lida conference, croatia, wednesday 26 th may 2004 enabling the electronic information user in uk...

LIDA Conference, Croatia, Wednesday 26th May 2004

ENABLING THE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION USER ENABLING THE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION USER IN UK FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION. IN UK FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION.

Further findings and reflection from the JUBILEE project.Further findings and reflection from the JUBILEE project.

http://www.jubileetoolkit.orghttp://www.jubileetoolkit.org

Graham Coulson, Dr. Linda Banwell, Dr. Alison Pickard, Gayle Haswell and Susan Heaford

Information Management Research Institute

IMRIIMRI

Division of Information and Communication Studies

School of Informatics, Northumbria University

UK


JUBILEEJUBILEEJJISC ISC UUser ser BBehaviour in ehaviour in IInformation seeking: nformation seeking: LLongitudinal ongitudinal EEvaluation of valuation of EElectronic lectronic iinformation nformation sserviceservices

• Research main aim:o Monitor

o Investigate

o Evaluate

Staff and student use and non-use of Electronic Information Services (EIS) in UK FE and HE

• Longitudinal study:o 1999-2004

o Currently in cycle 5 of the project

Funded by The Joint Information Systems Committee


JUBILEEJUBILEEJJISC ISC UUser ser BBehaviour in ehaviour in IInformation seeking: nformation seeking: LLongitudinal ongitudinal EEvaluation of valuation of EElectronic lectronic iinformation nformation sserviceservices

LIDA paper 2002 - Barriers to the use of EIS

Factors discovered:

•Accessibility

•User proficiency

•Training

•Integration of EIS in teaching & learning

LIDA paper 2004 – Further Findings

Research revisited. What has changed since 2002?


• Rise of EIS in UK post 16 education market

• A 3.6% EIS expenditure increase

• £160 million spent 2001-2002 in HE Libraries

• Increase mainly dedicated to serials, book spending reduced

• 2003 – Expenditure on electronic resources rose ‘by an impressive 14% to £19 million’ (Library Information and Statistics Unit 2003:3)

BUT…..BUT…..•Further Education still behind HE.

•90% of FE Library budget report that 75% of their budget dedicated to print materials (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals 2003:19)

INCREASED EXPENDITURE ON EIS IN THE UKINCREASED EXPENDITURE ON EIS IN THE UK


RESEARCH BACKGROUNDRESEARCH BACKGROUND

JUBILEE 1999-2003

Type of Educational Establishment

Higher Education

Further Education

Higher and Further Education

Totals

Type of research In-depth and Revisit

In-depth, Pilot and snapshot

Action Research

No. staff questionnaires collected

395

105

5

505

No. student questionnaires collected

1161

1031

69

2261

No. staff interviews/focus groups held

217

191

32

440

No. student e-mails/interviews/focus groups

34

33

89

156

Totals

1807

1360

195

3362


Accessing EIS in HE & FEAccessing EIS in HE & FE

‘Enabling access to information electronically has emerged as a pivotal aim, not only for library and

information professionals, but also for academic staff…in an increasingly digital world, access is the key.’ (JUBILEE

paper, LIDA 2002)

In 2002 at Libraries in the Digital Age JUBILEE said……In 2002 at Libraries in the Digital Age JUBILEE said……



Reasons for improvement over past two years:

• Increased PC provision

• Increased off-campus access provision

• Increased opening hours

• Streamlined authentication procedures

• Ongoing evaluation of provision and access policies

20042004…….…….there’s been there’s been an improvement!an improvement!


0

20

40

60

%

1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003

'There are enough access points to EIS available to me' (n=1108)cross tabulation by cycle

not at all/ hardly

so so

fairly/ very much

0

20

40

60

80

%

2001-2002 2002-2003

'There are enough access points to EIS available to me' (n=640)cross tabulation by cycle

not at all/ hardly

so so

fairly/ very much


HE respondents ‘There are enough access points to EIS’

FE respondents ‘There are enough access points to EIS’


Barriers to Accessing EIS in HE & FEBarriers to Accessing EIS in HE & FE

‘In both sectors the reliability of networks and the variety of different access procedures to services, particularly governing remote access in the form of passwords and user identifications can [be]…barriers.’ (JUBILEE paper, LIDA 2002)



Barriers to Accessing EIS in HE & FEBarriers to Accessing EIS in HE & FE

Existing barriers in 2004:Existing barriers in 2004:

• Multiple passwords still in use across HE and FE

• Provision of ATHENS and remote access in FE Colleges are not widespread

However…However…• In the HE sector there is a more widespread evidence base suggesting that the situation is slowly being resolved:

‘The issue of passwords used to be a much bigger concern because we had such a proliferation, but that has been streamlined with Athens being used for most things now.’ (HE Library staff)


Skills & User TrainingSkills & User Training

From the JUBILEE research, skill levels would appear to be largely dependent on the individual user rather than being influenced by other factors such as discipline studied, gender, or institution, for example: I think they are fairly aware of it [EIS]…how well they use it is another point…you’ve got some students who know how to use it really well but other students who have got fairly basic knowledge of it’. (HE respondent) (JUBILEE paper, LIDA 2002)




A remaining challenge…. A remaining challenge…. Wide variance in user awareness, skills and abilities. Library and academic staff continue to note wide differences in student ability and confidence in the use of EIS.

