LibSmart+

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What is LibSmart+?

LibSmart is a credit-bearing version of our online Learn course, LibSmart I. The primary aim of the course is helping students feel confident in using online library resources for their study and research. It takes place over seven weeks in the first semester, with five weeks of teaching and two weeks to complete the final assignment. The course runs entirely online with asychronous activities available for students to complete throughout the week. There will be one mandatory seminar per week held online using the Blackboard Collaborate platform. Full details of how to access Collaborate will be given upon enrolment. 

How does it differ from LibSmart I? 

The main difference between the courses is that students who complete LibSmart+ are awarded 5 credits, whereas LibSmart I doesn't carry any credit award. The structure of the course is the same in that we work through five modules on information seeking, using resources and referencing, but in LibSmart+ we provide taught sessions which require online seminar attendance and the completion of reflective activities throughout the five week teaching period. There is then an assignment to complete at the end of the course, and grades are awarded based on participation and your final piece of work. 

LibSmart+ is only open to students in COL who are taking short courses/CertHE students. 

We ran LibSmart+ in the 2022/23 session as a pilot exercise and the feedback was excellent:

Just a note to thank all the instructors for a great course. When I signed up, I assumed the course was just an introduction to the library but it has really been a guide to how academic research works. I wonder if more people would have signed up for this if they had realised it was not just a tour of the library to see where the books were kept. Along with the one hour "Study Skills" course I did, which was also surprisingly useful in its content, I feel I got as much learning from these free courses as the main one I paid for.

LibSmart+ Student, 2022/23

When does it run?

This year we will be running LibSmart+ between Monday 9th October and Friday 24th November 2023. Live seminars will take place on Thursday evenings between 5 and 6pm.

Details of exact dates for teaching will be provided in detail on the course Learn pages upon enrolment. 

How to enrol on LibSmart+

If you're interested in enrolling on this course, you should first read the FAQ page on the Centre for Open Learning website. If you are a CertHE student you must follow the correct procedure to book this course, found on the Cert HE Information Pages. You can then use this booking link to enrol on the course.

If you have further questions, please contact the dedicated COL admissions team via email who should be able to help you: col.admissions@ed.ac.uk. 

I have more questions about LibSmart+

The Academic Support Librarian team run LibSmart+ and would be happy to hear from you if you have any further questions about the course. Please email us with your query and we'll get back to you as soon as possible: Library-Academic-Support@ed.ac.uk 

Related Resources

Academic Support Librarians by subject 

LibSmart home

Information Literacy training

EdHelp