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SPACER SPACER SPACER |
SCOPE Project Lecturer's Report:
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The first use of an electronic reader was a relatively painless experience from my point of view as coordinator of unit 4711.
There were one or two problems with the copyright clearance, but we were able to find substitutes easily, and the last minute rush of previous years did not happen. This may reflect the smaller number of items in the electronic reader.
The decision was made to introduce students to SCOPE using a leaflet, which was given out in their pack of course materials, with the reading list , the handbook and so on. This decision was made in consultation with the Library, which concluded that there was not time to offer specific training, especially for students faced with many other induction events at the start of their first semester. I received no complaints about the leaflet - it seems to have been effective for those who wanted to use it.
According to our feedback, very few students used the electronic reader (about 12 per cent of those attending the last session of the unit). Most of those who did so, however, found it useful. One reason for low use may have been the availability of printed readers: 62 of these were bought by those attending the last session of the unit. This translates into a figure of 28 per cent of students buying one or more printed readers. The printed readers therefore appear to have been more popular than the electronic reader. However, it is important to note that the readers were alternatives: none was compulsory, and students were given a wide choice of reading. Thus, 28 per cent of the class used three printed readers, and 12 per cent used one electronic reader: looked at this way, the electronic reader appears more popular. I would not like to draw firm conclusions from these small figures, but they appear to indicate that electronic readers have some appeal.
In our feedback, we asked about students' familiarity with and use of IT. 91 per cent of them were using the library catalogue regularly or occasionally, 66 per cent were using student e-mail, 54 per cent were using word processing, 67 per cent were using the Internet, 36 per cent were using library databases (Sociofile etc), and 15 per cent were using spreadsheets. These figures suggest that the computer literacy of students was not an obstacle to the use of the electronic reader.
In general, the feedback on the unit was very good, with 83 per cent having enjoyed it, 99 per cent finding the lectures fulfilled their purpose, 81 per cent having found the workshop groups fulfilled their purpose, and 72 per cent having enjoyed the workshops.