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Enriching Students’ Learning Experience: Furthering Opportunities for Faculty-Librarian Collaboration丰富学生学习体验：促进教员—馆员通力合作

Gayle R.Y.C. Chan

The University of Hong Kong Libraries

Hong Kong, SAR, China陈宇青

香港大学图书馆馆藏发展部主管

International Conference on the Development of Subject Librarianship and Personal Librarianship. Beijing, China, October 14-16, 2008

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Enriching Students’ Learning Experience: Furthering Opportunities for Faculty-Librarian Collaboration丰富学生学习体验：促进教员—馆员通力合作

Purpose of study

Examine the changing needs, opportunities, benefits and challenges arising from institutional challenges

Faculty’s perception of the need to partner with librarians

Students’ perception of their need for librarian’s help and their knowledge of information resources

Use a model (an essay assignment) to investigate the needs and benefits of collaboration between the professor and librarian

Use findings to guide the desired level of librarian assistance

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HKU – today香港大学 — 现状

The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911

The University has grown not only in size but has reached a very high international standing

Times Higher rated HKU 18th, up from 33rd at the international level.

(World University Ranking 2007, THE)

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HKU tomorrow香港大学 — 将来

2011 – 100th Anniversary

2012 -- Introduction of 4-year University program

A need for a physical expansion

A need to revamp the teaching program

Establishment of a Central Learning Commons

www.asg-architects.com/.../planning_uhk_01.jpg

A preview of the new

Centennial campus

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Campus of the 21st century21 世纪的校园

• main campus expand by about one-third

• accommodate 30% percent increase in student numbers (2700 an extra cohort)

• leading edge teaching and research facilities

A central learning commons 6000 sq. meters at its heart, with seating for more than 2000

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Institutional challenges 制度上的挑战

Introduction (foundation year) to the 3-year with the aims to “revitalize to offer students a rich learning experience.”

Implication of the shift to outcomes-based approaches to student learning

Implementation of a Common Core Curriculum to enable core generic competencies/skills

In the local context, HK students to make the transition from exam based approach to a more “open” approach.

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Student-centered learning spaces

Collaborative teaching and learning environment

Students, teachers and others interact

Vast array of the latest digital information and communication technologies

Faster and more efficient access to library resources

Subject librarians to contribute as a partner to enrich students’ learning experience

Target undergraduate students, especially in their first year, to achieve the core competencies

Challenges within the learning commons 来自学习共享空间的挑战

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With expansion comes NEW challenges for the University Libraries 大学图书馆面临自身扩展而产生的的新的挑战

Enriching Students’ Learning Experience: Furthering Opportunities for Faculty-Librarian Collaboration丰富学生学习体验：促进教员—馆员通力合作

Made simple: How can librarians assist students to develop

better in their studies and learning?

What options has the Library got to succeed in such a task?

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Methodology方法

Devise a model (in this case, an essay assignment) to:investigate the needs and benefits of collaboration between the professor and librarian

to enrich students’ broadening experience outside the classroom through a learning activity

•www.bradfitzpatrick.com/stock_illustration/ca..•http://www.professorfumblebee.com/store/html/8x10-Professor.html•http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/googlescholar/librarian.gif

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Teacher’s expectations 教师的期望

• Improve information seeking skills of their students

• Identify appropriate resources for teaching needs

• Pre-search guidance, make specialized resources known

• Librarian as consultants to students beyond the classroom

Enrich the student’s experience, raise their critical thinking through information searching skills

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Teacher’s perception of the librarian教师对馆员的认知

Today’s librarians are experts in the field of information retrieval, especially in the area of electronic resources

Librarian is in better position to perform a more focused search, as consultants to students

Challenge for a librarian to connect the right resources that will benefit the student

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The study研究

A class of 250 students were assigned an essay topic viz.:

“Human milk is best – the science behind it”

Students were NOT given any specific guidelines by the teacher and were required to write an essay of about 1500 words

A questionnaire was issued to each student to find out how they went about searching for the relevant information to write their essay.

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Study on students‘ perceptions of information searching关于学生对信息查询认知的研究

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

Use search engines to begin a search

Begin search from a library site

Search engine most used recently

Search engine as first choice for information

Electronic library as first choice for information

College students satisfied with information provided by search engines

Students satisfied with information provided by librarians

Never seek assistance when using library resources—prefer self-serve

Students use personal knowledge/common sense to judge reliability of

information

HKU

OCLC

Source: Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, OCLC, 2005

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Selected comments from students to enhance future assignment 学生反馈

• The topic poses challenge for the non-science students

• Need help to refine the topic

• Need guidance on specific subject resources to consult

• Want sample of a science essay to clarify the expectation and how to achieve good grade

• Appreciate the freedom to search and like the “open” approach

• Lesson/tutorial, voluntary rather than mandatory

• Help needed to improve searching methods

• “Teach them critical thinking“

• Understanding the "science behind it” concept was complicated

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Findings on students’ information seeking habit学生网络搜索信息习惯的调查研究

Library is not the first stop nor the most preferred

Library is NOT seen as the top choice for access to e-resources

Students increasingly rely on web resources as their top choice for access to digital resources

Use of library resources may not be well optimized (students are not relying on library resources)

Self-reliance in seeking and evaluation of trustworthiness of info—count on common sense and personal knowledge

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Students’ perception of librarian assistance学生对馆员帮助的看法The questionnaire reveals:

80% find it helpful if the teacher in collaboration with the subject librarian provide additional guidance (95% never seek assistance when using library resources)

47% of the students specifically noted difficulties in performing a focused search, despite 73% of the students deemed themselves as trained in searching skills

• http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/heard/images/librarian.jpg

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What specifics? 有哪些细节问题？

Students expressed the need for guidance in

Deciphering the relevancy, quality and quantity of search results

Defining technical or scientific terms encountered

Searching for appropriate resources after many unsuccessful attempts

guiding questions or search terms (being non-science students tackling a subject from a science perspective without adequate background)

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Students need guidance beyond the classroom

Work in collaboration with the faculty to come up with ideas together to address the concerns identified

Make unfamiliar and specialized resources known to optimize use of resources

Raise the awareness and value of library resources

Understand students’ preference, needs and learning outcomes to guide future collection development

Use survey feedback to guide the desired level of librarian assistance

Lessons learned 启示

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To further collaboration with faculty/students…为了加强语与教员 /学生的合作…… Consultation with the professor is deemed

necessary

mutual understanding and cooperation are critical to the success

librarians need the academic faculty and students to shape our roles

Within the learning commons, guide the amalgamation of teaching resources to fulfill program needs

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Conclusion 结论

Do faculty, students and librarians view such

collaboration as good return on investment?

A resounding yes!

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Gayle Chan

Head of Collection Development

The University of Hong Kong Libraries

e-mail : gryclibr@hkucc.hku.hk