University of Manitoba Libraries
All Staff Meeting - September 16, 2020

Learning & Instruction Support Team
Kyle Feenstra
Sarah Clark

Student Engagement
& Remote Learning Resources

• How remote learning affects student engagement
• How the Libraries are addressing student & faculty resource needs this semester
• Open discussion

What we will talk about today...

Learning as a social experience.

• Students construct knowledge and understanding from their social, cultural, historical context.
• Experiences with environment and relationships are critical factors for learning & development. (Vygotsky)

Remote learning may alter or limit the relational and environmental experiences of students.

Self-Efficacy and Learning

Contributions to self-efficacy:

• Prior success undertaking tasks in specific environments or contexts.
• Observing behaviour/modelling from peers and instructors
• Positive emotional states (i.e. low stress)
• Verbal encouragement from trusted relations
  (Bandura - Social Cognitive Theory)

Self-efficacy for constructing new knowledge or successfully completing new tasks is more likely in an environment that provides effective modelling and emotional support from trusted peers, instructors, etc. 

Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The learner believes they have the ability to successfully accomplish a task or goal. 

Learning & Engagement

Student Perspectives...

• Degree of choice / autonomy, participatory learning
• Trust relationships with peers, instructors, staff
• Supportive networks, communication, sense of belonging / community
• Appropriate level of academic challenge (Bryson, 2014.)

Potential barriers to engagement...

• Over emphasis on academic performance and employability as personal value,
• Use of disciplinary power
  (i.e. assessment practices that punish, focus on student failures).
• Estrangement from the learning environment. (in Bryson, 2014.)

Learning & Engagement

Barriers potentially exaggerated as a result of remote learning...

• Unequal access, distribution and familiarity with communication technology
• Technology failures disrupting learning & affecting student confidence
• Differences in prior learning experiences
• Home learning environment not conducive to learning
• Limited access to supportive community, peers, instructors, student supports 
• Lack of familiarity with post-secondary education environment & expectations
• Instructor pedagogy (i.e. degree of participatory learning possible)
• Additional stresses related to pandemic 

How Can the Libraries Support Learning & Engagement?

How do we become part of a student's supportive network?

• Facilitate clear communication and trust relationships with students
• Provide opportunities for participatory learning whenever possible.
• Create learning environments & resources that students can easily navigate and develop a sense a familiarity with.
  • Physical spaces 
  • Online spaces - Ask Us, Primo, Subject Guides, Learn at the Libraries, etc. 
• Reduce policies and practices that students perceive to be unnecessarily punitive.
  (Bryson, 2014.)

UM Student Resources

Fall 2020 Orientation

• UM Commons
  • UM Essentials
  • Prep Week

Subject Librarian Support for University 1

Background:

• Connected to ARTS 1110
  • Multiple sections; held each term
  • ~ 400 students (Fall)

​​Key Support Includes:

• U1 Subject Guide
• Direct contact for questions (email)

Academic Integrity Support

Cite Right Program

• Librarian/student consult via Ask Us
• Assignment specific (due date)
• Topics typically involve searching/citing
• Program led by Academic Learning Centre (writing tutors)

Post-Discipline Support Program

• More formal process
• Booked in advance (direct AI referral)
• Report required from librarian
• Topics/appointment time can vary greatly from one student to the next 

Discipline Authority

Academic Integrity Coordinator

Educator

Confirmation

Workshops Information

• All Fall/Winter sessions will take place in GoToWebinar
• Higher level audience (grad students, instructors, researchers)
• Two series:
  • Researcher Workshops
  • GradSteps
• Various topics/themes (library overview, searching, citing, publishing, working with data, etc...)
• Registration required for all sessions
  • UML homepage > "Researcher..."

Questions

Sarah Clark
Learning & Instruction Support Librarian
sarah.clark@umanitoba.ca

Kyle Feenstra
Coordinator, Learning & Instruction Support
kyle.feenstra@umanitoba.ca

• Do you feel students' questions have changed compared to previous years? If so, how?

• Are there any creative responses to the challenges of online learning you have tried or heard about from students, faculty or colleagues?

• Do you have any questions for us?   

References

• Alt, D. (2015). Assessing the contribution of a constructivist learning environment to academic self-efficacy in higher education. Learning Environments Research, 18(1), 47–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-015-9174-5

• Au, W. (2018). A Marxist education: Learning to change the world. Haymarket Books.

• Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215.
• Bryson, C. (2014). Understanding and developing student engagement. Routledge.

• Harry. Daniels. (2001). Vygotsky and pedagogy. Routledge/Falmer.

• Schunk, D. H. (1984). Self-Efficacy and Classroom Learning. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED247254