JUBILEE Cycle 4 (2002-2003) evidence revealed:

• HE sample

o 8.9 % felt they were beginners

o 74.4% had intermediate skills

o 16.7% felt they were expert

• FE sample

o 16% felt they were beginners

o 64% had intermediate skills

o 19% felt they had expert skills



HE student respondents - I use EIS more than print sources

0

20

40

60

1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003

'I use EIS more than print sources' (n=1112)cross tabulation by cycle not at all/ hardly

so so

fairly/ very much

FE student respondents - I use EIS more than print sources

0

10

20

30

40

50

%

2001-2002 2002-2003

'I use EIS more than print sources' (n=643)cross tabulation by cycle

not at all/ hardly

so so

fairly/ very much



Students prefer EIS!Students prefer EIS!In HE and FE, reasons stated for EIS preference included:

• ease and speed of access

• wider variety of information sources

• improved presentation of work

• up-to-date information

• more reliable information

Cycle 4 (2002-2003) evidence demonstrates:

• 74% of HE respondents found it ‘easy’ to find reliable and accurate information

• 82% of the FE sample believed the same to be true

• Students employ a number of methods for evaluating information



‘Concerns have been voiced from library and academic staff - in both sectors – regarding the ability of users’ to evaluate the information they obtain electronically, particularly as regards the reliability and accuracy of much data retrieved from the Internet: They think it’s all there, and the fact that it comes through the web easily, they confuse it with reliability’. (HE respondent) (JUBILEE paper, LIDA 2002)




Patterns of user behaviour exist because search engines are:

• Familiar

• Immediately accessible

• Perceived as a quick & easy way to retrieve ‘useful’ information

‘We do get a lot of people who already think that they know about the Internet because they’ve used Google. There’s a kind of expectation that ‘it should all be on the Internet,’ but less awareness that there are some quality issues.’ (HE library staff)

• Cut and paste culture of students leads to the issue of plagiarism

Training is still seen as Training is still seen as a major issue!a major issue!


Integration of EIS into Courses & CurriculaIntegration of EIS into Courses & Curricula

‘Respondents have observed that such user education has been successful when delivered in timetabled sessions, having been developed in partnership between library and academic staff…training in EIS information handling and evaluative/critical skills must be embedded into teaching and learning.’ (JUBILEE paper, LIDA 2002)




Methods for effective EIS integration and use:

• Embed EIS into modules and courses

• Academic staff recommendation and awareness raising

• Vital that all academic staff are aware and have subject specific training in EIS

JUBILEE evidence - academic staff attitudes to EIS:

• Variation of attitudes at the departmental level

• Some take a proactive role, recommending useful sources

• Across sites examples of innovative incorporation of EIS into courses

But….!But….!



Certain academic & library staff are reluctant to change of working practice:

‘It does come down to the individual. I'm 36 and I've only been in post six years so it's not surprising that I'm embarking on IT training for my students but you know two or three of my colleagues don't even have computers in their offices.’ (FE academic)

‘Staff attitudes have really influenced the fact that information skills sessions aren't sufficiently embedded in yet… there is still some distance to go.’ (HE library staff)

Factors determining staff use of EIS:

• Access to a computer

• The attitude of staff to IT

• Level of IT skills

• The requirements to use EIS in the classroom

• Time available to learn how to use these resources

• Cultural and governmental forces



Academic staff recommendation of EIS is variable across UK HE & FE institutions but this is changing

JUBILEE Cycle 4 (2002-2003)

Students are increasingly being pointed in the direction of useful EIS by tutors:

• 86% of HE students questioned noted that use of EIS is required in some assessed work

• 90% felt that lecturers referred to & encouraged use of certain EIS

• Over 75% of the FE sample believed that EIS is required in some assessed work

• 89% stating that teaching staff referred them to useful EIS


ConclusionsConclusions

•JUBILEE reportsJUBILEE reports

•JUBILEE disseminationJUBILEE dissemination

•JUBILEE toolkitJUBILEE toolkit

•Main areas for development…Main areas for development…


Areas for Development HE & FEAreas for Development HE & FE

Accessing EIS:

•Facilitate access via multiple media (print; EIS, on/off campus);

•Widened opening hours of IT areas;

•Continuously evaluated provision and access policies;

• Access solutions, including simplified, streamlined authentication procedures.

•Library staff at all sites need to continue to raise the awareness of service providers regarding the particular needs of the higher education marketplace, including effective and comparable monitoring statistics for EIS products



Skill levels & user training:

•Central direction is needed from the university in terms of clearly delineating the specific roles and responsibilities of different departments in relation to the training and development of students’ IT and information literacy, particularly in the sphere of critical and evaluative skills;

•EIS training needs of academic staff could be assessed, ensuring that tutors’ needs are supported, and any information passed on to students via their teaching is reliable;

•Begin or continue to explore means of unlocking the potential and usefulness of web-based training packages.



Integration of EIS into courses & curricula:

•Strive to overcome the entrenched attitudes of certain academic staff in relation to the use of EIS

•Capitalise on the enthusiasm and goodwill of academics for the use of EIS and IT

•Students should be encouraged to recognise the relevance of EIS to the furtherance of their studies, and future careers by both academic and library staff

•Increase strategic direction and policy for the embedding of EIS and IT into teaching and learning;

•Both academic and library staff should develop/maintain an active role in the use and integration of EIS into new platforms for the delivery of teaching and learning (e.g. VLE)


ENABLING THE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION USER ENABLING THE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION USER IN UK FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION. IN UK FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION.

Further findings and reflection from the JUBILEE project.Further findings and reflection from the JUBILEE project.

http://www.jubileetoolkit.orghttp://www.jubileetoolkit.org

Graham Coulson, Dr. Linda Banwell, Dr. Alison Pickard, Gayle Haswell and Susan Heaford

Information Management Research Institute

IMRIIMRI

Division of Information and Communication Studies

School of Informatics, Northumbria University

UK

lida conference, croatia, wednesday 26 th may 2004 enabling the electronic information user in uk...

Documents

lida conference

library information

information professionals

eis expenditure

electronic information

education higher

jubilee paper

rise of eis