Lindy Kimmins

Research skills development through collaborative virtual learning environments

Purpose – Studying at university today is a complex undertaking. Not only have the characteristics of the student cohort changed significantly in recent years, but the exponential growth of technological innovation has also impacted markedly on the study environment. Issues such as student transition and retention are receiving considerable attention, and the quality of learning and teaching has become an important consideration. While support for students from outside the faculty is still seen as useful, it is recognised that contextualised support facilitates deeper learning. This case study aims to focus on a virtual learning environment (VLE) designed through collaboration between the Library, Learning and Teaching Support and the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Southern Queensland.Design/methodology/approach – The implementation of the VLE followed a design‐based research methodology focusing on an iterative approach which responded to student and staff feedback. An analysis of usage...

Academic style with substance: a collaborative screencasting project to support referencing skills

Purpose – This paper seeks to report the initial phase of a cross‐institutional screencasting project designed to provide digital, multimedia support for referencing skills. Use of screencasting software, with strong educational design, has the potential to reach all learners asynchronously, regardless of mode of study, and this paper focuses on the transferability of the principles and skills in this project to other contexts and institutions.Design/methodology/approach – The referencing tutorial makes use of dual coding theory to provide an aligned visual and auditory learning experience and is discussed in reference to the current literature. The foundation of the project was collaboration between the academic libraries and lecturers in the field of academic learning skills. The pedagogical and technical design and challenges are discussed, with a view to incorporating feedback into further iterative development stages.Findings – This paper finds that screencasting has been used to effectively support ...