Tag Archives: User Feedback

Resource List Survey Feedback

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoLibrary Learning services ran a survey from March 30th – April 24th asking registered Talis Aspire users for feedback on our Resource Lists @ Edinburgh service. We had some great responses and would like to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience with us.

You said

The top perceived benefits of the service are that it:

  • makes it easier for students to access core materials
  • improves student experience
  • is easy to update and manage reading lists

You also told us that you liked the “open access, allowing other institutions and/or pre-arrival students to gain an understanding of the core readings in particular programmes or courses”.

List Promotion

The most popular means of list promotion was the Resource List tool on Learn. Other popular means included promoting the resource list(s) in lectures and seminars, and including a reference to the list in the course handbook.

Additional tools you’ve been using to promote lists to students included:

  • posting the link up on a private Facebook group for their course,
  • emailing the link out to students prior to the start of the course,
  • and placing it on the new course descriptors on EUCLID instead of the previous list of readings.

We asked: ‘Do you expect ALL of the items on your resource list to be made available by the Library, either online or in print?’

Your response to this was mostly affirmative with course organisers expecting if not all the materials to be made available, then the majority or at least the essential/key items. We are very glad that this is something we should now be able to provide via the Beta service in 15/16. (More information on this new service can be found on our website)

 Continued Support / More demonstrations

You thought we could perhaps provide more demonstrations and continued support.

Over the summer period we are running a targeted series of workshops and demonstrations, both out at Schools when requested by departments, and also in at the Main Library for interested individuals.

The next two events are now bookable via MyEd:

Wed 8th July 10-12pm, Main Library, Room 1.12

Thurs 9th July 2-4pm Main Library, Room 1.08

We’re also looking into the possibility of running short webinars for course organisers unable to attend face-to-face workshops.

Our Library Learning Services team provides support via email, phone, and in-person year-round for Resource Lists @ Edinburgh. Additionally if you or anyone in your department would like to arrange a one-to-one or school workshop session/demonstration, please contact us via IS.Helpline@ed.ac.uk

Guides

A few of you were unaware of where to find our user guides, and some suggested that we could provide additional guidance in particular areas.

We have contacted those of you who were unaware of our guidance materials which include our web page, blog, PDF guides, and video tutorials.

We have also created some additional guidance to fill the gaps that were highlighted. In particular,  Sharing Editing Rights with a Colleague (PDF) and Bookmarking a Chapter or Part (PDF).

Our web pages and user guides are regularly updated and we encourage course organisers, students, or anyone using the service to contact us and advise if there is something we have overlooked or could improve.

Interface and Usability

A few of you had suggestions around the interface, presentation, and usability of Talis Aspire. One of the reasons we have been enjoying working with Talis Aspire to provide the Resource List service is that they are continuing to develop and improve the platform and encourage feedback and suggestions from us their customers. We forward on all suggestions for improvement or requests for new features in the system to the Talis development team.

If you have any additional comments or ideas as to how you feel the service could be improved, please drop us a line via IS.Helpline@ed.ac.uk

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Your feedback is important to us

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoResource Lists @ Edinburgh are looking for students and/or tutors willing to catch up for an informal discussion on their experiences using this new service. Do you have half an hour free to sit down for a chat in the Business School or DHT Café? We’ll buy the coffee. Feedback is incredibly useful at this time as it helps us improve the service for next year.

If you would be available to sit down for a chat, coffee provided, please email: Library.Learning@ed.ac.uk

More information on how to make the most of Resource Lists can be found on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

FAQ – I often seem to trigger a library review of the list without knowing how that happens. How I can avoid that?

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoQ. I notice that I often seem to trigger a library review of the list without knowing how that happens. How I can avoid that?

No, when a list is published (or republished) the resource list system (Talis Aspire) will automatically trigger a review of that list. The request to review the list is sent to the Library. The review process helps us check that links to resources are working as expected.

Updating a list

If you have made only minor changes to your list, we will do a quick check to make sure that the links on your list are working. We’ll let you know if we’ve had to amend anything. If your list is reviewed and everything is okay, you won’t hear from us.

