StaffMultimedia Devices

Electronic Resources

PCsSpecialist Collections

Hardcopy Resources

The Learning Centre

The Students’ Guide to

The Learning Centres Guide 2010 - 2011Page 2 IntroductionPage 3 Curriculum Learning CentresPages 4-5 Resources: borrowing, renewals and returnsPages 6-7 IT facilitiesPage 8 Additional resources and servicesPage 9 Information skills and one-to-one sessionsPage 10 Code of ConductPage 11 Health and safety; Improving services; Opening timesPage 12 Contact details

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Clifton Lower

8.45 am-5.00 pm

8.45 am -5.00 pm

8.45 am - 3.30 pm

8.45 am -5.00 pm

8.45 am - 4.30 pm

Clifton Upper

8.45 am - 6.30 pm

8.45 am - 8.00 pm

8.45 am - 6.30 pm

8.45 am -8.00 pm

8.45 am - 4.30 pm

Eastwood 8.45am - 6.30pm

8.45am - 5.00pm

8.45am - 3.30pmclosed5.00pm – 6.30pm

8.45am - 6.30pm

8.45am - 4.30pm

Howard 8.45am - 6.30pm

8.45am - 6.30pm

8.45am - 3.30pmclosed5.00pm - 8.00pm

8.45am - 5.00pm

8.45am - 4.30pm

Rother Valley Lower

8.45am - 8.00pm

8.45am - 8.00pm

8.45am - 3.30pmclosed5.00pm -8.00pm

8.45am - 5.00pm

8.45am - 4.30pm

Rother Valley Upper

8.45am - 8.00pm

8.45am - 5.00pm

8.45am - 3.30pmclosed5.00pm -8.00pm

8.45am - 5.00pm

8.45am - 4.30pm

Holiday opening times will differ from term-time ones. Learning Centres will advertise the revised opening times please check the posters or enquire by phoning the Centres.

Note also that the opening times above are correct at the time of going to print. Any changes will be advertised within the Learning Centres and on the Student Portal.

Introduction

Welcome to your Learning Centres (LCs). The Centres aim to support and enrich your learning experience.

LCs’ service vision:To create a supportive and stimulating environment and put you, the learner, first.

The Learning Centres aim to work to the College’s customer service standards.

In the LCs you will find:• Experienced, helpful and approachable staff• Printed resources and multimedia materials from a wide range of subject areas• Access to bookable and drop-in PCs and laptops with software for word processing and Internet searching• Access to electronic information resources• Different environments and work spaces in which to study• Photocopying and printing

This guide will help you find out about the LCs and how you can get the most from the wide range of services they offer. LC staff are always ready to help with any enquiry, so please get to know us. Resources:

Hard copy resources – books, journals, clippings files, newspapers and magazines

Multimedia – Subject-related DVDs and videos, films and music CDs

Electronic resources – online subscriptions, Moodle VLE, E-books, Webview (our online catalogue)

Specialist collections – careers, foreign language, reading zones, fiction, children’s fiction.

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Curriculum focus in the Learning Centres

There are six Learning Centres (LCs) across both campuses (two at Rother Valley Campus or RVC and four at Town Centre Campus or TCC).

At TCC, each Centre focuses on the curriculum that is taught in that building: • Eastwood on Creative Studies (Art and Design, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Performing Arts and Catering and Hospitality which includes Leisure and Tourism) and Foundation. • Howard on Health, Child Care and Care, Science and Mathematics and Humanities (Counselling, Sociology, Psychology, History, English and Languages) • Upper Clifton on Business and Access, Computing and Teacher Education. • Lower Clifton on Technology (Construction, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering) and Skills for Life (ESOL, Literacy and Numeracy)

At RVC, the LCs focus on the following curriculum areas: • RV Upper on Business & IT and Technology (Business, Computing, Education and Management; Construction, Engineering and Landbased) • RV Lower on Creative Studies and Health, Humanities, Science & Mathematics (Art and Design, Catering and Hospitality, Foundation, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Performing Arts; Childcare, Counselling, Humanities, Science and Mathematics)

The books and magazines for each subject will be based in their own specific LC as outlined above. It will therefore be easier for you to access the material you need.

There are drop-in PCs, as well as PCs which are reserved for taught sessions.

Even though there are specific subjects available in each LC, you are welcome to use the resources in any of the LCs. You can take items out on any topic, even if it is not course-related.

