Changing TimesALLCU 30th ANNUAL CONFERENCEWadham College, Oxford14-16 July, 2008

Judy Reading OULS User Education Co-ordinator

Changes in learning styles: implications for user education

What is “user education”?

What do we offer here?

We aim to: Ensure all our readers are given a clear and

helpful introduction to the Library services as appropriate to their needs. 

Ensure all members of the University and its libraries are offered effective support and guidance in identifying and using appropriate information resources. 

Develop and promote information expertise as a general and transferable skill for students and researchers of the University at levels appropriate

to their needs. see www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/training

What is different now?

Resource environment Student expectations and behaviour Researcher expectations and

behaviour Library staff – up to the challenge?

Environmental scan 2007

Sophisticated and complicated resource interfaces…

Our electronic resources, catalogues, indexes and full-text resources www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip

Our popular competitors

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf

Research suggests

“In general terms, this new form of information seeking behaviour can be characterized as being horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing in nature. Users are promiscuous, diverse and volatile…” p. 9

Young people

Information literacy deficit may be disguised by IT facility

Can they evaluate information for relevance accuracy or authority?

Do they understand their information needs and develop good search strategies?

Do they prefer natural language to considered key words?

Do they read or just click, skim and print or copy?

Oxford students Are not homogeneous Prefer to find out for themselves? Find Library training and induction useful? Feel confident in locating information in

their subject? Make very intelligent observations when

asked for their feedback Do not necessarily understand basic things

about how information is organised Gleaned from Freshers Fair survey and feedback at our Research Students Toolkit Event

www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-discovery-services

Academics and researchers Most researchers are using a range of

resource discovery tools, selecting an appropriate tool for a specific inquiry and using a range of resources

The main frustration is not with the research discovery services but accessing the material identified

Generally researchers are satisfied with research discovery services but there is overlap and it can be difficult to know where to start

They are largely self-taught and confident in their skills

www.rin.ac.uk/training-research-info

Key findings Many researchers are expert

searchers and have adapted to new environment

Some lack the skills they need Even those that feel competent may

not be effective Library training is rarely integrated with institutional environment and policy

Our relationship is changing

Are they coming into the Library any more?

Do they know what we do? Do they care Are they using quality information?

What do we need to do?

Nurture our relationship with our readers Ensure support is online so when they

try and find out for themselves the information is there

Develop services which will offer the ease of use of popular services as well as quality content

Make sure we know what our readers are thinking and doing

Developing web guides helps readers locate relevant resources from their desktop

www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/guides

Our printed guides are in pdf, word and in many cases MP3 versions on the web

These database profiles have been designed for experienced researchers

We have developed a very popular training event for research students – but the aim is to embed information literacy in all courses

WISER: Workshops in Information Skills and Electronic Resources www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/wiser

Popular courses include Keeping up to date, Remote access, Electronic resources …

Skills training demand

Reference management Critical appraisal and systematic

reviews Expert overviews of relevant material One to one support for specific

projects Needs to be high-quality, relevant,

practical, tailored and hands-on…

Information literacy meets Library 2.0 / edited by Peter Godwin and Jo Parker – London : Facet, 2008 - 9781856046374

Oxford Podcasts http://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/

Vere Harmsworth Library Blog

Future plans

Revising guides Developing online tutorials Developing podcasts Improving communication with

readers Embedding information literacy

across the University courses…

Useful references

See www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/services/training/librarians

And the CILIP Information Literacy Group website at www.informationliteracy.org.uk

Join lis-infoliteracy at www.jiscmail.ac.uk