The ‘Information Skills Workbook’: Enhancing students’ information skills, research mindedness and capacities for critical reflection Irene Barranco Garcia, Information and Library Services Peter Jones, Department of History, Politics and Social Sciences Sarah Wilson, MA English: Literary London (all University of Greenwich) SHIFT 2017: Annual Conference of Learning, Teaching and Assessment University of Greenwich, 6th January 2017

Introduction How the Workbook enhances students’ information literacy skills, research mindedness, and capacities for critical reflection. An imperfect solution to a problem that shouldn’t really exist! However the concept has educational value – in particular: it could be adapted for use across a range of disciplines and academic levels it represents an important and successful model of collaboration between academics and library and academic skills staff.

The Workbook: how it works (example 1) Searching for scholarly sources

The Workbook: how it works (example 2) Setting email alerts

The Workbook: how it works (example 3) Evaluating the relevance and quality of scholarly publications

The Workbook: how it works (example 4) Using Reference Management Systems

Evaluation (1) B C A 1 2 3 4 5 6 When to complete? At the start of a course – Students have nothing to apply new skills to Later in the course – Students are too engrossed in work to concentrate on acquiring new skills Different students have different needs By PG Level students have acquired skills – but in different ways. Different needs for new and continuing students. B C A 1 2 3 4 5 6

Evaluation (2) “An imperfect solution to a problem that shouldn’t really exist”: Free-standing academic skills course or embedded in discipline- based courses? Summative or formative assessment ? Use with undergraduate and/or postgraduate students?

Evaluation (3) Engages students as active partners in their journey of academic discovery; and enhances information skills, research mindedness and capacities for critical reflection. Strongly supported by external examiners – for example “… an effective module. It is good to equip students with critical and research skills from the start. The assessment is effective and avoids being too generic” (MA International Relations, 2015-16 External Examiner’s report). Successful model of collaboration between academics and information, library and academic skills staff.