Gone are the days when students are required to go to the library's website to access library resources. By embedding library resources and/or a Library Research Coach into your Koala Connection course shell, we can now be where they are!
How does this help...?
Click here to view Sarah Hood's LIBRIS 2011 Power Point presentation on Embedding in the Academic Library. Click here to view the accompanying handout in PDF format.
How This Helps Students
- Provides point-of-entry for library resources and services (books, new books, databases, trial databases, Pascal Delivers)
- Provides personalized, customized, and seamless instructional support
- Provides point-of-need instruction
- Provides more learning opportunities than a typical "one shot" library visit
- Provides follow-up for library-based information literacy instruction
- Provides point-of-need opportunity to contact a librarian
- Librarians can refer students to other campus and community services
- Establishes relationships with librarians that can continue throughout their academic career
How This Helps Faculty Top of Page
- Helps steer students to library resources and services, and can help guide appropriate web use
- Provides library support and instruction without necessarily providing class time
- Can take advantage of library research aids prepared for similar classes
- Provides follow-up instruction for earlier library research instruction
- Provides point-of-need instruction for students
- Helps librarians understand course needs better
- -- Can suggest most appropriate resources to students
- -- Can identify resource strengths and needs that library may have
- Research instruction can support goals and learning outcomes of courses
- Expands faculty use of Koala Connection
- Students may pay more attention to library resources and services that are part of the course shell
- Can embed persistent links to course readings
- Can provide research instruction for hybrid and online courses
How This Helps The College Top of Page
- Provides more personal support to students
- Allows for students and librarians to get to know one another better
- Encourages use of library resources and services that the College purchases
- Librarians can refer students to other campus services and other community resources
- Helps maximize use of Koala Connection
- Incorporates best practice. Many other colleges are adding this to the list of services they provide
- Uses library staff to support the Mission and initiatives of the College, such as achieving General Education objectives
- Helps the librarians to better understand the needs of students and faculty
- Can provide research instruction for hybrid and online courses
How This Helps The Librarians Top of Page
- Helps the librarians understand course and curriculum needs better
- -- Have access to syllabus and assignments
- -- May read (or participate in or initiate) announcements and threaded discussions, if faculty member chooses
- -- May have opportunities to assess student learning
- Librarians go to where the students are
- Librarians get to know students and may develop relationships that continue over time
- Provides multiple ways to achieve information literacy goals
- Helps librarians see what new services they should develop
- Expands the information literacy program, and provides "scaffolding" for information literacy across academic programs
Levels of Embedding Top of Page
- the library
- online reference (Meebo)
- handouts that the librarian may have supplied to your class in a research instruction class
- generic instructional resources, such as a handout on evaluating web sites or a library tutorial
- persistent links to some course readings
- helpful/new books
- best databases
- database trials
- tips and discoveries from other librarians, faculty, and students
- course specific instructional resources and aids
- follow-up to any research instruction sessions conducted in the library or classroom; point-of-need instruction
- librarian can participate in online course discussions
- librarian can see/comment on bibliographies and source lists submitted by students
- there may be possibilities for assessment of information literacy skills
- other privileges that you allow
How to Add a Role in Koala Connection Top of Page
In order for us to embed resources into your KC course shell, the librarian(s) must first be given the necessary Permissions to do so. This is done by adding a Role into the course shell. This can be accomplished two ways:
- As the Instructor, you may complete the steps below
- OR...The librarians will be happy to complete these steps for you
However, we would need to meet briefly in order for you to log in to KC and access your course shell. At that point, we will be happy to complete the process, after which time we would make sure to log you out. It has been our experience that this is most conveniently done during a library instruction session.
(For these same directions, including SCREEN SHOTS, click here.)
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1. Log in to Koala Connection and access your course
- Main Page: This box must be check-marked, as it grants us the ability to add content to the Research Coach portlet.
- Syllabus: This is vital, as it provides the Research Coach with helpful assignment-related information, such as assignment description, required type and number of sources and due dates.
- Collaboration: This is also helpful in that we can: 1. email the class should any additional research resources come to light; 2. participate in a forum discussion if you would like us to.
- Course Information: This can be very helpful, as it will provide the Research Coach with information regarding your course.
2. Click the CONTEXT MANAGER link (left side, under the listing of pages)
3. Click PERMISSIONS
4. Click the blue ADD A ROLE MANAGER link (left side). Name this role Research Coach.
5. Click the blue ADD INDIVIDUAL USERS link (a small box will open)
6. Search for the librarians (Jane Tuttle, Sandy Leach and/or Sarah Hood); as you find them, click their name(s), then click the ADD button. When you are done adding users, click OK. This small window will close. (Note: If you have NOT yet scheduled a Library Instruction session, you may want to select all 3 of us; if you have scheduled a session and know who will be teaching it, you may select that individual librarian.)
7. Click SAVE (the window will refresh and you will see the role listed with no permissions boxes checked)
8. Check-mark the pages you want the Research Coach to be able to edit and click SAVE.
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Please check-mark the following 4 boxes:
9. Scroll to the bottom and click EXIT.
10. On the Main page click Edit Page in the top right corner.
11. Click the Content tab (second tab over).
12. Click Add a Portlet (blue hyperlink at the bottom).
13. From the list, check-mark Custom Content. When you select Custom Content, the word changes to a field where you can type. Type Research Coach.
14. Scroll to the bottom and click Add Portlets to Page; scroll to the bottom and click EXIT.
15. Find your new Research Coach portlet and click on the wrench in the top right corner of the portlet. Select the Permissions tab.
16. Check "Can Edit Custom Content."
17. Scroll to the bottom and click SAVE; scroll to the bottom and click EXIT.
18. Copy the URL in the address bar and email that URL to the Research Coach. (They'll know what to do with it.)
Are you copying a previous course in which a Research Coach was embedded? Follow these steps:
1. Log in to Koala Connection and access your course
2. Click the CONTEXT MANAGER link (left side, under the listing of pages)
3. Click PERMISSIONS
4. Click the pencil icon next to the Research Coach role.
5. Click the blue ADD INDIVIDUAL USERS link (a small box will open)
6. Search for the librarians (Jane Tuttle, Sandy Leach and/or Sarah Hood); as you find them, click their name(s), then click the ADD button. When you are done adding users, click OK. This small window will close. (Note: If you have NOT yet scheduled a Library Instruction session, you may want to select all 3 of us; if you have scheduled a session and know who will be teaching it, you may select that individual librarian.)
7. Click SAVE (the window will refresh and you will see the role listed with no permissions boxes checked)
8. Check-mark the pages you want the Research Coach to be able to edit and click SAVE.
-
Please check-mark the following 4 boxes:
- Main Page: This box must be check-marked, as it grants us the ability to add content to the Research Coach portlet.
- Syllabus: This is vital, as it provides the Research Coach with helpful assignment-related information, such as assignment description, required type and number of sources and due dates.
- Collaboration: This is also helpful in that we can: 1. email the class should any additional research resources come to light; 2. participate in a forum discussion if you would like us to.
- Course Information: This can be very helpful, as it will provide the Research Coach with information regarding your course.
9. Scroll to the bottom and click EXIT.
10. Copy the URL in the address bar and email that URL to the Research Coach. (They'll know what to do with it.)
If you get an error message that says: Name can contain letters, digits, spaces, single quote, brackets and signs - and |. Each open bracket should have a corresponding close bracket, then click on the Properties tab and remove special characters like the & sign. Then click on Save Changes, and go back to the step in your instructions and try again.
Please feel free to call us with any questions. You may contact a librarian at 803-786-3703 or the IT department at 803-786-3007.