New Lists

If a list is being published for the first time (and has not been created by Library staff) we will review the list and create a spreadsheet summarising availability and highlighting any queries about editions or number of copies held by the Library. A copy of the spreadsheet is emailed to the creator of the list and the relevant Academic Support Librarian.

Please be aware that we do not made any changes to the content of your list.

We may clean up metadata and fix broken web addresses where possible, otherwise the purpose of the review is only to check that links are all working, items are held by the Library, and to provide suggestions that may assist both you and your students in using the resource list.

More information on how to make the most of Resource Lists can be found on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Eight out of ten top Lists from School of History, Classics, and Archaeology

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoStudents absolutely love it and are doing more reading because of the ease of access.

Academic staff have requested Resource Lists for their honours courses so that more students can benefit.

In semester one 2014/15, eight out of the ten most active Resource Lists were created and managed by the School of History Classics and Archaeology (HCA).

The move by HCA towards adopting resource lists as a tool began in 2013/14  when the School trialled Resource Lists @ Edinburgh on their British History 1 and Roman World 1B courses.

At the end of the 2013/14 semester the following questionnaire was sent out to the students of British History 1:

‘This year there were online reading lists for the British History 1 essays. How useful did you find these lists?’.

Of the 87 students who responded, the vast majority found the list to be helpful with 45 responding that lists were excellent, 20 that it was very good, and 13 that it was good.

Feedback for Roman World 1B was obtained via a class representative. Sandra Bingham, Senior Teaching Fellow in Classics, advised that the class rep. was full of praise for the system and that “the students absolutely love it and are doing more reading because of the ease of access”.

Following on from the successful trials HCA decided to roll out this library service to as many pre-honours courses as possible in 2014/15. Two interns were hired over summer to assist with creation of their lists. HCA also made use of the interns employed by the wider HSS by submitting additional lists for creation.

Margaret Forrest, Academic Support Librarian for HCA, advises that feedback from staff and students in 2014/15 has again been very positive and several academic staff have requested Resource Lists for their honours courses so that more students can benefit.

Margaret’s response on receiving the news that HCA had eight of the top ten most active lists for semester one?

“I’m delighted!”.

The eight lists from HCA to make the top ten were:

– American History 2 (Semester 1: Tutorial Reading Lists)
– British Society, 1650 – c. 1880 (Social History 1.1) – Tutorial Readings
– British History 1 – Essay Readings 1
– British History 1 – Essay Readings 2
– British Society, 1650-1900 (Social History 1.1) – Essay
– Greek World 1A: Essay Readings
– British Society, 1650 – c. 1880 (Social History 1.1) – Assignment
– Medieval Scottish History – Essay Readings

More information on how to make the most of Resource Lists can be found on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Sociology 1A – Students and Tutors

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoWhen Sociology 1A came in as the top active list for semester one we asked list owner Susie Donnelly, co-convenor of the course, for some feedback. In addition to her own experience using Resource Lists @ Edinburgh, Susie also asked her fellow co-convenor, the tutorial representatives, and the students (via the course Facebook group).

“The Resource Lists sync with the library better, especially for books – I might go as far as to say it encourages students to use the library more.” Angus Bancroft – Co-convener of Sociology 1A

Tutorial Reps:

  • Great e-resource for the readings.
  • Resource list – organised and easy to use.
  • The resources on Learn are brilliant.
  • Resource List was a great tool, everything was so accessible to students.

Feedback on the Sociology 1A Facebook group
(lots of “likes”!)

It’s great that everything is so accessible. While it is important that students still learn how to use the library, a resource list like this makes things a lot less stressful, particularly as a lot of the books that contain the readings will be in high demand and there may not be a lot of copies. I particularly like being able to download the readings as PDFs so that I can highlight and make notes on them on my laptop … I think that more courses should adopt a resource list like this. – Emma McFarlane, Sociology 1A student.

More information on how to make the most of Resource Lists can be found on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Sociology 1A Takes Top Spot

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoAveraging 67.3 visits per student, Sociology 1A took the top spot for most active Resource List in semester one 2014/15.

We asked course organiser Susie Donnelly how the experience of using Resource Lists @ Edinburgh has benefited the class:

I spent less time this semester dealing with issues to do with access to readings.

