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6023 results in Facet Publishing

Page 224 of 302

  • 95 - Video

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 243-244

  • Summary

    Videos, or any multimedia tools, are a useful way of delivering teaching remotely (the UK's Open University has been doing this for decades) and for breaking up a session – changing delivery method after 10 to 20 minutes is always a good strategy. However, some issues to consider when using video are:

  • • Make sure that you have the right technology. Video-streaming servers are more common now, but you may still have to use a CD or DVD and be sure that the technology in the teaching room is compatible and working. It does not reflect well if you struggle with the equipment for minutes. Always embed in your presentation or pre-load the film at the appropriate start point if possible – a seamless effect will always be better than fiddling with a machine.

  • • Keep the video short. Making a group watch a long film when they are expecting interaction with a teacher will frustrate and will often be seen as a poor substitute.

  • • If you make the film yourself then be professional. Learners are used to high-quality products – commercial TV, film, and video games. Their tolerance for amateur efforts will be low (although the culture of YouTube may be leading to more tolerance of home-made videos, this would be dangerous to assume).

  • • If you do not have the skills yourself, consider finding a local college where media students may be looking for project work.

  • • Be ruthless. If the video is no good then do not show it. Test it on a few trusted and critical learners or colleagues before you show it and take careful note of what they say. Watch the viewers when you show it – their body language will give you major clues as to its effectiveness.

    • ✓ BEST FOR

  • • distance learners

  • • online learning

  • • adding variety to a session.

    • + MORE

  • • Try audio files or podcasts, as they are much easier to produce and edit.

  • • Use creating video as an activity for your learners. There are many lowcost video recorders and many mobile phones have the ability to record video. Ask your learners to record short pieces of video instead of presentations as a form of assessment (whether formal or informal).

  • 82 - Poster tours

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 213-214

  • Summary

    Poster tours are a very effective but under-used approach to collaborative creation of content and peer assessment. They are a relatively easy way to energize a session, provide opportunities for learners to share experience and peer-assess each other's work.

    You will need a flip chart and pens and somewhere to put the flip-chart paper around the room.

    Divide your group into smaller groups – probably four or five groups will work best. Write a problem or issue for discussion on the same number of flip-chart sheets as there are groups. Ask each group to stand by one of the sheets and then ask them to discuss the problem or issue. For example, each group could discuss the merits of a different database, list keywords for particular search problems or produce a research strategy for different types of assessments (for a presentation, essay, etc.). Groups should write down their comments on the sheets. After a few minutes (no more than five minutes, or gauge when input is flagging), walk around yourself and ask the groups to move on to the next sheet in a clockwise direction. They should then take up the new topic, commenting on the previous group's work and adding new things themselves. This carries on until they return to their initial sheet. Be prepared at this point for some lively discussion as they see what comments have been made on their initial thoughts.

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • collaborative creation of content and peer assessment

  • • group teaching

  • • staff development contexts

  • • stimulating debate

  • • encouraging participation.

    • + MORE

  • • Try using music to energize the activity – it can work with some groups but be careful on the choice of music, as you do not want it to become a version of musical chairs.

  • • Join the groups as they walk around, adding your own comments and prompting input if it is unforthcoming.

  • • Instead of writing issues on the sheets yourself, ask learners to produce something in their groups and then share it with the wider group, using a poster tour rather than presenting their work.

  • 40 - Peer observation

  • from Delivery
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 108-110

  • Summary

    Peer observation is the process of asking a colleague to sit in on a learning and teaching event and provide structured, developmental feedback afterwards. Formal peer observation is a very powerful developmental approach to teaching and the support of learning. There are some variations to this, but common practice is for a meeting or briefing to take place before the event. The person being observed tells the observer about the session, for example, its aims and objectives, intended learning outcomes and type of learners. You can also highlight elements of teaching you want covered but the observation should not be confined solely to these. When the session takes place the observer should make notes but not become involved in activities. The observer should be unobtrusive in the learning and teaching space but able to see both teacher and participants.

    After the session the observer will give feedback to you. Some organizations have special peer observation forms that help to structure and frame the discussion, but otherwise in advance of the observation identify and agree on the areas that may be covered.

