Library refresher
Research Skills,
Size of student group: available to approx 400 students
Observer: Berni Yates
Observee: Grace O’Driscoll
Note: This record is solely for exchanging developmental feedback between colleagues. Its reflective aspect informs PgCert and Fellowship assessment, but it is not an official evaluation of teaching and is not intended for other internal or legal applications such as probation or disciplinary action.
Part One
Observee to complete in brief and send to observer prior to the observation or review:
What is the context of this session within the curriculum?
I have been working towards making library sessions more embedded with units on Camberwell Fine Art courses. As the cohorts are so large there have not been library sessions in-course for some years which leaves the students under-supported in how to conduct basic academic research, how to reference, and how to use the library efficiently – which drives a very high (unsustainable) number of 1:1 support requests. I have now recorded these asynchronous sessions for unit Moodle pages to combine with very short introductory time slots in the cohort weekly meetings.
How long have you been working with this group and in what capacity?
I have not seen these groups, and they have had no other library teaching, since their Year 1 week 1 Welcome Week induction. I will produce a similar but slightly more advanced set of video resources for unit 8 in Year 2 and again for unit 9.2 in year 3 – and will see them all once in person at one of their their weekly meetings hopefully again one time for each of these units to introduce, explain and take questions around the video resources.
What are the intended or expected learning outcomes?
The intended learning outcomes:
- Students are confident to use the library either in person or online or both and know how to ask for help if needed.
- Students are empowered to undertake basic image and text research using keywords / search terms and can develop a list of target terms to research.
- Students understand the limitations and pathways entailed in using the UAL library search pages.
- Students are equipped with some good start points for their research including recommended bibliographies, confidence on when and how to approach their Academic Support Librarian for help.
What are the anticipated outputs (anything students will make/do)?
Students will use the library resources to support their Unit 7 essay research and referencing.
Are there potential difficulties or specific areas of concern?
The main concern is that students won’t watch the videos in full or will dismiss the need for library-based research and rely on Google, which negatively affects attainment potential.
How will students be informed of the observation/review?
As these are asynchronous resources there are no students present in real time.
What would you particularly like feedback on?
The level of engagement – these skills can seem quite ‘dry’ compared to a lot of UAL teaching but get consistently very positive feedback in terms of usefulness in 1:1 sessions, it’s information students really need to get their best written work done – and is also useful for visual and practice research.
The level of detail – I will have the opportunity to edit the video tutorials and I will also be creating a new set for unit 8 and so it would be great to hear where it seems repetitive or over / under detailed.
How will feedback be exchanged?
Through the ROT form and email.
Part Two
Observer to note down observations, suggestions and questions:
Grace O’Driscoll’s recorded library presentation is an extremely valuable and clearly delivered resource for Camberwell students. The information is well-structured, practical, and accessible, particularly for students who may feel overwhelmed or unfamiliar with using the library effectively. Grace’s tone is warm and approachable, which helps to engage students in what might otherwise feel like a dry or administrative topic.
The presentation clearly outlines key services, such as opening hours, cross-college access, and the ability to request books from other UAL libraries for delivery to Camberwell. These are essential points that students may not be aware of, and presenting them clearly supports wider and more confident use of library services. The explanation of the self-service options is another highlight – it’s helpful, empowering, and encourages independence.
A particularly useful part of the session is the emphasis on the breadth and quality of Camberwell’s library collection. Grace’s encouragement to explore beyond just essay-related materials, and to engage with the library for visual and practice-based research, is an important message for Fine Art students. Her suggestion of using a device to help navigate the library and manage the large volume of resources is also a great tip – very relevant and supportive for students new to academic libraries.
In terms of engagement and detail, the session feels well-paced and appropriately detailed. The information is specific without being overwhelming. While the content is clear and direct, there may be opportunities to break the video into shorter sections in future iterations to make it easier for students to return to key points.
Overall, this is a highly effective presentation. It offers both a welcoming introduction and genuinely practical support for students at Camberwell and across UAL. It successfully demystifies the library and positions it as an essential, exciting, and approachable space.
Well done Grace – and thanks for sharing – I have actually learnt so much ! This will help me too !!