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Resources: borrowing, renewals and returns

What is available?There is a large variety of printed resources and multimedia materials across both campuses. The vast majority of these are available for loan. The exceptions include reference books, current editions of journals and single license CD-ROMs which can only be used in the Learning Centres.

How do I borrow?When you enrol on a course at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, you will be given a Student ID card with your photograph on it. This is also your LC card which you will need to access the Centres as well as to borrow learning resources and to book onto a PC.

Simply bring your student ID card to the desk with the items you wish to borrow. Reception staff will record the items you are borrowing. The date on which they should be returned will be stamped inside each item. Borrowed items should be returned to the desk on or before the date stamped.

What can I borrow and for how long?You can borrow the following items:

Loan period Loans

Books, Pamphlets and Journals

Standard loan 3 weeks Maximum 8*

7 day loan 1 week Maximum 8*

Multimedia (e,g, DVDs, CDs):

One week loan 1 week Maximum 4*

*A combination of standard and one week loans can be taken but you can only have 8 items on loan at once.

How do I renew?If you wish to keep the items you have borrowed for longer, you may renew them twice provided the items have not been requested by someone else. You can do this in person at the desk or by telephone.

What if I return something late?Fines are charged for items that are returned late. The current rates are as follows:

Standard loan 5p per item per day to a maximum of £2.00 per itemOne week loan 10p per item per day to a maximum of £2.00 per itemMultimedia loan 10p per item per day to a maximum of £2.00 per item

You will get two overdue reminders and a final third reminder with the replacement costs of the outstanding items posted to your home address.

If you get into difficulties with overdue loans, please contact your tutor or a member of LC

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staff, as we can usually sort the situation out amicably. However, you may be denied access to the IT facilities and will be unable to borrow any new items if your fines exceed £2.00.

Please ensure that you return all items on time to avoid any charges being made.

How do I know where to find something?

Webview, the LCs’ online catalogue, lists all books, journals, e-books, electronic and multimedia materials in the LCs. It can be accessed from any PC in the College. Staff will be pleased to demonstrate how to use it. If you have any difficulties, please contact the desk for help and advice.

How do I reserve resources?

If an item you wish to borrow is on loan to someone else, you may reserve it at the desk. You may reserve up to 3 items at a time. We will notify you via a letter to your home address when the item is available for collection and will keep it for you for two weeks.

What if something I need is not in the LC?

If an item is not in stock at the campus where you are based, we can often get it for you from the other campus or obtain it from another library; however, allow enough time for the item to be obtained. Please contact the desk where LC staff will be available to help with your request.

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IT Facilities

How do I use a Drop-in PC?

Just sit at the PC and log on. If you do experience any problems with your log-in, please see the staff member at the desk.

Which software is available on the PCs?

• Standard Microsoft packages (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, Publisher and PowerPoint) are networked and therefore available on every PC.• The Internet is also networked and free of charge.• Specialist software (e.g. DreamWeaver, SAGE, accessibility software, Visual Studio, etc) are only installed in the LC for that subject (e.g. SAGE will be in the Business and IT unit as they teach accounting.)

Can I book on a PC in advance? The PCs are heavily used, so if you know what time you need a PC, you may book in advance either by telephone or in person. Please remember to cancel your booking if it is no longer needed!

What’s the difference between the drop-in and the Social Learning PCs?

• Drop-in PCs are designed for you to do your assignments or research; Social Learning PCs are intended for quick access to websites like MSN Messenger or to play games. • When using Drop-in PCs you are guaranteed at least an hour of usage and you can extend your session if nobody else requires the use of the PC. Social Learning PCs are for a shorter period of time.

You will need to log onto the PC in whichever area you use. Please use the PCs as they were intended. If your usage of the drop-in PCs is not related to your College work, you may be asked to leave.

What do I do if the drop-in PCs are full?

You can always use another LC, but there are bookable student laptops which should only be used in the LC from which they are loaned.

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Where can I print?

There is a black-and-white printer available in each Centre. This is connected to all of the PCs and is currently free of charge to use. We ask that you print preview work before sending to the printer to avoid wasting paper. Be careful to select the pages you need when printing from websites. You will also have access to colour printing in each Centre. Please ask at the desk for an authorisation form for your tutor to sign.

What are the Student Portal and the College’s Virtual Learning Environment?

