Innovative Applications of Social Software in Reaching Out to Engineering Students
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Innovative Applications of Social Software in Reaching Out to Engineering Students Sasha Gurke, Senior Vice-President and Co-Founder of Knovel Corporation, Email: [email protected] Jay Bhatt, Engineering Librarian, Drexel University, Email: [email protected] Josh Roberts, Assistant Librarian for Engineering, Drexel University, Email: [email protected] Drexel Engineering Background Using ‘Notes’ Application to Import Feeds from Engineering Blogs Meet them where they already are… Facebook and other social sites “Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.” – Facebook’s website Students ask their friends for information there Organizations such as Drexel Student IEEE use Facebook Vendors including E-Book provider Knovel have a presence Librarians can be informal information providers via Facebook • • • • • • Bookmarks from del.icio.us Drexel Engineering Information Awareness Campaign Group How do you most often find information about new resources available from the library? 56.6% 35.2% How did you learn to find information you needed for research projects? How would you prefer to keep yourself up-to-date with new information Survey of Engineering Students (n=122) Knovel’s Facebook page allows reaching out to the users, keeping them up-to-date with the latest news about the product. Face-to-face consultation with a librarian Email consultation with a librarian IM chat consultation with a librarian From friends and colleagues From postings on social sites such as Facebook From postings in course management software such as Blackboard From postings in the Library’s website and blogs 42.6% 15.6% 26.2% 2.5% 44.3% 4.9% 24.6% 13.9% 37.7% 11.5% 31.1% 19.7% 40.2% 29.5% 18.9% 4.9% 45.9% 3.3% 17.2% Survey of Engineering Students “I wasn’t aware that the University libraries had any form of integration with any social networking services nor that they had postings about library resources on these services.” “I have just connected on Facebook so have not had time to see how it will affect my awareness.” “Haven’t seen anyone talking about research work on Facebook.” “I didn’t know it was available for that purpose.” Have social networking sites helped you to become aware of the availability of electronic resources, e-books, or any other library resources? Survey of Engineering Students; Conclusions Friends and colleagues are a major way students find information When this study was carried out Facebook was not widely promoted on campus; increasing awareness is our next step Despite not being heavily used, the emphasis on friends as information sources indicates great potential for social networking sites as library outreach • • • All major disciplines, with an emphasis on new, interdisciplinary programs Undergraduate research is encouraged Programs are growing rapidly – 40% increase in doctoral students in last 5 years More users than ever before… • • • • So…How Do We Approach Them?
description
This poster highlights how engineering students at Drexel can keep uptodate with new information using social networking tools.
Transcript of Innovative Applications of Social Software in Reaching Out to Engineering Students
Innovative Applications of Social Software in Reaching Out to Engineering Students
Sasha Gurke, Senior Vice-President and Co-Founder of Knovel Corporation, Email: [email protected] Bhatt, Engineering Librarian, Drexel University, Email: [email protected]
Josh Roberts, Assistant Librarian for Engineering, Drexel University, Email: [email protected]
Drexel Engineering Background Using ‘Notes’ Application to Import Feeds from Engineering Blogs
Meet them where they already are… Facebook and other social sites
“Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.” – Facebook’s website
Students ask their friends for information there
Organizations such as Drexel Student IEEE use Facebook
Vendors including E-Book provider Knovel have a presence
Librarians can be informal information providers via Facebook
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•
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Bookmarks from del.icio.us
Drexel Engineering Information Awareness Campaign Group
How do you most often find information about new resources available from the library?
56.6% 35.2%
How did you learn to find information you needed for research projects?
How would you prefer to keep yourself up-to-date with new information
Survey of Engineering
Students(n=122)
Knovel’s Facebook page allows reaching out to the users, keeping them up-to-date with the latest news about the product.
Face-to-face consultation with a librarian
Email consultation with a librarian
IM chat consultation with a librarian
From friends and colleagues
From postings on social sites such as Facebook
From postings in course management software such as Blackboard
From postings in the Library’s website and blogs 42.6%
15.6%
26.2%
2.5%
44.3%
4.9%
24.6%
13.9%
37.7%
11.5%
31.1%
19.7%
40.2%
29.5%
18.9%
4.9%
45.9%
3.3%
17.2%
Survey of Engineering Students
“I wasn’t aware that the University libraries had any form of integration with any social networking services nor that they had postings about library resources on these services.”
“I have just connected on Facebook so have not had time to see how it will affect my awareness.”
“Haven’t seen anyone talking about research work on Facebook.”
“I didn’t know it was available for that purpose.”
Have social networking sites helped you to become aware of the availability of electronic resources, e-books, or any other library resources?
Survey of Engineering Students; Conclusions
Friends and colleagues are a major way students find information
When this study was carried out Facebook was not widely promoted on campus; increasing awareness is our next step
Despite not being heavily used, the emphasis on friends as information sources indicates great potential for social networking sites as library outreach
•
•
•
All major disciplines, with an emphasis on new, interdisciplinary programs
Undergraduate research is encouraged
Programs are growing rapidly – 40% increase in doctoral students in last 5 years
More users than ever before…
•
•
•
•
So…How Do We Approach Them?
