Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning

Evaluation and conclusion
Creating a Library area was a relatively straightforward task to
undertake; however, to date, its use by academic staff in online courses
at the LSE has been minimal. The support and training required to set up
and build a customised Library area was significant. More formal
training will commence in October 2004 and it is hoped that the library
area will develop to a greater extent after this date.
Case study 4: Information literacy and the
VLE at Imperial College, London
This final case study describes the development of an information
literacy course delivered via the VLE at Imperial College, London.
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Chapter 3 described how information literacy education (or information
skills) is one of the most important areas in which librarians can become
involved in e-learning initiatives. Many libraries have seen the VLE as a
valuable vehicle for information literacy teaching, either by establishing
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separate online courses or by preparing materials that can be embedded
into other courses. This case study shows how information literacy
education can be delivered using a VLE and embedded into the
curriculum. By using e-learning, students are able to study at a time and
place convenient to them. All too often students complain that library
induction, database classes and other information literacy skills are
delivered at the wrong time in the wrong way. This case study shows that
by using the VLE to deliver this type of education, many of these
problems will be resolved.
Introduction and background
The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine was
established in 1907 as an independent constituent part of the University
of London.
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It is based in London’s scientific and cultural heart, South
Kensington, and was formed from the merger of the Royal College of
Science, the City and Guilds College and the Royal School of Mines.
Many famous scientists and engineers are associated with the College
such as Sir Alexander Fleming and Sir Ernst Chain, discoverers of
penicillin. The College has merged with numerous medical and scientific
institutions and has campuses as far away as Wye College, based in Kent.
Imperial College’s mission is to deliver
… world class scholarship, education and research in science,
engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application
in industry, commerce and healthcare.
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The College has five faculties, including Engineering, Life Sciences,
Humanities and Business, Medicine and Physical Sciences. In 2003 the
College had approximately 10,000 full-time students, three-quarters of
whom were undergraduates. Approximately 20 per cent of students
come from outside the UK or EU and 70 per cent of the student body are
men. Imperial College London Library consists of a central library
largely responsible for supporting undergraduates. There are also eight
departmental research libraries on the South Kensington campus and
seven other campus libraries. In 2003 Imperial adopted WebCT as their
institutional VLE and since this date library staff have been keen to
investigate ways in which library resources can be integrated.
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Case studies and practical examples
The incorporation of an online course into subject
teaching
The case study is based on work undertaken through a collaboration of
librarians, academics and information technologists from Imperial
College, London. They developed an information literacy course for
undergraduate engineering students using WebCT, known as Olivia – the
OnLine virtual information assistant (see Figure 6.5).
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The project
started in April 2003 when an academic approached the Library with a
proposal for an information literacy course for first-year undergraduate
students in engineering. Discussions with the course manager started in
July 2003, who wanted the course to be a blend of lectures, group work
and ‘hands on’. The decision was made to use WebCT to support the
programme as it could be used to enhance classroom teaching as well as
by students independently through self-paced learning. The programme
was never seen as a replacement for teaching face-to-face classes.
Moreover, the WebCT course was not designed to be an ‘add on’ to the
course, but to be incorporated into the subject teaching. The
development team worked to a tight deadline as the project needed to be
completed by October 2003.
At the same time, library staff at Imperial had started work on an
information literacy strategy, which they wanted to be cohesive and
integrated into the curriculum. The staff used work such as the SCONUL
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Figure 6.5
Opening screen of Olivia: OnLine virtual information 
assistant

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Electronic Resources in the Virtual Learning Environment
seven pillars, the Australian and American standards and the results
from the Big Blue Project (discussed in more detail in Chapter 3). The
group were seeking a pedagogically sound, linear, information literacy
teaching programme, delivered by competent information professionals
which is assessed, embedded in the curriculum and consistently delivered
throughout the college.