HandbookforInfoltTrain

Handbook for Information Literacy Teaching Jessica Gaunt Nigel Morgan Rowland Somers Rosemary Soper Erica Swain University Library Service Second Revision July 2007 Copyright © Cardiff University, 2007

Foreword by Janet Peters “Information Literacy, which encompasses knowledge of one's information needs and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively use information to address issues or problems at hand, is a prerequisite for participating effectively in the information society, and is part of the basic human right of life long learning”.1

Information Literacy has been a key topic in academic library circles for many years, building on the User Education and Information Skills which went before it. The challenge has been to persuade colleagues in academia and education in general that the sacrifice of some teaching hours to demonstrate the importance of being able to identify, locate, retrieve, evaluate and use information effectively is well worth while in developing learning techniques which can be used throughout life. Although this is still not universally achieved, Cardiff University is at the forefront of UK Universities in promoting the value of Information Literacy to the academic community in various ways. These include the adoption of an Information Literacy Guidance Note by the Learning and Teaching Committee for display on the University web site; funding of several innovative learning and teaching projects which promote the use of Information Literacy; and the establishment of various measures within the implementation plan for the University’s Learning and Teaching strategy relating to the adoption of Information Literacy as a part of the curriculum.

But if such a high profile approach is to be taken, the quality of the teaching of Information Literacy must be excellent. This handbook has been tried and tested by staff both in Cardiff University and in other organisations in South Wales which were willing to try it out as part of a CyMAL funded project.2 It has proved its worth already in providing a consistent and pedagogically sound foundation for teaching sessions and for the prevalent mode of support in libraries, one-to-one advice and guidance; it has been completely revised in the light of such road-testing. As the product of the work of many experts among the Subject Librarians at Cardiff University, who are acclaimed nationally and internationally for the development of innovative techniques such as the Cephalonian Method (see Section 2: Library Orientation, pp.11-12), a resource bank of learning objects on Information Literacy (see Section 5: Teaching Aids, p. 34) and in their involvement in peer review of their own teaching, I commend this handbook to you in the strongest terms. You will wonder how you ever managed without it.

Janet Peters, University Librarian, Cardiff University

1 US National Commission on Library and Information Science. 2003. The Prague Declaration: "Towards An Information Literate Society" [online] Available at: http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/post-infolitconf&meet/PragueDeclaration.pdf. [Accessed 5th July 2007] 2 Morgan, N. and Jones-Evans, A. Results of a Cross-Institutional Evaluation of the Cardiff Handbook for Information Literacy Teaching (PowerPoint presentation from LILAC Conference 2007) [online] Available at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrvstaff/projectandworking/infoliteracy/conferences/lilac/lilac07/ [Accessed 5th July 2007]

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http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/post-infolitconf&meet/PragueDeclaration.pdf

Contents Foreward by Janet Peters ..................................................................................................... iii Contents ................................................................................................................................... v Message from the HILT Group ........................................................................................... viii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... ix Section 1: Information Literacy – Key Issues ...................................................................... 1 INFORMATION LITERACY: CONCEPT AND STRATEGIC CONTEXT ............................................. 1

IL STANDARDS: CHARTING YOUR PROGRESS .............................................................................. 1

EMBEDDING AND INTEGRATING YOUR TEACHING INTO CURRICULA........................................ 3

Preparing and Reviewing Your Teaching.......................................................................................... 3

PROMOTING IL ................................................................................................................................... 4

Promotion to Schools........................................................................................................................ 4

Promotion to Students ...................................................................................................................... 5

Section 2: Library Orientation ................................................................................................ 7 LIBRARY ORIENTATION: THE KEY ISSUES ..................................................................................... 7

A SHORT ORIENTATION, e.g. AT THE START OF THE FIRST SEMESTER.................................... 7

Suggested Content ........................................................................................................................... 8

A LONGER ORIENTATION, e.g. NEAR THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT DEADLINE................................ 8

Suggested Content ........................................................................................................................... 9

INTERACTIVITY IN LIBRARY ORIENTATION ...................................................................................11

Cephalonian Method........................................................................................................................11

Other Suggestions ...........................................................................................................................12

WHAT NEXT? .....................................................................................................................................12

Section 3: Lesson Planning.................................................................................................. 13 STARTING TO PLAN YOUR TEACHING SESSION ..........................................................................13

WRITING LEARNING OUTCOMES....................................................................................................13

CREATING LESSON PLANS..............................................................................................................15

Lesson Plans: Items for Inclusion – Checklist ..................................................................................15

PREPARING INSTRUCTOR NOTES..................................................................................................16

Instructor Notes: Items for Inclusion – Checklist ..............................................................................16

Layout of Instructor Notes – Checklist .............................................................................................17

FURTHER PLANNING TIPS ...............................................................................................................18

Consider Your Learners...................................................................................................................18

Be Flexible! ......................................................................................................................................19

Planning and Reflection ...................................................................................................................21

Section 4: Lesson Formats................................................................................................... 23 PLANNING A LECTURE.....................................................................................................................23

PLANNING A SMALL-GROUP SESSION...........................................................................................24

PLANNING ONE-TO-ONE TEACHING...............................................................................................27

Section 5: Teaching Aids...................................................................................................... 29 A-Z OF TEACHING AIDS....................................................................................................................29

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY E-LEARNING (CUE).....................................................................................33

INFORMATION LITERACY RESOURCE BANK (ILRB)......................................................................34

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INTUTE INFORMS..............................................................................................................................35

POWERPOINT....................................................................................................................................36

Preperation of PowerPoint Slides – Checklist ..................................................................................36

Adding Speaker Notes to PowerPoint..............................................................................................37

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING TEACHING AIDS IN YOUR SESSION .................37

HANDOUTS ........................................................................................................................................38

Preparing Handouts .........................................................................................................................38

Accessible Handouts – Checklist .....................................................................................................39

Testing .............................................................................................................................................39

Creative Use of Handouts................................................................................................................39

Section 6: Lesson Delivery................................................................................................... 41 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES ........................................................................................................41

MANAGING THE TEACHING ENVIRONMENT..................................................................................44

Room Preperations ..........................................................................................................................44

Equipment Preperations ..................................................................................................................44

Seating Arrangements .....................................................................................................................45

Group Work .....................................................................................................................................45

Working in Pairs...............................................................................................................................45

Room Conditions .............................................................................................................................45

During the Lesson............................................................................................................................45

Disabled Learners............................................................................................................................46

FACILITATION SKILLS (FOR WORKSHOPS) ...................................................................................46

Section 7: Evaluating Your Teaching .................................................................................. 49 WHY EVALUATE YOUR TEACHING?................................................................................................49

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE ...................................................................................................................49

FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS .........................................................................................................50

Questionnaires.................................................................................................................................51

Other Suggestions ...........................................................................................................................52

Feedback from Tutors......................................................................................................................53

PEER REVIEW OF LEARNING AND TEACHING (PRLT)..................................................................53

Section 8: Assesesment ....................................................................................................... 55 PURPOSE AND FORMS OF ASSESSMENT .....................................................................................55

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................56

Validity .............................................................................................................................................56

Reliability .........................................................................................................................................57

Explicitness......................................................................................................................................58

Section 9: Instructor Training .............................................................................................. 59 INSTRUCTOR TRAINING...................................................................................................................59

Supporting Documents......................................................................................................... 61 INFORMATION LITERACY GUIDANCE NOTE ..................................................................................63

INSRV INFORMATION LITERACY STRATEGY 2005-2008...............................................................71

PRESENTING AND IL PROPOSAL TO A HEAD OF SCHOOL/YEAR HEAD OR COMMITTEE .......73

AN ONLINE TOOLKIT FOR DENTAL STUDENTS.............................................................................74

TRAINING MATERIALS REPOSITORY..............................................................................................75

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Examples ................................................................................................................................ 77 THE CEPHALONIAN METHOD ..........................................................................................................77

LESSON PLAN ...................................................................................................................................79

INSTRUCTOR NOTES (FINDING INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH) ..............................................80

INSTRUCTOR NOTES (ENDNOTE)...................................................................................................82

QUIZ SHEET.......................................................................................................................................85

POWERPOINT-GENERATED HANDOUT..........................................................................................87

INFORMATION SHEET ......................................................................................................................89

WORKSHEET .....................................................................................................................................95

WORKBOOK.......................................................................................................................................97

EVALUATION CHECKLIST...............................................................................................................105

PRACTICLAL GUIDE TO USING A PARTICULAR RESOURCE .....................................................107

PEER REVIEW OF LEARNING AND TEACHING CHECKLIST .......................................................112

FEEDBACK FORM 1.........................................................................................................................114

FEEDBACK FORM 2.........................................................................................................................115

FEEDBACK FORM 3.........................................................................................................................116

QUESTIONNAIRE.............................................................................................................................117

RESEARCH TRAIL ...........................................................................................................................119

MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST................................................................................................................120

UNSTRUCTURED MARKING SCHEME...........................................................................................122

FULLY-STRUCTURED MARKING SCHEME ...................................................................................123

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Message from the HILT Group

This Handbook reflects the importance attached to information literacy (IL) both within the Information Services Directorate (INSRV) and the wider Cardiff University and has two principal aims:

• to assist Subject Librarians, Library Managers and others with an IL role by equipping them with techniques to promote IL within Schools, to prepare learning outcomes and to deliver and evaluate appropriate learning experiences

• to help ensure consistent and high quality practice across INSRV and

form a central element of staff training for IL developments. The nine sections are presented in a logical order beginning with the key issues of IL provision, with subsequent sections exploring the planning and delivery of teaching, and finally evaluation and student assessment. Each section comprises a presentation of guidelines with references to supporting documents and examples of good practice. This is very much intended to be a work of reference, dipped into as the need arises, rather than read from cover to cover! You are encouraged to use it as a practical tool - feel free to annotate or attach your own notes. We hope that you find the information useful and inspiring. Good luck with your teaching in the 2007/2008 session!

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The Group

The Handbook is based on one produced in 1995, which was comprehensively revised in 2005 and has now been further amended and developed by:

Nigel Morgan (Chair) Rosemary Soper (Secretary) Jessica Gaunt Rowland Somers Erica Swain

If you have questions on any aspect of the Handbook, please contact any member of the group. Acknowledgements

The Group has benefited from the contributions from the INSRV Senior Consultant for Information Literacy, Cathie Jackson, and the substantial contribution made by Peter Clinch who chaired the original HILT Group (2005-2007). Thanks are extended to the following: Clare Davies Sonja Haerkoenen Jan Hooper Rebecca Mogg Jane Sparks Ruth Thornton Zoë Young Thanks are also extended to members of staff who contributed examples of materials they have used in IL teaching in the University. July 2007

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Section One: Information Literacy – Key Issues

Section 1: Information Literacy - key issues

Summary The concept of information literacy is introduced with reference to Cardiff University’s Information Literacy Guidance Note. The key issues covered in this section are:

• Information literacy: concept and strategic context • Information literacy standards: charting your progress • Embedding and integrating your teaching into curricula • Promoting information literacy

Information Literacy: concept and strategic context Cardiff University places great emphasis on the acquisition of information literacy (IL) skills by staff and students. You will be pleased to know that you work for an institution which has acquired a national reputation for excellence in this field!

IL is defined, and its strategic context at Cardiff explained, in the Information Literacy Guidance Note (see Supporting Document 1, pp. 63-70). It is essential that you are familiar with its contents. See also the INSRV Information Literacy Strategy 2005-2008 (Supporting Document 2, pp. 71-72). Further, one of the key messages identified in the Library Review 1 was that more IL training would be broadly welcomed (see Section 7.7 of the Final Report).

IL Standards: charting your progress According to the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) competency standards for IL in higher education, the information literate student:

1. Determines the nature and extent of the information needed

2. Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently

3. Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system

4. Individually or as a group uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

1 Cardiff University Directorate of Information Services. 2005. Review of the University Library Service 2004/05 – 2014/15 [online] Available at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/resources/libraryreview/library_review_final_report.pdf [Accessed 18th June 2007].

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5. Understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.2

To help you assess your teaching against these standards, below are the categories of provision used by the IL audit, conducted at intervals in the University Library Service (ULS). This monitors progress towards the goal of embedding IL into taught programmes of study.

A Orientation. An introduction to library facilities, procedures and arrangement of material. Include in this category training in the use of Voyager and how to find books and journals in the library.

B Achieves outcomes in competency standard 2. Mainly includes training in the use of specific databases or indexes and/or searching and evaluating the authority of web sites.

C Incorporates competency standards 1 and 2. In addition to the competencies which will be achieved in category B, the training is focused on identifying and finding information for a specific topic, using a range of information types (books, journals, web resources etc).

D Encompasses competency standards 1, 2 and 3. In addition to the training in category C, training includes evaluation of the information found, such as the relevance, reliability, objectivity and weight of authority of the content, e.g. critical appraisal. 3

E Encompasses competency standards 1, 2, 3 and 4. IL framework is used to integrate skills teaching. Information searching sessions fully integrated with sessions on ”using information effectively” through, for example, using the information found in the searching session through later sessions in the module.

Subject librarians should aim to achieve at least category C in their IL teaching, though it is recognised that this will not always be possible.

2 See: American Library Association. 2000. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education [online]. Available at: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/ standards.pdf [Accessed: 18th June 2007]. 3 “Critical appraisal is the process of systematically examining research evidence to assess its validity, results and relevance before using it to inform a decision”. http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/glossary/Critapp.html (from which the above quote is taken) provides a link to more information.

2 HILT: July 2007. Information Services, Cardiff University.


Embedding and integrating your teaching into curricula Where possible IL training should be embedded within the subject curriculum to maximise relevance, timeliness and student motivation. Stand-alone sessions are less effective; it can be difficult for a learner to transfer a skill practised in a generic environment into a subject-specific context.

Ideally, your session/s will be timetabled within the module. IL should be included in the learning outcomes of the module and any assessment should incorporate an element of testing IL skills.

Preparing and reviewing your teaching Bear in mind the following:

• Get the content right: try to ensure your session content flows from what the students have just been doing in the module into what they will be doing next. Ensure that your teaching is relevant and timely, that the learning will address real needs and that the context is authentic. If possible, try to sit in on a module session preceding yours.

• Get the academics on your side: academic staff are best placed to develop certain aspects of IL. They can help students evaluate and analyse critically information identified in your session. Liaise with lecturers to design the curriculum so that students need to find and read the information and use it for a specific purpose (e.g. for an essay, report or presentation). The School may integrate your undergraduate teaching into its activities to prepare students for academic writing, critical analysis and research skills to meet Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) standards.

• Opportunities for reinforcement: Students need the opportunity to repeat the process of finding, evaluating and using information for an assessment as soon as possible after your session. If the assessment is for another module, the links between your teaching in the one module and the expectations of the tutors in the other need to be expressed very clearly.

• Assessment: Use assessment tools which are integrated, such as research trails or i-maps accompanying an assessed essay, rather than non-embedded assessments, such as the creation of a bibliography on a set topic (see Section 8: Assessment, pp. 55-58).

• Personal Development Plans4: Consider whether it is appropriate to include reflections on IL in the PDP structure suggested by the School.

4 The QAA requires that from 2005/6 all HE students be given the opportunity for Personal Development Planning (PDP). Schools are required to provide opportunities for students to reflect upon their learning, performance and achievement and plan for their personal, educational and career development. See the University’s Personal Development Planning website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learning/themes/pdp/index.html [Accessed:18th June 2007].



Don’t forget – Rome wasn’t built in a day! It takes time to forge relationships with academic staff and to get your teaching fully embedded into modules. Prioritise and plan your strategy carefully – possibly by concentrating your efforts on just one or two courses per academic year. If successful, you can then move on to embedding your teaching in other modules/courses.

Promoting IL It is vital that you promote IL to your School. Indeed, you may already have established an IL teaching partnership. However, if you have not yet managed to get your teaching embedded, you need to emphasise the importance of IL and generate support. Gauge the method most appropriate to the style and personality of the School.

Timing is crucial: successful promotion depends largely on your ability to take advantage of available opportunities. If you are well informed and involved with the work of the School, you will be at an advantage.

Promotion to Schools • Don’t be shy! Make contact with key members of School staff, e.g. those on

research, teaching and library committees, course directors, the skills co-ordinator and leaders of skills or other modules. Find out which lecturers have an interest in IL and develop these contacts.

• Make links, where appropriate, to IL when attending School meetings and/or staff and student panels

• Alert relevant staff (such as library representatives, course directors, Heads of School) to the strategic documents noted earlier in this section

• Show examples of instruction materials you have used for other courses and/or those which are being used by colleagues at other sites (but make sure you get permission from the originator!)

• Offer to train lecturers in an aspect of IL, e.g. the use of a particular database and its new features, and then use this as a selling point. If possible, integrate your session into existing staff training programmes in the School.

• Offer to deliver a session in partnership with an academic, e.g. in a session on plagiarism and referencing you could offer to demonstrate and explain the advantages of EndNote. This can effectively reinforce the relationship between your teaching and that of the academic staff.

• Invite School staff to IL events

• Tie-in discussions on IL with other School priorities such as combating plagiarism or PDPs

• Prepare a formal paper for the Head of School / Year Leader or Committee. (Examples of the headings you might use appear as Supporting Document 3, p. 73)

• Bring appropriate sections of official reports by educational and library bodies to the attention of the School



• Keep track of the views and proposals on library and skills instruction of professional or vocational bodies in the subject field, and draw the links with IL to the School’s attention. In addition, the QAA benchmark standards may be relevant.5

Promotion to students When IL sessions are embedded in curricula, students have a strong impetus to attend. Nevertheless, some well targeted publicity will not go amiss. In order to maximise attendance:

• Get involved in induction / registration week events. Give a lively 10 minute presentation to the whole cohort within the School’s induction programme. This is an ideal opportunity to introduce yourself and highlight the importance of the IL sessions students will be attending.

• If held in induction / registration week, ensure that the library orientation session is included in the student’s registration week timetable and handbook and mentioned in the course introductory lecture

• If your orientation session is in week 1 and you have had no prior contact with the students, arrange with lecturing staff to advertise and promote your session through an announcement at the start of a lecture. Better still, drop by and make the announcement yourself (but obtain permission first!).

• Advertise training sessions on Blackboard or the School intranet

• Create a promotional flyer to post in student pigeon holes and on School notice boards. This is particularly useful for publicising drop-in sessions.

• Use the orientation session as a promotion opportunity to advertise further events tailored to the particular needs of the student group

• Don’t use the term ‘information literacy’. ‘Library skills’ or ‘research skills’ will be more readily accepted and understood.

• Be friendly, be approachable, BE YOURSELF!

5 The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. No date. Subject benchmark statements [online] Available at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/ [Accessed: 27th June 2007].


Section Two: Library Orientation

Section 2: Library Orientation

Summary Library orientation is an important precursor to information literacy teaching. This section includes:

• Library orientation: the key issues • Short orientation sessions • Longer orientation sessions • Interactivity – the Cephalonian Method and other suggestions • What next?

Whilst many of the techniques covered elsewhere in the Handbook are relevant to library orientation, this section gives specific advice on this area. If you are a Library Operations Manager, this section may be of particular interest, or if you are a new Subject Librarian you should find this material helpful when planning your first orientation sessions. If you already have substantial experience of delivering library orientation, you may be interested in the suggestions for incorporating interactivity at the end of the section.

