exploring student engagement with mobile technologies at a regional university
DESCRIPTION
Presentation delivered to m-libraries international conference, Brisbane 2011, by Charles Darwin University Library - "Exploring student engagement with mobile technologies at a regional university"TRANSCRIPT
Department Name00 Month 2010
Exploring student engagement with mobile technologies at a remote and regional university
Julie Cartwright, Sally Cummings, Bernadette Royal, Michelle Turner and JoAnne Witt
Where is CDU?
Photo credits: http://www.australia.com/destinations/states/nt.aspxhttp://amazingaustralia.com.auand Flickr-Creative Commons
Charles Darwin University LibraryCasuarina Campus
Challenges of Supporting Internal and External Students
Photo credits: http://www.eightacresofeden.com/2009/12/lighting-for-teenagers-deskstudy.html
Group Mascots
Online
On campusOn campus no phone
Online no phone
Orientation For All
Photo credits: Steve Boak (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jalbarragup_artworks/), Grant Williamson (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gjw/) and Sam Fraser-Smith (http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfrasersmith/). Cartoonified using BeFunky.
Thank you for the generous sponsorship of the CDU Library Treasure Hunt.
Enticements
Online StudentsLiaison Librarian Page Referencing Lib Guide
On Campus No Phone Posters
On Campus No PhonePosters
On Campus No PhonePostcard .
On Campus with Phone.
Posters
On Campus with PhonesPostcards
i-nigma
PercentMobile
Quickmark QR code reader for PC
Blabberize
Free Tools We Used
Lone Ranger or Social ?
Keeping it silly
Promote! Promote!
Promoting QR Codes
Linking the Physical to the Virtual
Note: The accompanying video is embedded in the following slide
Serious Art of Having Fun
Note: The accompanying video is embedded in the following slide
Collecting the Stats
Built in from the beginning!
• Treasure Hunt entries• Different phrases used to indicate
modes of entry• Treasure Hunt LibGuide stats• Bit.ly stats for URLs and QR codes• Feedback survey• Observations of mobile use in library
Differentiating Entry Modes
Four different phrases used to indicate modes of entry
• On campus, with phone(Achieve great results, live your dream use CDU library )
• On campus, no phone(Improve your marks by using the library resources)
• Online, with phone(Now you know your library)
• Online, no phone(Use CDU library to improve your results)
Treasure Hunt Entries
70 on campus (31%)
8 / 70 (11.4%)
used QR codes
223 entries
Comment: “A great way to familiarise my way around the CDU library site. Great fun too, a break from study!”
153 online (69%)
15 / 153 (9.8%)
used QR codes
Treasure Hunt Libguide
1205 visits in Feb & March
203 visits to the About QR codes tab
Bit.ly Stats for URLs and QR Codes
Note: The accompanying video is embedded in the following slide
Bit.ly Stats for URLs and QR Codes
Feedback Survey
Voluntary, no prizes offered
7 questions
How did Students Hear about the Treasure Hunt?
What did They Think of it?
Do Students Own Smartphones?
What is Their Experience with QR Codes?
Are Students Interested in Accessing Library Services via Mobile Devices?
What Worked
• Comprehensive planning, walk-throughs, building in evaluation measures
• Working with lecturers to bring student groups through or embed treasure hunt into information literacy classes
• LibGuide provided education role (learning about QR codes) as well as starting point of activity
• Incorporating multimedia where appropriate (eg. videos)
• Scheduled session times in the library had low uptake
• Difficult to reach students through CDU emails, both for promotion and contacting winners
• Promotion on-campus and online was difficult to do effectively
• On-campus students had less opportunity to learn about QR codes beforehand
What Didn’t Work(or could be improved)
What We Learnt
• Students motivated by fun as much as (if not more than) prizes
• 10% of participants used QR codes• Online activities had greater uptake than
on-campus activities• CDU librarians were upskilled in the use
of QR codes and mobile technology
Plans for QR Codes at CDU
Aim for high impact low cost. Don’t overinvest.
Linking physical spaces or items directly to associated electronic resources.
room tut
orials
resources room)
Distance services tut
orials
Borrowing tut
orials
(catalogue PC’s)
Short Term
Loan
(STL
Area)
and others
Help
Tutorials – Ask Us and Liaison Librarians
QR code links to video/text/images
instructions on how to print
Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 38
QR Code links to tutorial on how to add money to card using card machine and eftpos facility
QR code links to video/text/images of Library news, sites
and events
LCD screen in CDU Library foyer.
QR code copies call number to mobile
device/maps physical
location/more info
Wrap UpHow do we identify what aspects to adopt and promote?
Observations indicated high level of clients using mobile devices within the library. CDU Library policy will ensure mobile compatibility is considered in all future system and content purchasesStatistics collected indicate fun, instructional video clips worthy of adopting &promotingCDU Library QR Codes can be used in any promotional arena/campus wide/Territory wide
Are they worthy of our time and budget?
Yes, increasing library profile to external & internal clients through the use of free software tools such as Animoto & Blabberize clearly demonstrated high level of student engagement.
How to overcome difficulties for smaller Libraries who may lack staffing, expertise and resources?
We addressed these difficulties by sourcing freeware, self taught play time, drawing upon existing knowledge from within the team and the common goal of providing a fun learning experience for everyone involved.