Can an excellent distance learning library service support student retention and how can we find out?

Higher Education libraries have traditionally sought to be able to demonstrate the impact their services have on student attainment. This is particularly important in the current economic climate where libraries frequently have to defend their budgets in the face of financial constraints, whilst needing to demonstrate better value for money to students who are now paying more for higher education. A number of studies around the world have been successful in harnessing data around library usage to begin to show strong correlation with student retention and final results. But most of these studies rely on data from book loans and engagement with a physical library, and where students follow a traditional three or four year degree course. This is challenging for a distance education institution, like the UK’s Open University (OU), where most students rarely or never visit the physical Open University Library and where study and assessment patterns can differ from those of traditional universities. This paper outlines the efforts of staff at The Open University Library to embed their services and resources into the learning experience of their distance learners, and to aspire to find ways of demonstrating their contribution to student retention and achievement. While there is huge potential in the amount and range of data available, the challenge is to identify an appropriate model that allows The Open University Library to demonstrate how Library Services impacts on student retention, attainment and achievement

Investigating distance learning engagement with online library services to improve progression and retention

This paper presents the results of a University funded practitioner research project exploring the role played by a ‘Online Library’ in supporting distance learners studying Social Sciences Qualifications at The Open University, UK

Step change: the game of organisational digital capabilities

Purpose of the game: - Generate and capture rich discussions and tactics; - Problem solving; - Benefit from experience, creative thinking and collective wisdom of the players; - share ideas and best practice. Aligned to Jisc’s model of steps towards organisational digital capability and effective practice drawn from case studies. Adapted from The Game of Open Access created by Katie McGuinn and Mike Spikin (2017) from the University of Huddersfield.Final Published versio

Blogging as a reflective journaling tool

While web-based tools are increasingly being used in social work education, there remains some reluctance among social workers and social work educators to explore the use of the new web 2.0 tools. Set in the context of good practice development, this paper outlines how blogging was used to write reflective journals during a social work placement. The practical obstacles are described, along with solutions and advice about confidentiality. Issues relating to reflective writing are as relevant to blogging as to a paper-based medium and blogging may be a means by which practice teachers can improve their support of students, particularly when working at a distance. Students concluded that blogging their reflective journals saved time, enabled more immediacy in their contact with the practice teacher and helped them to develop more confidence and skill in using web-based technologies. The practice teacher benefited from this development in that it gave her more regular and convenient access to the students’ work and reflections and allowed her to offer support between meetings, particularly in times of difficulty for the students. The success of this project suggests that there is scope for introducing other web 2.0 tools to support practice teaching with students

Pragmatic support for taxonomy-based annotation of structured digital documents

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop support for the annotation of educational resources within a digital library and their subsequent integration with distance learning course materials in a virtual learning environment. Design/methodology/approach – A toolset for supporting the annotation of structured course materials was developed in participation with subject librarians, lecturers and library cataloguers. Findings – The transparency of support provided by the system was found to be an important factor influencing the acceptance of the toolset. The approach was to facilitate rather than automate the annotation tasks of the subject librarians, lecturers and cataloguers. Research limitations/implications – The tools developed were used in two pilot applications: one for an undergraduate health and social care course, and the second for a postgraduate science communication course. The implications of the research are not limited to these domains, and further applications of this approach and the toolset would help to further generalize and refine the work done. Originality/value – The value of the work described here is in identifying the benefits of transparent support tools for multi-disciplinary teams involved in the production and deployment of online course materials. Here the benefits of metadata annotation are highlighted by enabling the subject librarians, lecturers and cataloguers to see how the annotations are made and the consequences of those choices

Digital Capabilities Exploration Game

Purpose of the board game: - Generate and capture rich discussions and achieve personal digital capabilities goal setting; - Problem solving; - Benefit from experience, creative thinking and collective wisdom of the players; - Discover resources - Share ideas and best practice across departments and teams. Aligned to specific elements of the JISC Digital Capabilities Framework. https://digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk/what-is-digital-capability/ Adapted from The Game of Open Access created by Katie McGuinn and Mike Spikin (2017) from the University of Huddersfield.Final Published versio