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New Students: Welcome to Library and Learning Services
Hello and a massive welcome to all our new students, we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you all. Welcome back to all returning students too. We are the Student Engagement team and we are here to provide support with all aspects of academic skills. Although this year may feel a little different please be reassured that we are here to support you!
Induction
Head over to the Learning and Support Services Induction pages to find out more information about who lives in Catalyst, what they do and how they can support you. There’s an interactive induction toolkit that you can work through at your own pace, which will introduce you to Library and Learning Services, Student Services and Careers, or you can even watch an induction video if you prefer.
Uniskills
The best place to find out more about how we can support you is to head over to the UniSkills web pages where there’s a vast wealth of information around academic writing and research skills. Here you’ll find our interactive online UniSkills Toolkits which contain loads of tips and tricks to help you with assignment planning, critical thinking, punctuation, proofreading and much more. There’s also some handy guides and videos too!
We’ve also put on some some ‘Getting Started With Uniskills’ sessions especially for new students. They’ll help you log in, explore the Blackboard Institution homepage, show you how to find academic information for your university assignments and give you an overview of the UniSkills support available – all the essentials to ensure you’re ready for the start of your course. There’ll even be a prize drawer for a £25 Amazon voucher simply for attending the session so book your place now!
You can also check out what Uniskills Webinars we have on offer throughout the year or if you require more specific support you can also book a 1-2-1 virtual appointment with an Academic Skills Advisor who can work with you on a piece of work or research.
Finding Your Resources
Once you start your tutor will provide with your reading list and I’m sure many of you will be keen to get started! To find your resources the Library Catalogue is a great place to start. From here you can access your Reading List online and, by clicking on the book titles, you can jump straight through to the catalogue where you will find details on the items location and availability.
You can collect items directly from the shelves and check them out on the self-issue machines located around the building or you can currently reserve items straight from the shelves using our temporary ‘Click and Collect’ service. All you need to do to use this service is place a reservation on the book you want, we’ll grab if from the shelves for you and let you know when it’s ready to collect.
As an Edge Hill student you also have access to thousands of high quality academic e-resources which are particularly useful whilst on placement as they can all be accessed off campus. The Subject Resource web pages contain all the relevant journals and databases for your course or you can browse the e-resource collections using the Discover More search tool. You also find links to newspaper collections and useful websites relevant to your course.
And, if there is ever a book or journal article that we don’t have in our collection you can ask us add a copy by using the You Want It, We Get it service. Just fill in the details on the form and we’ll do our best to get it in for you – how cool is that?
Further Help and Support
If you have any general enquiries about resources for your study, IT related enquiries or academic skills support you can contact the Catalyst Helpdesk Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm and Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 6pm.
We wish you all the best for this coming academic year and look forward to supporting you soon!
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Upcoming Staff Development Sessions
As we approach the start of the new term, we understand that this year the transition to a blended learning model may feel a little different. In response to staff needs and developments in delivery styles and technology, we have scheduled some new and exciting sessions to support you and your students.
These sessions, delivered by the LTD Team, aim to enhance your digital skills and empower your learning and teaching.
Take a look at the below scheduled sessions. More information can be found on the Getting Digital Ready wiki page and booked via the [email protected] email address.
