

The impact will be a positive change to students within my department in order to help them in their first Semester and year in higher education.

Online tutorials are a great way to discover, understand and use information. The video tutorials give a broad overview and insight into the skills students need to discover information within their work and are useful in terms of being short and to the point.

Anthea Tucker, Liaison Librarian

Working with Alia has given me a much greater insight into the student experience.

The high workload and the amount of new information and skills that students have to absorb, particularly in the first year, was something I probably hadn’t fully appreciated before.

My knowledge of the programme has certainly improved and this will help the Library to support students more effectively.