The College Virtual Learning Environment is called Moodle (http://moodle.rotherham.ac.uk). Moodle allows students access to learning materials relating to their course both on campus and from home via the Internet.

The Student Portal (http://studentportal) provides College-wide information for the whole of the student population e.g. student surveys and procedures.

The Learning Centres provide guides on how to log on to the PCs and Moodle, as well as guides on such things as how to reference your work, access Webview, the online catalogue, print, scan, photocopy and a range of guides on study skills.

Is there anything else I need to know?

• All of the LCs rules and guidelines still apply to the IT facilities. Please remember to turn off our mobile phone in the study areas. • If you have overdue charges of £2.00 or more on your library account, you will not be given access to the IT facilities until the matter has been resolved. Remember to renew your books before you acquire a fine! • When you enrol at a course at RCAT, you will be automatically given a student email address which will be your student ID number followed by @rotherham. ac.uk. e.g. 01234567@rotherham.ac.uk • As well as a student email account, you will be given an area on the network to save your work to that only you will have access to. This will be identified by your student ID number when you click “Save as” on any document and will be on the F drive. Use this as back up, even if saving your work to a memory stick. • If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask a member of the LC staff.

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Additional resources and services

Newspapers and magazinesWe provide a wide selection of daily and weekly, national and local newspapers and magazines. The newspapers and magazines differ between Centres as some are more relevant to the subject areas of the Centre.

Careers LibraryAt TCC, the main Careers stock is based in the Lower Clifton LC. Resources which relate more to a specific subject area will be found in your Curriculum LC.

At RVC, the careers section is in RV Upper. There are a range of resources to help you find a job, a new career or a further course.

If you need any further careers or course related advice, there are two departments in the College that may be able to help you or refer you to someone who can; Student Advisory Services or the Enrichment Officers. These are available at both campuses.

LC Book ClubIf you are interested in books and reading, there are LC book clubs at each campus that meet regularly. The discussions are informal and enjoyable, and everyone is able to choose books for the group to read. Please ask LC staff for more details, or look out for leaflets and posters around the College.

Social Learning AreaIn the reception of most of the LCs, there is a Social Learning Area which has newspapers, magazines, journals and Social PCs. You are encouraged to take a break in this area between studying, but remember this area is not intended to be a common room or social area; the emphasis is on the learning aspect rather than social.

PhotocopyingThere are photocopying facilities in each of the Centres. You will be charged for the photocopying and it is self-service, but if you need assistance please ask the staff at the desk.

CopyrightCopyright gives legal protection to authors and owners of creative works. It covers things such as book content, journal articles, images, sound recordings, websites and computer programs. Any work copied must be done within the Copyright Guidelines. For more information about copyright please refer to the separate guide available from the LCs. Please note you are not allowed to download and install any software on to College PCs.

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Information skills and one-to-one sessions

Learning Centre staff deliver group or one-to-one sessions on a variety of subjects to help you with your studies. Your tutor may book an information skills session for your class, but you can book a one-to-one session for yourself at any of the Learning Centres. Topics include:

• The basics of computer usage. Logging on, accessing the Internet, beginning to use Microsoft Word to write assignments.

• An introduction to Moodle. This session explains what Moodle is, how to log on at college and at home, how to find your way around it and locating subject specific pages and the Learning Centre pages.

• Using Webview, This session looks at how to use the online catalogue to locate resources for your course.

• Referencing and bibliographies. This is an essential session for anyone who has to reference the resources they have used for assignments.

• Using hard copy resources effectively (books, journals, newspapers). This session focuses on using paper-based resources to retrieve useful information. It looks at contents pages and indices in books, and also how to find information online when using journals and newspapers.

• Using electronic resources effectively. Several different types of electronic resources appropriate to the subject or assignment are demonstrated, including making best use of the Internet and looking at the electronic collection subscribed to by the Learning Centre.

• Internet searching skills. How to break down assignment and essay titles in order get the best and most relevant information from the Learning Centre resources.

• How to do a presentation using PowerPoint. Here we look at how to use PowerPoint, including how to print out handouts for use during the presentation.

• How to use a Word document. This session will look at the basic use of Word for students who are not overly confident in using PCs to type up their assignments, including using the spell check and dictionary facilities.

• Learning Centre induction. This is just a general tour of the Learning Centres for those students who missed out on an induction. It will concentrate on the Centre where you are based, but will also make you aware of resources in other Centres.

• The Careers collection. You can take a tour round the careers section at your campus.

