The highway to students’ hearts: An improvement of the online tutorial Søk & Skriv based on a collaboration between academic writing experts and librarians For Creating Knowledge VII August 14-16, 2013 Lund By Academic Librarian Solveig Kavli

Learning objects Information search process (Khulthau, 2004) Writing actions (Dysthe, Hertzberg, & Hoel, 2000) Other actions or strategies 1. Task initiation Task initiation (stage 1) Topic selection (Stage 2) Brain storming Mind mapping Think texts Reflecting on research ethics 2. Obtain an overview Pre-focus exploration (Stage 3) Annotated bibliography 3. Find and combine keywords Focus formulation (Stage 4) Listing and structuring keywords 4. Search and write Information collection Draft writing Critical evaluation of sources Referencing 5. ClosureSearch closureConclusion writing Final writing up Ethical use of sources Presenting one’s work The focus of the first product was on process…. (Skagen et al, 2008, p.88)

Did we reach out? -Numbers from Google Analytics indicated a heavy use on the part of referencing and ethics -A satisfied academic staff regarded the part on critical evaluation on sources as important

Table 5: Students’ use of different modules in Søk & Skriv (Forras et.al, 2011, p.11) n = 110

Findings from the evaluations 1.All students were very satisfied with the part on how to evaluate sources and the part on referencing. 2.Students found the differentiation confusing 3.Students asked for more information on how to write an academic text.

From process….

To tool

1. Searching While searching; students must decide and evaluate whether and how the information at hand will be useful for their research: Keep track of your findings and think about how to use them in your thesis. Decide which sources to use: Write brief notes about your sources and how you plan to use them in your dissertation ( Decide which sources to usehttp://sokogskriv.no/en). Like Dervin, we understand searching as sense-making (Dervin, B.,1999, p.745). The source alone is not the authoritative voice, but is dependent on the student who must define the value of the text.

2. Reading Stephen Toulmins model on argumentation as a tool on how to read and evaluate the sources by questioning the sources at hand

Stephen Toulmins model on argumentation (

L ¨hylÿly.ree4tttttt How does the author disseminate the results, and why is the text of relevance to your thesis?disseminate

3. Writing Structure Language and style The writing process Formal requirements Disseminating your thesis

The writing process Discuss your task with fellow students, Photo: UiB Students are encouraged to Talk to fellow students To follow formal requirements and To disseminate their thesis. These advices may improve their end -product if they «dare» to involve others into their process.

4. Sources and referencing Academic guidelines Assurance of quality Tools on ethics and academic integrity Evaluate the sources for your thesis carefully. Take a stand on the sources you have chosen and explain why you rely on these particular sources. (

The improvement From a being a joined project between the libraries of HiB, NHH and UoB, we have joined forces with the academic writing unit from UoB, and Oslo university library. A tool directed towards the generation n as: «Younger students may use a resource of the online learning environment only if they deem them necessary.» (Ransdell et al.,2011 p.937).

Changes From a «guided learning process» to a «hands-on tool» Search fields Different exercises on the site encourage the students to work with their own material as point of depature. All pages contain a «contact us» -button

Choice of platform and design Wordpress Dialogue with the users S&S is no longer a a stand-alone product, but leans on other sources both nationally and internationally.

Some remarks from the students The students tell us that they found the step-by-step description of searhcing usefull. They also report that this part contains good and specific examples on information sources. The students expect that the site gives them support from the start of their studies until they have completed their degrees. One of the students tells us that she gets more than she expects, and brings up copyright as a very important issue. (User evaluation fall 2012)

Better! As a student I just wanted to say that the way Search & Write now appears is close to perfection. I especially enjoyed reading "Structuring a thesis."(…) -Regards from a content student ( from a content user 5 april 2013)

Questions? Contact information Visit us at or follow us on Facebookwww.sokogskriv.noFacebook

References Dervin, B. (1999) On studying information seeking methodologically: the implications of connecting metatheory to method. Information Processing and Management 35, p Feiertag, J., and Berge, Z. L. (2008) Training Generation N: how educators should approach the Net Generation, Education + Training, Vol. 50 Iss: 6, pp.457 – 464. Available from: (Retrieved ). Forras, P., Kavli, S., Mikki, S., Austrheim, G. og Elvebakk, E. (2011) Søk & Skriv i et brukerperspektiv: Rapport fra spørreundersøkelsen høsten Available from: [Accessed 2 april 2013] Hyldegård, J, Lund, H., Moring, C., Pors, N.P., og Schreiber, T. (2011) Studerende, læring og webtutorials : En analyse af 3 norske læringssystemer. København : Det informationsvidenskabelige akademi. Available from: [Accessed 2 april 2013] Ransdell, S., Kent, B., Gaillard-Kenney, S. and Long, J. (2011), Digital immigrants fare better than digital natives due to social reliance. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42: 931–938. Available from: (Retrieved ). Roham Academic computing The Toulmin model. San Diego State University. Available from: [Accessed 6 april 2013] Skagen, T., Torras, M.C., Kavli, S., Mikki, S., Hafstad, S., and Hunskår. I. (2009). Pedagogical considerations in developing an online tutorial in information literacy. Communications in information literacy. 2 (2(2008))(2), p Søk og Skriv. Available from: [Accessed august 2013]