    The observee should be encouraged to evaluate their own teaching immediately after the session. Some observers may also be ready to provide more detailed feedback at this time. Otherwise, another time (within a day or so) for formal feedback will be agreed and feedback given then. A written report should be available. Actions should be a part of the report and ideally agreed at the meeting.

    Observers should be honest and constructive in their feedback, and observees open to constructive criticism.

    David Gosling (2002) has some very helpful guidelines about what he calls peer review, rather than peer observation. The following is summarized from his website, with some added discussion points. First of all, it is important to emphasize that the process must be developmental rather than judgemental. Peer observation and review are best when they are used comprehensively as part of your teaching culture and practice, and need to include values of mutual trust and respect between observer and the observed, and acknowledgement that the intended purpose is the enhancement of teaching. After all, remember that the term is peer observation (or review). Partners in the observation must be committed to enhancing the quality of the teaching, but the observation and review process should be a dialogue, not just feedback.

  • 63 - Design briefs

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 172-173

  • Summary

    This activity works best if you have some time with a group. Split the learners into small groups and ask them to work on a design brief. For example, you could ask them to plan a perfect library to help them understand how your library works as a building, plan a mini catalogue for a collection to help them understand classification and metadata, prepare an introductory library guide or design library web pages to help them understand the range of online services that you provide. This can be an excellent induction activity for learners with whom you expect to have a longer-term relationship. Not only will it help them understand how libraries work (for example, comparing your actual library to the one that they design) but it will also help inform your planning – an informal feedback mechanism.

    The briefs need to be clear and well defined for them to work. If it is for a library building you should specify which core services are required. A small collection would be better than ‘the history books’ for understanding classification and cataloguing. If you set a task where your learners are asked to produce some kind of guide or information material, specify the level of readership and provide access to your publication guidelines.

    ✓ Best for

  • • A group that you have some time with or as a set assignment

  • • Learners in creative subjects: design briefs are a standard assessment form for students in art and design disciplines.

    • + MORE

  • • Ask the learners to provide a design brief for an architect or web designer – what would they want in a library building or on a library website?

    • : WATCH OUT

  • • You will need to explain the rationale for this in detail to engage the learners with the greatest effect. It can be a really rewarding activity but it might not appear relevant to them at first as it requires more time to settle in and get used to the task.

    • → further reading

    Design Council, www.designcouncil.org.uk/resources-and-events/Business-andpublic- sector/guides/finding-and-working-with-a-designer/writing-a-brief-andgetting- a-project-started.

  • 53 - Audio feedback

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 145-147

  • Summary

    Providing feedback to learners is an essential part of the assessment process but one that is often seen as something outside of the remit of library and information professionals. Feedback to learners is usually associated with written comments on a standard sheet or scribbled in the margins of their work. Because we may not be involved regularly in the formal assessment process, we might therefore consider this part of the learning and teaching process best to be left to others. However, we should be providing feedback to our learners on how they are progressing towards achieving the learning outcomes that we have set, praising or amending as required. (See feedback to learners.)

    Much of our feedback will be given verbally during sessions. However, if the opportunity arises to provide feedback after sessions or as part of a formal assessment and feedback process, then audio feedback is a very effective alternative to written comments. In the Sounds Good project, Rotheram (2009a) found that student satisfaction with feedback rose significantly if it was provided via a sound file. The level and amount of feedback given by the tutor also rose with over four or five times more words spoken on the sound file than would usually be written on a sheet. Participants in the project found that recording audio feedback takes no longer than producing written sheets.

    The process is simple. Record your comments using an MP3 player (or similar) and save them as a sound file. The files can then be e-mailed to learners or embedded into a blog, wiki or VLE (virtual learning environment). All the learner requires is an MP3 player or a PC with a sound card to hear the individualized feedback.

    Some criteria for successful audio feedback have been collated by Steve Bond at LSE (2009) and reproduced here with permission:

  • • Do not try to make a perfect recording. People pause, stumble, say ‘errr’ in real life so there's no problem if you do so in the recording. In fact, it may make your feedback more human if you do make mistakes.

  • • You do not need a script. However, you do need to prepare. Use assessment criteria as a guide to what you will say.

  • • Keep it short and to the point. Do not try to cover too much in one recording. Aim for a five-minute maximum.

  • 96 - Virtual learning environments (VLEs) (or learning management systems, LMSs)

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 245-246

  • Summary

    Virtual learning environments (VLEs) (or, outside the UK, learning management systems) are found most often in educational settings and can be either commercially produced or open sourced. They are online environments containing documents, exercises, assessments and teachercontrolled monitoring, assessing and management tools. They may also function as a portal for learners to access a wider array of services than their learning materials.

    If the institution that you are working for or with uses a VLE then you will usually be expected to provide materials that either use its tools or fit in with it. This is actually an excellent way of integrating your material into the mainstream teaching and learning development, and will often raise your profile with both learners and teaching colleagues. As each VLE is different, it is only possible to give very general advice here:

  • • Get as much training on using your VLE as possible – there will usually be hidden buttons or time-saving advice that will make your job much easier.

  • • Use the VLE, but only if it serves a pedagogic purpose that fits your learning outcomes. Using things for the sake of them will lead to poor teaching and little learning.

  • • Be aware that not every user will have the same capacity in their computers. Try not to overload the VLE with too many files that require high-specification hardware or networks to run them.

  • • Where possible, use the tools that come with the VLE – going outside the VLE will potentially confuse learners by opening extra windows.

    • You may wish to develop standalone information literacy modules. It would be a good idea to check whether there are any open educational resources (OERs) you might be able to use. If you work in UK further or higher education, have a look at JORUM (www.jorum.ac.uk). Before starting on a major project, do think quite carefully whether your content will be used. There are lots of examples of online tutorials that have taken a lot of time to create and have not been used cost-effectively.

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • distance learners

  • • blended learning.

  • W

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 371-378

  • Summary

    WOMEN's STUDIES

    Typical questions

  • • Where can I get up-to-date statistics on women's political representation in India?

  • • I need a definition of second-wave feminism.

  • • How can I find journal articles on the ‘glass-ceiling’?

    • Points to consider

  • • Women's studies is an inter-disciplinary subject area. It can encompass feminist theory as well as economics, politics, history and a range of other subjects from a female perspective. Many of the professional organizations listed in the subject sections have special-interest groups relating to research or lobbying for women.

    • Where to look

    Key organizations

    UK

    Fawcett Society

    www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

    Leading campaigner for gender equality. Website provides free access to many of its research papers as well as campaign materials. Topics covered include women and politics, the gender pay gap and gender and the criminal justice system.

    Feminist and Women's Studies Association (UK and Ireland)

    fwsa.org.uk

    Scholarly society. Website has a blog with news, conference and events listings.

    Home Office

    www.homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities

    UK government body leading on gender equality policy. Website has the text of relevant legislation, research papers and links to related government bodies such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

    International

    National Council for Research on Women

    www.ncrw.org

    Network of over 120 research and public policy institutes focusing on women's lives. Many are US based. Website offers free access to some of their publications.

    National Women's Studies Association (USA)

    www.nwsa.org

    Get news and conference listings.

    UNwomen

    www.unwomen.org

    Created in 2010. Co-ordinates UN activity towards gender equality. Website has news, events, links to reports and statistics.

    Libraries and archives

    The Women's Library

    www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary

    Reference library based at London Metropolitan University. Collections cover women's political, social and economic history. Holdings strongest in terms of the UK and the Commonwealth. Catalogue available online.

    Locate other UK libraries with historic women's collections using the Genesis website, www.genesis.ac.uk.

    Office of the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian

    womenst.library.wisc.edu

    Although intended for local students, this has many excellent services. These include:

  • • Women's Audiovisuals in English (WAVE). A database that lists documentary, experimental and feature film productions by and about women.

  • • Feminist Periodicals – a current listing of contents. Annotated listings of tables of contents from major journals.

  • • Also available are gender topic research guides, bibliographies of readings.

  • 98 - Voting systems

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 249-250

  • Summary

    Electronic-voting systems (also called personal-response systems) are now common in education. Typically, they will consist of a number of handsets and software that will need to be loaded on to the presenter's computer. The teacher will load a series of questions into the presentation computer and display them during face-to-face teaching. Learners will use the handsets to vote for a series of options. A graphical representation of the voting is usually then displayed (and the correct answer, if appropriate). Learners can be identified or anonymous. Although questions are usually answered by TRUE or FALSE, or by choosing one of a series of options, handsets are increasingly allowing text input. This significantly increases the sophistication of the questions that can be asked although you will need to add in significantly more time per question if you ask for sentences (not everyone can text or type at speed!). Voting systems are useful for obtaining quick feedback during the session, breaking up a long session by providing interaction, checking learning by asking or testing knowledge or influencing a search strategy by choosing keywords that you subsequently use in a live search. Tips for effective use of voting systems include:

  • • Make the questions focused and answerable via multiple choice or, if text answers are required, answerable in a few words.

  • • Give the learners a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the equipment – have a quick test question to start with.

  • • Try not to use them if you cannot give each person a handset. If this isn't possible then give time for consultation before asking for a group response.

    • ✓ BEST FOR

  • • breaking up sessions that would otherwise be dominated by the teacher

  • • quick feedback

  • • quick formative assessments.

    • + MORE

  • • If you do not have access to the handset system you can still use voting by utilizing coloured cards – answer = red, green or blue, etc. This can be just as energizing for a group and is a lot less likely to go wrong!

  • • There are also voting websites where users can vote via text message, such as SMS Poll (www.smspoll.net) or Polleverywhere (www. polleverywhere. com).

    • : WATCH OUT

  • • Be careful not to overuse voting systems, as they can quickly become a gimmick. This is especially true if they are heavily used elsewhere in your institution.

  • M

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 233-269

  • Summary

    MANAGEMENT

    Typical questions

  • • I want to trace some articles by Peter Drucker.

  • • What is PRINCE2?

    • Points to consider

  • • Management can be both a theoretical and a practical subject. Many internet sites are provided by commercial companies that expect payment. This section guides students to academic resources. It highlights commonly requested items such as management case studies.

  • • The resources should be used in conjunction with the Business Studies section. Refer in particular to the Libraries and Journal Article Indexes subsections, as these cover both business and management topics. Those studying Human Resource Management may also find the Psychology section (which encompasses Organizational Psychology) helpful.

    • Where to look

    Key organizations

    Scholarly

    Academy of Management

    www.aomonline.org

    Leading international organization founded in 1936. Free access to current awareness resources, including conference listings and recent issues of newsletters. Full-text articles from Academy journals are for subscribers only.

    British Academy of Management

    www.bam.ac.uk

    Supports the academic study of Management. Website has a student section, plus news, conference listings and research updates.

    Higher Education Academy

    www.heacademy.ac.uk

    Part of the UK Higher Education Academy supports teaching and learning in Business Management, Accountancy and Finance. Website has useful updates on innovation in management education. It offers free access to the

    International Journal of Management Education (IJME).

    International Federation of Scholarly Associations of Management

    www.ifsam.org

    News and conference listings relating to the research and teaching of Management studies worldwide.

    Professional bodies

    American Management Association

    www.amanet.org

    Major organization offering support, job listings and training. Website has some free case studies and practical articles.

    Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

    www.cipd.co.uk

    Leading human resources organization. Website provides free access to news, blogs, surveys of human resources professionals and articles on practical management issues. Other online courses and journals offered to subscribers only.

    Chartered Management Institute

    www.managers.org.uk

    Provides training and support for practising managers. Website includes news, events and career guidance. It is also possible to download case studies and research reports, including surveys of managers and assessments of the economy. All topics ranging from human resource management to negotiation and employee relations are covered.

    European Management Association

    www.europeanmanagement.org

    Unites national professional and academic organizations across Europe. Use the website to get news and trace members.

    Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

    www.shrm.org

    International association. Website has news, events and careers advice. Case studies available to members.

  • 2 - Information literacy and standards

  • from Planning
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 7-10

  • Summary

    There are many information literacy (IL) related standards and definitions globally. The UK's Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) defines information literacy as ‘knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner’ (www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/ advocacy/information-literacy/pages/definition.aspx).

    Following on from that definition, in order to be information literate an understanding of the following skills or competences is required:

  • • a need for information

  • • the resources available

  • • how to find information

  • • the need to evaluate results

  • • how to work with or exploit results

  • • ethics and responsibility of use

  • • how to communicate or share your findings

  • • how to manage your findings.

    • There are several frameworks, although the US ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) and UK SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries) models (see references) are two of the most often applied. In the teaching context, these frameworks can serve several purposes:

  • • To let others know what information literacy is all about, by providing a statement of what IL is, and making explicit the range of competences and knowledge encompassed by IL.

  • • To act as a reminder of the range of skills you should be supporting.

