“Using the Library can be fun!”

Rosslyn LeeSchool Librarian

Ardrossan Academy

Ardrossan Academy

Background

• School roll 961• 30 period week• 20 Year English classes average 18 pupils• 14 Social Education classes average 26

pupils• 15 PCs in separate Computer Room, 6 in

Library

Information Skills Courses

CURRENT• 1st Year Information Skills• 2nd Year Information Skills • 1st Year Biography Project

FUTURE• 6th Year Information Skills

1st year course content Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

included in booklet and discussed at beginning of each period.

• Keywords• Reading for information• Note-taking• Researching a topic• Powerpoint presentation

1st Year EvaluationInformation Skills Course

• Main purpose of lessons?• What did you enjoy?• What did you find difficult?• What new skills have you learned?• What could you improve next time?

Main purpose of lessons?

• Variations of: Help with our study skills• Learn to use/do a Powerpoint presentation• Some pupils didn’t respond to this question

“To help us learn more on 1 pacific topic”

www.nasadaacs.eos.nasa.gov/articles/images/2005_grav

What did you enjoy?

• Making a Powerpoint presentation• Using computers• Giving the presentation

“Everything”

What was difficult?

• Variations of : finding information• Making the presentation

“Nothing”

New skills learned?

• Powerpoint• Skimming & scanning

“I have learned that using the Library can be fun”

What could you do better next time

to improve your research?

• Find more information• Take better notes• Nothing

“I don’t think I could”

2nd Year course content

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria included inbooklet and discussed at beginning of each period.

• Misinformation and disinformation• Searching the internet (Google)• URLs and domain names• Evaluating websites• Compiling a resource list for a specific

topic

2nd Year EvaluationInformation Skills Course

• Main purpose of lessons?• What did you enjoy?• What did you find difficult?• What new skills have you learned?• What could you improve next time?

Main purpose of lessons?

• To learn skills for the Internet• To recognise different types of

information

“Internet safety”

What did you enjoy?

• Using PCs• Using the Internet• Lesson on visual literacy

“Learning how to use the Internet right”

What was difficult?

• Nothing • Finding answers on the Internet

“All the questions”

New skills learned?

• Variations of: Using Google properly • Recognising different types of

websites• Using the Internet

“You shouldn’t believe everything on the Internet”

What could you do better next time to improve your work?

• Nothing • Work harder • Listen more carefully

“Be there more often to learn more things “

1st Year Biography Project

IN CLASS• Reading for information• Note-takingIN LIBRARY• Research using a variety of resourcesIN CLASS• Production of booklet• Talk

Biographies

Biographies

Neil Armstrong

Possible content for 6th Year course

• Basic library skills• Internet skills• Copyright and plagiarism• Study techniques & time

management• Information sources and resources• Visit to university library

Staff survey questions - Internet

• Do you teach pupils search strategies?• Do you teach pupils to evaluate websites?• Do you teach pupils about plagiarism &

copyright?• Do you teach pupils to cite resources

properly?• Do you make pupils aware about currency of

information?• Do you make pupils aware about bias/wrong

information?

Staff survey questions – other skills

• Do you teach reading skills?• Do you teach note-taking skills?• Do you teach pupils about plagiarism

with regard to printed sources?

Why not?“I assume pupils have these skills

already”“Not part of our curriculum”

“No time”

6th Year course – next steps

• Pupil survey – June• Discussions with management - June• Lessons written – July • Pilot begins - September

Work in progress

• 1st Year course - needs more time (8 periods )

• 2nd Year course - some changes needed• 1st Year Biography project - to be updated• 3rd/4th Year course – lots of thought

required!

Thank you

Questions

School website: www.ardacad.co.uk