Particularly helpful for first year students who are getting to grips with university life.

Students have reported that they are very happy with this tool.

The Resource List has certainly made life a lot easier. Sociology 1A is an extremely large course, with approx. 480 students and the numbers are growing each year. This places a significant demand on us to provide the required material for students in an accessible, reliable and responsive way. The Resource List has helped in this regard and once the list was up and running, I believe I spent less time this semester dealing with issues to do with access to readings.

While the initial set-up took some investment of time and energy, I was supported with training and support from staff in the Library Learning Services.

In the Resource List, students are shown multiple ways to access readings and the interface is very straightforward – this is particularly helpful for first year students who are getting to grips with university life.

As the semester progressed I was able to add new and up-to-date resources and material (rather than being limited by what has been published in the course handbook at the start of the semester). In particular, around the assessment period I was able to respond to requests from students for more academic writing support.

However, I should also mention that the use of these kinds of tools raises questions about independent learning and the extent to which library and research skills are being displaced.

For the moment though, the students have reported that they are very happy with this tool…and if the students are happy then I am happy!

Susie Donnelly – Co-convener of Sociology 1A

More information on how to make the most of Resource Lists can be found on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

 

Hands-on sessions and your feedback

Univeristy of Ediburgh LogoIn June we ran two hands-on sessions introducing Resource Lists @ Edinburgh using Talis Aspire. After each session we asked for feedback, and you gave it!

 

Handwriting: "I very much wish I'd had this when I was a student!! As it is I can see a number of ways it would be useful to have as a librarian. Excellent session in all respects, I thoroughly enjoyed it! :) "

“I very much wish I’d had this when I was a student!! As it is I can see a number of ways it would be useful to have as a librarian. Excellent session in all respects, I thoroughly enjoyed it! 🙂 ”

Handwriting: "I would have preferred to work through the tasks on my own - the system is very easy (and the handout was very clear!) - and then come in for more of an advanced trouble shooting Q&A style event."

“I would have preferred to work through the tasks on my own – the system is very easy (and the handout was very clear!) – and then come in for more of an advanced trouble shooting Q&A style event.”

Handwriting: "Really enjoyed the session. Very informative."

“Really enjoyed the session. Very informative.”

It is very important to us as we develop Resource Lists as a tool to hear back from you, so we really do appreciate all of your feedback. We have also taken the suggestion of a more advanced troubleshooting session under consideration, this would indeed be good to do once we have more people using the service.

In the meantime we are also happy to arrange alternative training sessions for individuals or small groups.

Missed out on the June sessions? That’s okay we’re running two more in July!

The sessions focus on introducing Resource Lists @ Edinburgh using Talis Aspire, and all sessions are bookable via MyEd.

Sessions begin with an Introduction to the Resource List system followed by a hands-on workshop where attendees are able to try out the system and start creating their own Resource Lists with the support and guidance of Library Staff.

The sessions are open to all Course Organisers, Programme Directors, College/School IT staff or Admin staff and Library staff who may create lists on behalf of others.

Dates/Times/Venue

Tue 22nd July 2014: 10am-12noon, Main Library, George Square, Training Rm 1.12

Wed 30th July 2014: 2-4pm, Main Library, George Square, Training Rm 1.08

Before you attend

When you register for the session, you will be sent an email inviting you to register to use Talis Aspire. Please follow the link in the email to accept the invitation. This will give you access to the Resource List system.

If you can’t make these dates

If you are interested in Resource Lists @ Edinburgh but can’t attend on these dates, please get in touch. We are happy to arrange alternative training sessions for individuals or small groups.

More information is available on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.


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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Undergraduates at Nottingham Trent University discuss Resource Lists with Talis Aspire

Undergraduates from Nottingham Trent University talk about their first impressions of using Resource Lists with Talis Aspire.

More information is available on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.


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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant

Dr Gary Motteram talks about Resource Lists with Talis Aspire

Dr Gary Motteram, Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, University of Manchester, talks about his initial reaction to Resource Lists using Talis Aspire, and how it meets his needs when working on his reading lists.

More information is available on the Resource Lists using Talis Aspire webpage and the ResourceLists@Edinburgh Blog.


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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant