Your Name and Title: Gabrielle Hayes ( Librarian)

Library, School, or Organization Name: Queensland University of Technology Library

Co-Presenter Name(s): Kate Derrington (Academic Skills Adviser)

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Australia

Language in Which You Will Present:English

Target Audience(s): Academic Librarians and other Library staff involved with student learning support.

Short Session Description (one line): This session will talk about QUT Library's expansion into one-on-one Learning support: Staff and Student fears, perceptions and experiences.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

This presentation discusses QUT Library’s Study Solutions - a new Library service introduced as a middle tier of individual learning and study support. Staffed by librarians and academic skills advisors (ASAs), it complements existing services provided by librarians at Library helpdesks (tier 1) and specialist services provided by academic skills advisers (tier 3). Study Solutions allows students 25 minute appointments with a Library professional to work together on issues such as task analysis, assignment structure or research and referencing concerns. In addition to providing a brief profile of the service, it will outline aspects of the service that distinguish Study Solutions from other models of one-to-one learning support.

The presentation reports on two studies resulting from the pilot introduced in Semester 1 2010. Firstly, it reports findings from a staff perception study which investigated Library staff expectations of their role, their levels of confidence before their involvement and their confidence after the provision of training and mentoring. Perceptions of both ASAs and Librarians regarding the value of blending their professional responsibilities to provide collaborative support for students are discussed, as well their reflections on the professional challenges, benefits and points of satisfaction. Secondly, it reports findings from a student perception study conducted to determine what difference this model of individual study assistance made to academic confidence, ability to transfer academic skills and capacity to assist peers.

These two studies help build a picture of the efficacy of the Study Solutions model which aimed to expand traditional library practice by providing visible and accessible academic skills support.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: