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Overview

In 2017, the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) conducted a departmental review of the level one curriculum, in partnership with the Library and other University teams.

The project decided to target level two modules, as a result of discussions following the departmental review, and previous feedback from final year students, which identified the need for information and digital literacy (IDL) support at an earlier stage.

The Library Student Associate focused on mapping the current IDL offer, which identified the discovering, questioning and referencing sections of the IDL tutorials as the most important resources for students in this department.

The Library has previously supported the core level one module EAS1000, with sessions held in week two (Library space, service and resources) and week seven (IDL tutorials).

These were reviewed by the Library Student Associate and the Liaison Librarian and it was agreed that the sessions should continue in the next academic year but include greater interactivity as a way of improving student engagement.

As there are no core modules at level two, the project selected modules EAS2021, EAS2031, EAS2041 in order to reach the majority of students.

The module leaders embedded IDL resources into the modules for the 2019–20 session, at points where they would be most relevant and beneficial to students.

This will be reviewed by the Liaison Librarian and the module leaders at the end of the current academic year to identify and take forward further improvements.

IDL was already embedded in the final year dissertation module and this content will now be reviewed and developed to advance the IDL journey from level two.

Additionally, the Library Student Associate suggested a welcome back reorientation meeting for students returning from their year abroad, to provide an opportunity for them to refresh their IDL skills and update their knowledge of resources provided by the Library.

The Liaison Librarian has been invited to contribute to new staff inductions and to selected SEAS staff meetings, to raise awareness of the Library's IDL offer and how it might be embedded in their teaching, assessment, feedback and support for students.

Meetings were held between the Programme level approach Lead, Digital Learning Advisor, Library Student Associate and Liaison Librarian to explore a collaborative approach to implementing the outcomes from the project.

The school is currently considering including an IDL skills-related question to its module evaluation questionnaire to elicit suggestions for future collaborations.

Outcomes

• Information and digital literacy (IDL) support has been reviewed and embedded into the level one core module EAS1000.

• Level two module leads have embedded IDL into specific module options, giving students a consistent experience within the context of their chosen path.

• The Liaison Librarian is monitoring the final level dissertation module to ensure that IDL skills are included and that students are made aware of the Library's dissertation masterclass.

• The Liaison Librarian is also contributing to staff inductions within the department, to raise awareness and provide support.

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Reflections

Giuseppe Antonini, Library Student Associate

The project was a good chance to get to learn more about IDL skills and everyone I worked with was helpful and cooperative.

It was also good to do something that had actual repercussions on how my subject is taught and will hopefully be useful to other students as well.

Youn-hi Hughes, Liaison Librarian

This Library’s Programme level approach project was a great opportunity to identify and implement improvements for the benefit of students, and engage with academics in the department.

The Library has always worked with the department to support both students and academics, and this project has strengthened this relationship.