Talis Insight Asia-Pacific 2018 - Stav Amichai Hillel and Caroline Ondracek, La Trobe University
1. CRICOS PROVIDER 00115M
latrobe.edu.au
Reading lists: Implications for student-
satisfaction and student-learning
Stav Amichai Hillel
Senior Learning Advisor, Curricular Services (Library)
& Caroline Ondracek
Senior Coordinator, Curricular Services (Library)
TALIS Insight Asia Pacific
February 9th 2018
2. latrobe.edu.au
Abstract
Introduction: Reading lists (RL) are a standard service of the academic library; accordingly, we
require an understanding of what its gold-standard looks like. Moreover, given we implicitly define our
role as pedagogical (cf.: Learning & Teaching), we are required to explore the possible educational
implications of their usage.
Argument: Positive experiences with RLs inform the reported degree of subject-satisfaction by
students. A positive experience is the result of a maximally-convenient RL. Those same positive
experiences, however, negatively shape information literacy (IL)-and by extension, student learning-in
students.
Method: An exploration of unsystematically-obtained, largely anecdotal, data.
Conclusion: The gold-standard RL is ‘maximally-convenient’ and ‘pedagogically-robust.’
3. latrobe.edu.au
Reading lists @ La Trobe University: then
• Prior to 2015 bespoke product: Reserve (3HR), AV Reserve and eReserve.
• TALIS RLs were trialled in 2013
• February 2014 to May 2014 existing lists manually imported into Talis Aspire (1000+ live lists with
10,000 items)
• 20 staff at our Melbourne, Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga campuses were trained and worked on
lists
• 2014 Semester 1: both systems running concurrently
• 2014 Semester 2: RLs go live and old system discontinued
4. latrobe.edu.au
Reading lists @ La Trobe University: now
• Since 2015, continuous engagement across the university with more lists
• Late 2017 - Increased use and engagement of reading lists by students as evidenced by these analytics:
• March 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017 = 221,842 visits / 1,616,814 page views
• March 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014 = 74,092 visits / 124,044 page views
• March 1, 2015 to March 31, 2015 = 35,589 visits / 138,879 page views
• March 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016 = 159,591 visits / 422,068 page views
We now have over 55% of undergraduate or postgraduate by coursework subjects with a reading list, this is 1460 published reading lists
5. latrobe.edu.au
Students perceptions from the literature
Key themes from the literature review, from a student perspective:
• Students do consult RLs for assignment support content (Stokes & Martin, 2008)
• Students want direction on what to read for and look for in the RL (McGuinn et al., 2017)
• Students prefer annotations on items in the RL (Stokes & Martin, 2008)
• More consistent experience is wanted (McGuinn et al., 2017)
• Some students feel that lists are not kept up to date or know where to find them (Brewerton, 2014)
6. latrobe.edu.au
A student embarking on his Honours year (let us call him Benjamin) emails his school’s
senior learning advisor requesting where the RL is for his thesis.
Angela, a podiatry student, attempting to answer the clinical question in a patient with a
first neuropathic foot ulcer, what is the risk of amputation?, seeks an answer in a textbook
of palliative care.
Lee, who is reading toward a Master of Mental Health Nursing, has been asked to
consider the literature on nursing ethical principles, followed by a written reflection on his
own practice during his clinical placement. Lee types into MEDLINE the following: ethic*
AND ‘mental health’ AND reflect*.
Hannah, wanting to cite the Australian Medical Standard, types Medical Standards,
Website, Gov in her reference list.
The information-illiterate student
7. latrobe.edu.au
Maximum convenience serving the immediate
• “single click”
Dr Elizabeth Pascoe (Nursing & Midwifery)
• “directly to PDF”
James Jerad (Podiatry)
• “online availability” student-satisfaction
Dr Anita Raspovic (Podiatry)
• “no firewalls/interface pages”
Dr Ian Mosely (Nursing & Midwifery)
• “at point of need”
Dr Charne Miller (Nursing & Midwifery)
• “only required readings”
Dr Lisa McKenna (Nursing & Midwifery)
8. latrobe.edu.au
Pedagogical robustness serving the longitudinal
• bibliographic information follows referencing style
(Stokes & Martin 2008)
• transparency of publication type
(Twersky & Kahneman 1974; Kahneman 2011)
• transparency of epistemological value
(Guyatt et al. 2008; Ioannidis 2005; Cochrane Collaboration 2008)
student-learning
9. latrobe.edu.au
Digital & Information literacies
Digital literacies
Find relevant digital information (can use the RL for this)
Use appropriate referencing for digital materials (good examples)
LTU graduates are
Critical, selecting and evaluating resources according to the needs of the situation
active and self-directed, seeking out digital resources and participating fully in digital opportunities
10. latrobe.edu.au
Cont’
"... the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and
effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.“ (United States National Forum on Information
Literacy)
Information skills exercised by a RL
• Distinguishes between different information types is able to interpret a RL
• Understands the different sources available
• Avoids plagiarism by acknowledging sources used (sees good examples via the RL)
Digital & Information literacies.
12. latrobe.edu.au
What’s the future for RLs?
Discussion points
• Improved design and pedagogical approach
• Seeking more feedback from students and staff
• Advocating to and educating students and staff
• Embracing the alternatives
• More strategy for our service…?
13. latrobe.edu.au
References
Brewerton, G. (2014). Implications of Student and Lecturer Qualitative Views on Reading Lists: A Case Study at Loughborough University, UK. New Review of
Academic Librarianship, 20(1), 78-90. doi:10.1080/13614533.2013.864688.
Cochrane Collaboration (2008). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. London: Wiley.
Eden, J., Levit, L., Berg, A., Morton, S. (2011). Finding what works in health care: Standards for systematic reviews. Washington, D. C.: The National Academies
Press.
Guyatt, G., Rennie, D., Meade, M. O., Cook, D. J. (2008). Users' guides to the medical literature: a manual for evidence-based clinical practice. New York: McGraw
Hill and JAMA
Ioannidis, J P. A. (2005). ‘Why Most Published Research Findings Are False.’ Plos Medicine 2(8) doi:10.1371/journal. pmed. 0020124.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Penguin Books.
McGuinn, K., McGuinn, K., Stone, G., Stone, G., Sharman, A., Sharman, A., Davison, E. (2017). Student reading lists: evaluating the student experience at the
University of Huddersfield. The Electronic Library, 35(2), 322-332.
Stokes, P., & Martin, L. (2008). Reading lists: a study of tutor and student perceptions, expectations and realities. Studies in Higher Education, 33(2), 113-125.
doi:10.1080/03075070801915874.
Twersky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgement under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124-1131.
U.S. National Library of Medicine (2017). ‘Updated medical subject headings: A guide for information specialists.’ Medical subject headings 2017. Viewed 04/12/17:
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/mbinfo.html