Learning from the students: The Progression and library tour pod cast case Irene Barranco, Sarah Crofts & Maggie Leharne Information & Library Services University of Greenwich

Background

• 2005-06: Pilot of Progression developed.

• 2006-07: Progression launched to HSS Staff & Students.

• 2007 to date: Progression available to all University of Greenwich students.

Some numbers …

… more numbers

Navigation through Modules

How to start, where to go…

Design

Can you find it?

What we have learnt:

• As an online course, it is easy to navigate. Students can learn independently at their own pace and assess their knowledge.

• As an online course it needs to have a more prominent link. It is not easy enough to find. Students, academics and new library staff need to know about it. We need to work harder on publicising it.

Background

• July 2007: Successful Dragon’s Den bid for funding and start of work on library tour pod casts.

• September 2007: Pod cast library tours Version 1 trialled to ILS staff and students.

• January 2008: Revised pod cast library tours launched. Freely available via ILS web pages.

How did we listen to our users?

What we have learnt: Comments:.

“Having listened...I…have a clear idea where the locations of the books and journals are in the Dreadnought Library...”” (Yr 1 GMI student) “...we should have known about the pod cast at beginning of year not at the end.” (Yr 1 Business student) “Far too long…separate pod casts with separate links on the website. listen to the bits they needed. (Year 2 Humanities & Social Sciences student) “I’ve never noticed this link before…” (Yr 1 Business student)

Where do we go from here?

• PROGRESSION • Quiz results to be presented in an alternative presentation.

• Some students suggested subject specific contents (to be developed by INFORMS) • Information could be presented in a more interactive way.

• All students asked for a more prominent link to Progressions.

• Audio files of content for Visually Impaired.

PODCASTS

• Act on feedback.

• Publicise at Induction.

• Feedback from new students.

• Training or ILS staff to ensure continuing viability.

• Work for adoption as a mainstream service within ILS (and the University).

• Investigate developing pod casts to include: – Stills – Virtual tour – International languages – Historic tours