e-learning support for LIS education in UK

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Chowdhury, G. and Chowdhury, S. (2006)

Chowdhury, G. and Chowdhury, S. (2006) e-learning support for LIS e-learning support for LIS education in UK.

education in UK. In: 7th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for In: 7th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for

Information and Computer Sciences, 29-31 Aug 2006, Dublin, Ireland. Information and Computer Sciences, 29-31 Aug 2006, Dublin, Ireland.

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e-learning support for LIS

education in UK

Gobinda G. Chowdhury Gobinda G. Chowdhury

and and

Sudatta Chowdhury Sudatta Chowdhury

Dept. of Computer and Information Sciences Dept. of Computer and Information Sciences

(3)

The eLLIS Project



_{eLLIS (an investigation of the e-Learning}

environments in the LIS departments in

British universities) is a project, funded by

the Higher Education Academy Subject

Network Development Fund

(4)

eLLIS: Aims



how the LIS departments in UK support e-

_{how the LIS departments in UK support}

e-learning by providing access to information

learning by providing access to information

resources and services on the intranet, and

manage courses through the intranet



how the university libraries provide support for e-

_{how the university libraries provide support for}

e-learning of LIS students by making information

learning of LIS students by making information

resources and services available specifically to

the LIS courses, and



how the students perceive and use these

_{how the students perceive and use these}

intranet and library services.

(5)

Data Collection



_{Through Department Webpages}



_{Through the University library webpages}



_{By contacting the department}

(6)

General findings



Fifteen UK departments now offer LIS courses

_{Fifteen UK departments now offer LIS courses}



Name of the departments offering such courses

_{Name of the departments offering such courses}

differs: while some are Information

Science/Studies/Management departments or

schools, others are Computer and Information

Sciences, Business Schools, and so on



Title of the courses varies from Information and

_{Title of the courses varies from Information and}

Library Management to Information and Library

Studies, Information Services Management,

Information Studies, Librarianship, Library and

Information Studies, etc.

(7)

General findings (2)



_{Most of the LIS courses are offered at PG}

level, though there are some UG (Hons.)

courses too



_{LIS courses are offered in both fulltime and}

part-time modes in most universities



_{Some departments also offer courses in the}

distance learning mode

(8)

e-learning support from the

Departments



_{All the concerned LIS departments have embraced}

ICT for providing e-learning support services in

some form or the other



_{Some departments use VLEs (like WebCT) used in}

their university while others use in-house systems

(such as by the department of Computer and

Information Sciences at the university of Strathclyde

and Department of Information and Communication

at Manchester Metropolitan University) for

(9)

e-learning support from the

Departments (2)



The degree of support for online learning varies

_{The degree of support for online learning varies}

from little (such as in case of the department

(SLAIS) at UCL, to moderate such as at CIS at

Strathclyde, or IS at City to very high such as at

RGU.



Students usually get information about the course

_{Students usually get information about the course}

modules, handouts, and other course related

information including timetables, etc., though in

some cases access to such services can be

obtained through central services (such as through

(10)

(11)

Courses



_{Some universities offer complete courses online;}

RGU and Strathclyde are specific examples



_{Some departments provide one or more}

modules online, City University is a typical

example



_{Some universities have a centrally managed e-}

_{Some universities have a centrally managed}

e-learning service or portal that is the first port of

learning service or portal that is the first port of

entry for students, e.g. MUSE at Sheffield

(12)

Assignments and Assessment



Some departments have gone completely paperless

_{Some departments have gone completely paperless}

in case of assignment and dissertation submissions,

and assessment; IS at City university is an example.



Most departments require both an electronic and hard

_{Most departments require both an electronic and hard}

copy submissions, CIS at Strathclyde is an example



There are also departments that require only hard

_{There are also departments that require only hard}

copy submission, SLAIS at UCL, and Information

Services Management at London Metropolitan

(13)

Library Support



Libraries provide access to a variety of electronic

_{Libraries provide access to a variety of electronic}

resources



Organization of resources vary from one library

_{Organization of resources vary from one library}

website to another



Some libraries have organized web resources to

match students’ activities, e.g., London Metropolitan

University Library categorises information resources

in the following categories:

Directories

,

Documents

(like CILIP- Framework of qualifications), Gateways

and Search Engines (

like HERO, SOSIG),

Information

Skills (

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

Information Skills Tutorial



Information Skills Tutorial

is a unique feature

offered by the university libraries.



However, the nature of training and tutorial

facilities vary significantly



In some libraries the modules have been

_{In some libraries the modules have been}

contextualized to serve the students in a

given discipline. See for example, LJMU

(18)

(19)

Help and Support



University libraries often provide access to

_{University libraries often provide access to}

digitized collections of the most frequently used

resources. For example, at LJMU the

Electronic

Key Text

is a digitized collection of mostly

requested journal articles and book extracts that

can be accessed on or off-campus



Online information databases and services come

_{Online information databases and services come}

with their own help files to support the users.

However, in order to maximize electronic access,

and thus e-learning, some university libraries

provide additional help facilities. See for example,

(20)

(21)

160 responses were received

Table 1: How do the students get access to Online Course Information?

University (N) University (N) Department Department website (%) website (%) University VLE University VLE (%) (%)

Either of these Either of these (%) (%) None of None of these (%) these (%)

The Robert Gordon University (37)

The Robert Gordon University (37) 88 8484 88 00

Loughborough Loughborough

(35)

(35) 2626 4545 2626 33

Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University

(1)

(1) 00 100100 00 00 MMU (29)

MMU (29) 8686 1010 44 00 University of Sheffield (13)

University of Sheffield (13) 2323 33 3131 1515 University of Strathclyde (15)

University of Strathclyde (15) 9393 00 77 00 University of the West of England (UWE) (4)

University of the West of England (UWE) (4) 00 100100 00 00 UCL (26)

(22)

Availability of lecture notes, handouts, etc.

University (N)

University (N) Every module (%)

Every module (%) Most of the Most of the modules (%)

modules (%) Some of the modules Some of the modules (%)

(%) None of the modules None of the modules (%)

(%)

Loughborough (35)

Loughborough (35) 1414 5858 2424 44

MMU (29)

MMU (29) 8686 1010 11 33 RGU (37)

RGU (37) 2727 66 44 00 Sheffield (13)

Sheffield (13) 6262 3131 00 77 Strathclyde (15)

Strathclyde (15) 88 66 11

UCL (26)

UCL (26) 88 3535 4646 1111 LJMU (1)

LJMU (1) 00 00 100100 00 UWE (4)

(23)

Availability of assignment/exam. guidelines etc.

University (N) University (N)

Every module (%)

Every module (%) Most of the Most of the modules (%) modules (%)

Some of the modules Some of the modules (%)

(%)

None of the modules None of the modules (%)

(%)

Loughborough (35)

Loughborough (35) 4949 3737 1111 33 MMU (29)

MMU (29) 7676 1010 1111 33 RGU (37)

RGU (37) 7070 1414 1414 22 University of Sheffield

University of Sheffield (13)

(13)

54

54 2323 88 1515 University of Strathclyde

University of Strathclyde (15)

(15)

73

73 1313 1414 00 UCL (26)

UCL (26) 1919 3535 3535 1111 LJMU (1)

LJMU (1) 100100 00 00

UWE (4)

(24)

(25)

(26)

Conclusion

 Despite these myriad of research and development _{Despite these myriad of research and development} activities in relation to building VLEs, digital libraries, activities in relation to building VLEs, digital libraries,

electronic coursepacks, institutional repositories, and so electronic coursepacks, institutional repositories, and so on, there are currently no systems that provide seamless on, there are currently no systems that provide seamless access to scholarly as well as course and module related access to scholarly as well as course and module related information, and a variety of information that are currently information, and a variety of information that are currently hidden under several layers of institutional intranets and hidden under several layers of institutional intranets and web and local databases and files.

web and local databases and files.

 LIS departments and the corresponding university libraries, LIS departments and the corresponding university libraries, although are trying hard to create an environment of

although are trying hard to create an environment of

technology-enhanced learning, the current level support for technology-enhanced learning, the current level support for e-learning is far from ideal.

(27)

Conclusion (2)

 As may be noted from some of the students’ comments, _{As may be noted from some of the students’ comments,} and the discussions earlier in this report, the current levels and the discussions earlier in this report, the current levels

of services are inconsistent, and in many cases, lack of services are inconsistent, and in many cases, lack

standards and uniformity. standards and uniformity.

 Concerted efforts are to be made by the departments, _{Concerted efforts are to be made by the departments,} university libraries, ICT and learning services to come up university libraries, ICT and learning services to come up with a standard and uniform practice, and guidelines for with a standard and uniform practice, and guidelines for

creating a

creating a student-centredstudent-centred and and technology-enhanced technology-enhanced learning environment

learning environment. .

 We suggest that in order to build a true managed learning _{We suggest that in order to build a true managed learning} environment,

environment, we need to build a student-centred and we need to build a student-centred and integrated technology

integrated technology. .

 A managed learning environment should not only _{A managed learning environment should not only}support support e-learning, but

e-learning, but should also enrich the overall ‘student should also enrich the overall ‘student experience’

experience’ that includes not only the learning facilities, that includes not only the learning facilities, but the overall life and experience of a student at a