Is library induction “Pointless”? A quiz based approach to motivate

students and make induction memorable

Julie MoodyInformation SpecialistPlymouth University

Outline

• Background & Rationale• Working group – collaboration• Practical demo• Evaluation - Benefits and Pitfalls • Future developments • Questions?

Library Induction

• The first meeting with the new undergraduate student groups during the Welcome Week.

• Large groups in lecture theatres

• Information overload • Challenging to make it

effective and memorable

Student Voice -Our own student survey and research

“would have been useful if every course got an induction at the library during freshers’ week”“when teaching they need to make it more interactive and fun as it was easy to get distracted and switch off which means very little goes in”

“too much information given in one session isn’t helpful when you first start university”

“Much of the information was given to students in the first week, with A LOT of other information”

Way forward?

Wanted something that is not boring to deliver or listen to; something to grab attention

“The unexpected is a great way to bring humor into the classroom. The unexpected plays off the element of surprise, which is really what comedy is all about. It works because it startles or shocks the students to attention. It can also be a good way of challenging the stereotype of the librarian as a

passive, calm, mild-mannered individual” (Trefts and Blakeslee, 2000, p.375)

Memorable

• Primary aim – do something unexpected• Break the ice

Pointless

With these aims in mind, we developed a “Pointless” style quiz, based on the show broadcast on BBC1. Teams would compete to answer library and IT questions with the aim being to find that all important Pointless answer that none of the 100 people questioned beforehand knew.

Industrial model

• Pointless = part of face-to-face session• 4 strands (course ready)– Face to face welcome– Online tutorials – Drop in support – Library Bite Size sessions (Lost in the library? Get

that book!)

Practical demo

• Let’s play Pointless!

• 3-4 Teams (1 spokesperson to give response)

Evaluation – Information Specialists

• Initial worry (sleepless nights)• Some sceptical that it would work • Worked as a team – exchanging good practice

as we went along • Generally all had fun running the sessions • Depended a little on the group dynamics

Evaluation –students

Student Views

Future plans

• Manage expectations of students - the welcome talk is only the start. Other opportunities to learn the basics

• Improve balance between fun and information in the welcome talk- provide key information and use Pointless to reinforce

• Improve collaboration with personal tutors – engagement with follow-up activities, tracking

Any questions?

References

• Trefts, K. and Blakeslee, S. (2000) ‘Did you hear the one about the Boolean operators? Incorporating comedy into library instruction’ Reference Services Review, 28 (4), pp. 369-377 [online] http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00907320010359731 (Accessed: 3/01/2014)