  • • To act as a benchmark (although levels are often not built in) to assess against.

  • • To be something that can be mapped against the curriculum.

  • • To map to organizational strategy, and thus emphasize the value of information literacy.

    • At national level, information literacy standards are useful in policy development – for example, the national information literacy projects in Scotland (www.gcu.ac.uk/ils/framework.html) and Wales (http://library.wales.org/en/information-literacy/national-information-literacyframework) – and sometimes within organizations.

    IL frameworks and standards have their limitations in that they often do not mean anything to learners – IL needs to be contextualized for the learners. These are skills that are used for a purpose, so mapping these standards to curriculum or other outcomes shows the relevance.

    Consider how you will use the frameworks and language carefully – it may be that these are more appropriate to guide your own planning and development, but need to be translated into the language of your learners and collaborators.

  • P

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 281-292

  • Summary

    PARLIAMENTS/PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

    Typical questions

  • • Can I get a list of MPs who voted against the recent Student Finance Bill?

  • • I want to trace all the parliamentary debates and bills relating to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

    • Points to consider

    • The internet has made it possible to find a wealth of information on parliaments worldwide. Typical information found on parliamentary websites includes:

  • — lists of current MPs

  • — information on parliamentary committees. These often include useful scrutiny of Acts of Parliament and the performance of the government in certain policy areas

  • — information on the legislative process. This can include lists and the texts of bills being debated

  • — the official reports of proceedings. Often these are called Hansard. They include records of voting in the House

  • — useful factsheets which explain the parliamentary procedure of the nation concerned.

    • They may also have statistics and summaries of recent bills. However, do remember to check when the website was last updated!

    Where to look

    UK

    Dods Parliamentary Companion

    www.dodsshop.co.uk

    Available in print or online. Well respected annual listing of MPs and parliamentary committees. Includes biographical information on individuals and statistics on the composition of Parliament.

    House of Commons Library Research papers

    www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/research-papers

    Can be really useful for summarising clearly how parliament works and the content of recent parliamentary bills.

    Hansard 1803–2005

    hansard.millbanksystems.com

    Website of the Hansard Digitization Project, led by the Directorate of Information Services of the House of Commons and the Library of the House of Lords. Searchable by date, keyword or MP.

    Theyworkforyou.com

    www.theyworkforyou.com

    Project of UK Citizens Online Democracy (registered charity) which aims to help citizens keep tabs on UK parliamentary activity. Look up an MP and see their expenses claims, recent attendance in Parliament and how they voted.

    UK Parliament website

    www.parliament.uk

    Official website. Includes Parliament TV (live broadcasts), plus the full text of Hansard from session 1988–89 onwards. Use the advanced search form to quickly locate specific references.

    International

    International Parliamentary Union (IPU)

    www.ipu.org/english/home.htm

    International organization of parliaments. Key starting-point for tracing the names, addresses and websites of national and regional parliaments worldwide. A section contains statistics on the representation of women in national parliaments. Also offers free access to the PARLINE database, www.ipu.org/parline-e/parlinesearch.asp, which has information on the structure and working of several hundred parliaments.

  • 73 - Ice-breakers

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 192-193

  • Summary

    Ice-breakers are activities used at the start of a teaching session or course to ‘warm up’ the group so they will feel more relaxed and comfortable with each other. Ice-breakers can serve many purposes, but are particularly important if your teaching session involves group work.

    Many training courses often start with an ice-breaker focused on individual introductions, but ice-breakers can also be main activities, which may often be more suitable to information skills sessions where there may not always be time to run formal introductions.

    The purpose of an ice-breaker is to break down barriers between individuals within the teaching group in order to encourage them to be more participative and engaged in the activities. This can be particularly useful whether the group members are strangers or colleagues who may feel inhibited by status or role.

    One example of an introductory ice-breaker would be to break your learners into pairs and ask each learner to find out three facts about their partner – this could be routine information such as their job or course, or something a little more unusual, such as the job they wanted to have when they were a child. Each learner must then introduce their partner to the rest of the group. Be careful with this technique if you are using it to gather information to guide the content of your session – what is reported may not necessarily be accurate! Consider giving learners the chance to comment on their partner's introduction.

    ✓ Best for

  • • group work

  • • breaking down barriers at the start of sessions

  • • creating an active environment for learning.