Library orientation: the key issues • The aim of library orientation is to inform students about the services provided

by the University Library Service and when, where and how these can be accessed

• Library orientation should always be offered with the agreement of the course co-ordinator and you should check with the School’s disability contact to ensure that the needs of any disabled students can be met

• Library orientation is typically the first contact a new student will have with a member of library staff. For this reason, it is vital that students leave the session with a positive impression of the library and its inhabitants!

• The timing of a library orientation session is crucial. Although it is sometimes difficult, try to negotiate with the School to arrange a slot which is timely and of a suitable duration.

A short orientation, e.g. at the start of the first semester If you are allocated a slot at the very start of semester (possibly within a wider School induction event), don’t be tempted to overload students with detailed information: a precise run-down of borrowing entitlements, detailed Voyager demonstrations and information on the number of photocopiers in the library will overwhelm. Students are bombarded with new information at this time and will find it impossible to take all this in!



Keep it friendly, relevant and short. Give a good first impression by being welcoming and approachable; students should feel positive about contacting you when they require help.

Keep the learning outcomes modest and give basic information only. Give relevant handouts such as the library site guide and Voyager guide which students can read in their own time.

Suggested content The essentials include:

• The location of the library and opening hours • How to understand a reading list and find the items on it • Where the library IT rooms can be found

At this stage, students’ requirements may well be more IT than library related: check with the School to find out if an IT representative has already covered the key points below, or will be doing so imminently. If not, consider addressing these yourself:

• How to access the internet to email home (students may not be registered to use the network yet, and provisions are made annually for international students to access the internet prior to registration)

• How to log onto the network • How to access University email from off campus • Where to go to hire a laptop for the semester • How to access Cardiff University E-learning (Blackboard)

Check if there are any questions before you finish. If you cannot provide an immediate answer, offer to pass a response via the course organiser or, if you have instructor access, post a message on Blackboard.

If you are allocated a short orientation slot, try to negotiate an additional session nearer to an assignment deadline at which more detail can be given.

A longer orientation, e.g. near the first assignment deadline Library orientation should ideally take place at the point of need, i.e. when the first assignment has been set and students need to make use of the library and its resources. This might take the form of a slot within a compulsory ‘study skills’ module in the first semester.

At this point, students will be starting to think seriously about study and are likely to be more receptive to what you have to say. The lesson plan can be more ambitious; by the end of the session students might be expected to be able to:

• Find library buildings and services • Recognise different material formats (book / journal / photocopy / other

specialist types) • Locate these materials in the library • Use Voyager to find materials from their reading list • Borrow, reserve, renew and return material and manage their Voyager

account



• Show awareness of the existence of electronic books and electronic journals • Show awareness of photocopying / scanning / printing facilities and the laws

associated with their use • Observe library regulations relating to responsible and safe conduct in library

buildings • Show awareness of the availability of services for disabled users and know

how to access / arrange these if required.

Suggested content Elements could include:

• Cardiff University libraries o concept of the home library and other libraries o opening hours * o other instruction / training offered o availability of help from service points

• Your University I.D. card o how to get it if not yet received o your library barcode number o responsibility for the material borrowed on it – report loss immediately o only you can borrow material against the card

• Voyager demonstration and / or practice exercise o understanding a reading list o keyword, author browse, title, journal search options o electronic resources available via Voyager o online renewals and reservations o viewing your library account o point out that library communications will be sent to University email

addresses

• Material types and their locations o short loan, main, reference, special collections, journals, folios o purpose of classification and filing order of classmarks

• Borrowing o procedure o loan periods o charges for overdues * o regulations

• Printing and photocopying / scanning o how to use * o networked payment account for printing and photocopying o awareness of copyright law *



• Studying o different types of study area e.g. silent, quiet, group discussion o availability of laptop points, wireless network points

• Information Technology o locations o logging in procedures o understanding passwords o sources of help and training

• Safe and responsible use of the library o where eating and drinking are permitted o noise (mobile phones, personal stereos) o care of personal valuables o location of fire alarms and exits

• Availability of facilities and services for disabled users o extended loan periods o book fetching service o software to assist with grammar and spelling and visual impairments o hardware to assist with mobility impairments o whom to contact to arrange or access the above services

* Points marked with an asterisk might be best conveyed by referring to printed or online guides rather than by verbal recitation!



Interactivity in library orientation A more detailed, timely library orientation needs to sustain interest and students should be enthused by the experience! You may find it beneficial to engage students in some kind of activity.

Have you tried….?

Using the Cephalonian Method for library orientation

I’ve been using the Cephalonian Method for my first year undergraduate library inductions. It makes the presentations a lot more interactive, interesting, humorous and attention grabbing – for the student as well as the librarian. It puts the fun back into inductions and motivates the Subject Librarian again, increasing the students’ willingness to participate in future information literacy sessions. Use background music, colour-coded cards with questions about available information services and lively presentations to introduce INSRV to the students – I can highly recommend it!

Sonja Haerkoenen, Arts and Social Studies Library

For further information see:

Morgan, N. and Davies, L. 2004. Innovative induction: introducing the Cephalonian Method. SCONUL Focus, 32, pp. 4-8.

Cephalonian Method This is a world-famous method of library orientation, invented at Cardiff University. If you feel inspired to try it, here’s how:

• Organise your orientation material into themed areas such as ‘Finding reading list items’, ‘Facilities and services’ and ‘Miscellaneous information’

• Devise a series of questions for each theme and prepare an answer slide for each question

• Colour-code your answer slides using a different colour for each theme, and produce coloured laminated question cards to match

• Hand the cards randomly to students as they arrive

• Work through your themes in a logical order inviting questions from the appropriate colour sequence. For each question, select the corresponding PowerPoint slide.

For an illustration of the colour coded structure of a Cephalonian presentation, see Example 1, p. 77.



Other suggestions • Hold an open discussion: For small groups, try initiating a discussion at the

start of the session by asking students what they expect from the library service

• Invite written questions: For larger classes, leave cards and pens around the room. Ask students to form groups and to come up with an appropriate question, then ask as many groups as possible to read them out.

• Audience Response Technology: If you are feeling adventurous, why not consider using Audience Response Technology (ART)? This enables you to pose questions to your audience which they can answer electronically via handheld devices. Instantaneous feedback is delivered to your PC and hence the projector screen! (See Section 5: Teaching Aids, pp. 29-30 for further information).

Alternatively try the “Ready Steady Cook” approach if technology is unavailable. Give the audience sets of coloured or labelled cards which can be held up in response to the questions you have prepared. You could use a PowerPoint slide to present the question and the available options.

For example:

Students will hopefully hold up the card labelled ‘C’ in response! This can be a useful way of gauging student understanding.

What next? Library orientation is the start of what should be a rewarding relationship between students and the library. In consultation with the School, follow this up with more in-depth IL training. Your aim should be to equip students with the full range of skills they need to get the best out of the library and its resources throughout the course of their studies.


Section Three: Lesson Planning

Section 3: Lesson Planning

Summary The lesson planning process is discussed. Key features of this section include:

• Starting to plan your teaching session • Writing learning outcomes • Creating lesson plans • Preparing instructor notes • Further planning tips – considering your learners, being flexible and

planning and reflection

Starting to plan your teaching session Effective planning is key to successful teaching. Consider the following when you start to plan your session:

• Allow enough time. The time involved in the preparation of a new session will be several times the amount spent delivering the training. Even when a session has been run previously, experience suggests the ratio will be at least 2:1.

• Avoid making your session too content-heavy. Think about how much your students can learn rather than how much you can teach. You can actually teach at least three times as much as they can learn!

• Think innovatively. If you are running a session which has been delivered previously by colleagues, it is tempting to leave the content and format as it is. Instead, take a fresh look and see if you can find a better approach.

Writing learning outcomes Your first step is to identify learning outcomes for the session. Learning outcomes are clear, precise statements of what the learner will know or be able to do as a result of attending your session.

Ideally your session will be embedded in a module. Each module or course of study will have a set of learning outcomes so use these as a basis for developing learning outcomes for your session.

Learning outcomes can be aimed at different learning levels. A learning outcome beginning with the word ‘evaluate’ will involve a higher level of learning than one beginning with the word ‘identify’. They can be:

• Task-based e.g. ‘at the end of this session students will be able to make efficient use of Voyager to find journal articles from reading lists’



• Generic e.g. ‘at the end of this session students will be able to perform effectively in small-group work’

Ensure the learning outcomes are stated in student-centred terms. They should focus on what the student will be able to do rather than what you will have taught them. In theory, there are three parts to a learning outcome:

• task: an observable action stated in active terms such as to ‘list, identify, state, select, solve, calculate, write, demonstrate, match, translate or distinguish between’. Avoid passive terms such as ‘understand’ or ‘appreciate’.

• standards: indicate the proficiencies which the student must achieve; they should be measurable. They can be of three main types: accuracy, speed, quality, e.g. ‘without error’, ‘within ten minutes’, ‘in a coherent and well-organised fashion’.

• conditions: describe how the task will be carried out, such as the range of problems to solve, the tools or equipment to be used, any special aids or manuals provided, environmental conditions, special physical demands, e.g. ‘without reference to a manual’, ‘by checking the provided chart’, ‘by using the evaluation checklist’.

In practice, while it is important to set the task and the standards in your learning outcomes, you may find that in the context of information literacy teaching it may not always be appropriate to set conditions for the activities.

Examples of learning outcomes are given in the lesson plan in Example 2, p. 79 and in the instructor notes in Example 3, pp. 80-81.



Creating lesson plans Lesson plans set out the learning outcomes, content and structure of a session. They are intended for the benefit of the learner. They provide a useful tool to manage the expectations of learners and can help them prepare for the session. Together with instructor notes, they should help a colleague deliver a session in your place should the need arise.

Lesson plans: items for inclusion – checklist

Course title (e.g. MBA, Year 1 Medicine), session title, and date and time of session and your name

The learning outcomes of the session

Details of the session content including a description of any activities indicating if these will be assessed

Details of any required preparation such as pre-session reading or the completion of online tutorials

Sources of help outside the session

Lesson plans can be in different formats:

• Use a lesson plan template or devise your own. A template is available at S:\TEMPLATE\INSRV Templates\Internal Templates but there are many other good examples in the literature.

• If you are distributing the lesson plan to learners and the sessions are embedded within a module, you may be required to use the School’s template.

See Example 2, p. 79.

Whichever format you use, your lesson plan will need to be clear and accessible. The recommendations for the preparation of handouts on pp. 38-39 are also applicable to lesson plans.

Where possible, distribute lesson plans prior to the session; this will be essential if any advance preparation is required of learners. There are a number of options:

• Hand them out at the start of an information literacy programme

• Hand out plans at the start of each session

• Ask academic staff to distribute them at an appropriate lecture before the session.

As an alternative to a lesson plan handout, you may wish to use the first few slides of your PowerPoint presentations for the purposes outlined above. It is good practice to distribute a handout of the presentation.



Preparing instructor notes Preparing good instructor notes is an important element of your planning. Unlike lesson plans, they are intended exclusively for your benefit. They should provide a practical framework of a session and can assist you during delivery.

Instructor notes should include two elements:

• Information on the session content: i.e. the core points including examples to be used in demonstrations

• Information on the process by which that content is to be delivered: for example, whether the content is to be delivered only by the instructor (instructor-led learning) or through the instructor asking the group questions and developing the content through the responses (student-focused learning). Will the questions be put to the whole group (global questioning) or to named individuals in turn (specific questioning)?

Instructor notes: items for inclusion – checklist

Course title (e.g. MBA, Year 1 Medicine), session title, and date and time of session (if applicable)

Checklist of requirements, including:

• Handouts to be distributed • List of equipment that needs to be set up • Evaluation sheets • Any other special instructions

Sub-headings together with timing guidelines

Details of example searches or demonstrations

Details of activities / how the students will learn

Your initials, filename given to the document and date of last revision. These should be at the end of the document.

A template is available at: S:\TEMPLATE\INSRV Templates\Internal Templates.

The precise format and design of instructor notes inevitably depend on the nature of the session and your own preferences. When using PowerPoint, instructor notes may be added to each individual slide and printed off using the Notes Pages output format (see Section 5: Teaching Aids, p. 37).



The style in which instructor notes are written will affect your ability to use them. The following list contains style suggestions that you may wish to incorporate:

Layout of instructor notes – checklist

Use columns for clarity, e.g. Column 1 to contain the text, and Column 2 to include instructions, timings etc.

Embolden headings

Embolden or italicise points you wish to emphasise

Use bullet points to clearly group together points within individual sections

Use colour to highlight points if you find this helpful

Use “white space” to ensure the notes are readable

To assess whether your notes are sufficiently clear, you may wish to ask a colleague to read them and consider whether he/she would be able to use them to deliver the session.

Example 3, pp. 80-81 and Example 4, pp. 82-84 illustrate different types of instructor notes. Example 3 takes the form of a detailed plan, including learning outcomes, whilst Example 4 is essentially a delivery aid. Both have been successfully used by a number of different teachers.



Further planning tips

Consider your learners Think about the following issues:

• Existing knowledge. Learners will already have developed strategies for finding information, such as relying heavily on Google. You will need to design lessons which build on existing experience but create opportunities to assimilate or accommodate new techniques to old understanding.

• Skill levels. Within any group, skill levels will vary. Your planning will need to recognise and accommodate the variations in skill levels across the group. Consider auditing skills through a pre-session questionnaire.

• Motivation. The most effective learning takes place when it is based on real needs and placed within authentic contexts. Try to optimise relevance and timeliness, for example by basing the session on a forthcoming assignment.

• Learning preferences.

o People learn in different ways. Some learners like to look at the big picture then fill in the details later; others prefer to learn in a logical sequence achieving a complete overview at a later stage. Try to appeal to different preferences by offering a choice of activities.

o Different learning formats such as worksheets or online tutorials can also cater for different preferences

o You can cater for a number of learning preferences within the same session. For example, if you are defining plagiarism, you could use more than one of the following methods:

Method For students who prefer to learn by…

Use a PowerPoint slide with a text definition

reading the detail themselves

Verbalise the concept using alternative words to the slide

hearing a concept explained

Give an example of plagiarism applying a concept to real life

Ask the learners to suggest definitions of plagiarism themselves

exploring a concept in an open-ended way and taking part in discussions

Use a PowerPoint slide featuring a cartoon about plagiarism

engaging with visuals and humour

Give a personal account of a plagiarism incident

relating to concepts in a personal way



• Support needs. o Check with the School’s disability contact to find out if there are

learners with additional support needs and, if necessary, seek advice on how best to include them

o The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)1 places a duty on all educational institutions to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled learners are not put at a substantial disadvantage

o When designing activities, consider the demands on all learners’ capacities such as vision and hearing, concentration and stamina, social skills and awareness

o General principles for planning accessible teaching sessions include:

Creating a logical structure

Making handouts available in advance, either electronically or in paper form

Using multiple modes of communication

Varying methods of presentation

Planning mini-breaks or changing activity types

Incorporating checks on learner understanding so you can monitor the effectiveness of your communication

Ensuring your plan is flexible so you can offer options to learners.

Be flexible! Your learning outcomes can be achieved in a variety of ways. Build some flexibility into your plan so that you can react to the situation on the day:

• Allocate free time. If your session is 90 minutes long, plan for 70 minutes of lesson content. Allow 5 minutes at either end for students to arrive / leave and save the remaining 10 minutes to be used elsewhere in the session. This might be used to:

o Give the students a break if necessary

o Review progress with the class: are you meeting the learning outcomes?

1 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm) [Accessed: 18th June 2007] as amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010.htm) [Accessed: 18th June 2007] and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/20050013.htm) [Accessed: 18th June 2007].


http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/20050013.htm


• Prepare extra material

o To have further activities available for quick learners if they complete the scheduled work

o To be able to choose appropriate material in response to the way in which the lesson is unfolding. If you take this approach, ensure that you are still able to cover the learning outcomes.

• Put yourself ‘on the spot’. Instead of demonstrating a model search example, ask learners for a topic during the session. This takes confidence as you will have to think on your feet. However, students will see you work through an authentic search and get a flavour of the kinds of problems they may encounter. Avoid putting yourself under too much pressure by having an example search prepared as a backup, and do not be afraid to amend any search suggestion to suit your purposes.

Have you tried….?

Using a flexible approach

A small group of research postgraduates is likely to have a diverse range of subject interests. How can you cater for this? A good way to start is to let them introduce themselves and say a bit about their research. This acts as an ice-breaker. It also offers you the opportunity to use some of their topics in your demonstrations rather than preparing your own topics in advance.

Question the group to check for prior familiarity with a database. You can then adjust your demonstration if needed. A PowerPoint presentation with links to the sources you are demonstrating usually works well. It gives your sessions structure but still allows you to vary the depth of coverage and time spent on individual sources.

For the hands-on part of the session, allow them to explore their own research subjects, using a variety of information resources. Use an exercise sheet with a variety of topics which will give them a chance to pick and choose according to their own interests. Mark at least one of the exercises 'Research topic of your choice'.

Our feedback indicates that postgraduate research students welcome the opportunity to try out their own research subject using the sources you are demonstrating. Your lesson will still need to be mapped out in advance, but its structure and content will be sufficiently flexible to cater for their individual interests.

Jane Sparks, Science Library



Planning and reflection It is important that students become reflective learners. A fuller appreciation of the learning process will enable them to learn more effectively. Reflection can take a variety of forms:

• Reflecting on past experiences. Allow time in your lesson plan for learners to reflect on their previous experience. For example, towards the start of an information retrieval workshop, ask about their past experiences when searching for information.

• Reflecting on what they have learned in the session. Towards the end of a session, ask learners to engage in some reflective thinking. This could involve writing down three things they will do differently as a result of attending the session or three questions which have been raised in their minds.

It is equally important for you to be a reflective teacher. See Section 7: Evaluating your Teaching, pp. 49-53 for further information.


Section Four: Lesson Formats

Section 4: Lesson Formats

Summary Different lesson formats are discussed and planning tips are given for each. This section includes:

• Planning a lecture • Planning a small-group session • Planning one-to-one teaching

Planning a lecture Circumstances may require you to deliver a session to a large number of students in a lecture hall, offering you little choice of teaching method. The lecture format is popular and widely used but it can be a challenge to retain interest and enable learning. When starting to plan a lecture ask yourself:

• Can I try a team approach? Short contributions by a number of lecturers can help sustain student interest.

• Am I using PowerPoint effectively?

o Ensure the slides are supporting your lecture rather than leading it. Decide on content first and then create your slides.

o For tips on designing slides see Section 5: Teaching Aids, p. 36.

• How can I maintain interest right to the end of the lecture?

o Plan to end with an activity rather than inviting questions, which can be a cue for students to start packing up. Try to incorporate opportunities for questions throughout your lecture.

o The closing activity could involve asking each student to write down the three most important points from the lecture and then share them with their neighbour. This helps students reflect on what they have learned.

• How can I make my lecture more interactive? Techniques such as quiz formats can be used to increase learners’ participation. See the following case study.



Have you tried….?

