For first-year students, the inevitable research paper can be one of the biggest challenges they face. Fresh out of high school, students aren’t typically prepared with the skills required to research and write in academic disciplines. Trying to make sense of the volume of resources offered by university libraries is overwhelming, and students often find themselves lost before they even start.
Thanks to a grant provided by the Centre for Learning and Teaching, librarian Michelle Paon is partnering with Writing Centre manager Dr. Margie Bohan, and writing advisor Janice Eddington MacDonald, in a research project titled Sequencing Collaborations between Writing Centre Teaching and Library Research Assistance. Beginning August 2016, the project aims to help first year students understand the complexities involved in writing a research paper.
Last year alone, just under 12,000 appointments were made with the Writing Centre. With the majority of students looking to improve their research and writing skills, it made sense for the two services to collaborate. By having a librarian and a writing advisor working in the same space, students will have access to both types of assistance simultaneously. Michelle commented, “As a librarian, I’m excited about trying this approach! Over the years, the Libraries and Writing Centre have worked together closely, and we hope that this project will help us identify even more effective ways to assist students.”
The $2,100 grant will go towards purchasing qualitative software and hiring a research assistant to assist with the observations, interviews, and data analysis. Over the course of the fall semester, 20 participants will be randomly selected. Ultimately, the research initiative hopes to enhance first-year students’ academic experience through partnerships.
Research findings will be presented at the Conference for Teaching and Learning in 2017.
by Julie Darnbrough,
NSCC PR intern