Beyond the happy sheets!

1. Beyond the happy sheets! Jane Barton (jane.barton@strath.ac.uk), Senior Researcher Richard German(richard.german@strath.ac.uk), Science Librarian Nick Joint (n.c.joint@strath.ac.uk), Head of Reference & Information Andersonian Library & Centre for Digital Library Research, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland

2. Background • GAELS • collaborative project at Strathclyde and Glasgow • Aims • collaborative information services for Engineering • CAL package in advanced information skills University of Strathclyde Library Services

3. GAELS courseware • Launched 1999 (Engineering) and 2000 (Chemistry, Life sciences) • Existing packages: • Science • Life sciences, Physics, Chemistry • Arts & Humanities • English studies, History, Politics, Psychology • Business • Engineering University of Strathclyde Library Services

4. Description • Modular • Aims and objectives • Task-oriented • Largely text-based • No tests or assessments • Designed for supported workshops or for self-study • Begun to implement a joint e-library service • Courseware arose from a requirement for a skills and training tool to support services spanning the two universities University of Strathclyde Library Services

5. Phase 1 • Simple feedback form: University of Strathclyde Library Services

6. Study population • Postgraduates and final year undergraduates • 2001 : courseware used alone • supported resource in teaching labs • 2002–2003 : courseware used in hybrid session • Overall: University of Strathclyde Library Services

7. Results University of Strathclyde Library Services

8. Results – Familiarity: “none” or “some” University of Strathclyde Library Services

9. Results – Familiarity: “most” or “all” University of Strathclyde Library Services

10. Phase 2 • What do reaction sheets measure? • User satisfaction (Fitzpatrick Level 1) • Not learning (Fitzpatrick Level 2) • knowledge, skills, attitude • Nor change in behaviour (Fitzpatrick Level 3) • Survey : 13 questions (11 Likert-scale) + qualitative • 180 final year Pharmacy students • six months into course • ran for eight days • Response rate 20% University of Strathclyde Library Services

11. Phase 2 Results • 67% found session at least “useful” • 61% use of library changed at least “a fair amount” • 83% increased knowledge of e-resources at least a “fair amount” • 36% “much more” confident at undertaking a literature search • 71% claimed to be unaware of the courseware! • 75% not used courseware since the session! University of Strathclyde Library Services

12. Discussion • Bibliographic Instruction  Information Literacy • 1989 ALA Presidential Commission  ACRL/CAUL  • 1999 SCONUL “Seven Pillars” • 1998 GAELS • GAELS courseware became part of the IL momentum subsequent to its creation • very British - pragmatism and tools preceding policy University of Strathclyde Library Services

13. Discussion (contd.) • IL established in North America and Australasia • UK developments episodic and fragmented • SCONUL, CILIP, EnIL • Ideally: institutional commitment to IL  tools • Strathclyde has not yet developed a fully-fledged institutional policy on information literacy or e-learning • Library helping shape evolution of such a policy University of Strathclyde Library Services

14. Discussion (contd..) • ALA (1989) most academic learning passive • 2001: active learning, reasonable outcomes • 2002 and 2003: more passive learning, better outcomes • More effective use of courseware alone? University of Strathclyde Library Services

15. Discussion (contd…) • Fitzpatrick’s Level 3 is behaviour change • whether skills are put into practice • cannot occur unless there has been learning • Level 4 is determining what final results occurred because of the training programme • Measuring behaviour change, and results, is more complex • interviews and surveys University of Strathclyde Library Services

16. Discussion (final!) • Students reported benefits from the teaching sessions six months after the session • Usefulness of the sessions did not arise from use of GAELS, but rather from the face-to-face contact • difficult to draw conclusions about the benefit of courseware when it is used in a hybrid setting • Main survey finding: there is value in user education classes that persists beyond any immediate impact University of Strathclyde Library Services

17. Conclusions • 2001: GAELS courseware effectively delivered information skills training • 2002-3: Hybrid sessions appear to be more effective in improving learning outcomes • one cannot draw any conclusions about the usefulness of courseware in a hybrid context • Survey showed that students value training beyond the immediate impact of the class University of Strathclyde Library Services

18. Summary and Future • Courseware implemented across four Faculties • Use reconsidered in context of information literacy • GAELS is the cornerstone of my information skills training • Science packages to be restructured • more emphasis on SCONUL model and outcomes • increasingly modularised, but maintaining linear path • relevant material for junior undergraduates • More robust evaluation and feedback University of Strathclyde Library Services