Scheduled Sessions
- Microsoft Teams (Part 1) – Thursday 15th October (1pm-2pm)
- Microsoft Teams (Part 2) – Friday 16th October (11am-12pm)
- How to Deliver Engaging and Creative Presentations Online *New* – Tuesday 27th October (12pm-1pm)
- Using Padlet to Facilitate Discussion and Interaction with Students *New* – Thursday 29th October (12pm-1pm)
- Digital Tools to Facilitate a Flipped Classroom – Wednesday 21st October (1pm-2pm)
- Learn how to ‘Beautify’ your Blackboard *New* – Thursday 24th September (11am-12pm) and Friday 25th September (1pm-2pm )
- Making Documents Accessible – Thursday 24th September (1pm-2pm) and Tuesday 20th October (11am-12pm)
- Achievements within the Blackboard, planning, implementing and monitoring *New* – Thursday 1st October (12:30pm-13:30pm)
- Portfolio tools in Learning Edge: Using Journals and Blackboard Portfolios *New* – Wednesday 21st October (1pm-2pm)
- Getting Started with Panopto – Basic Setup *New* – Thursday 1st October (11am-12pm) and Friday 2nd October (11am-12pm)
Session Spotlight
Using Microsoft Teams with Students (Part 3) *New*
Due to the demand and popularity of Microsoft Teams, this session will specifically consider how to use Microsoft Teams with students, including:
- how to schedule and deliver online sessions
- how to share your screen and audio
- how to use the whiteboard function
- how to boost interaction with the ‘Chat’ feature
- how to set up private channels for group work/individual discussion
- how to use breakout rooms (coming end of September)
This session will also be an opportunity to share best practice and generate ideas.
Thursday 8th October (11am-12pm)
Using Blackboard Collaborate with Students *New*
This session will cover the basics of using Blackboard Collaborate for teaching and learning. Staff will learn how to setup a session within a module and be introduced to the Collaborate interface. At the end of the session academics will have a good understanding of the set-up procedure, options for joining a session, managing participants and be familiar with the Collaborate room interface and tools for sharing content.
Monday 19th October (12pm-1pm)
Drop Ins
Microsoft Teams – Drop In
This drop in session on Microsoft Teams will provide staff with the opportunity to come with any questions about how to use the platform, both with staff and with students. Thursday 22nd October (12pm-2pm)
Blackboard Ultra Navigation Drop-In Session for Academics
Are you unsure about how the new Blackboard home page works? We’ll be here to answer your questions. Friday 25th September (1pm-2pm)
For more information visit the Getting Digital Ready wiki page, which is part of the collaborative My Staff Development offer.
All sessions can be booked via the [email protected] email address. Sessions will take place via Microsoft Teams or Blackboard Collaborate – full details/instructions will be provided.
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How to prepare for the start of a new term with UniSkills
The first of September means many things – new beginnings, goodbye summer and perhaps even a fresh academic diary. While our brilliant PGCE students have already joined us, we know there are a few of you still sat at home wondering how best you might pass the time until your own course kickstarts. From keeping up your motivation to getting your proverbial academic skills ducks lined up, here are our top 3 tips for staying ahead:
Read up!
Not only can reading for pleasure be wonderfully relaxing, it can also improve your writing skills (Whitten et al., 2019). Think of it as an almost blissfully passive osmosis of new vocabulary and well-modelled sentence structures. Simply find something that piques your interest and your favourite chair to enjoy both wellbeing and brain-boosting benefits. Or, for those ready to delve back into their subject area, reignite your curiosity with your course reading list, ask your tutor for recommendations, or follow your nose in the depths of Discover More.
Past feedback is your friend
We understand that looking at old assignments can make you wince, conjuring up memories of late nights and even anxiety to get them finished to the best of your ability. However they are also usually bursting with useful pointers for the next time you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard!). We recommend seeing if you can pick out just 3 aspects to focus on, which might be – for example – referencing, sentence structure, and paragraphing. If you’re unsure exactly how to improve these skills, getting in touch with our team for a 1-2-1 appointment or joining us for a UniSkills webinar is a good place to start.
Hone your skills, or learn something new
The lull before term starts is also a great opportunity to brush up on any other skills which may be useful for your personal, academic or professional development. LinkedIn Learning is a fantastic resource for exploring what the digital world can offer, while the internet in general is jam-packed with organisation apps and note taking techniques. Now may also be the ideal time to check out the wealth of resources on our UniSkills web pages, which include handy guides for topics such as proofreading and presenting with impact.
We hope this has left you energised and inspired to make the most of the next few weeks, remembering too that rest and relaxation is equally important. In the meantime if you have any doubts or questions in relation to your academic skills before, or during next term, the Student Engagement Team is here and happy to support you.
WHITTEN, C., LABBY, S. and SULLIVAN, S., 2019. The impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success. Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research. 2 (1).