Structuring a lecture in a quiz format

This is a simple and effective method of introducing variety and interaction into this traditionally passive format. Students are handed a lively multiple choice quiz sheet at the start (see Example 5, pp. 85-86) and have a few minutes to complete this. About eight or nine questions are sufficient. The lecture is structured in such a way that the answers are revealed at appropriate points and act as catalysts for the presentation of related material.

In Example 5, the correct response to the question “How important is it to use the World Wide Web for your academic research?” is C. When the answer is revealed (a few PowerPoint tricks can be used to increase suspense!) the lecturer can move on to explore quality issues on the web and evaluation criteria. This format is great for providing opportunities to interact with the audience (“which option did you go for?” “why did you choose that answer?”). Also, students can tot up their score at the end to gauge their success – a fun way to finish!

Nigel Morgan, Science Library

Planning a small-group session Small-group information literacy teaching commonly takes place in IT training rooms. This offers greater opportunity for incorporating ‘hands-on’ activities, peer learning and discussions than a lecture. Remember that evidence suggests that a student’s attention span drops markedly after twenty minutes so ensure you plan a session which incorporates a good range of learning experiences.



[Material on this page removed for copyright reasons]



Questions to ask when planning a typical session may include:

• How do I want to allocate PCs? The nature of the learning experience can be affected by whether students share PCs or have their own. Generally, students benefit from using their own machine, although you can encourage discussion and interaction by getting students to work in pairs.

• How much input do the students need before getting ‘hands-on’?

o When training students to use a particularly intuitive database, they may learn effectively by working through a structured exercise prefaced by a five minute introduction

o If the database is more complex, your plan might include a demonstration at the start

o Alternatively, difficult databases could be tackled with little prior instruction; students will try different approaches and learn in a way that is authentic and is transferable to tackling new databases in the future. You could then follow this with a demonstration to consolidate the learning.

• How can I engage learners from the start? Consider planning an activity for the beginning of the session rather than starting with a conventional introduction. For example, try asking students to make a list of places/resources which they normally use when searching for information and then get them to discuss this with their neighbour.

• Will a whole-group discussion be possible? The size of your group will have an effect on the success of the discussion. Numbers may be determined by the School, but if you have the option of choosing, the following table, taken from long-established observation, will assist in determining the most appropriate group size for the session:

3-6 people everyone speaks

7-10 people almost everyone speaks. Quieter people say less. One or two may not speak at all.

11-18 people 5 or 6 speak a lot, 3 or 4 join in occasionally

19-30 people 3 or 4 people dominate

30+ people difficult to have a whole-group discussion



• Should I split my class into smaller groups for discussions?

o The conventional approach is to split the class into groups of three or four and ask each group to discuss a point before feeding back to the whole class

o Consider ‘snowballing’ or ‘pyramiding’. Students begin by working individually on a simple task such as making a list. They then join in pairs to work on the more difficult task of prioritising the list. Then, working in groups of four or five, they complete the complex task of producing a set of guidelines from the list and are required to feed back to the whole group.

o Small group work of this kind encourages students to work together, learn from each other and learn in an active fashion.

Planning one-to-one teaching One-to-one teaching takes place in all library sites, but is particularly prevalent in the hospital-based libraries. Sessions may be pre-arranged or on demand, depending on the availability of a suitable member of staff. The aims of the session may include:

• To obtain specific information for patient care or for written work • To learn a new resource or database • To refresh existing skills

ADVANTAGES DRAWBACKS

Learner is motivated to learn Can be time-consuming for the teacher

Teacher can tailor the session for each individual learner

Impractical to take this approach for each student in a large class

Learner can choose the topic for demonstration

The topic may be so specific that some features of a resource are not covered

Session can go at the learner’s own pace May need to have some examples to hand if they do not arise naturally

Learner may be more confident about asking questions than in a group

No opportunity for students to learn from each other

Learners are very appreciative of the help they have received

Training sessions usually follow the same pattern, so the teacher can use a template with some adjustments for each individual learner. A checklist of important points is useful to ensure that all essential features of a resource are covered.



Questions to ask in planning a typical session may include:

• What is the baseline for this session?:

o What is the status of the learner – staff or student?

o Which network are you going to use, i.e. the University network or HOWIS (Health of Wales Information Service)?

o How computer-literate is the learner?

o Have they used the resource before or is it completely new?

o Why are they asking for this session – patient care, course work, refresher?

o What do they hope to achieve from the session?

• How will I begin the session?:

o Emphasise that the learner can ask questions at any time, and be friendly!

o Depending on their level of competence, decide whether the learner will use the keyboard (the ideal option) or watch you demonstrate

o Identify which resource(s) you are going to teach

o Show learner how to find the resource.

• What will happen during the session?:

o Ask the learner for a suitable topic which is relevant to his/her needs. You may need to amend it slightly if you feel it will not answer the purpose.

o Try to gauge whether the learner grasps what you are saying. Ask if they are happy with the content. When engaged in one-to-one teaching, it is easy to adjust the pace.

o Make sure that all the important features of the resource(s) are covered, using your own examples if necessary

o Give the learner a chance to practice, either sitting with them or leaving them on their own if they prefer. Be prepared to go over points again.

• How will I conclude the session?:

o Ask the learner if the session has met their needs, or if they would like you to repeat anything

o Remind them that they are welcome to seek further advice or training if they wish.


Section Five: Teaching Aids

Section 5: Teaching Aids

Summary A variety of teaching aids may be used to promote learning and understanding in information literacy teaching. As well as selecting the right aids for your session, it’s also important to make sure you get the most out of them on the day. This section includes:

• A-Z of teaching aids • Mind mapping: case study • Cardiff University E-Learning (CUE) • Learning Objects (Information Literacy Resource Bank) • Intute Informs web-based tutorials • PowerPoint • Technical considerations • Handouts • Music in information literacy sessions: case study

The size of the group and practicalities of the venue will strongly influence your choice of teaching aids. Within these constraints, try to choose aids which will help your students achieve the intended learning outcomes.

Some teaching aids are best suited to particular environments: PowerPoint is best used with larger groups in rooms which have projection facilities whilst mind mapping is more appropriate for smaller class sizes. Others, however, are more adaptable to different room types and audience sizes. Below is a list of some of the teaching aids you might wish to consider:

A-Z of teaching aids

Audience Response Technology

Audience response technology (ART) provides a popular and attractive option for incorporating interactivity into your teaching. The standard setup involves the use of wireless keypads; audience members use these to select an answer from a given range of options, usually shown on a PowerPoint slide. Each selection is sent to a receiver attached to the presenter’s PC and results are displayed as percentages and/or graphic illustrations. ART can be used with large groups in lecture theatres or smaller groups in workshop settings. Benefits may include:

• added variety and interest • ensuring engagement with content • improved knowledge retention • opportunity to gauge understanding of particular points, so you can recap on

any parts of the lesson which have not been understood • an effective and time-efficient method of assessment.



However, ART is best used sparingly; a session should not be driven by the technology! INSRV is acquiring a small system which will be suitable for classroom use during the academic year 2007-2008. If you can picture yourself as the Chris Tarrant of INSRV, why not consider giving it a go!

Cardiff University E-learning (CUE)

CUE uses Blackboard software, the University’s virtual learning environment, and is an ideal place in which to make your Intute and CourseGenie online tutorials available, along with other teaching materials. They can be easily accessed by the whole class on or off campus. See p. 33.

CourseGenie

This software converts materials prepared in Microsoft Word into web-based teaching packages. Students can submit completed work electronically for automatic assessment. Access CourseGenie on the University network via Start – [All Programs] – Networked Applications – General Software – Trial Applications – CourseGenie 2.1.0.2. Launch the application and it will install a menu of CourseGenie commands on the Microsoft Word toolbar (including help files!).

Flip charts and whiteboards

These are ideal for interactive sessions. Consider giving students post-it notes and markers to jot down keywords and ideas in a discussion then encourage them to attach these to a flip chart display. You could even photograph a finished display or brainstorm chart for uploading to Blackboard or emailing to students for future reference.

Interactive whiteboards

You will find these in certain IT rooms (for example in the Julian Hodge Building). They can be connected to the presenter’s PC in order to display the on-screen image. Interactive whiteboards are touch–sensitive; web pages may be navigated by touching the whiteboard rather than clicking with a mouse. This feature can be particularly useful when demonstrating complex databases or web sites.

You may also ‘draw’ on interactive whiteboards using a special pen in order to highlight particular features of a database search screen, annotate a document, or write up notes from a discussion. This information can be saved electronically and stored as a file for circulation to students and for your own future reference.

Information Literacy Resource Bank (ILRB)

The ILRB is a collection of online teaching resources created at Cardiff University which you can incorporate into your IL teaching. The resources are designed to be flexible, generic learning objects which can be added to presentations and worksheets across the range of academic subjects. See p. 34 for full details.



Mind mapping

A mind map, either drawn on paper or created using the networked MindGenius or Inspiration software, can be a useful way to illustrate graphically the relationships between different themes within a topic. A map may be created in front of the class with input from learners or included in a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate the inter-relationships between concepts in a search strategy. Hence, mind mapping can be a useful teaching aid and an effective teaching technique. See the case study on p. 32.

Music

Music can be used to set a particular mood at the start, the end or even during your session. See the case study on p. 40.

Online tutorials

These have an interactive element and give your workshop the technological edge. Intute Informs is a free resource which enables the easy creation, sharing and repurposing of electronic tutorials and is particularly suited to workshops focusing on the use of a particular database. For further information see pp. 35-36.

You could also make use of a range of tools such as CourseGenie (see above) to create your own in-house tutorial. This was used in the creation of the Information Skills Toolkit for dental students (see Supporting Document 4, p. 74).

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a popular and effective visual tool for teacher-led presentations. See pp. 36-37 for advice on the effective use of PowerPoint.

Video

Showing relevant material from a video or DVD might be a way of breaking up a longer session by varying the presentation style.



Have you tried….?

Mind mapping

Mind maps can be a very visual way of illustrating links between keywords and topics. A concept is put in the middle of a piece of paper, then lines radiate out and related keywords, ideas or even pictures can be added. Links can then be drawn to show relationships between keywords and to suggest how they could be combined.

Mind mapping can work as an individual or group activity. To encourage collaboration and brainstorming you could divide a class into groups of four, each being given an essay question and some guidelines on how to produce a mind map, using a flipchart and coloured pens.

I have found that, by using mind maps, students tend to produce a wider range of keywords than if they’d made a quick list and gone straight to a database. Working in this way also encourages more reticent students to contribute to the discussion.

Mind mapping doesn’t have to be a large component of a session as it doesn’t suit everyone. However, students haven’t necessarily seen it before and it can be a good exercise away from computers. One of my students said he was going to use this method to plan out other essays!

Ruth Thornton, Trevithick Library

For more information about mind maps see:

Buzan, T. 2005. The ultimate book of mind maps : unlock your creativity, boost your memory, change your life. London: Thorsons.



Cardiff University E-learning (CUE) This is accessible via Blackboard, at blackboard.cf.ac.uk with your CU login. CUE offers:

• Controlled access to learning resources such as documents, slides, images, video etc. Access to any resources uploaded to Blackboard is limited to those students enrolled by the tutor.

• Online assessment through web-based quizzes, tests and surveys which enable you to monitor students’ understanding

• Facilities to set assignments and receive uploads from students and provide grades and feedback online

• Access to general communications, including email, group discussion and chat. Communication can be tutor-student or student-student.

• Links to other web-based resources either internally or externally

• Activity and achievement tracking. It is possible to monitor students’ activity on Blackboard such as how often they use the system and which resources they use. The gradebook provides a picture of achievement in summative and formative assessments (for information on assessment see Section 8: Assessment, pp. 55 - 58).

Benefits of Blackboard:

• Simple to use and requires very few technical skills

• Can be used to disseminate informational material, allowing contact time to be used more productively and interactively

• Remote students or groups that cannot come together at the same time and place can meet virtually

Issues to consider:

• It is useful to arrange access to your School’s Blackboard modules. You will see the course materials and reading lists and may be able to arrange with course co-ordinators to upload your own teaching materials into the relevant modules. (Note that you need to be enrolled as a Blackboard instructor to be able to add teaching materials and set assessments.)

• Modules are recreated for each new academic year and content must be updated before term starts

Despite its ease of use, training is recommended prior to using Blackboard and can be booked through the INSRV eLearning web pages.

If you have any queries about using Blackboard contact the INSRV Blackboard team on [email protected] or take a look at the INSRV eLearning web pages at: www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/educationandtraining/elearning/index.html



Information Literacy Resource Bank (ILRB) INSRV has developed the ILRB at ilrb.cardiff.ac.uk, as a collection of learning objects on IL topics.

Learning objects are online or printed educational resources which can be used in their entirety or repurposed as required. They can be integrated into a variety of teaching contexts, both online and face-to-face.

The ILRB includes demonstrations, cartoons, diagrams, activities, quizzes and short tutorials; these can be used directly from the ILRB or incorporated into your PowerPoint slides, printed handouts or a Blackboard module. Here are some ways you could use learning objects in your sessions:

• Clarifying or illustrating concepts, e.g. database search strategy, referencing, plagiarism etc. Visual learners find diagrams and images particularly helpful.

• Reinforcing learning, e.g. an activity which allows application of newly learned skills

• Testing knowledge and understanding, e.g. a quiz which can be used as formative assessment

• Enhancing handouts or PowerPoint slides

Some learning objects can be used as stand-alone self-help resources, e.g. an Informs tutorial or a citing references tutorial.



Intute Informs Intute Informs, at www.informs.intute.ac.uk, is a flexible tool for creating interactive online tutorials. It consists of easy-to-use software and a database of tutorials. The tutorials have been created by users as a shared community resource and can be re-used by other registered individuals to facilitate creative collaboration.

Most of the units are focused on live subscription resources, such as Web of Knowledge, but also included are basic IL units such as creating search strategies and referencing.

Benefits of using Intute Informs:

• Frames-based, allowing users to view your instructions alongside a live database search screen or other online resource

• Simple tagging mark-up helps you adapt Word documents easily

• Tutorials created by others in Cardiff and around the UK can be repurposed and adapted

• Instant amendment (handy if you spot an error on the day of the class!)

• Can be integrated into Blackboard or existing websites

• Can be used in workshops or for self-directed learning

• Paperless (although can be printed out if desired)

• Can be revisited by students at their convenience

• Useful backup for students who miss scheduled IL workshops.



Issues to consider:

• There have been some stability issues in the past but recent new ownership and relaunch is likely to improve the service

• The service is not moderated. Carefully check anyone else’s material before reusing it!

You can view the current Cardiff University units at www.informs.intute.ac.uk/informs_perl/portfolio.pl?folio=101

To produce your own units you’ll need an Editor account. Contact Zoë Young ([email protected]) for further information.

PowerPoint PowerPoint is suited to a wide range of teaching environments, but try to avoid long presentations as concentration is bound to wane – make sure you break up your presentation with buzz groups, question and answer slots or other activities.

An INSRV template is available at S:\TEMPLATE\INSRV Templates\Presentation

Preparation of PowerPoint slides - checklist

Limit the information on your slides to key points only: generally no more than seven words per line and seven lines per slide

Limit the number of slides, e.g. to no more than eight or nine for a ten minute presentation, giving students time to absorb information on each slide

Use keywords and short sentences only

Use normal sentence case for your text and use at least Arial 24pt

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms and limit use of punctuation marks

Do not apologise for any slide. If the content is hard to read, redo it.

Spell check and proof read your work

Use clip art, pictures, charts, tables, diagrams, sound and video to enhance content. Ensure that you are complying with copyright law and generally limit to no more than two graphics per slide.

If including video clips remember to use Microsoft’s “Package for CD” feature if moving from one computer to another otherwise the clips may not work



Adding speaker notes to PowerPoint You can type speaker notes into the notes panel displayed in the PowerPoint Normal view. Speaker notes are useful:

• As a prompt - to remind you what to say and when!

• For delivery instructions - when to click on a URL, which examples to use for demonstrations, when to question the group, when to produce any props!

• To enable a colleague to deliver a lesson during your absence

Tips for speaker notes:

• When finalised, print out your notes as you will not be able to view them on screen during delivery. Go to File – Print, then under Print What, select Notes Pages. Use a large font (if necessary enlarge the notes area in Notes Page view) – you must be able to see your printout of the speaker notes clearly during delivery.

• Alternatively, export your speaker notes to Microsoft Word, to give you more control over their layout, e.g. by including more than one slide per page. To do this, go to File – Send To – Microsoft Office Word… and select the appropriate options.

• Keep notes brief, clear and meaningful. Use keywords and short phrases to make your notes decipherable at a glance.

Technical considerations when using teaching aids in your session

• There is usually a contact number which you can call for technical support or to report problems. Check if support will be available at the time of your session.

• Take along a back-up copy of your presentation and any other materials on CD or a USB storage device. (Remember that the PC will sometimes be housed in a locked cabinet which means the USB port will be inaccessible.)

• Check how your slides display from the back of the lecture theatre. Font sizes must be adequate and check that bullet points display correctly and are not cut-off at the edge of the screen.

• Try out any PowerPoint animations. If the computer has a different version of PowerPoint installed you may need to re-apply them.

• Check that microphones are working properly – especially in large lecture theatres.



Handouts Handouts are useful:

• as a memory aid - students will have information to refer to after the lesson

• to encourage good note taking practice - students are more likely to be engaged in the presentation when not preoccupied with taking down the main points

• to allow students to recap on key points during a presentation.

They may take various forms:

• Directly related to session content, e.g. a PowerPoint-generated handout of a slide presentation. A useful format for PowerPoint-generated handouts is 3 per page as this includes lined space to the right of each slide for student notes. See Example 6, pp. 87-88.

• As an information sheet or permanent source of reference. See Example 7, pp. 89-94.

• As a worksheet / workbook to be completed by the students as a session progresses. See Example 8, pp. 95-96 and Example 9, 97-104.

• As an aid to evaluating information. See Example 10, pp. 105-106.

• As a practical guide to using a particular resource, e.g. a Voyager or database guide. See Example 11, pp. 107-111.

Preparing handouts Consider identification and layout:

• Include your name or initials, your library and the date of preparation, and also the course of study, the module and the title of the session

• When sessions are embedded within a teaching module the School may require the handout to follow its house style

• Handouts must conform with the requirements of INSRV’s terminology guidelines and the current INSRV Communication and Style Guidelines

Bear in mind the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).1 This places a duty on all educational institutions to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled learners are not put at a substantial disadvantage.

1 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm [Accessed 18th June 2007] as amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010.htm [Accessed 18th June 2007] and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/20050013.htm [Accessed 18th June 2007].




http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/20050013.htm


Learners who are dyslexic, have concentration difficulties, or are visually impaired will benefit from the following measures:

Accessible handouts – checklist

Prepare handouts using at least 12pt Arial font

Use bold text for headings and avoid feint text at all times

Avoid excessive use of capitalisation, underlining and italicisation

Leave plenty of space between blocks of text

Left justify text and leave the right margin jagged

Use matt finished paper in cream or pastel colours

Keep an up-to-date electronic copy for advance circulation, if requested

Testing Whichever type of handout is used, it should be well-structured, well-designed and checked rigorously for errors. It is good practice to ask a colleague to check it, to ensure that the information and any instructions given are clear and correct.

