INTRODUCTION AND CONTENTS
Welcome to the Summer edition of Update, the interactive Learning Resources magazine. Each section is packed full of useful tips and resources to help you with your studies, assignments and research. Click the images and links to find out even more. This edition focuses on revision tips and careers. If you can’t find what you are looking for within the magazine, please contact a member of Library, iPoint or e-Learning staff who will be happy to assist you further. Happy Reading!
General LR Information Dudley 6th Revision Tips Time to relax Careers Key Contacts
Pages 1-4 Page 5 Pages 6-8 Page 9 Pages 10-11 Page 12
LEARNING RESOURCES
LEARNING RESOURCES Borrow a Kindle!
1 Need a break from work? Fed up with carrying heavy books?
IBRARY
Broadway Library has 4 Amazon Kindles you can borrow. All are pre-loaded with novels, biographies and other interesting reads. Ask in the Library today!
QUALITY SERVICES
Service Level Agreements...how did we do? We always try to give you the best possible service within Learning Resources. Our Service Level Agreements ensure we stay on the ball at all times. Once a year, we measure our performance to check that we are keeping our promise. Below are the results of this year’s audit:
iPoints 1. Students can access a PC within 10 minutes of arriving. 93.4% of students were issued a PC within 15 seconds of arrival. 3.6% of students were issued a PC within 1 minute of arrival. 3% of students left the centres before a PC became available. 2. Faulty PCs are fixed within 24hrs or reported to IT services.
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Broadway: 1 PC had to be re-imaged but was back in service within 1 hour of report. e-Learning 1. Monitoring via survey (results on next page). 2. Requests for support or staff development in any area relating to e-Learning are responded to within 5 working days. During the audit, 88% of requests were dealt with on the same day. 8% were processed within 24 hours and 4% were processed within 3 days – these jobs were larger but still within the SLA timeframe. 3. Monitoring - Performance Management Reviews. The e-Learning team are making positive progress against all targets set.
LEARNING RESOURCES
LEARNING RESOURCES Library
1. Ensure e-mail reminders are sent 3 days before items are due for return. All 50 reminders were sent out on time during audit week. 2. Ensure overdue notices are sent out on time (14 & 28 days after due date). All 34 overdue notices were sent out on time during audit week. 3. Ensure that an available reservation made within the library is communicated to students no later than the next working day.
UALITY SERVICES
All reservation notifications were sent out on the day items became available during audit week. Student Survey Results We recently conducted a student survey to ensure we are providing good services to our customers. Here are the headline results: The library has a good selection of books, materials and resources. The library has helped me progress on my course.
Overall, please rate the service you receive from the library. iPoint has a good selection of hardware, software and resources. iPoint staff are helpful and friendly. Overall, please rate the service you receive from iPoint. Strongly agree
I find Blackboard easy to use.
Agree
A good range of materials is available on Blackboard for my course.
Disagree Strongly disagree
Overall, how do you rate Blackboard? I find ProPortal easy to use. ProPortal helps me keep on track with my course. Overall, how do you rate ProPortal? I know how to access Live@EDU from within college and at home.
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LIBRARY
Now on Twitter! Follow us: @DCTLibrary for library-themed updates.
New catalogue The library has recently upgraded the catalogue to improve the customer experience. Follow the link from this page: www.dudley.ac.uk/library/ Type your search terms in here.
Type in your ID number to access your record and renew your items.
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Opening hours for the current week Find out which titles are new on the library shelves.
LEARNING RESOURCES
LEARNING RESOURCES Extended iPoint opening hours at Dudley 6th. During the exam period, DS112 will stay open longer than usual. New times are as follows: Mon –Thurs: 8.30 - 7.30 Fri: 8.30 - 6.30
Bookshelves in DS128
UDLEY 6TH
Items locked away in the white cabinets in DS128 are available to use while in iPoint. Please ask a member of iPoint staff or Liz on reception if you see anything on the shelves you would like to use and the cabinets can be unlocked for you. For any other books/resources please head over to Broadway Library. You can search for items on the library’s online catalogue, available here: www.dudley.ac.uk/library/
Remember! All library books and textbooks are due for return on 14th June. If you need your books for longer, please speak to a member of library staff to avoid fines.
