Learning and Teaching Support Offer

Context

Learning and teaching support offered at the Drill Hall Library reflects the importance of digital and information skills for study and employability in the learning and teaching strategies for our 3 partner institutions.

We aim to offer a range of activities which support learning and teaching, targeted at students on taught courses. It is designed both to support studies throughout each course and programme, and to introduce particular employability skills. The Drill Hall Library’s philosophy is to take a developmental approach intended to support students from essential academic survival, through increasing sophistication to transferable skills for twenty-first century work and citizenship.

Library-delivered training is most effective when embedded in specific courses, aligned to students’ academic studies, and delivered at the times when it is most relevant and useful.

Get in touch

For more information or to discuss how to embed this offer into your course or programme, contact us at dhlhelp@medway.ac.uk

Scope

The same core offer is made to all academic units at Medway, and has the flexibility to respond to the diverse needs of each University, student cohort and discipline. Timescales and methods are indicative, not prescriptive.

Teaching can be delivered face-to-face or online as appropriate to each course. In addition, electronic materials can be supplied to support asynchronous self-directed and independent learning.

The Drill Hall Library supports skills relating to the use of information, including (but not limited to) finding, selecting, evaluating and referencing information sources for study. We also work in partnership with staff from the three partner institutions to support academic skills such as note-taking, academic writing and critical thinking:

Canterbury Christ Church University – the Learning Skills Team
University of Greenwich – the Academic Support Team
University of Kent – Student Learning Advisory Service

Indicative sessions offered

Orientation (week 0)

A “light touch”, designed to orient students to the library building, introduce them to the basics and let them know where they can come for help.

Self-guided activities introducing services beyond those mentioned in orientation will also be available, and online resources (e.g. videos) accessible year-round. The Drill Hall Library team can also help shape any subject-specific library quizzes, exercises or treasure hunts which academic units may organise.

Information basics (as students approach 1st/2nd assignment)

Finding books from the reading list and beyond, accessing and reading e-books, introducing journal articles – what they are and how to find them.

The importance of these will vary between disciplines and can be timed to meet subject-specific needs. These topics will be offered as practical, hands-on workshops to ensure that students can practice using the resources. Ideally scheduled within modules, but optional drop-ins are possible.

Referencing (as students approach 1st/2nd assignment)

In-text citations and reference lists using the relevant style for each discipline.

Can be scheduled within modules. Drop-in referencing surgeries are run regularly throughout the academic year.

Advancing skills (term 2/year 2)

Introducing the use of databases for identifying and accessing journal articles, plus specialist information sources.

Introducing more advanced techniques and resources for finding journal literature. Can be offered as practical workshops, or pop-up demonstrations by librarians in relevant subject lectures.

Digital literacy (term 2/year 2)

Effective internet searching, social media for academic or professional purposes, evaluating sources of information, reference management software.

These are vital skills for life as well as for academic study. Can be delivered lecture-style or in practical workshops depending on the needs of the subject area.

Literature searching (year 3)

How to construct, perform and document a literature search for a literature review.

As part of a research methods or similar module, covering advanced techniques for searching and using information as part of the research process. Lecture-style presentation or hands-on workshops are appropriate for this topic, and may be backed up with the offer of surgery-style trouble-shooting sessions for students.