Creative use of handouts Handouts can be used to provide opportunities for active learning during the lesson by, for instance, leaving blanks for students to fill-in or by inserting a ‘question’ slide and asking them to make appropriate notes on the handout. This helps students engage with the material and encourages critical thinking.

If you are distributing copies of your slides at the start of the session, don’t necessarily include them all. You may hold students’ attention more effectively if you include a few surprise elements in your delivery!



Have you tried….?

Using music in Information Literacy sessions

Get your workshop or lecture off to a good start by using the power of music! Carefully chosen tracks played on a CD player or PA system as students arrive can create an informal and welcoming atmosphere. Feedback from students indicates that this is a popular approach. However, don’t just reach for your favourite CD! Think carefully about the mood you want to create. Choose music which is appropriate to the time of day (e.g. something relaxing and unobtrusive for a 9am session or something lively and invigorating for that after lunch slot!). Music can also be effectively used at the end of a session or to indicate the start and finish of activities. You will have lots of fun experimenting!

Nigel Morgan, Science Library

For further information see:

Campbell, Don. 2001. The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit. London: Hodder & Stoughton.


Section Six: Lesson Delivery

Section 6: Lesson Delivery

Summary This section examines good practice in three important components of lesson delivery:

• Presentation techniques • Managing the teaching environment • Facilitation skills for workshops

Presentation Techniques Delivering a presentation for the first time, whether in the form of a lecture or part of a workshop, is not an easy task. Presentations have much in common with live theatre; after all, you will be giving a performance! Very few people are born presenters. However, the good news is that presentation skills can be learned / acquired with practice and everyone improves with experience. Entire books have been written on effective presentation techniques so it is impossible to go into great detail here. The following five point plan will stand you in good stead:

1. Be confident

• Good planning is the key to good delivery. If you have correctly identified the learning outcomes, have a good structure and have chosen appropriate teaching aids you are off to an excellent start.

• Know your material inside-out. If you have a knowledge of the material beyond what you are covering within the lesson, you will be less likely to be fazed by difficult questions.

• Practice your delivery and any demonstrations beforehand

• Use instructor notes as a prompt (see Section 3: Lesson Planning, pp.16-17) but don’t read them out word for word!

• Don’t be fazed by mistakes – they happen to us all. In most cases your audience will not notice.

• Try to relax. It is inevitable that you will be nervous but the extra adrenaline will keep you alert and help you get through it.

• Be keen, be enthusiastic! It is impossible to enthuse an audience if you are not enthused.



2. Be clear and coherent

• Make your opening effective and unhurried. Gain attention by making your opening remarks striking and attention grabbing.

• Let your audience know what to expect. Outline the framework of the lesson ensuring that the learning outcomes are understood.

• Use structuring tactics:

o signposts: statements which prepare the audience for what is coming next, e.g. "I will now explain how to use Voyager. Firstly, how to find textbooks, secondly, how to find journals…"

o frames: statements which indicate the beginning and ending of sub-topics, e.g. "So that ends my introduction to journal indexing services. Now let's look at one in particular: Web of Science."

o foci: statements which highlight the essential points of the presentation, e.g. "So the key point is ..."

o links: statements which link the different sections and relate to the learners' experience and knowledge, e.g. "You can see that by using narrower terms the number of records retrieved is reduced. This could mean relevant material is missed. To avoid this, use the database’s thesaurus which we will look at next.”

• Look at the content from the standpoint of the audience. Don’t leave out chunks of explanation by assuming the audience is familiar with basic points of reference.

• Don’t use technical language without explaining the meaning first. Learners will be confused by references to “OPAC”, “Boolean” etc.

• Repetition of key points and phrases can be useful to get essential information across

• Make your ending conclusive and effective:

o Provide a summary drawing together all your key points

o Be brief and say nothing new at this stage

o Finish with a key observation or quote

o Don’t tell your audience that this will be a concluding summary as they are likely to switch off and start packing up!

3. Be inclusive and involving

• Use questioning to encourage alertness and maintain interest. With large groups use global questioning: encourage contributions but bear in mind that, within large groups, learners may feel inhibited.

• Use activities to break up a session and encourage active learning; these can be especially effective within lectures, which traditionally are



recognised as a passive format (see Section 4: Lesson Formats, pp. 23-24)

• When using teaching aids such as PowerPoint, face and talk to the audience, not your aid! Maintain eye contact throughout.

• Use pauses to allow your audience time to reflect and catch up

• When undertaking demonstrations choose examples which are relevant, memorable and striking.

4. Be time conscious

• Rehearse in order to gauge the overall timing. This will help ensure you are not spending too long on particular sections at the expense of others

• Finish within the allotted time. Learners will not mind finishing early but they will not be happy if you overrun!

• Be alert to signs of restlessness and inattentiveness. If you are aware of this, try changing the pace of delivery or move on to the next section.

5. Be yourself!

• Your voice is one of your greatest natural assets:

o Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard

o Use intonation; if you speak in a monotone your audience will find your delivery monotonous

o Speak at a steady pace; if you speak too quickly, learners will be unable to digest what you have said; if you speak too slowly, you run the risk of sending your audience to sleep!

o Don’t try to hide a regional accent; just speak naturally but clearly.

• Use humour. A light touch and a witty aside can be useful for keeping the attention of your audience.

• Use expressive body language and speech rhythms but try to avoid any mannerisms which may be irritating to your audience

• Dress comfortably and appropriately – don’t arrive under or over-dressed!

Above all, Enjoy Yourself – and your audience will too!



Managing the teaching environment The teaching surroundings can have a considerable impact on the effectiveness of your session. It is worth considering the following points:

Room preparations • Before the day, confirm the room booking either with

[email protected] or check the weekly timetable on the door (for pool rooms)

• Visit the lecture theatre if it is unfamiliar to you - be prepared to visit outside academic teaching hours if the lecture theatre is booked up during the day. If necessary, take along a colleague who is already familiar with the room and who can show you how the equipment works.

• On the day, ensure lighting or blackout arrangements are satisfactory, but also that lighting in the darkened room is still sufficient for note-taking

• Decide where you will put any handouts which you want to distribute at the start of the session. Many lecture theatres have two entrances so you might want to place handouts in separate areas.

• Also ensure that you:

o Locate the most appropriate place to position yourself

o Get a feel for the dynamics and atmosphere of the space

o Practice projecting your voice.

Equipment preparations • If you are using a portable data projector, ensure it is set up so that cables

are not a hazard to you or the learners

• Ensure that you are able to log on to the presenter’s PC:

o Check that any web pages you wish to use display properly

o Bookmark them in your web browser or link to them from your presentation. Run them up on the PC just before the start of your session to speed up access.

• Ensure that any sounds or images you intend to use run properly on the PC

• If you have back-up computer logins for your learners, test these out in advance

• If you are using a whiteboard or flipchart, find out how large and neat you have to make your writing for it to be legible throughout the room.



Seating arrangements Try to ensure that learners are seated in the most appropriate arrangement for your session; for example, encourage your learners to sit en bloc near the front of the room rather than at the back or in a dispersed fashion. This should help ensure good interactivity and effective delivery. Tip: stand at the back of the lecture theatre as learners are entering – they will then tend to gravitate towards the front!

Group work If your session is in a seminar room with moveable furniture and involves the use of paper sources, breaking the class into smaller groups of, at the most, three or four learners to a group, creates very good learning conditions. Learners work as a team and learn from one another.

Working in pairs An option for computer-based workshops is to get learners to work in pairs. In this way learners are able to support one another and the weakest learners in particular will benefit from this approach.

Room conditions The temperature of the teaching environment can have a marked effect on performance. Unfortunately, most of the time we have very little control over heating and ventilation conditions. Where possible, every effort should be made to ensure that you and the learners are as comfortable as possible.

During the lesson • Ensure you do not block learners' view of visual aids; stand to one side of

the whiteboard / projector screen

• When using visual aids, talk to the learners not your aid

• Give learners a chance to read on-screen information before you talk about it

• If you wish, switch the projector to a blank screen when you are not referring to a slide (press the letter ‘B’ on your keyboard) in order to focus attention on you rather than the screen. Hit the same key again to switch back.

• If you have prepared a handout, suggest that learners use this for making notes.



Disabled learners Every effort should be made to meet the requirements of disabled learners.

• Ensure that you know whether you will have a disabled student in a lesson. Check with the disability contact in the relevant School or the module leader.

• If you have a choice of venue ensure that it can accommodate the needs of the student(s), e.g. wheelchair access, acceptable acoustics

• Furniture should be arranged where possible to accommodate wheelchair access, space should be made for guide dogs etc.

• If group work is to be used, consider carefully how the groups are to be formed.

Facilitation skills (for workshops) When leading a workshop / hands-on training session, strong facilitation skills are needed to encourage individual learning or group interaction. These skills can be acquired with experience but it is worth bearing in mind the following points:

• Several kinds of facilitation skills are required:

o Attending skills: these involve active listening, maintaining eye contact, exploring and clarifying problems with a learner

o Observing skills: these involve closely watching the behaviour of learners, searching for clues which indicate how the training is being received – are the learners bored, restless, confused or generally comprehending and responding to the training in a positive fashion? Be watchful – try to identify which learners are experiencing problems and respond promptly and tactfully.

o Listening skills: some learners are more articulate and coherent than others in how they express themselves. Focus and concentrate on what is being said to you. To ensure that you have understood, it is a good idea to paraphrase back to the student.

o Questioning skills: many learners will be tense and you will need to encourage them through questioning to articulate their concerns and difficulties. You will need to use different kinds of questions in different situations: use a combination of specific (closed) and exploratory (open) questions to identify a learner’s specific needs or problems; use exploratory questions to encourage discussion within groups.

• Get the balance right between intervention and non-intervention. Many learners welcome general advice while others will feel intruded upon if you intervene when they have no apparent problem. You will need to be intuitive to assess each situation.



• Anticipate problems based on your past experience and point out potential problematic areas before the hands-on part of the workshop begins

• Be sympathetic to the needs of:

o Fast learners: it is useful to have on-hand an additional worksheet to engage learners who may have completed tasks before the rest of the group

o Slow learners: be positive and encouraging but don’t allow yourself to be side-tracked as you will need to devote time and attention to other learners too! Suggest a follow-up session or if possible, offer to stay behind after the session to address the problems being experienced.

• Provide constructive feedback whenever possible: be prepared to suggest more efficient approaches or encourage learners to reflect in order to devise alternative search strategies

• Don’t be negative or destructively critical as this can de-motivate learners; instead, look for opportunities to praise good practice

• Deal effectively with learners who are not paying attention. Learners using Hotmail, booking train tickets online or completing coursework unrelated to your session can demoralise both you and other learners. You will need to consider each situation carefully, as the learner may simply not understand what they should be doing. However, you must avoid a confrontation in front of the group. Possible courses of action include:

o making a friendly but firm remark to divert the student back to the task in hand

o when giving out feedback questionnaires, ask learners who may not have taken a session seriously or worked through the content to write down the reason

o in exceptional circumstances and only as a last resort, asking the student politely to leave the session

Don’t forget – your role as a facilitator is to Encourage, to Motivate and to Support!


Section Seven: Evaluating your Teaching

Section 7: Evaluating your Teaching

Summary The importance of adopting a reflective / evaluative approach to your teaching is explored. The key areas are:

• Reflective practice • Feedback from students including questionnaires and other methods • Feedback from tutors • Peer Review of Learning and Teaching (PRLT)

Why evaluate your teaching? It is essential to gather information which will enable you to assess the effectiveness of your teaching and the learning achieved. This will help you identify your successes and failures and provide evidence to inform your future practice.

Reflective practice “Reflective practice is a means by which practitioners can develop a greater self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance, an awareness that creates opportunities for professional growth and development”.1

Reflective practice is regarded as an essential element of continuing professional development. The definitions of reflection indicate that this is an active rather than a passive process; Reid (1993) defines reflection as “a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice.”2

Some key points to think about:

• The purpose of reflection is to improve and enhance your teaching. It is a means of evaluating an experience leading to a positive change in behaviour in future.

• Reflection is more than just ‘thinking’; it requires the ability to critically assess, analyse and review all aspects of your teaching

• It is a highly personal process requiring discipline and honesty; you will need to confront your disappointments and mistakes as well as your successes.

1 Osterman, K. F. and Kottkamp, R. B. 1993. Reflective Practice for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 2 Reid, B. 1993. “But we’re doing it already”: exploring a response to the concept of reflective practice in order to improve its facilitation. Nurse Education Today. 13, pp. 305-309.



There are several ways to reflect on the success (or otherwise!) of a session and on your own performance. You can initiate the process by making brief personal notes during or immediately after a session. You might want to ask yourself:

• What was the purpose of the session? • Did I have any concerns about the session beforehand? • Which parts of the session went well and why? • Which parts of the session did not go well and why? • Were the learning outcomes achieved? • What have I learned that can help me improve my performance?

Set aside some time soon after your session to address these issues. If possible, keep a diary to record your reflection and refer to this in future. Alternatively, consider using the Peer Review of Learning and Teaching (PRLT) checklist (see Example 12, pp. 112-113), which is primarily designed for use by a colleague reviewing your teaching session (see PRLT, p. 53), but which may also be used as a reflection aid. Under each heading note your strengths and weaknesses in the session you have just given.

It’s a good idea to take into account the opinions of others. For example, you could encourage colleagues to offer observations on your performance. This is particularly appropriate when you are teaching as part of a team. Feedback from students can also give an indication of your effectiveness.

Feedback from students This can be obtained by direct and indirect means.

Direct means include:

• Feedback questionnaires • Group discussions at the end of sessions • Comments boards • Focus groups

Indirect means include:

• noting non-verbal behaviour during the session, e.g: o eye contact (or lack of) o background chatter (or lack of) o excessive rustling or coughing (signs that students are not successfully

engaged) o interest in asking or answering questions o are they responding to humour? o are they yawning or asleep? o are they engaging in the activities - or are they booking their train tickets

for the weekend? (remember - this may not necessarily be a reflection on your performance!)

• evaluating student performance in exercises and assessed work.



Questionnaires Questionnaires are widely used for collecting feedback. The questionnaire should cover all aspects of the design, delivery and assessment of the course of instruction.

Ideally, your session will be part of a module, so you may need to use a questionnaire designed and administered by the School. However, if you are free to use your own, check out the following examples. Examples 13 and 14, pp. 114-115, may be used after ‘one-off’ Information Literacy sessions, whilst Example 15, p. 116, may be most appropriate to obtain feedback from students who have attended a series of sessions. Be aware of ‘survey fatigue’ amongst students and try not to duplicate the collection of feedback by the School.

Designing questionnaires

Sometimes it will be necessary to design your own questionnaire, for example if you:

• wish to obtain feedback on a specific aspect(s) of a session • are running a session for the first time • are incorporating new content in an established session • are using new materials, methods or technology • wish to carry out a pre-session audit to gauge the expectations / prior

knowledge of students.

Questionnaire design can be complex and is a topic of study in its own right. However, here are some tips:

• Make the aims of the questionnaire clear from the outset, e.g. “to identify student preference for online tutorials or printed worksheets at database training sessions” or “to gauge student reaction to a new interactive library orientation session”

• Questions should be relevant and appropriate to the aim(s) of the questionnaire – keep it tightly focussed

• Only ask about aspects of your teaching you are in a position to act on as a result of the responses received

• Make the questions short, precise and simple to answer. Avoid ambiguity and use straightforward language.

• If possible, use a combination of ‘closed’ and ‘open’ questions

o Closed questions provide ‘quantitative’ data by offering a choice of answers using tick boxes or requiring responses using a scale or number rating. They are quick to answer and the data is easy to collate.



E.g. Which of the two exercise formats used in this session did you prefer?

Online tutorials

Printed worksheets

No preference

o Open questions are used for obtaining ‘qualitative’ feedback in the

form of stated opinions and comments. Keep these to a minimum as they will take more time to complete and are likely to be ignored by some students: E.g. Why (if you specified a preference) did you prefer this format?

• Keep it short - one or two sides of A4. Long questionnaires look off-putting and take up too much time to complete at the end of a session.

• The layout should be clear and uncluttered. Use lots of white space and a generously sized Arial font.

• Conform with the accessibility recommendations referred to elsewhere in this handbook, for example the checklist on p. 39.

Example 16, pp.117-118, shows a simple questionnaire which was successfully used to obtain feedback on a new-style library orientation session.

Draw attention to the questionnaire at the end of the session and collect completed forms before students leave. This will help ensure a high response rate and thus a reliable picture of opinion.

Other suggestions • Initiate a group discussion at the end of the session using open questions

(How, What, When, Why)? For consistency, put the same questions to every group following the course of instruction.

• Give students a coloured post-it note to comment on an aspect of the session which they liked, and a different colour to highlight an aspect of the session which they didn’t. Ask students to stick these on a board as they leave.

• Ask the module tutor to elicit feedback in their next class. You could also seek feedback at any staff/student panels which you attend.

• For a new session you could (with permission of the School) set up a small focus group to receive a more in-depth response

• Monitor student use of, or enquiries relating to the sources in which you have provided instruction in order to gauge changes in behaviour following your session, over a period of time. If this indicates that some students are experiencing difficulties take remedial action by, for example, offering ‘follow up’ sessions.



Feedback from tutors The quality of student work will be formally and informally assessed by tutors. As a result, they will have views on how effectively the learning outcomes incorporating elements of IL have been met. Key indicators might be how well students have developed their research strategies, uncovered the depth and breadth of appropriate material and avoided plagiarism.

Develop relations with tutors by:

• discussing outcomes and appropriateness of lesson content beforehand

• sending copies of the documentation you will be handing out

• providing a report / feedback after the session(s)

• seeking feedback on how successfully the IL elements of assessed work were handled by students.

Peer Review of Learning and Teaching (PRLT) PRLT is designed to help you reflect on your teaching with support from a colleague. In February 2006, Senate endorsed the Peer Review of Learning and Teaching Policy Framework.3 The central tenets of the scheme are reflection, development and enhancement.

All INSRV staff with teaching responsibilities are expected to undertake PRLT at least once a year. This will be a confidential and non-judgemental experience based on mutual trust and respect. A supportive colleague will attend your session to help you reflect on all aspects of your teaching. As part of the process, you too will be expected to offer similar support to an INSRV colleague. The intention is that both parties will learn and benefit.

To date, INSRV staff have found this a positive and worthwhile experience. PRLT can prove inspirational as you may get to see alternative teaching methods and styles in action. The process will encourage you to think critically about your teaching as you will need to discuss your approaches in depth with your colleague.

For further information see the INSRV Peer Review of Learning and Teaching Framework at: www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrvstaff/projectandworking/infoliteracy/strategies/

The optional observation checklist is reproduced as Example 12, pp. 112-113.

Finally, remember that reflection is an ongoing process – it does not stop after your PRLT has been completed for the current year. Time set aside for reflection is time well spent. It is a sound professional practice from which you and your students will benefit immeasurably.

