Why don’t we just google it? Jade Furness, Education and Liaison Librarian Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

Online distance education What does this mean for students:  Student cohort  Learning Management System - Moodle  Online communities

Gaps in academic literacies at Tertiary entry level  Academic writing – Presenting logical arguments using third person; supported with evidence  Critical thinking and reflection skills - not able to reflect critically about assignments  Digital literacy – online courses necessitate a certain level of fluency that makes it difficult for some students

 Difficulties with synthesizing information  Understanding the assignment tasks, doing what is asked  Information/research literacy skills – including how to critically evaluate information and sources  Referencing – many students have difficulty with the why and how of APA referencing. Is this taught at secondary school?

Bridging the gaps  Facilitate students to become confident learners  Enable students to ask questions in a supportive environment  Convey the value of the research habit, reading widely, and using evidence to support arguments  Enable students to understand how they learn - their own learning preferences, how learning takes place

Support for OP students  Creating an online community for students  Faculty support with academic writing  Librarians embedded in online course forums  Academic and information/research literacies embedded in the course content as learning activities - Social Work programme  Online help videos for information and academic literacies  Library and Learning Centre student support  Maori and Pasifika student support