Beyond the happy sheets Jane Barton jane bartonstrath

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

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

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

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 • • • Exit

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

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

Results 1. To what extent were you already familiar with the content/skills of the class before the course? University of Strathclyde Library Services None (1) 3. Fair amount (3) Most (4) All (5) Quite a lot (4) A lot (5) How much did you learn from the course/class? Nothing (1) Exit Some (2) A little (2) Fair amount (3) Learning 2001 (n=267) 2002/3 (n=462) “fair amount” 82. 4% 90. 4% “quite a lot” 37. 8% 42. 6% “a little” 17. 6% 9. 5%

Results – Familiarity: “none” or “some” 1. To what extent were you already familiar with the content/skills of the class before the course? University of Strathclyde Library Services None (1) 3. Fair amount (3) Most (4) All (5) Quite a lot (4) A lot (5) How much did you learn from the course/class? Nothing (1) Exit Some (2) A little (2) Fair amount (3) Learning 2001 (n=97) 2002/3 (n=205) “fair amount” 85. 5% 91. 7% “quite a lot” 45. 3% 44. 9% “a little” 14. 4% 8. 3%

Results – Familiarity: “most” or “all” 1. To what extent were you already familiar with the content/skills of the class before the course? University of Strathclyde Library Services None (1) 3. Fair amount (3) Most (4) All (5) Quite a lot (4) A lot (5) How much did you learn from the course/class? Nothing (1) Exit Some (2) A little (2) Fair amount (3) Learning 2001 (n=64) 2002/3 (n=61) “fair amount” 65. 7% 81. 9% “quite a lot” 26. 6% 50. 8% “a little” 34. 4% 18. 0%

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

Phase 2 Results University of Strathclyde Library Services • • • Exit 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!

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

Discussion University of Strathclyde Library Services • • • Exit (contd. ) IL established in North America and Australasia UK developments episodic and fragmented SCONUL, CILIP, En. IL 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 Discussion Exit (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?

Discussion University of Strathclyde Library Services • 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 • Exit (contd…) interviews and surveys

University of Strathclyde Library Services Discussion • 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 • • Exit (final!) 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 Conclusions • 2001: GAELS courseware effectively delivered information skills training • 2002 -3: Hybrid sessions appear to be more effective in improving learning outcomes • • Exit 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

Summary and Future University of Strathclyde Library Services • • 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 • • Exit more emphasis on SCONUL model and outcomes increasingly modularised, but maintaining linear path relevant material for junior undergraduates More robust evaluation and feedback