3 Cardiff University. 2006. Peer Review of Learning and Teaching [online]. Available at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learning/themes/peerrev/index.html [Accessed 26th June 2007].


http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrvstaff/projectandworking/infoliteracy/strategies/Peer%20Review%20Framework.doc

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrvstaff/projectandworking/infoliteracy/strategies/Peer%20Review%20Framework.doc

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrvstaff/projectandworking/infoliteracy/strategies/

Section Eight: Assessment

Section 8: Assessment

Summary The aim of this section is to help you think about important issues surrounding assessment. Areas covered are:

• Purpose and forms of assessment • Principles of assessment

o Validity (including research trails and other methods) o Reliability o Explicitness

Purpose and forms of assessment Assessment can serve many purposes, some of which are:

• Judging mastery of essential skills and knowledge • Measuring improvement over time • Diagnosing student difficulties • Providing feedback to students • Evaluating the effectiveness of the course • Motivating students to study

There is a wide range of assessment methods you can use. Most achieve only one or a few of the above purposes, so choose a method which is appropriate to your purpose.

Assessments are of two broad kinds: formative and summative. 1

• A formative assessment is designed to help learners learn more effectively through giving them feedback on their performance indicating how it can be improved

• A summative assessment is used to indicate the extent of a learner’s success in meeting the intended learning outcomes of a unit of study or programme.

A formative assessment might, for example, take the form of an in-class test or an essay which is marked but does not count towards the final marks given for a course. A summative assessment, on the other hand, determines the final mark the student receives, e.g. an essay, dissertation or traditional examination.

1 Cardiff University. 2007. Strategic Framework for Learning, Teaching and Assessment, p. 4. Available at: http://www.cf.ac.uk/learning/resources/Assessment%20Strategy.pdf [Accessed 26th June 2007].


http://www.cf.ac.uk/learning/resources/Assessment%20Strategy.pdf


You must obtain express permission from the School before setting students any work to be completed outside your class, even a non-assessed exercise.

Principles of assessment Effective assessment depends on three principles: validity, reliability and explicitness.

• Validity refers to whether the assessment measures what it is supposed to, is aligned with learning outcomes and appropriate in range and volume

• Reliability refers to accuracy and repeatability of assessment. It is associated with the processes surrounding assessment from assessment planning through submission to marking and on to exam boards and transcripts.

• Explicitness refers to the clarity of assessment to all involved in the process. It is associated with the quality, quantity and timeliness of information given to staff and students regarding assessment.

Validity The form of assessment used by a module will be indicated in the module description along with the learning outcomes of the course. The learning outcomes and assessment methods are formulated at the same time. Students must only be assessed on the stated outcomes, so it is essential that, if you are asked to contribute to summative assessment, IL outcomes are first clearly stated in the course description.

INSRV staff have used successfully a number of methods for formative or summative assessment:

• The research trail. This is a useful tool in assessing the level of skill a student has in identifying, finding and evaluating the information needed for a task. The research trail will be just one element of a larger assessment task, such as an essay which will, in addition to other learning outcomes, assess the student’s ability to use the information effectively and ethically. The research trail supplements, rather than replaces, the list of references or bibliography at the end of the written work.

A typical research trail might require the student to:

o set out the research plan or strategy they adopted o list the keywords selected to find information o list the full bibliographic details of all the items identified as being

relevant to the research (the list might include material not eventually cited in the written work)

o outline the steps taken to uncover the relevant information o reflect on how useful they found each item listed, according to various

qualities such as relevance, reliability, authority and objectivity o consider what changes they would make if asked to undertake the

research process again.



An example of a research trail pro-forma issued to students appears as Example 17, p. 119.

ill

learners.

8, pp. 120-121)

rature on a topic

tation of background information or wider reading and a bibliography).

ur

g and use a standard marking sheet. There are several different designs for

r

free -

ts the criteria which the assessor should consider in making his

e

ow the

re

I-maps, similar to research trails, are used in conjunction with a conventional essay and document a student’s information gathering and handling process.2 In addition to recording how information was found, the i-map wrecord thought-processes and how the student’s ideas developed. It takes the form of a “map” or diagram and may be particularly suitable for visual

• Other Methods: o a multiple choice or short answer test (see Example 1

o preparation of a review of recent lite

o critical appraisal of a journal article

o an essay or report, for which a percentage of the marks (say, 25%) is allocated to evidence of research (e.g. the presen

Reliability A key component of assessment is consistency of marking. Discuss and agree yoapproach with the other markers before you commence. Set down the criteria for markinthis:

• An unstructured marking scheme (Example 19, p. 122), provides the marker with opportunity for free comment. On the other hand, the criteria fomarking are not clearly stated and it can lead to ‘impressionistic’ marking. This scheme is often used when marking reflective or essay type work. Ifcomment by the assessor is important, you may wish to consider a semistructured scheme which uses general headings as in the unstructured scheme but lisassessment.

• A fully structured marking scheme (Example 20, p. 123) allocates a portionof marks to each of the criteria to be considered by the marker. At least onother example of a structured marking scheme is available in the Training Materials Repository. (See Supporting document 5, p. 75 for access details.)

Where an exercise requires one word or short answers it is good practice to prepare marker’s notes which set out the correct answers and provide information on hcorrect answer has been obtained. Such notes will ensure consistency in the marking and annotation of student exercises both for a single marker and, mo

2 Walden, K. and Peacock, A. 2006. The i-map - a process-centered response to plagiarism. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 31(2) pp. 201-214.



ers and methodology,

of

the

sment papers to ensure that it is fair, relates to the criteria only and is defendable.

to the Module Catalogue and notified to each student at the start of the

ork from a previous year along with the comments and marks from the

assessor.

especially, where several staff working independently are marking the same exercise. The marker should annotate incorrect answers with the correct response and include a note on the best method of achieving the correct answer. Alternatively you may wish to prepare a model answer with the correct answto distribute to students when their submissions are returned.

The Freedom of Information Act 20003 gives a general right of access to information held by public authorities. Students can ask Schools to provide them with copiesassessments, feedback sheets and marking sheets used in conjunction with the assessment process. The request is usually prompted by a student consideringpreparation of an appeal. Take care when commenting about the quality of the answer on any asses

Explicitness For modular courses, Senate assessment regulations state that assessment criteria (a description of what the learner is expected to achieve in order to demonstrate that the module learning outcomes have been met) should be provided in written formstudents insession.

Provide students with the marking sheet and discuss its contents with them before the assessment is set to help them understand the criteria for the assessment andprovide transparency to the assessment process. If there may be confusion over what is expected by the student in terms of content or presentation, you may wish todesign model answers which can be handed out prior to or at the same time as the assessment. Obviously these should be on a topic unrelated to the actual exercise. Some Schools, with permission from those involved, have made available examplesof student w

3Freedom of Information Act 2000 [online] Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/20000036.htm. [Accessed 26th June 2007].


http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/20000036.htm

Section Nine: Instructor Training

Section 9: Instructor Training

Summary This section is concerned with your training needs as a member of ULS staff, both before you are involved in the teaching process, and as you go on to design and deliver training sessions.

The seven point guide below was approved by the ULS Board in 2005 to ensure that staff are suitably qualified and experienced, and also have the necessary confidence to deliver training of high quality.

Instructor training Quality information literacy training depends on instructors being competent and confident in the planning and delivery of training sessions. The following procedures are designed to ensure that ULS satisfies this aim.

1. Before delivering their first group session, a new appointee should have attended an appropriate teaching skills course or have shown evidence to the site librarian or section head of possessing the required skills.

Examples of evidence might include Fellow status of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), possession of a formal teaching qualification e.g. PGCE, or substantial relevant experience gained in a previous post.

2. An appropriate course in teaching skills will include instruction in the skills and techniques included in this handbook under the sections relating to the planning and delivery of training.

Ideally, the course should include a video-recorded presentation made by the attendee followed by feedback principally from the course leader. The course should encourage reflective practice and raise awareness of special educational issues such as compliance with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. Examples of suitable courses include INSRV’s Training the Trainers course and CILIP’s Teaching Skills workshop.

3. Either before or immediately after attending a course, a new appointee should gain experience by assisting in the delivery of a teaching session under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

Such assistance might take the form of delivering a portion of a lecture or providing support to students in a workshop session.

4. Once the new appointee has attended an appropriate course in teaching skills, it is recommended that they ask a more experienced member of ULS staff to observe one of their first training sessions where they take the lead. The experienced member of staff should take a supportive role and be willing to offer the new appointee constructive feedback after the session.


Section Nine: Instructor Training

5. Experienced staff will be encouraged to update, enhance and develop their teaching skills through attendance on appropriate courses run by INSRV, e.g. the staff training programme for information literacy skills teaching; courses run by Schools within the University, e.g. the School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education’s Effective Teaching Skills course; or courses run by external organisations e.g. CILIP.

6. In addition, staff will be encouraged to take advantage of other skills development opportunities, as appropriate to their duties; these might include registration with the HEA and/or undertaking programmes of training leading to formal qualifications in teaching, such as a postgraduate certificate in education.

7. New appointees will be encouraged to seek the help and advice of more experienced members of ULS staff on any aspect of teaching. Experienced members of staff will be expected to offer new appointees an invitation to observe training sessions, support, advice and guidance when required.


Supporting Documents and Examples

Supporting Documents and Examples


Supporting Document 1: Information Literacy Guidance Note

Supporting Document 1:

Information Literacy Guidance Note This document was approved by the Learning and Teaching Committee in February 2007. It replaces the original Information Literacy Guidance Note (May 2002).

1. Introduction .1 Defining Information Literacy Information literacy is defined as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (ACRL 2000). In essence, information literacy is a framework for finding, evaluating and using information. The concept:

• is applicable to all disciplines, learning environments and all levels of education;

• ensures that learners become more independent, enabling them to

assume greater control over their own learning and research;

• forms the basis for lifelong learning. Information literacy is internationally recognised. National policies have been developed in Australia and New Zealand, the USA and the UK (Bundy 2004; ACRL 2000; SCONUL 1999). To clarify the concept, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL 2000) identifies five standards which support the development of learning outcomes for information literacy: The information literate individual:

1) determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

2) accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently.

3) evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

4) uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

5) understands many of the economic, legal and social issues surrounding

the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.



.2 Why is information literacy vital?

Information Literacy:

• is an essential component of critical thinking and research-led learning and teaching.

• enables us to meet the challenges arising from the proliferation of information.

The amount of new information stored electronically doubled between 1999 and 2002. This is equivalent each year to 37,000 new libraries with collections the size of the Library of Congress or, put another way, 30 feet of books for every person in the world (Lyman and Varian 2003).

• will help us reap the benefits of the Modern Working Environment in our everyday

working life. • can play a key role in promoting an understanding of what constitutes plagiarism

and in deterring its practice by promoting integrity and accountability in the use and presentation of information.

• is a key to lifelong learning in our knowledge society. 2. Background and Policy Context

This guidance note has been developed to further the central aims of the University’s Strategic Plan and in particular, key aspects of the Assessment, Learning Environment, and Learning and Teaching strategies:

• The second of the four aims of the Learning Environment Strategy is to enable users to make the most of the learning environment.

• One of the key objectives (2.3 Learning) of the Learning and Teaching Strategy is to ensure that the learning opportunities made available to students allow them to develop appropriate research and academic-related skills, and to become independent and lifelong learners.

• Tenet 2.5 of the Assessment Strategy states the need for students to

understand the concept of academic integrity and act accordingly. 3. Information Literacy and the Curriculum .1 Information literacy is important in all disciplines and at all levels of study. It is best developed within the context of the academic curriculum, rather than as a separate add-on removed from the subject content. It is suggested that students are more likely to recognise the relevance and importance of information literacy if teaching is



delivered at the point of need, affiliated with their own subject, and included in assessment (Godwin 2003; Hine et al. 2002). .2 The embedding of information literacy into curricula facilitates student-centred teaching methods including problem-based, inquiry-based or evidence-based learning together with opportunities for self-directed learning and reflection (ACRL 2000). .3 Evidence suggests that success in embedding information literacy into the curriculum depends on the establishment of collaborative working partnerships with all those involved in the learning and teaching process (see for example Davies and Jackson 2005; Grafstein 2002; Hine et al. 2002; Thornton 2007). An example of how information literacy has been embedded into a year one CLAWS module is provided in Appendix One. Views of academic staff on the success of embedding information literacy into other modules are quoted in Appendix Two. 4. Information Literacy: University Support .1 Information Services Information Services (INSRV) has developed a national reputation for its support of information literacy in the University. In 2004 Cathie Jackson ([email protected]) was appointed to take the lead in implementing INSRV’s information literacy strategy and to advise on approaches to embedding and assessing information literacy across INSRV and the Schools. Subject librarians collaborate with academic colleagues in the Schools to integrate information literacy into programmes of study and tailor methods of delivery to suit the requirements of each discipline. They provide instruction embedded within courses such as hands-on workshops for large and small groups, demonstrations, lectures and tutorials. In 2005/6, subject librarians provided 76% of students on taught courses at Cardiff University with database and web searching training; 61% received in-depth information literacy training involving identifying and locating good quality information, from a range of sources, for their research. For 39% of students, information literacy training was fully integrated into a module or course of study. In addition to this training, subject librarians compile a range of electronic and print instructional resources. For a list of the subject librarians for each School visit the INSRV Information Literacy web pages at www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/training/infolit/ With funding from the University’s Innovative Learning and Teaching fund, INSRV has developed the Information Literacy Resource Bank (http://ilrb.cardiff.ac.uk). This is a collection of ‘bite-size’ online interactive tasks, diagrams, cartoons and short tutorials which focus on aspects of information literacy. They are available for staff to download and incorporate into their own online or printed teaching materials.



Additional support is provided by insrvEducation which offers training and certification to enable staff and students to make the best use of centrally provided IT facilities and software applications. .2 Registry Registry is able to offer support and advice to academic staff regarding information literacy and the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategies, the enhancement of learning and teaching (including the financial support of innovative projects), and quality processes (including the programme approval process). If you would like to discuss any aspect of Registry’s work in this area, please contact Stephen Iwan Griffiths (telephone: 74456 or email: [email protected]). 5. Sources of additional information 1. Information Services Information Literacy web pages.

www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/training/infolit/ 2. The Information Literacy Resource Bank. A collection of learning objects on

information literacy developed by Information Services. http://ilrb.cardiff.ac.uk 3. Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy

web site. http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/informationliteracy.htm 4. Information Literacy web site. A web site on information literacy for the UK

created by Eduserv and CILIP. It includes a list of tutorials and resources on information literacy in higher education. http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk

5. insrvEducation web site. For information about the programme of IT training courses provided by Information Services. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/training/ittraining/


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/training/infolit/

http://ilrb.cardiff.ac.uk/

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/informationliteracy.htm

http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk/

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/training/ittraining/


References ACRL. 2000. Information literacy competency standards for higher education [online]. Chicago: ACRL. Available at: <URL: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm> [Accessed: 18 January 2007]. Bundy, A. 2004. Australia and New Zealand information literacy framework: principles, standards and practice [online]. 2nd ed. Adelaide: Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy. Available at: <URL: http://www.anziil.org/resources/Info%20lit%202nd%20edition.pdf> [Accessed: 18 January 2007]. Davies, J. and Jackson, C. 2005. Information literacy in the Law curriculum: experiences from Cardiff. Law Teacher, vol. 39 (2), pp. 150-160. Available at <URL: http://eprints.cardiff.ac.uk/31> [Accessed: 18 January 2007]. Godwin, P. 2003. Information literacy, but at what level? In: Martin, A. and Rader, H. eds. Information and IT literacy: enabling learning in the 21st century. London: Facet, pp.88-98. Grafstein, A. 2002. A discipline-based approach to information literacy. Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 28 (4), pp. 197-2004. Hine, A. et al. 2002. Embedding information literacy in a university subject through collaborative partnerships. Psychology Learning and Teaching, vol. 2 (2), pp. 102-107. Lyman, P. and Varian, H. 2003 How Much Information? 2003 [online]. University of California. Available at: <URL: http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/printable_report.pdf> [Accessed: 13 February 2007]. SCONUL Advisory Committee on Information Literacy. 1999. Information skills for higher education: a SCONUL position paper [online]. London: SCONUL. Available at: <URL: http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy/papers/Seven_pillars2.pdf> [Accessed: 18 January 2007]. Thornton, S. 2007. Information literacy and the teaching of politics. LATISS, vol. 3 (1), pp. 29-45.


http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm

http://www.anziil.org/resources/Info%20lit%202nd%20edition.pdf

http://eprints.cardiff.ac.uk/31

http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/printable_report.pdf

http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/printable_report.pdf

http://www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy/papers/Seven_pillars2.pdf


Appendix One – Example of the integration of information literacy into a curriculum Legal Foundations1 is a core, year one, 30 credit CLAWS module which is planned and delivered collaboratively by the module leader, Jackie Davies, the subject librarians for law and the CLAWS Computing Officer. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the main features of the legal system in England and Wales and develop the legal skills needed to study law. The coursework element of the assessment is through an essay, accompanied by a reflective “research trail”. Information literacy provides a framework through which skills are presented in a relevant and easily applicable way to students. Course structure The course consists of four units: the legal system of England and Wales; legal analysis and reasoning skills; legal research skills; and legal presentation skills. The latter two incorporate information literacy and are delivered through five two-hour seminars and two lectures during the latter half of the module. These sessions build on earlier IT skills workshops and an introductory lecture and exercises which outline how legal information is structured. The information literacy seminars are planned around a hypothetical case study on the English legal system which aims to build on the legal knowledge gained earlier in the module. The first seminar is based on Information Literacy Standards 1 and 2 (determining a need for information and accessing information) and is led by a subject librarian from the Law Library. This highly participative workshop, delivered in a computer room, builds on students’ previous experiences of finding information to explore the breadth of information needed for the case study. In preparation for their next seminar, students read the material they have identified. The second session is back with the law tutor and introduces techniques for critically evaluating the information sources they found for relevance and quality (Information Literacy Standard 3). As a first step to Standard 4 (using information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose) students are then asked to draft an oral report and a short piece of legislation using an appropriate selection of the information they have identified. In preparation for the third seminar, students are required to plan and write a 1250 word essay accompanied by a reflective research trail. The research trail asks students to reflect upon the reliability, objectivity, authority and relevance of each of the sources they used in the essay. This third seminar is based on Standard 5 (using information ethically and legally) and covers writing skills, including correct citation and avoidance of plagiarism. At the start of the seminar, students work as a group to

1 Full details on the Legal Foundations module are available in Davies, J. and Jackson, C. 2005. Information literacy in the Law curriculum: experiences from Cardiff. Law Teacher, vol. 39 (2), pp. 150-160. Available at: <URL: http://eprints.cardiff.ac.uk/31> [Accessed: 18 January 2007].


http://eprints.cardiff.ac.uk/31


identify the characteristics of good writing. These are compared with the criteria actually employed by the Law School. Each student then peer reviews another student’s essay anonymously and comments on it using the criteria identified earlier. Meanwhile, the tutor reviews the adequacy of the research process as demonstrated in the research trail. Each student is given the opportunity to re-draft their own essay in response to this feedback before submitting it, together with the research trail, as an assessed piece of coursework. The final two seminars consolidate and reinforce students’ information literacy in a fresh context. The module culminates with a mooting exercise and the information literacy element is emphasised in the penultimate seminar as teams pool and discuss their research and plan their submissions. Outcomes

• Adopting a structure developed around the concept of information literacy has facilitated a skills-based approach to student learning without sacrificing substantive content and started the process whereby students are enabled to meet the QAA benchmarks for law.