• Preparing for your dissertation. This is a guide to finding the resources you need and referencing them.

• Odds and sods! We can show you how to scan, access some of the software we have on the PCs, use print preview to print resources from the Internet, use the photocopier and other bits and pieces you might need. You may need to give us notice for some of the things so we can make sure the facilities are available.

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Learning Centres for everyone: Code of conduct

The Learning Centres are places for everybody in College to study and learn. To make this work you should remember the following:

• To improve the safety of all users, please carry your student card at all times

• Please consider others by keeping noise levels to a minimum and reduce noise levels when asked to do so

• When listening to PCs (e.g. music, video etc) or personal music players, please use headphones at a volume that doesn’t distract other users

• Please keep your mobile phones on silent whilst in the Learning Centres; take any phone calls and text messages in the Social Learning Area

• Games, social networking sites and chatrooms can be accessed on the Social PCs

• Drop-in PCs are intended for Rotherham College study only

• Do not use PCs in the Learning Zone unless you are in a scheduled lesson booked into that area and accompanied by your tutor

• For health and safety reasons, please leave any furniture in its original position

• The Learning Centres are study areas. If you wish to socialise, there is a common room available on campus. Please ask staff for details

• Help us keep the Learning Centres a pleasant place to work for everyone; this includes putting rubbish in bins and not eating hot food.

• Never swear in the Learning Centres or use language that the Learning Centres’ staff believe may cause offence

• Print responsibly and only for work

• Please return any borrowed items on time to avoid incurring a fine

• Support the Learning Centre staff in making the Learning Centres work for everyone

Remember even if you don’t agree with a decision made by the Learning Centre team, they will be making that decision with consideration of all users. Please respond positively to requests made by staff and if you wish to discuss a difference of opinion, ask to do so politely and away from the Reception Desk. This will be done as soon as is practically possible. The College will not tolerate any behaviour that the staff feel is abusive, threatening or intimidating towards anybody.

A full version of the Code of Conduct is available on request.

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Health and Safety

Please be aware of all signage displayed around the LCs relating to health and safety and PC usage.

When the fire alarm sounds continuously, please follow directions from LC staff and immediately make your way to the nearest fire exit.

Improving servicesThe LCs are keen to receive feedback from you about how our services can be improved. We have feedback forms that you can complete if you would like to bring something to our attention or suggest ways in which we can develop our services to suit you better.

We also have a range of service standards which help us monitor efficiency and we carry out an annual student survey to measure the quality of the service.

In the rare case of complaints, there is a formal system in place, which requires you to write a letter that will then be dealt with in line with College procedures. You will receive a written response to a formal complaint within 10 working days.

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Useful contacts

Paul BloorCustomer Services Manager

Clifton Upper Learning Centre: 01709 722738 Rother Valley Lower Learning Centre: 01909 559282Clifton Lower Learning Centre: 01709 722884 Rother Valley Upper Learning Centre: 01909 559279Eastwood Learning Centre: 01709 722718

Howard Learning Centre: 01709 722869

Town Centre Campus Rother Valley Campus

Colin Taylor Sarah LeeHead of the Learning Centres Learning Centres Manager

Richard Eyre Kristiaan EvansCurriculum Learning Resource Specialist Curriculum Learning Resource SpecialistLower Clifton Learning Centre Rother Valley Lower Learning Centre

Caitlin Hatton Judith FranceCurriculum Learning Resource Specialist Curriculum Learning Resource SpecialistHoward Learning Centre Rother Valley Upper Learning Centre

Jonathan White Ian Fletcher Curriculum Learning Resource Specialist Learning and Information Officer Upper Clifton Learning Centre Rother Valley Upper Learning Centre Jane Beaumont Jean Jackson Learning and Information Officer Learning and Information OfficerUpper Clifton Learning Centre Rother Valley Lower Learning Centre Sue Blake Learning and Information Officer Howard Learning Centre Kimberley HicksLearning and Information OfficerEastwood Learning Centre

Please note that this guide was correct at the time of printing. Be aware that changes may have been made since it was printed.

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Some of the guides which you may find in the Learning Centres:

How to ….

• Logon a PC

• Use Word, PowerPoint and other Microsoft packages

• Print and photocopy

• Scan a document

• Find an e-book

• Access Webview, our online catalogue

• Access Moodle, our VLE

• Access our online resources

• Reference assignments

CSU 0910 8346