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REVISION TIPS
10 steps to revision success Revision space: find a good place to work. Use the library’s quiet area or silent study room. Revision timetable: draw up a revision timetable. It should be realistic, cover all subjects and allow you time off to relax. Make notes: don’t just read through your class notes, make notes. One useful tip is to condense your notes so they fit on the back of a postcard. Use different colours to highlight different sections. Questions and answers: write out some questions and answers to see how much you’re actually remembering. Prompts: put key words and phrases on sticky notes around the house so you’ll see them often.
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Seek help! Don’t go it alone. Get friends and family on board to help you revise. Exercise: do some exercise to renew energy levels and refresh your brain. Diet: keep off caffeine and eat a healthy balanced diet, eating plenty of brain boosting foods including oily fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. Stationery: purchase any forgotten items from the library. Relax: if you panic, you’re lost! The exams are going to happen so you might as well give yourself the best chance of doing well by starting to revise early and keeping calm. Adapted from 10 steps to revision success. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/studentlife/revisionandskills/ revision/10_steps_to_revision_success.shtml
LEARNING RESOURCES
EVISION TIPS
LEARNING RESOURCES 8 steps to exam survival Timing: make sure you know how much time you will have in the exam, what kind of questions you will be asked, and how many there will be. That way you can split your time between the questions to make sure you answer them all. Move on: don’t spend all your time on questions you know the answer to. Remember to leave enough time for all the questions you need to answer. Handwriting: make sure your writing is legible, it’s worth taking a little extra time making sure your work is neat enough for the examiner to be able to read it. Try to avoid spelling mistakes too. Be prepared: the more prepared you are the more likely you are to succeed. Exam post-mortem: don’t try to dissect the exam once you’ve finished it. There’s no point comparing answers with your friends. If you had different answers, worrying about it won’t help you in your next exam. Move on: once an exam is over, forget about it. There is nothing more you can do about it. The best thing you can do is go home and revise for the next one.
Adapted from 8 steps to surviving exams. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/studentlife/revisionandskills/ exams/how_to_have_a_good_exam.shtml
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REVISION TIPS
Get more revision tips from these books available in the library. Click the pictures to go straight to the catalogue and find out whether you can borrow them now:
8 Websites can be very useful when revising. Try one of the following. Click the logos or links to go straight to the sites.
Revision guides, question banks and revision apps. www. s-cool.co.uk Make your own revision timetable and use the GCSE and A Level revision resources. www.revisionworld.co.uk Get Revising can help you study for your exams: GCSE, AS, A2.
www.getrevising.co.uk
LEARNING RESOURCES
LEARNING RESOURCES Take a break!
TIME TO RELAX
Need a break from exams and coursework? Have a look at some of the new DVDs and CDs on offer from the library. You can borrow two for a week, free of charge. Click the pictures below to find out if you can borrow them now.
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We also have a portable DVD player for you to use in the library. Ask at the desk if you want to borrow it. Remember, you’ll need to bring your own headphones.
CAREERS
Careers advice The library has a large collection of books to help you find out more about your chosen career. They’re mostly kept with the relevant subject area - ask a member of staff if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Click the pictures to find out if you can borrow them now:
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We also have books with tips on CV writing and interview techniques.
LEARNING RESOURCES
LEARNING RESOURCES Haven’t decided on a career yet? We also have books to help you decide what to do:
11 Click on the logos below to look at the following websites dedicated to helping you with your chosen career:
You can find careers advice and information on a wide range of jobs, training course resources and funding here.
AREERS
Take the test here to find out which career best suits your personality.
Search for jobs here.
The Teams If you have any suggestions for inclusion in the next edition of Update please contact the relevant team on 01384 363353 or 363374. Computing Engineering, Construction & Motor Vehicle Foundation Studies and ESOL Sports Studies Hair and Beauty Arts Care & Early Years Public Services Business & Retail and Catering Travel and Tourism Dudley 6th
Dena and Suresh Dena Beth and Lee Chris and Suzy Chris and Amy Beth and Tracey Beth, Sue and Janet Beth, Janet and Sue Dena and Jon Chris and Suzy Sarah
Editor
Beth
Key Contacts: Learning Resources Co-ordinator: Richard Gibbons 01384 363374 richard.gibbons@dudleycol.ac.uk