• Working together, law tutor and librarian can focus on skills of evaluation and use (Information Literacy Standards 3 and 4) to address the challenge presented to this generation of students by information which increasingly comes in unfiltered formats.

• Peer and tutor review of essays in a workshop format has enhanced key skills of communication and literacy.

• The introduction of a research trail in the coursework assessment has both reduced the incidence of plagiarism, whilst also making it easier to detect, and has encouraged students to reflect upon their learning.



Appendix Two – Views of academic staff "Access to huge amounts of information, via various electronic means, is the norm for today's student. Whereas the challenge previously for a student was how to find sufficient information, today the issue has become how to prune and select appropriate sources amongst the Wikipedia, Google and Ask internet minefield. Integrating the expertise of the Biosciences Information Specialists [subject librarians] into our modules has been a vital tool in increasing the students’ critical understanding and effective employment of their developing information literacy skills." Dr Kate Phillips Year One Co-ordinator School of Biosciences “Information literacy workshops are an integral part of a postgraduate professional issues and skills module. The students benefit from being taught by an information specialist and are aware that the School regards it as important that they develop their information literacy skills.” Pat Ryder Professional Tutor School of Computer Science "With an overwhelming amount of information readily available to anyone with access to the necessary technology, gaining an appropriate level of information literacy is now an essential element in the process of becoming a successful student". Dr Stephen Thornton Lecturer in Comparative Politics School of European Studies “Information literacy training forms a sound basis for and serves to promote life long learning.” Dr Rachel Waddington Director of Postgraduate Research Students School of Dentistry


Supporting Document 2: INSRV Information Literacy Strategy 2005-2008

Supporting Document 2:

INSRV Information Literacy Strategy 2005-2008

Introduction Information Services (INSRV) has a mission to deliver world-class information services that give staff and students an edge in realising their potential and achieving their objectives. To enable users to maximise the value of the available information resources, INSRV is striving to provide training and support of the highest quality for information literacy.

Information literacy is defined as the ability to recognise when information is needed and to locate, evaluate and use the information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose1.

Within Information Services, it is the information specialists, with knowledge of the Schools and expertise in the discipline-specific information resources, that are best placed to promote and deliver tailored information literacy to staff and students. Their work is supported and guided by the INSRV Information Literacy Group, chaired by the Senior Consultant: Information Literacy. This cross-directorate group directs INSRV staff development on information literacy and oversees projects to enhance the provision of information literacy in the University. Virtual support for information literacy will be included in the development of the new research portal for the Modern IT Working Environment (MWE).

The INSRV Information Literacy Strategy is closely aligned with the University’s policy of embedding information literacy into taught programmes2,3,4 and to the needs of research and teaching staff and students and is in keeping with the INSRV Strategic Plan. The Information Literacy Strategy has been informed by the requirements of library users as identified by local and national studies5,6,7 and the recommendations from the recent review of the University’s Library Service8.

The Strategy and action plan was discussed, amended and agreed with the Information Literacy Group, information specialists, the former ULS Board and other appropriate members of INSRV and was endorsed by the INSRV Board on 20 March 2006.

Aims 1. To facilitate the integration of information literacy into all taught programmes

of study in partnership with academic Schools. 2. To enhance the information literacy of all research postgraduates through

specialised discipline-related training in Schools and through generic training in partnership with the Graduate Schools and the Graduate Centre;

3. To spearhead the development of opportunities to enhance the information literacy of University staff, through Schools-based initiatives and through partnerships with other Directorates;

4. To work closely with the Registry and other Directorates to continue the integration of information literacy into University policy as appropriate;

5. To facilitate and support information specialists in enhancing their roles as information literacy educators; and


Supporting Document 2: INSRV Information Literacy Strategy 2005-2008

6. To be regarded as a centre of excellence for information literacy on the national and international scene.

References 1. American Library Association. (1989) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report. http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm 2. Key Strategic Outcomes and Objectives for 2004/2005 to 2008/2009 – Paper 04/130R approved by Cardiff University Council 29.10.04. Cardiff University Planning Division 3. Cardiff University (2004) The Teaching Learning and Assessment Strategy implementation plan. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/learning/ltstrategy/index.html

4. Cardiff University (2004) The Skills and Employability Strategy implementation plan. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/learning/ltstrategy/9398.dld

5. Directorate of Information Services. (2005) Review of the University Library Service. Supporting Paper 2: Outcomes from the Library Survey. Cardiff University. http://libraryreview.cardiff.ac.uk/supporting_paper_2.pdf 6. University Library Review. (2005) Results of questionnaire surveys of learning & teaching and research committees. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/libraryservices/surveysummary 7. Education for Change Ltd. (2002) Researchers’ use of libraries and other information sources: current patterns and future trends. Final Report. London: Higher Education Funding Council for England. http://www.rslg.ac.uk/research/libuse/LUrep1.pdf 8. Directorate of Information Services. (2005) Review of the University Library Service 2004/05 – 2014/15. Report and Recommendations of the Review Group. Para. 8.1.4. http://libraryreview.cardiff.ac.uk/library_review_final_report.pdf


http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.htm

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/libraryservices/surveysummary/index.html

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/libraryservices/surveysummary/index.html

http://www.rslg.ac.uk/research/libuse/LUrep1.pdf



Supporting Document 3: Presenting an IL proposal to a Head of School / Year Head or Committee

Supporting Document 3

Presenting an information literacy proposal to a Head of School / Year Head or Committee Below are some suggested headings which you might use in a discussion document on IL training:

• Introduction: Relate proposals to those contained in Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) benchmark standards. For undergraduates the QAA has developed Benchmark Standards for individual subjects and these will include references to information literacy.1 Also, refer to Cardiff University’s strategic plans and documents issued by relevant professional or vocational bodies.

• Definition: Define IL: the Information Literacy Guidance Note will help you

here

• Linkage with other skills in the curriculum: Highlight embedding and complementarity.

• Aims of IL teaching and learning outcomes: Embed within existing course

outcomes and express in student-centred terms: "At the end of this course / module a student will be able to ..."

• Course timetable: Consider constraints on the timetable, presenting

alternative solutions.

• Assessment: Consider how a student might be assessed (see Section 8 Assessment, pp. 55-58).

• Implementation: Propose a date for implementation.

• Summary of recommendations: An executive summary for busy people.

1 The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. No date. Subject benchmark statements. Available at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/ [Accessed: 18th June 2007]


Supporting Document 4: An online toolkit for dental students


An online toolkit for dental students The Toolkit is a web based resource designed to increase the information skills of dental undergraduate students. As a result of a revised dental undergraduate curriculum in 2001, the students are now required to complete a final project as part of their degree. The students may be proficient in using IT (all dental undergraduates have to complete the ECDL qualification during their first 2 years at the School of Dentistry), but they also need information handling skills.

The Toolkit consists of a flowchart detailing the process of preparing a dissertation or other research based project. Each stage of the flowchart links to the Information Literacy (IL) tools to help at that particular stage for example: Choosing the right resources offers links to Medline and other databases, electronic journals and other specialist dental resources. We have used the Toolkit with several different groups of dental undergraduates but it was designed for use by the Fourth Year students in preparing for their final dissertation. The idea behind the toolkit was to put all the information a dental undergraduate would need for a dissertation in one place and to draw together resources from elsewhere including the Information Literacy Resource Bank (ILRB) and resources from Dental School colleagues. We have found the toolkit to be particularly useful at this stage because: • The timing is right – students are just beginning their dissertation and we can

begin at the start of the flowchart with Think about your topic • The Toolkit can be used as a basis for a training session • It is permanently available on Blackboard for students (and staff) to return to

when needed • It provides an example of good practice in carrying out a dissertation or project • It can be added to as more resources become available, with input from the

ILRB and Dental School staff & students

Finally, although the toolkit has been prepared for use by dental undergraduates it can be adapted for use by other subject areas.


Supporting Document 5: Training materials repository


Training materials repository

This repository has been created to facilitate the sharing of training materials within INSRV. Everyone is encouraged to upload their own materials which they would like to share with other teachers in the Division. You can also make use of the materials already on the repository and adapt them for your own needs.

A structure has been created to make it easier to organise the materials. Categories include ‘Orientation and Voyager’, ‘Finding Information’, ‘Plagiarism and Referencing’ and ‘EndNote’. Notes on how to add your own materials, and how to download files from the repository to adapt for your own purposes, are included in the ‘Guidelines’ section of the module.

The repository is available as a Blackboard module at http://blackboard.cf.ac.uk (log in to Blackboard using your usual network username and password). The Training Materials Repository module is visible to registered users only, so please email [email protected] if you are a member of INSRV and would like to be registered.


Example 1: The Cephalonian Method (p. 11)


Example 2: Lesson plan (pp. 14 & 15)

MBChB Year 2 Medicine Using Ovid healthcare databases to retrieve information - introductory session Learning Outcomes At the end of this session you will be able to:

1. describe accurately the range of healthcare databases on the Ovid Online service and detail the subject strengths of each

2. formulate a logical and effective search strategy 3. demonstrate the importance and significance of “exploding” MeSH

headings 4. refine searches efficiently by restricting to “focus” and choosing

relevant subheadings 5. maximise relevance by combining/limiting searches in a variety of

ways, eg by publication year, language, age group 6. select appropriate records and print, download or email them

For those students wishing to familiarise themselves with Ovid search facilities ahead of this session there is an excellent Ovid Medline tutorial at: www.mclibrary.duke.edu/training/ovid/home ACTIVITY You will be given a description of the range of healthcare databases and a brief demonstration of the key features of the Ovid Online service. You will be given a workbook to use during the rest of the session and will complete a series of exercises which will help you use the databases effectively. The exercises will not be assessed. The workbook can be kept and used as a reference tool when you use Ovid Online in future. For further information and assistance please ask at the Duthie Library Service Desk. Rowland Somers, Duthie Library, March 2005 RS 08/03/05


Example 3: Instructor notes (pp. 14 & 17)

Finding information for research: beyond the web!

Level Postgraduate years 1 & 2

Date Tues 8th May

Time 10-12am

Venue/RoomT1.08

Duration: 2 hours

Lesson Aim: To introduce students to key services and techniques for finding scholarly information, including databases and current awareness services. Lesson outcomes By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Identify key information resources for finding scholarly information on their subject using MetaLib.

2. Analyse their topic, using the list or the mindmap technique, to identify relevant keywords.

3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using Google, Google Scholar, multi-disciplinary and subject-specific databases.

4. Employ Boolean and other database-specific search techniques to retrieve relevant abstracts on their topic using a multi-disciplinary database and a subject database of their choice.

5. Mark and save, email or export a selection of abstracts using a multi-disciplinary and a subject-specific database.

6. Locate the full-text of marked abstracts using Voyager and/or database links. 7. Identify and locate suitable databases to find books, theses or conference proceedings

relevant to their subject. Additional objective if required

8. Create at least one table of contents/search alert using ZETOC. Time Sequence

Lesson topic Teaching approach / methodology

Supporting Resources and Aids/ICT

10 mins Introduction Find out the subjects each student is studying and what they hope to get from the lesson. Overview of lesson objectives and methods Google – strengths and weaknesses for finding scholarly information

Whole group questioning Show Google on screen

Data projector and PC PowerPoint presentation Internet Google

15 mins Google Scholar Google Scholar coverage Google Scholar Advanced Features Advantages / disadvantages: e.g. searching repositories, conferences, grey literature Recap following practical

Demonstration Practical – students explore using own keywords. Section 1

Google Scholar Handout

15 mins Planning the search Importance and advantages of planning keywords before searching. Techniques for planning keywords i.e. lists / mindmaps

Complete ‘planning your search’ exercise. Section 2

Handout


Example 3: Instructor Notes (pp. 14 & 17)


10 mins Metalib

Introduce MetaLib Logging in and locating the appropriate subject area Describe features of MetaSearch screen

Guided demonstration to ensure all the students reach MetaLib MetaSearch screen and their appropriate subject resources. Practical – students explore resources in their subject area. Section 3

MetaLib

10 mins Databases – search techniques SCOPUS or Web of Science Overview of coverage Advantages General principles of database searching – Boolean & truncation. Build up a search demonstrating how it can be improved. Group helps to provide keywords.

Question group to check for prior familiarity with database. Demonstration and questioning – build up a keyword search

WOS / SCOPUS PowerPoint (display search techniques slide as reminder during practical) Handout

20 mins Multi-disciplinary databases Searching Marking records Saving/emailing/exporting records Locating the full text on Voyager

Practical - Section 4

Handout

10 mins Multi-disciplinary databases - advanced features Citation trails– what they are and the benefits Recap

Guided demonstration Practical – Section 5.

WOS / SCOPUS

15 mins Subject-specific databases Advantages of subject-specific databases and importance of using more than one database At least one database of the students’ choice identified through MetaLib. Recap

Teacher presentation / questioning – why use a subject specific database as well? Practical - Section 6:

Search Mark records and save/email/export Database specific features (point out to students individually during practical)

PowerPoint MetaLib Handout

5 mins Recap and summary To include mention of the further sources of scholarly info on the last page of the handout.

Questioning Re-visit objectives

PowerPoint

Example 4: Instructor notes (p. 17)


Information Services

EndNote workshop for Graduate Skills Development Programme 90 minutes

Instructor’s Notes You will need

• EndNote exercises • EndNote manual for queries • EndNote X library guide • Database guides in case of queries relating to particular

databases • Queries sheet to write down queries and email addresses • PowerPoint presentation • Demonstration files: an EndNote library containing a list of

references and MS Word file containing a heading ‘Chapter 1’ followed by a couple of paragraphs of text.

1. Before the session:

• Set up demonstrator’s account with the add-ins required to use EndNote with Microsoft Word.

• Open your file of EndNote references for the demonstration.

• Maximise the EndNote window for optimum visibility. Decide on

the referencing style you wish to use and make sure it’s selected.

• Open up Microsoft Word and open your demonstration document to which you will add some references during the start of the workshop. Switch off Word’s spelling and grammar checks (Tools – Spelling and grammar… – Options)

• Test inserting a reference to check it works. Ensure the reference appears in Word in your chosen referencing style. Afterwards in Word go to EndNote – Edit Citations – Remove, to take it out again.



2. At the beginning of the workshop Give out the EndNote guide and Citing references guide. (Do not give out the exercises at the start – these are distributed at appropriate points during the workshop.)

3. Introduction + aims of session 0-5 minutes a. Introduce self b. Explain outline of session and

purpose of handouts c. Show brief PowerPoint presentation

(explains what will be covered)

4. Show what students will achieve by the end of the session:

a. Show and briefly explain the EndNote library window with its list of references.

b. Show the Word document with text and ‘bibliography’ heading. In the main text, put the cursor after ‘researcher’s references’, which is where you want to insert a reference.

c. Go into EndNote and highlight the Stein reference. Click Tools – Cite While You Write – Insert selected reference. The program will go back into Word and insert the reference number in the text and the full reference into the bibliography.

d. Do a second example by placing the cursor after the word ‘button’ and using the Jones reference. Point out that EndNote automatically sorts the bibliography alphabetically.

5-15 minutes



5. Prepare students for the practical exercises:

a. Make sure students are logged in. b. Show students how to create an

EndNote folder (Start – Programs -Windows Explorer. Then choose File - New Folder and name folder EndNote)

6. Demo how to open up EndNote – create a

phd.enl library to the EndNote folder. 7. Give out the exercises. Exercises and their

suggested timings:

a. Manually importing references into EndNote

b. Exporting references from databases c. Inserting references into Microsoft

Word

15-20 minutes Let students do this along with instructor Students do this along with instructor 20-80 mins Offer support [20-35 mins] [35-65 mins] [65-80 mins]

8. Summarise what has been covered – go back to slide showing additional sources of help.

Also show the University’s EndNote tutorial and point out the FAQ list which will help students when using EndNote on their own.

80-90 mins

Erica Swain Information Services 17/05/07

Example 5: Quiz sheet (p. 24)


Information Research Quiz Suppose that you have been asked to produce an essay on the following topic:

“bone regeneration and its role in implant dentistry” Based on your knowledge of information sources, please answer the following questions. 1. Where would you go to find information to help you produce this essay? (please tick all

that apply)

A. Search the Net B. Textbooks C. Ask a friendly librarian D. Encyclopedias E. Journals F. Other

2. Which one of the above options would you choose as your starting point?

………………………………….. 3. How would you go about finding suitable textbooks on this topic? (please tick one option)

A. I’d check on Amazon B. I’d probably ask my lecturer / librarian C. I’d try searching on Voyager using a “keyword” search D. I’d nip down to the Hayes and check in Waterstones E. Text books are old fashioned! I wouldn’t bother using them in this instance

4. Why do you think it is important to use articles / scientific papers from journals? (tick all

that apply) A. They are useful for providing more detailed /specialised information than textbooks B. They will provide me with “up-to date” information C. They are reliable as they are written by experts in the field D. Using journals will impress Dr. Tasker E. Many are accessible online so they will save me some leg work!

Example 5: Quiz sheet (p. 24)


5. How would you go about finding which journal articles are available on your topic? (please tick one option)

A. I’d check with my tutor / lecturer B. I’d do a search on Voyager C. I’d scan through the issues of appropriate journals in the Library to find out what is relevant D. I’d use an appropriate database E. I’d search on Google Scholar

6. How important is it to use the World Wide Web for your academic research? (please tick one option)

A. It’s essential. The WWW can provide all the information I need for my assignments. B. It’s useful as the information can be found quickly and conveniently C. It’s a useful supplementary source but there are better places to look D. It is a reliable / authoritative source of information for my work E. My tutor / lecturers will be impressed if I include information from websites

7. Why is it vital to cite (acknowledge) the information sources you have used within the text of your work and then to append a full references list? (please tick one option)

A. It’s not important. My lecturers make me do this to torture me! B. A references list makes my work look more academic! C. It’s done by all academics so I guess I just have to follow suit! D. It’s a fun & challenging academic exercise – gets the grey matter working! E. If I don’t give full credit to the work of others, I could be accused of plagiarism and

sent packing!

8. And finally….a “million” is “1” followed by six zeros. A “googol” (from which the title of the famous search engine is derived) is “1” followed by how many zeros?

A. 10 B. 50 C. 100 D. 1000 E. 1,500

Example 6: PowerPoint-generated handout (p. 38)


Please complete your Information Research quiz sheet

Thanks!

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Session outcomes

At the end of this session you will

Understand the structure of the literature in your topic areaKnow how to construct an information search strategyBe able to identify key information resourcesHave the information handling skills required for your poster project

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Question 1:

Where should you look for information ?

A: World Wide WebB: Text books

C: Ask a librarianD: EncyclopediasE: Journals

F: Other?

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Example 6 PowerPoint-generated handout (p. 38)


Question 2Where should you start?A: World Wide WebB: Text booksC: Ask a librarianD: EncyclopediasE: Journals F: Other?

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Reference Sources

Provide overview of topicIdentify the terminology

Suggest further reading

Examples:– Oxford Textbook of Surgery– Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (ELS)

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Question 3How should you go about finding textbooks?

A. Check on AmazonB. Ask lecturer / librarianC. Perform a Voyager keyword searchD. WaterstonesE. Don’t bother using textbooks

E.g. Garg, A.K.Bone biology, harvesting, grafting for dental implants. 2004.

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Example 7: Information sheet (p. 38)



Citing References

Why reference? Support your arguments and give your work a factual basis Protect yourself against charges of plagiarism Demonstrate to assessors that you have carried out the necessary research Allow the reader to locate the material you consulted

When to reference You must reference your source if you have:

paraphrased or summarised the author’s ideas or words quoted the author’s words used tables, graphs, diagrams, etc from another source (Mchawala, 2004)

This diagram will help you to decide when you need to reference:



Citing in the text When you use an idea, fact or quote from another source in your work you must acknowledge it by stating the author’s last name, the year the book was published and the page number.

1. Potts (2002, p.51) defines expansion projects as…

2. Expansion projects are defined by Potts (2002, p51) as …

3. Expansion projects build on the work of previous successful projects (Potts, 2002, p51). If you write the author’s last name in the sentence as in Examples 1 and 2, put the year of the publication and the page number in brackets. If you summarise information from a source without mentioning the author’s surname in the sentence, put the author’s last name, the date and the page number in brackets as in Example 3. You don’t need to include the page number if you are discussing a source generally rather than the contents of a specific page or pages. Don’t include the author’s first name or initial when citing in the text. If you are citing more than one publication written by the same author in the same year, label the first one cited with the letter ‘a’ after the year and the second a ‘b’ and so on. E.g. (Potts, 2002a), Potts (2002b). In your list of references, at the end of your assignment, you should write the references in the same order including the ‘a’ and ‘b’. If you are discussing a point about which several authors have written the same information, include them all in one set of brackets e.g. (Midgley, 1994, Gandelsonas, 2002, UNCHS, 1996).

Publication dates and editions To find out when a book was published look at the back of the title page inside it. This page will contain details of the publisher and the publication date. If there is more than one date use the latest publication date, not the reprint date. This page will also tell you the edition of the book. If the book is not the first edition you need to state this in the full reference in your list of references, not in the citation. e.g. Cullingworth, B. and Nadin, V. 2002. Town and country planning in the UK. 13th ed. London: Routledge If no date is available put [no date] in the citation and the reference e.g. (Smith, [no date])

Works with one or more authors If two authors produced the work, include both their last names in your citation. E.g. (Bahl and Linn, 1992). If three or more authors have produced the work you are citing, use the abbreviation et al. (and others) after the first author’s surname e.g. Tayler, Parkinson and Colin’s work “Urban Sanitation: A Guide to Strategic Planning” should be cited Tayler et al. (2003) or (Tayler et al., 2003). Include all the author’s surnames in your references list.



Quotes You should aim to paraphrase information provided by an author in your own words rather than quote large amounts of their work verbatim as this helps to demonstrate your understanding of the information to the reader. It can be necessary to directly quote from the text when:

You cannot present the information more succinctly or in any other way You need to introduce a particular section of an author’s text into your work in order to analyse it.

If the quote is short, enclose the writer’s words in quotation marks and then cite the author, date and page number:

Key causes of economic deprivation include low income or unemployment which are often the result of “poor qualification levels and lack of basic skills” (Thake and Saubach, 1993, p18).

Longer quotations should be separated from the body of the text and indented from the left-hand margin. In this case there is no need to include the quotation marks:

The importance of the involvement of the state in land administration is outlined by Deininger (2003):

The state has an essential role to play not only in the legal definition of property rights, but also in providing the infrastructure used to demarcate and record property rights to enable their cost effective enforcement. To secure property rights to land, countries will therefore have to establish institutions that carry out land administration functions (pp.69-70).

If you omit some words from the quote, you need to indicate this by typing in three dots … e.g. “The state has an essential role to play…in the legal definition of property rights” (Deininger, 2003, p69). If you add some of your own words within the quote, place your words in [square brackets] to make it clear which are the author’s words and which are yours.

List of references At the end of your essay list all the items that you have cited in the text in full under the heading ‘References’. Write the list in alphabetical order by the author’s last name and include the initials of the author’s first name(s). Arrange any references with the same author by the year of publication.

Gilbert, C.S. 1992. A duration model of automobile ownership. Transportation Research 26, pp.97-114. Gilbert, C.S. 1994. Duration models. In: Mannering, F.L. ed. Transportation demand analysis. New York: McGraw Hill. pp.51-69. Kim, S.G and Mannering, F.L. 1992a. Hazard-based duration models. In: Beckmann, M.J. ed. Studies in the economics of transportation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp.67-83. Kim, S.G and Mannering, F.L.1992b. Panel data and activity duration models. In: Volmuller, J. et al. eds. Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory. Utrecht: VNU Science Press. pp.217-234. Lancaster, T. et al. 1990. The econometric analysis of transition data. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



The titles of books, reports and conference proceedings should be printed in italics or underlined. For journal articles, the title of the journal (not the title of the journal article) should be printed in italics or underlined. The volume number for the journal should be entered in bold and the issue number (if there is one) should be placed in (brackets) immediately after the volume number. In any reference you should capitalise the first letter of the author’s last name, their initials and the first letter of the title, place name and publisher. You do not need to capitalise the first letter of every word of the title.

Examples

Book Author(s). Date. Title. Place: Publisher.

e.g. Potts, D. 2002. Project planning and analysis for development. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne

Reinner. Tayler, K., Parkinson, J. and Colin, J. 2003. Urban sanitation: a guide to strategic planning. Rugby: ITDG Publishing.

Chapter from an edited book Sometimes books contain collections of chapters written by different authors which have been collated by an editor. In this case the author and title of the chapter should also be included in the reference. Chapter author(s). Date. Title of chapter. In: Book author(s), ed(s). Book title. Place: Publisher, chapter page numbers.

e.g. Young, I.M. 2002. The ideal of community and the politics of difference. In: Bridge, G. and Watson, S. eds. Blackwell City Reader. Oxford: Blackwell. pp.430-439.

Journal article Author(s). Date. Article title. Journal Title, volume number (part/issue, if applicable), page numbers.

e.g. Forrest, R., La-Grange, A. and Yip, N.M. 2004. Hong Kong as a global city? Social distance and spatial differentiation. Urban Studies, 41 (4), pp.207-227.

Conference paper Author(s) of the paper. Date. Title of the paper. In: Editor(s) of the published proceedings (if any). Title of the published proceedings/Title of the conference. Place and date of the conference. Place of publication: Publisher, page numbers.

e.g. Sullivan, P. 1998. The Wales information society project. In: Intelligent Region European Conference. Cardiff, 18-19 May 1998. Cardiff: Welsh Development Agency, pp. 74-77.



Report Author(s) or Corporate Author. Date. Title. Place: Name of publishing organisation.

e.g. Llewelyn-Davies. 1993. The Gun Quarter: planning and urban design framework. Birmingham: Birmingham City Council.

Greater London Authority. 2001. Initial proposals for the Mayor’s Spatial Development Strategy. London: Greater London Authority.

Web page Referencing a web page can be difficult, as the required information is sometimes well hidden or unavailable. If no author is apparent, web pages can be referenced by the corporate author (organisation responsible for the web page) or simply by title instead. A good web site should have sufficient ownership information to enable you to cite it. In cases where this information is not detectable, you should question whether the source should be used in your research. Ideally you should aim to include the following information in a reference to a web page: Author(s) (if available) or Corporate Author. Publication Date. Document title. [online]. Place (if available): Publisher (if available). Available at: <web address of document> [Accessed followed by date].

e.g. Lovendal, C.L. and Knowles, M. 2005. Tomorrow’s hunger: a framework for analysing

vulnerability to food insecurity [online]. FAO. Available at: <http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/af140e/af140e00.htm> [Accessed 9 November 2006].

Thesis or dissertation Indicate the level (e.g. MSc or PhD) of the thesis and the institution at which it was presented:

e.g. Guo, J. 2003. Housing urban poor in Chinese cities: a case study of Beijing. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

Foreign language sources If the work has not been written in English you can either write the title in the original language:

Thurfjell, W. 1975. Vart hav varan doktor tagit vagen? Lakartidningen, 72, p.789. or write an English translation of the title and state the original language in brackets at the end of the reference:

Thurfjell, W. 1975. [Where has our doctor gone?] Lakartidningen, 72, p.789. (In Swedish). The option you choose should depend on whether you think the reader will be familiar with the original language. Be consistent in your choice of method throughout the list references.

Corporate authors Sometimes an organisation such as a government department may be responsible for a publication rather than an individual. In this case use the name of the organisation in place of the author e.g. (ODPM, 2004). The reference in your references list should look like this:


ODPM. 2004. Planning and pollution control. London: TSO.

Tables and diagrams Write the citation after the title of the table or diagram or, if there is no title, state the source underneath it:

Either: Figure 14: Dwelling prices, London compared with UK, 1993-1999 (ONS, GOL and LRC 2000).

or: Source: Indiana University School of Education (2004)

Author mentioned by another author If you want to cite an author whose work is presented or summarised by the author of the book you have actually read, it can be shown as follows:

Rodinelli (1983), cited in Potts (2002, p37) describes the stages of a project…

A process project might consist of a number of stages including experimentation and production (Rondinelli 1983, cited in Potts 2002, p37).

For an essay you would only need to include the reference for the source you have read – in this case Potts in your list of references/bibliography. For a dissertation or thesis you should include full references for both sources in your references list. For further help, consult the Information Services Citing References Tutorial at www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/divisions/insrv/help/guides/citingreferences/tutorial/index.html References Indiana University Bloomington School of Education. 2004. How to recognize plagiarism. [WWW] <http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/overview.html> [Accessed 17 February 2005]. Mchawala, C. 2004. Plagiarism online resource. [WWW] http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learn/LearningConnection/?PATH=/Resources/workshop-plagiarism/Plagiarism+Online+Resource/&default=welcome.htm [Accessed 17 February 2005]. Rebecca Mogg Bute Library [email protected]


Example 8: Worksheet (p. 38)


Using the Voyager Library Catalogue to find items on your reading list

Q: What is Voyager?

A: Voyager is Cardiff University’s online library catalogue. Voyager gives information about

books, journal titles, conferences proceedings and other materials held in the University’s

libraries.

► Go to http://library.cf.ac.uk and click on Search the Catalogue 1. Finding a named book using Voyager The best way to find a named book is to run a Keyword Anywhere search and type the first

author surname and a distinctive word or two from the title into the Search For box.

►► So to find the book:

Advanced engineering mathematics, by K A Stroud, 2003 You could type stroud advanced and then click Search.

►► When you have found the item, click on the Title link to take you to the record. (Make

sure you click on the correct title link).

Which two libraries hold this item?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

How many copies are there in the Trevithick library? ………………………………

2. Finding print and electronic journals using Voyager Imagine the following journal article has been recommended by your tutor:

An analytical model for stress-strain behaviour of confined concrete

By B Binici

Engineering Structures, 2005, Vol. 27 Issue 7. p. 1040-1051.


Example 8: Worksheet (p. 38)


►► Use Voyager to find the article. Click New Search and select the Journal Title Begins

With search option. To find the article on Voyager you must search for the title of the

journal in which it is published, NOT the title of the article. Make sure you spell the

journal title exactly as it appears above then click Search.

►► Look at the record and scroll down to see the information about the print copy of this

journal.

Which library holds the print copy of this journal from the year 1990 onwards?

Library……………………………………………………………

►► Now look towards the top of the record at the Internet Links for this journal for details of

the electronic copy of this journal. Select a link which covers the date of the article above, ie

the year 2005. Follow the links onscreen to find the full text.

When you have found the full text, note down the title of figure 1 on p. 1041 (Hint: look at

the full text in PDF format):

Name of figure ………………………………………..……………………………

Off campus tip: if you are working from home, you may be asked to log in when you follow Internet Links from Voyager. If you are presented with an Athens Authentication page, click on the Alternative login link below this, and log in with your University network username and password. If you have any difficulty please contact the library or go to www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/eresources and click on Off-campus Access for an illustration of exactly how to log in.

If you have time ►► Go to the library subject pages at www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/bysubject and click on Engineering.

►► Click on the link for Useful web sites and take a look at some of the engineering web sites that are recommended.

Example 9: Workbook (p. 38)



Finding Information for Research – Beyond the Web! 1) Google Scholar

Google Scholar aims to provide results drawn only from academic and scholarly literature. As well as finding web sites, Scholar retrieves results from the “hidden web” such as abstracts from databases, references and links to peer-reviewed papers, theses, books and information from professional societies, universities and other scholarly sources.

Go to http://scholar.google.com/

1. Perform some searches for information on your topic. Note the types of information retrieved by Google Scholar.

2. Now click on Advanced Scholar Search to the right of the search box. Try limiting your searches by subject area and/or year of publication.

Tip Your search will have retrieved some research quality full text papers / articles. However, most of the results will be references to journal articles many of which you will not be able to access directly free of charge. We will look at ways of obtaining the full text of these documents later in the workshop.

[Cartoon removed for copyright reasons]

http://scholar.google.com/



2) Planning your search First write down your chosen topic. Then, either using the list or the mindmap technique,

note down as many keywords as you can think of on your chosen topic. Topic: ....................................................................................................................... Keywords (include abbreviations, acronyms, synonyms, alternative spellings, phrases): 3) Identifying the right resources for your research – MetaLib



MetaLib is your one stop shop for links to scholarly online information resources for your

subject area including quality web sites, databases and current awareness services.

Go to MetaLib at http://metalib.cf.ac.uk and login using your computer username and password.

1. Select the subject most relevant to your research from the drop-down list on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Spend some time looking at the available information for one or two of the subjects of interest to you. Click on the button to the right of each resource, to view a description of it.

Tip The Information Resources by Subject web pages at (www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/bysubject) also provide listings of useful databases, web sites and other information sources grouped together by subject category.

4) Multi-disciplinary databases: SCOPUS SCOPUS is a new wide-ranging database which scans the content of over 14,000 journals in

the sciences and social sciences.

In MetaLib, select SCOPUS from the databases sub-category of the subject resources section. Alternatively, click on the Find Resource tab, select S from the A-Z and click on SCOPUS.

1. Using the keywords you have identified, search SCOPUS for some relevant journal articles.

There are some tips below to remind you of how to get the best out of SCOPUS. Note down the keyword combinations you try in the table overleaf.

SCOPUS search tips:

o Ensure only the Social Sciences Subject Category is selected o Combine search terms and phrases using AND or OR or AND NOT

Violence AND football (violence OR hooliganism) AND (football OR soccer) Violence AND Football AND NOT American

o Use truncation to find singular and plural versions or alternative endings to your search terms e.g. hooligan*, violen*

o Use a wildcard to find alternative spellings e.g. organi?ation.



In the space below, note down each of the keyword combinations you try, how many

references your search retrieved and how relevant the results seem: Keywords Hits Relevance 2. Mark any useful references that you find: click in the check boxes next to the articles and

then click on the Add to list button above the results list. To view the references you’ve marked, click on My List at the top of the screen.

3. When you have finished searching, email the marked references to yourself or save them: in

My List click in the tick boxes next to the results you require. Click on Output and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. In a new Internet Explorer window go to Voyager (http://library.cf.ac.uk) and check to

see if the library has the journal articles you have marked. Remember to search for the title of the journal, not the title of the article.

Tip Web of Science is another major multi-disciplinary database which allows you to search the content of over 9,000 journals in the arts & humanities, sciences and social sciences. It is essential that you search Web of Science as well as SCOPUS to ensure you are searching the literature widely.

5) Multi-disciplinary databases – advanced features Citation trails

On the right-hand side of the list of results in SCOPUS, you will notice a Cited By column. The number indicates the amount of times an article has been cited by another article in the database. This is an effective method of identifying extra relevant articles.

Find an article in the results list for which the Cited By number is more than 0. Click on the number to view details of the articles. You may find that these records also have Cited By links to follow.

Tip A citation trail facility is also available in Web of Science.



6) Subject-specific databases

Q: Why search a subject-specific database as well?

A: Each bibliographic database covers a different range of subjects, journals and publication years. Some, like Web of Science or SCOPUS, cover a wide range of subjects. Others focus on specific subjects and cover a more specialist range of journals.

In MetaLib, now select another database of your choice and search for some more articles on your topic. Mark some records and email them to yourself.

Check to see if the full text of some of the articles you have marked is available via Voyager.

Tip Some of the databases you have tried may offer full text buttons or links to library holdings. You can click on these to see if you can get to the full text. However, if this method is unsuccessful, always try searching Voyager for the journal.



7) Other sources of scholarly information In addition to journal articles, you will need to locate books, theses and conference proceedings relevant to your research. Following this workshop you may like to take a look at some of the following resources:

Books COPAC (www.copac.ac.uk)

A catalogue of the collections of the major University and research libraries. It includes the catalogues of the British Library and the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales.

WorldCat (http://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsip) CU Login required off-campus.

The world’s largest catalogue with over 40 million records from publications worldwide, written in over 400 languages.

Theses

Index to Theses (www.theses.com/) Password required off-campus

Listings of theses published in the UK and Ireland, together with abstracts.

Proquest Dissertations & Theses (http://proquest.umi.com/login) Select Dissertations and Theses from the Database: drop down menu. CU Login required off-campus

Abstracts of doctoral and masters dissertations primarily from North America.

Conference Proceedings

ISI Proceedings (http://wok.mimas.ac.uk/) CU Login required off-campus

A database of abstracts of conference papers published in the Science and Technology fields available within Web of Knowledge.

Tip: What if the sources I’ve found aren’t available in Cardiff? We can often obtain books, journal articles and other materials that are not in the library collections. Collect an inter-library loan form from your Library; you will need to complete one form for each item. Then ask the Library Representative for your School or your Supervisor to authorise it and return the form to your Library.

http://www.copac.ac.uk/




Current Awareness Services

ZETOC Alert Zetoc provides access to the British Library's Electronic Table of Contents database. It covers approximately 20,000 current journals and 16,000 conference proceedings published per year covering almost all subjects. Zetoc Alert is a current awareness service which will email you with

the tables of contents from particular journals and / or details of articles on topics which you specify

Go to http://zetoc.mimas.ac.uk

Before setting up a keyword alert it is always best to make a few searches of the database first to make sure you retrieve results that will be useful. 1. Click on the Zetoc Search button and choose general search or journal search. Carry

out some searches until you are satisfied that your search terms are suitable. There are some searching tips below:

ZETOC Search Tips: 1) Enter authors with double quotes around the surname and initials e.g. “miller d p” The double quotes are needed to make the search into a phrase, otherwise you would be looking for miller AND d AND p. 2) Use * to expand your search or find variant spellings e.g. “medical research” ethic* will retrieve records with the phrase medical research and the additional words ethics or ethical. 2. When you have identified some suitable search terms or journals, click on the Zetoc icon at

the bottom of the page to return to the Zetoc homepage. 3. Click on the link to Zetoc Alert, then Alternative Login and type Cardiff into the search

box. Select Cardiff University and then follow the prompts to log in using your Cardiff University username and password.

4. Enter your email address in the box provided, give your alert list a name and then click on

the Create button. 5. Scroll to the bottom of the page to select either to Add Journals or Add Searches.



You will now receive an email next time the database is updated with material that is potentially of interest to you. You can amend or delete the search by logging back into Zetoc Alert. Tips • Alerts are also available for citations, books, web pages, statistics and conferences. • To find other relevant alerting services go to www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/eresources and

click on Current Awareness Services. • Many databases offer alerting services including WOS and SCOPUS.

