Engaging students with a reading list: an exploration of student perceptions, expectations and use of reading listsPeter Gledhill & Alison Lahlafi

Today's session

Student engagement with reading lists?

• literature review - key themes

• student focus group feedback (53 students, all faculties)

• potential impact of Resource Lists Online

• best practice for resource lists at SHU

"Never enough books in the library: people don't return them and forfeit paying the fine" "futility of multiple copy provision" (Chelin, 2005 p 49)

If essential reading consider access

• digitised chapters/articles• alternative formats• key text for smaller cohorts• recommend for purchase• develop students' information skills

how reading lists can "spoon-feed" or encourage information skills / autonomy (Stokes & Martin, 2008 p 114)

without guidance an online list "may inhibit .... resource discovery" (Stokes & Martin, 2008 p 114)

"means-end instrumentalism" focussing on a "minimalist approach to use of a limited number of sources"

(Stokes & Martin, 2008, p124)

How do you choose which resources on your reading list to read?

• essential / core texts - most popular answer• core recommended text, don't look at the suggested wider reading• authors I know and like - some are easier to read than others• what I can get hold of• read everything• most recent materials• will do enough reading to get through the assignment and don't tend to go

beyond the reading list• browse at shelves

decode the reading list Carroll, 2002, p2)

differentiated reading lists (...) I read every article [on the list] with my dictionary. It was terrible. (HEA website

)

"It's like a whole new world!" Resource lists online - potential impact

• Improve resource provision• Simultaneous, simplified access to resources• Engage students with alternative formats• All recommended resources accessible in

one place• Academic ownership - fast updating

The good, the bad and the ugly...

5 minute group activity

Consider the resource list you have been given from a student's perspective

1. What makes it a good / bad / ugly list?

2. Could any elements be changed to help further engage the student with their reading / learning resources?

References

• CARROLL, J. (2002) Suggestions for teaching international students more effectively. [online] Last accessed 4th June 2013 at: http://145.33.5.5/NR/rdonlyres/8168C349-8698-4844-8BEB-4B59EAA4C0E9/0/JCarroll2002guidelinesforteachinginternational_students.pdf

• CHELIN, J. (2005) Five hundred into 4 won't go: how to solve the problem of reading list expectations. SCONUL Focus, 36, 49-51.

• HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY (2013). Reading and note making. [online] Last accessed 4th June 2013 at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/internationalisation/ISL_Reading_Note_Making

• STOKES, P. and MARTIN, M. (2008) Reading lists: a study of tutor and student perceptions, expectations and realities. Studies in Higher Education, 33 (2), 113-125.

What else do students say? What do students want and expect?

• "the only reading list is at the end of lectures, a couple of book chapters or journal articles, I'd much rather have a reading list for all my modules, some are massive subjects and I don't know what books to read (...) it's time consuming to go back and find it in lecture slides"

• "if they (lecturers) are constantly updating the reading list, you know you are reading the right things"

• " I really like the resource lists, only one of my lecturers uses them (name removed), and they are so useful when doing assignments as they save me a lot of time searching for relevant sources. I think lecturers should all be consistent in using them as its unfair when some lecturers do it and others don't bother. "

• "I have found reading lists to be very useful, but in the main I have only ever found books listed. Websites, documents and even TV programs would be very useful to be included."

• "would be extremely helpful if I was given this information before I started the year"