Dr. Samuel Nikoi

(skn@aber.ac.uk)

Positive transition into higher education has a directimpact on student retention (Boyle, Cater and Clark2002)

Transition to university can be a difficult andunsettling experience for students entering anunfamiliar domain (Byrne and Flood 2005. pg. 113)

40% of students report that information about libraryservices is „very useful‟ and relevant to their decision about going to university. (HEFCE 2010. p.8.)

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Pre -

application

Admission

Preparation

ArrivalDirections/transportation

Accomodation / Travel info.

Prog. info / Course handbook

Websites/Open-days/Prospectus

Meeting

Anxiety

Managing

change

Academic

work

Lecturer/ librarians

Tutors/Mentors/coaches

Student support

Clubs/pubs/dept & lib induction

Stage 1 Info. need Stage 2 Info. need

Posit

ive t

ransit

ion?

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change

identity

environment

perception

values

Learning

approach

responsibility

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1. What information literacy competences do students possess before arrival at university?

2. How do newly admitted students rate themselves in terms of Information literacy?

3. What new set of information skills do they expect to develop on arrival at university?

4. How can library inductions equip and kick start their learning journey in HE?

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Survey hosted on Bristol online platform

Questions were both open and closed and covered:

◦ Expectations

◦ Familiarity

◦ Confidence

Respondents mainly first year undergraduates

Survey opened two - three weeks before arrival

Analysed statistically and qualitatively.

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2012 2013

Number of respondents1299 1039

Undergraduate: 1084 876

Taught Masters: 145 99

MPhil: 9 7

PhD: 28 32

Other 21 13

By Gender (Male)49.1%

(634)

44.6%

(460)

By Gender (Female) 50.9%

(658)

54.4% (

571)

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Time management Listening Note taking Academic reading Academic writing Research

Confident 975 731 1208 962 1034 815 1132 891 856 675 1018 798

Not confident 324 308 91 77 265 224 167 148 443 364 281 241

75%

70%

93%

93%

80%

78%

87%

86% 66%

65%

78%

77%

24%30%

7% 7%

20%22%

13% 14%

34%35%

22% 23%

How confident are you at doing the following?

Confident Not confident

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Presentation Contributing to seminar discussions Team work

Confident 723 580 747 593 1131 894

Not confident 576 459 552 446 168 145

56%

59%

58%

57%

87%

86%

44%

44%42%

43%

13% 14%

How confident are you at doing the following?

Confident Not confident

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Academic

reading:

Academic

writing:Listening:

Presentati

on:

Critical

thinking:

Time

managem

ent:

Research:Note

taking:

Seminar

discussio

ns:

Team

work:

None of

the above:

Other (ple

ase

specify):

2012 341 618 126 603 492 364 530 355 550 204 117 21

2013 311 513 115 468 381 306 429 298 466 171 109 14

26%

48%

10%

46%

38%

28%

41%

27%

42%

16%

9%

2%

30%

49%

11%

45%

37%

29%

41%

29%

45%

16%

10%

1%

Which of the following academic skills would you like to know more about?

2012 2013

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Google

scholar:A friend: My teacher: Wikipedia: Facebook: The library: Twitter:

Open

Educational

Resource

(OER):

YouTube:

Free search

on the

internet:

2012 197 96 308 94 6 328 1 31 4 387

2013 186 76 254 66 2 248 1 34 4 336

15%

7%

24%

7%

0%

25%

0%

2%0%

30%

18%

7%

24%

6%

0%

24%

0%

3%0%

32%

Where do you first turn when looking for information for your studies?

2012 2013

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Online library catalogue Academic journal E-Book Bibliographic database

Familiar: 482 346 440 472 563 594 308 252

Not familiar: 817 693 859 567 736 445 991 787

37%

33%

34% 45%

43%57%

24%24%

63%

67%

66%

55%

57%

43%

76%

76%

How familiar are you with the following?

Familiar: Not familiar:

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Online library catalogue Bibliographic database Electronic journal E-Books

Confident 597 478 374 357 554 490 707 655

Not confident 702 561 925 682 745 549 592 384

46%

46%

29% 34%

43%

47%

54%63%

54%

54%

71%

66%

57%

53%46%

37%

How confident are you at using the following?

Confident Not confident

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Bibliography Copyright Plagiarism Referencing

Familiar: 1138 930 1224 997 1170 964 1221 673

Not familiar: 161 109 75 42 129 75 78 366

88%

90%

94%

96%

90%

93%

94%

65%

12%10% 6% 4%

10%7% 6%

35%

How familiar are you with the following?

Familiar: Not familiar:

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2012 2013 2012 2013

Microsoft Word: citations & bibliography EndNote

Familiar: 878 570 211 112

Not familiar: 409 461 1077 914

68%

55%

16% 11%

32% 45%

84%89%

How familiar are you with the following?

Familiar: Not familiar:

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2012 2013 2012 2013

Microsoft word - citation & bibliography; EndNote

Confident 880 611 179 138

Not confident 419 428 1120 901

68%

59%

14%13%

32% 41%

86%

87%

How confident are you at using the following?

Confident Not confident

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2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013

Email Blackboard Facebook

Confident 1292 1033 431 340 1217 973

Not confident 7 6 868 699 82 66

99.5%99.4%

33% 33%

94%94%

7 6

67%67%

6% 6%

How confident are you at using the following?

Confident Not confident

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PRE-RECORDED presentation

available online followed by a

TOUR of the library with a

librarian:

PRE-RECORDED presentation

available online followed by a

SELF-TOUR of the library:

FACE-TO-FACE presentation with

slides followed by a TOUR of the

library with a librarian:

FACE-TO-FACE presentation with

slides followed by a SELF-TOUR

of the library:

2012 383 236 570 110

2013 270 203 478 88

30%

18%

44%

8%

26%20%

46%

8%

On arrival which would you prefer to get you started in using our

information services?

2012 2013

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“Though I can and did present things in my undergraduate studies I am not sure I am at the same level as other students, may be because my school did more testing than presentation work”.

“Don't just tell us how to use the library facilities - show us! Let us have a go. Physical demonstrations are always more effective”.

“I find IT easy and anything I don't know I'll pick up. I'm used to creative writing so find academic writing difficult”.

“I will probably need to be shown how exactly things should be referenced properly”.

“Confident with reports and presentations including references to background reading and online information but not familiar with e-Books and online learning platforms”.

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1. Variation in levels of IL competence at the time of coming to university

2. High self evaluation in terms of cognitive skills

3. Awareness of Information literacy and academic skill deficiencies

4. The library is the second most important source of information after the internet

5. Poor knowledge of library threshold concepts

6. Students are not familiar/confident in their use of scholarly information sources

7. Awareness of ethical uses of information but less so about citation tools

8. Blackboard is a black box for many students

9. A human face to library induction is highly valued

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Knowledge

?

Cold

WarmHot

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Face to

face

Online

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Open

Closed

Blended

01/05/2014 24

Prospective students deserve more than glossy

advertising prospectuses. A student experience of

university does not begin when they step onto

campus on the first day of their first university

year. Early relationship (knowledge based) between

student and university is very important in

preparing students for university life.

(1994 Group Report).

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