Database alerts: citation alerts

SCOPUS and Web of Science both offer citation alerting services. These will send you an email alert each time a new paper is added to the database which cites an article in which you are interested. 1. In SCOPUS (www.scopus.com), click on My Alerts and then click on the Login using your

Athens ID link. 2. Click on Take me to the Cardiff University login page and the follow the prompts to log

in using your Cardiff University username and password. 3. Complete the brief registration form and click on Submit. Then click on Login. 4. When you’ve identified an article about which you would like to be alerted, click on Abstract

+ Refs to view the full record. 5. In the panel on the right-hand side of the screen, click on the E-mail Alert link. Enter a

name for the alert and click on Submit.

Example 10: Evaluation checklist (p. 38)


Web Page Evaluation Quick Checklist

Title of Website:

Examine the URL

Is it a personal page or site? i.e. no official sanction Sometimes there is a personal name in the URL. This will

usually be preceded by a tilde ~

Yes No

Is the page/site owned by an organisation? Yes No

Which domain extension does the site have? Consider

whether this is appropriate to the content of the site .com .org .ac.uk

.edu .gov other

Authority

Is there a named author/authors? Yes No

Are the author’s credentials indicated?

If not check them out! Try searching for the author on Google.

Yes No

Is the author an expert in the field?

Check to see if he /she has published widely in the field. You

could use an appropriate bibliographic database to help you

investigate.

Yes No

Insufficient details

Are the author/organisation contact details given? This

will be useful if any information needs to be verified. Yes No

Currency

Is a publication date given? Yes No

If so, how recent is it?

Is there an indication when the information was last

updated?

Yes No

Quality / Reliability

Are the sources of the information identified, referenced

and cited?

Yes No

What is the character of the information? Factual Opinion

Combination of both

Is the site well laid out and easily navigable? Yes No

Example 10: Evaluation checklist (p. 38)


Is the writing style informed /scholarly and appropriate

for an academic audience?

Yes No

Are any provided links appropriate and still active? Yes No N/A

Is the information available in a different format? Eg. As

a published report, factsheet etc. This may give some

general indication of quality.

Yes No

Does it all add up? What is the overall purpose of the page? You then need to consider whether this is commensurate with your requirements.

Inform, provide facts, data Explain Entertain Persuade Sell

The bottom line: In your opinion is the information of comparable quality with the information that you will find in a journal article, book, or other conventionally published source?

Yes No If YES you should be able to use the information with confidence. If NO

LOOK ELSEWHERE!

Information Services NJM / 2007

Example 11: Practical guide to using a particular resource (p. 38)


Information Services Using Digimap Classic

Session aims

By the end of this workshop you will be able to: Log in to Digimap and access Digimap Classic Retrieve a map by entering a place name or postcode Adjust the scale and location of a map Save and print a map Insert a map into a Word document

1. Getting started

1) Go to the Information Services home page at www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv 2) Scroll down the page and click on the Electronic and Subject Resources link, then

Databases. Click on the letter D and then Digimap. 3) At the Digimap home page, click on the Login button. (If a Security Alert box appears, click

on OK and then Yes). Type in your personal athens username and password and click on Login.

4) Click on Ordnance Survey maps and data. Read the terms and conditions and click on the green “I agree to the conditions” button. You are now at the Digimap home page.

5) Click on Digimap Classic.

Terms of use It is important that you understand the copyright restrictions on the use of Digimap data and maps. For complete details see http://www.edina.ed.ac.uk/digimap/faq_copyright.shtml In particular, please note that Digimap should be used for teaching and research purposes only. It must not be used for

commercial or recreation purposes. All graphic outputs (on screen and on paper) produced from the OS data must carry the

following acknowledgement: © Crown Copyright/database right 20(yy). An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service.

2. Retrieving a map

There are 3 ways to retrieve a map of a particular area: • Click on an area of the map on the right-hand side of the screen • Type in a place name (not all place names are available in the Digimap database, if the

place you require is not recognised, try the name of another place nearby, or try a postcode search)

• Type in a postcode 1) Type Newport into the place name search box and click on Find. 2) Choose Newport or Casnewydd from the list of place names.


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3) Digimap will automatically create a map of Newport in Regional View which uses the OS Strategi® ‘road atlas’ style dataset at a scale of 1:250,000 – the smallest scale map available in Digimap. You may need to use the scroll bars underneath and at the side of the map window to view all of the map.

3) Digimap will automatically create a map of Newport in Regional View which uses the OS Strategi® ‘road atlas’ style dataset at a scale of 1:250,000 – the smallest scale map available in Digimap. You may need to use the scroll bars underneath and at the side of the map window to view all of the map.

4) Click on Digimap Classic at the top left of the screen to return to the home page 4) Click on Digimap Classic at the top left of the screen to return to the home page 5) Now try the post code search. Enter the postcode CF10 3WA – the Glamorgan Building’s

post code. 5) Now try the post code search. Enter the postcode CF10 3WA – the Glamorgan Building’s

post code. 6) Maps retrieved using the post code search are shown in Detailed View which uses the OS

Land-Line.Plus® dataset. The scale of the map is 1:1250, the largest scale map available in Digimap.

6) Maps retrieved using the post code search are shown in Detailed View which uses the OS Land-Line.Plus® dataset. The scale of the map is 1:1250, the largest scale map available in Digimap.

Map Views, Scales and OS Datasets Digimap Classic allows you to create your map in one of six pre-set ‘views’ which use different Ordnance Survey datasets:

Regional View Uses the OS Strategi® ‘road atlas’ style dataset which has a scale of 1:250,000. This is the smallest scale map dataset available in Digimap Classic.

District View Combines the OS Meridian™ 2 and Land-Form PANORAMA™ products to produce a mid-scale map with a scale of 1:40,000. Meridian includes major roads, rivers, passenger railways and some place names. Panorama shows contours at 10m vertical intervals as used on 1:50,000 paper Landranger® maps.

Local View Uses a 1:50,000 scale OS Colour Raster dataset which is the digital equivalent of the paper Landranger® maps. Features include roads, footpaths, woods and important buildings. Maps produced in local view are displayed at scale of 1:20,000.

Neighbourhood View Uses the 1:25,000 OS Colour Raster product which is the digital equivalent of the OS Explorer® map series. Maps produced in Neighbourhood View are displayed at a scale of 1:10,000.

Street View Uses data from the most detailed Colour Raster product with a scale of 1:10,000, useful for analysing detail in urban areas but does not include street names. Maps produced in this view are displayed at a scale of 1:5,000.

Detailed View Uses the OS Land-Line.Plus® dataset and is the largest scale map dataset available in Digimap Classic. Features include factories, roads, street names administrative boundaries, woodland and vegetation. The scale shown depends on the area covered in the map: Urban areas are mapped at a source scale of 1:1250 Rural areas are mapped at a source scale of 1:2500 (displayed at 1:1700) Mountain and moorland areas are mapped at a source scale of 1:10,000 (displayed at 1:8000)



3. Adjusting the scale and location of your map

Digimap Classic has 6 pre-set ‘views’ which correspond to different OS datasets and scales (see the text box above). You can adjust the scale of your map by choosing a different view. 1) Change your Detailed View map of the Glamorgan Building to Neighbourhood View.

Click on the thumbnail image above Neighbourhood View at the top of the map. In a few seconds the map will re-draw at a scale of 1:10,000.

2) Now change to the map to Street View which has a scale of 1:5,000. 3) Sometimes you will need to adjust the location of the map if it is not showing the exact

area you require. Click on Cooper’s Fields on your map to re-centre it on this area. Your map should now show Bute Park and the whole of Cooper’s Fields.

4) The arrows around the sides of the map can be used to move the location north, south, east or west. Click on the arrow underneath the map to show another famous Cardiff landmark!

5) Scroll down to the bottom of the page and type a name for the map you have created in the Map Title box. NOTE: the name you choose will appear on your map. Click on the Store Map button.

6) A new Map Chest window will open. The information provided shows the name of your map, its size and the OS product which has been used to create it. Your map will be stored here for 5 days.

7) Exit the Map Chest by clicking on Close Window at the top right of the screen.

Digimap Classic Map Chest


110 HILT: July 2007. Information Services, Cardiff University. HILT: July 2007. Information Services, Cardiff University.

4. Adjusting map features 4. Adjusting map features

1) Retrieve a Detailed View map of the National Assembly for Wales building which has the postcode CF99 1NA.

1) Retrieve a Detailed View map of the National Assembly for Wales building which has the postcode CF99 1NA.

2) Try removing one of the map features. In the panel on the left of the screen, click in the box next to the feature you want to exclude to remove the tick. Click on Update Map Content.

2) Try removing one of the map features. In the panel on the left of the screen, click in the box next to the feature you want to exclude to remove the tick. Click on Update Map Content.

3) Add the map to your Map Chest. 3) Add the map to your Map Chest.

Map Features The window on the left-hand side of the screen lists the map features available for the OS dataset used to create your map. If you are in Regional, District or Detailed View, you can exclude particular features from your map by clicking in the box next to the feature to remove the tick. Then click on the Update Map Content button. The map will re-draw without the feature you have chosen to remove. This facility is not available if you are using Local, Neighbourhood or Street Views. If your map fails to re-draw you may need to re-instate a feature. Click in the empty box next to the feature to add a tick and click on Update Map Content.

5. Saving and printing your map 5. Saving and printing your map

Once stored in the Map Chest maps can be viewed, printed or saved to disk as a GIF, PDF or EPS file, depending on the quality of image you require and how you wish to use it. For this session, you are just going to save and print a gif file. Instructions for PDF and EPS files are below.

Once stored in the Map Chest maps can be viewed, printed or saved to disk as a GIF, PDF or EPS file, depending on the quality of image you require and how you wish to use it. For this session, you are just going to save and print a gif file. Instructions for PDF and EPS files are below.

1) If you are not already in the Map Chest, click on the View Map Chest link at the top right of the screen.

1) If you are not already in the Map Chest, click on the View Map Chest link at the top right of the screen.

2) Click on the thumbnail image of your map of Cooper’s Fields to view it. 2) Click on the thumbnail image of your map of Cooper’s Fields to view it. 3) To save the map to disk, click on File on the top toolbar, then select Save As from the

menu that appears or right-click over the map and select Save Picture As. 3) To save the map to disk, click on File on the top toolbar, then select Save As from the

menu that appears or right-click over the map and select Save Picture As. 4) In the Save Picture window that opens, click on the downward arrow next to the Save In:

box and select (H:) from the list (you can identify it by looking for your computer username). 4) In the Save Picture window that opens, click on the downward arrow next to the Save In:

box and select (H:) from the list (you can identify it by looking for your computer username). 5) Name the file and click on Save. 5) Name the file and click on Save. 6) If you want to print the map, click on File, then Print or right-click over the picture and

select Print Picture. Make sure the correct printer is selected and click on Print. 6) If you want to print the map, click on File, then Print or right-click over the picture and

select Print Picture. Make sure the correct printer is selected and click on Print. 7) Click on the Back button to return to the Map Chest screen. 7) Click on the Back button to return to the Map Chest screen.


Printing and saving a high quality map

PDF (Portable Document Format) Maps generated in PDF can be viewed and printed from Adobe Acrobat Reader which will load automatically on any networked computer. Maps produced in this format cannot be opened and used in other applications, but are suitable if you just need a high quality print out of your map. 1) Click on the Generate PDF File link in the right-hand column of the table in your Map

Chest. 2) A new window will open stating that your file is being processed. Wait for the message

Your map was successfully generated… to appear in the bottom half of the screen. Click on Save your map.

3) You should now be able to see your map in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Save and print the map using the buttons on the toolbar. Acrobat Reader will print the map across a full A4 page.

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) Choose to generate an EPS file if you need to insert a high quality image of your map into Word. Click on the Generate EPS File link in the right-hand column of the table in your Map Chest. 1) A new window will open stating that your file is being processed. Wait for the message

Your map was successfully generated… to appear in the bottom half of the screen. Click on Save your map.

2) In the window that opens, click on Save. Choose an appropriate drive on which to save your file, name your file and click on Save.

3) You can now open your file in an appropriate application for viewing and printing.

6. Inserting your map into a Word document 1) Load Microsoft Word - click on Start then move the mouse to Networked Applications,

General Software, Principal Applications, then click on Word 2003. 2) On the top toolbar click on Insert, move the mouse down to Picture and select From

File… from the menu that appears. Select your H: drive from the Look in: box. 3) You should now be able to see the files you saved earlier. Click on the GIF file to highlight

it and click on Insert. The map will appear in your Word document. 4) To be able to move your map and type text into the document you will need to format it first.

Click on the picture to select it - a black border will appear around the edge. On the top toolbar, click on Format, and then click on Picture. In the new window that appears, click on the Layout tab and change the layout to In front of text.

5) Try moving your picture and typing text around it.

7. Further practice 1) Create a Detailed View map of an area of your choice – you may need to adjust the

location of the map using the arrows if it doesn’t draw in the right place. 2) Exclude one of the map features. 3) Store the map in your Map Chest. Rebecca Mogg – Subject Librarian – City and Regional Planning, Bute Library Email: [email protected] / Tel: 029 2087 4611


Example 12: Peer Review of Learning and Teaching checklist (p. 50)

PLRT Observation checklist

Instructor:

Course:

Session title:

Date and time:

1 Session design: Appropriate learning outcomes Appropriate learning activities Structure Content

2 Preparation: Handouts Other teaching aids Environment

3 Presentation: Introduction: motivation & interest link & revision student preparation outcomes Development: logical presentation progression accuracy Conclusion: recapitulation summary Student Participation

112 HILT: July 2007. Information Services, Cardiff. University.

Example 12: Peer Review of Learning and Teaching checklist (p. 50, 53)

4 Questioning: Frequency Handling

5 Teaching Aids: Appropriateness & relevance Quality Control

6 Relationship with students: Encouragement Enthusiasm

7 Manner & voice: Confidence Business-like Fair to all Use of voice Use of language

8 Effectiveness: Were the outcomes met?

9 Marked strengths and weaknesses:

10 General comments:

Name of peer reviewer:


Example 13: Feedback form (p. 51)

[Title of Session] Feedback Sheet We would value your comments on the session today. The information you provide will be treated in confidence and will help us in planning future courses.

1. What have been the key points you have learnt? 2. Were there any issues covered which seemed less relevant or appropriate than others? 3. Were there any topics that you would have like to have seen covered in more detail or any topics that you would have liked to have known about that weren't covered? 4. Are there any other comments you would like to make about the organisation, presentation or content of this course? Thank you for completing this questionnaire.




Finding Quality Information in the Biological Sciences PA2038 22nd February 2006

When I came to this session my expectations were:

The session is now over and I would like to say:



Information Literacy Programme Feedback Sheet Your comments will be used to evaluate the sessions and plan future training.

Please answer the following questions. Tick one box for statements 1-5 using the scale below:

1 Strongly agree

2 Agree

3 Not sure

4 Disagree

5 Strongly disagree

Question

1 2 3 4 5

1. The sessions included everything they set out to cover at the beginning.

2. I found the sessions useful.

3. I am now confident in my ability to find and use information for my assignments.

4. The presenter introduced the topics covered clearly and effectively.

5. The venue and equipment were satisfactory.

6. What did you like about the sessions?

7. What did you dislike about the sessions?

8. Which session did you like best and why?

9. List 3 things that you have learnt.

10. What would you like more information on / help with?

11. Additional comments:

Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. Information Services, Cardiff University, December 2006


Example 16: Questionnaire (p. 52)


Getting Started with Information in the Biosciences: Introducing the Library We would value your comments on the session today. The information you provide will be treated in confidence and will help us in planning future courses. 1. Did you think that this session provided you with an effective introduction to the Library?

Yes No Don’t know

2. Did you prefer this kind of format to having a library tour?

Yes No Don’t know

3. Did you think that the audience participation was a good idea?

Yes No Don’t know

4. If you were one of the “lucky” students to get a coloured card, did you object or feel self-conscious about participating?

Yes No Not applicable

5. What did you think of the graphics used in the presentation?

Very good Good Fair Poor


Example 16: Questionnaire (p. 52)

Can you suggest ways in which the visual presentation can be improved? 6. Did you think that the music enhanced the presentation?

Yes, it was great No, it was awful Don’t know

Can you suggest a more appropriate choice of music? 7. On a scale of 1-10, how effectively do you think we presented the session? (1 = poor 10 = excellent)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8. On a scale of 1-10, how did you rate the session overall? (1 = poor 10 = excellent)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9. On the basis of this session, do you think it will be beneficial to attend the next information skills sessions?

Yes No Don’t know

Any further comments about any aspect of the session:

Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Linda Davies & Nigel Morgan. October 2006


Example 17: Research trail (p. 57)

Research Trail Autumn 2006

Answer the following questions as the “research trail” component of the essay. You may present the information required below in a format of your own choosing. Submit your answers electronically with your essay. 10% of marks available for the essay are allocated to the research trail. 1 Provide a list with full bibliographical details of all the items you identified as being of potential relevance to the essay. 2 For each item, outline how you found the relevant information and the keywords you used. Note any difficulties you faced in finding the information and the steps you took to overcome those difficulties. 3 Reflect on how useful you found each item listed in 1, above, according to each of these four criteria: relevance, reliability, authority and objectivity. 4 If you were to undertake a similar research exercise tomorrow, what would you do differently?


Example 18: Multiple choice test (p. 57)

[Example removed]


Example 19: Unstructured marking scheme (p. 57)

Practice Assessment - Autumn 2005

Marking Sheet Name: Andrew N Other Cohort / Group: A5 A Planning of the research Objectives of the research identified and evidence of some thoughtful planning. However, the value of news and international sources overlooked. B Implementation of the research Good use of most sources drawing out information relevant to the solution of the problem. But, some of the most recent developments have been overlooked - query, through lack of skill in using paper supplements and electronic sources containing latest information. C Presentation of results Poor structure and layout; example in model answer not followed. Little use of headings or sub-headings. Different elements of answer jumbled together and lacking a clearly flagged conclusion. This contrasts with the well laid out and documented bibliography. Overall Assessment: Borderline Pass Marked by: Peter Clinch


Example 20: Structured marking scheme (p. 57)

Research Trail - Autumn 2005

Marking Sheet Name: Cohort / Group: 1 Bibliographic list (20 marks) Score: Comprehensive? Follows School code of citation practice? 2 Search process (15 marks) Score: Appropriate? Logical? 3 Keywords (15 marks) Score: Appropriate? Appreciation of hierarchies? 4 Reflection (24 marks) Critical? Logically reasoned? Persuasive? 4.1 Relevance (6 marks) Score: 4.2 Reliability (6 marks) Score: 4.3 Authority (6 marks) Score: 4.4 Objectivity (6 marks) Score: 5 What learnt from exercise? (10 marks) Score: 6 Layout and style of responses (16 marks) Score: Logical and attractive layout? Fluent and grammatical style? Accurate spelling and punctuation? Total score: Total score as percentage: Score as classification of degree: 70%+ First; 60%-69% II 1; 50%-59%: II 2; 45%-49% III; 40%-44%: Pass; 0%-39%: Fail. Marked by:


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