Learning Centres in Universities

Iceland University of Education

Nordic Summer School on Information Literacy 11.06.2007

Kristín IndriðadóttirDirector of the Learning CentreIceland University of Education

References

Centred on Learning. Academic Case Studies on Learning Centre Development. Edited by Edward Oyston. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.– Collection of articles by staff members

in Learning Centres in 4 British universities examining the development of services

Changes in Higher Education

University students in Iceland

  1998 2006Change

%

Iceland University of Education 1231 2082 69,0

University of Iceland 5829 9471 62,5

Other universities 1349 5330 395,0

All university students in Iceland 8409 16883 101,0

Changes in Higher Education

• The student profile has altered as concerns age, prior learning, experience, mode of study

• Technology developments and virtual learning environments have opened up new territories

• New models of teaching/learning (greater emphasis on resource-based and independent learning approaches, distance learning)

• Official encouragement of lifelong learning

Where to meet the students

• Difficult to assume prior skills

• Many students have not mastered necessary study skills or IT-skills but have recent experience of education and study

• Older students have valuable experience but not recent experience of being a student

The needs of academic staff

• Individual needs are different, academic staff have different competence but have to meet quality standards and various new challenges – they need assistance

• The teachers’ skills in using virtual learning environments have to be developed as many of them do not have necessary IT skills

• Those who wish to take the lead in developing education need encouragement, support and facilities

Information & Learning Management systems

• More and more large and expensive information and learning management systems are used in universities

• There is a need to maximize the use and effectiveness of these systems and provide as seamless access to them as possible

How to react to the situation?

• Traditional libraries are not able to support the way that technology is increasingly embedded in student learning

• In Learning Centres a wider view of student learning support is taken and the students’ need for a safety net to support the entire learning process is acknowledged

• New technology (software, databases, email, computer-based learning materials) has led to a blurring of academic support boundaries

• The support services must have the ability to respond effectively to the needs of the academic staff

The Iceland University of Education The Learning

Centre• The Iceland University of Education (IUE) has

met the challenges through organizational convergence of academic support services

• The Learning Centre (with a staff of 21) consists of two divisions, the Library (10) and the Computer and Media Centre (10), under the administration of one director and two managers

• These two divisions support the entire learning and teaching process, research and administration

• The two divisions are situated in the same building

Iceland University of Education

Student population (2006)• Undergraduate studies 1577

– Thereof distant learners =715 = 45%

• Postgraduate studies 505 – Thereof distant learners = 505 = 100%

Total student number 2082 (women 82,4%)

– Thereof distant learners =1310 = 62,9%

• New students 2006 635• Graduates 2006 662

Iceland University of Education

Staff (2006)• Professors 18• Associate Professors 21• Assistant Professors 66• Adjunkt Lecturers 40

(28,2 posts)• Other staff 66 (61,9)

– Total 211 (194,5)

The Iceland Univ. of Education

Campus - Computer facilities• Four different places in Reykjavík

(269 / 92 / 15 / 6 workstations)• Physical Education is taught at

Laugarvatn, 90 km to the south from Reykjavík; small library branch with 0,5 staff (47 workstations)– Total = 400+ computer workstations– 1000+ = students laptops connected to

the wireless network

Information Literacy – Involvement in planning

• The aim of enabling students to be competent users of information is central to the learning approach

• Not many students arrive in Higher Education with these skills

• Information literacy develops over a period of time and the input must be at an appropriate pace

• Close contact with teachers, team working, use of LMs

• Easier for converged services than a library to involve in planning?

The future challenge for the LC of IUE

• There will still be an increasing pace of change

• The merging process of IUE and UI will be a great challenge

• The UI aims to become one of the 100 best universities in the world

• The policy of UI is to increase academic support services

Thank you for listening!

Welcome to

The Learning Centre

of The Iceland University of Education