    • + MORE

  • • If you have a large number of learners, run ice-breakers in small groups rather than for the group as a whole. It is better for some of your learners to have bonded than none at all.

  • • Consider using your ice-breaker as a way of gathering information to help you guide the session.

  • • An activity-style ice-breaker could be:

  • — something fun and totally unrelated to the session you are running

  • — a fun activity that can provide some ‘lessons learned’ to feed into your session

  • — a group or paired learning activity which forms part of your aims and objectives for the session – if time is short, simply starting with an activity rather than a presentation can act as an ice-breaker.

  • 51 - Action learning

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 139-141

  • Summary

    Action learning is an educational process based on working on something ‘real’, rather than a fictional case study or scenario. It is a type of experiential learning (learning by doing) based on the idea that learning is more effective when dealing with real-life situations and problems. It is also a form of social learning where learners work in groups called ‘action learning sets’. Action learning is often associated with the workplace and usually takes place over a period of months, but the general principles can be adapted and applied elsewhere.

    Action learning was pioneered by Professor Reg Revans in the UK and is based around the formula L = P + Q (learning = programmed knowledge + questioning). Although Revans did not recommend the use of a coach or tutor to guide the learning set, in practice this is what tends to happen in order to ensure adequate reflection and action takes place. Questioning is particularly important – the tagline of the US-based International Foundation for Action Learning (IFAL, www.ifal.org.uk and www.ifal-usa.org) is ‘managing the unknown through questioning’.

    Ask your learners to work in small groups – this has been found to be more effective than pairs. The groups may have a joint project they can work on, or each individual can present their own problem. By working together the group pools common knowledge and experience and uses this to address the problem. Through interaction and questioning (from within the group or from a tutor), this should lead to strategies to begin working on a solution. As Pedler (1997) states, ‘the learning dynamic is a recognition of a common ignorance’. This is highly relevant to information skills teaching as learners often struggle with scoping their information needs, that is, identifying what they know, what they don't know and what they need to find out.

    To begin with you are likely to need to work closely with the sets, in providing knowledge but especially in asking questions. Learners may need to become familiar with types of question in order to explore a problem. As the set develops, they should be able to take more responsibility for the processes and actions.

  • B

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 35-48

  • Summary

    BANKING

    Typical questions

  • • I need to read the latest Monetary Policy Committee minutes.

  • • Where can I access international banking statistics?

    • Points to consider

  • • This section should be used in conjunction with the Business Studies and Economics sections, which list relevant libraries, journal article databases and working paper series.

    • Where to look

    Key organizations

    Trade associations

    These provide news on the profession, lists of members and basic statistical data. Most also contain materials on banking regulation.

    British Bankers Association

    www.bba.org.uk

    Publishes the Annual Abstract of Banking Statistics covering the UK industry (subscribers only). Other less detailed statistics can be downloaded free of charge. These include high street banking, credit card and mortgage data.

    Building Societies Association

    www.bsa.org.uk

    Includes statistics on building society assets.

    International Banking Federation (IBFed)

    www.ibfed.org

    Represents national banking associations. Useful links to websites of members.

    UK Payments

    www.ukpayments.org.uk

    Formerly the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS), trade association of organizations providing payment clearing services.

    Central banks

    These websites usually provide information on the state of the national economy, national reserves and assets as well as data on banking systems and policies.

    Bank of England

    www.bankofengland.co.uk

    Free access to Monetary Policy Committee minutes, the Inflation Report and Financial Stability reports. The statistics section BankStats has time series of financial and monetary data. Issues covered include financial institutions’ balance sheets, public sector borrowing, interest rates and exchange rates. Check data coverage of series on the website.

    Bank for International Settlements

    www.bis.org

    International organization which promotes international monetary and financial co-operation between central banks. Its website has a central bank hub with free access to useful directories of national authorities, speeches from bank governors and research reports. The statistics section provides free access to some international and national banking statistics. These include cross-border lending and borrowing of internationally active banks, securities, derivatives, external debt and property prices.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve

    www.federalreserve.gov

    Central bank of United States. Website has explanations of the system as well as a large number of publications and statistical reports. Users with a specific interest in statistical data should also consult the St Louis Federal Bank FRED site, research.stlouisfed.org/fred2, a free database of over 27,000 economic time series.

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