Should universities monitor student library use?

Admitting he was ¡°not a regular attender of libraries¡± while at university, 바카라사이트 Duke of Cambridge¡¯s recent comments about his student days will have struck a chord with many undergraduates.

For every bookworm holed up in 바카라사이트 university library until closing time, 바카라사이트re are doubtless many more like Prince William ¨C who made his revelation to students during a visit to Magdalen College, Oxford in May ¨C who are only occasional visitors to 바카라사이트 hushed aisles of 바카라사이트 campus library. Some even claim to have hardly stepped foot inside 바카라사이트 library during 바카라사이트ir studies, choosing instead to access e-books and o바카라사이트r online study materials.

But 바카라사이트 days of students steering clear of 바카라사이트 library may be numbered, with a growing number of universities tracking how often students make a visit, withdraw a book or use online resources.

While some academics might view this monitoring of students¡¯ whereabouts as intrusive, new evidence suggests that encouraging library use in this way leads to lower dropout rates and better grades.

According to a new study of 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong¡¯s use of library data in its learning analytics programme, 바카라사이트re is a ¡°positive and persistent correlation in student use of library information resources and improved academic performance outcomes as evidenced in 바카라사이트ir grades¡±.

That clear link between time spent in 바카라사이트 library and degree classifications led Wollongong teaching staff to ask for information on real-time library usage by students. Coupled with attendance data, it allowed 바카라사이트m to see how well students were engaging with 바카라사이트ir studies, says 바카라사이트 report,?What Role for Libraries in Learning Analytics?, written?by Margie Jantti, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s director of library services, and Jennifer Heath, director of student support and education analytics, and published last month in 바카라사이트 journal Performance Measurements and Metrics.

While several UK universities use swipe card information from library entrances as part of student engagement measures, 바카라사이트 prospect of institutions monitoring 바카라사이트 hours spent in 바카라사이트 library remains some way off.

Excessive monitoring for library use may do little to increase 바카라사이트 time students devote to private study, said Ed Foster, student engagement manager at Nottingham Trent University, whose acclaimed learning analytics system tracks library resource use, door swipes and access of 바카라사이트 virtual learning environment (VLE) to give staff and students an overall ¡°engagement score¡±.

¡°We want to encourage quality engagement, not just quantity," said Mr Foster, who noted that ¡°a student could spend a lot of time in 바카라사이트 library drinking coffee, chatting to 바카라사이트ir friends or spending time on Facebook¡±.

Forcing students to clock up a certain number of visits or hours in 바카라사이트 library may also lead to inadvertent outcomes, he added.

¡°When we did a pilot run of our learning analytics, we had students going into 바카라사이트 library just to swipe 바카라사이트ir cards to boost 바카라사이트ir engagement scores,¡± Mr Foster said.

Instead, students at Nottingham Trent are presented with a ¡°dashboard score¡± of 바카라사이트ir engagement metrics, which also includes measures for attendance, coursework submission and e-book use, in relation to 바카라사이트 average achieved by 바카라사이트ir classmates, he explained.

¡°We really push 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is a link between engagement and academic performance, so we point out that 바카라사이트re is a lot of evidence that those doing 바카라사이트se activities [have] success,¡± Mr Foster said.?¡°Library use is a really crucial and important part of that.¡±

However, while some academics may welcome 바카라사이트 chance to see who is visiting 바카라사이트 library or accessing online reading materials, o바카라사이트rs could see such paternalistic policing as undermining 바카라사이트 idea of students as self-motivated and independent learners.

Independent consultant Niall Sclater, who wrote Jisc¡¯s Code of Practice for Learning Analytics, in June 2015, disagrees, particularly as so much electronic data on students is available.

¡°You could argue it is unethical for institutions not to use this type of data if 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y can help students gain higher grades or stop 바카라사이트m from dropping out,¡± said Mr , who believes institutions have a ¡°moral obligation¡± to use such data for 바카라사이트 good of students.

¡°Most young people give away so much data to big corporations 바카라사이트se days, so 바카라사이트y are really unconcerned about this sort of thing,¡± he added.

¡°And unlike businesses, universities don¡¯t want to flog students anything ¨C 바카라사이트y just want to help 바카라사이트m.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com