Our Academic and Research Services team can work with you to embed information and research training within your modules. We also offer our core sessions as open workshops throughout the year that you could direct your students to. These sessions are designed to help students develop their information and digital literacy skills, and become confident Library users.
Through the range of teaching that we offer, students become equipped with both an awareness of relevant information resources, and the skills to evaluate and use those resources effectively and responsibly. This enables them to succeed in their studies and beyond.
A menu of workshop sessions that we offer can be found below. Please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian to discuss your requirements, and to arrange teaching sessions or other support.
We offer a range of instruction and support for new starters at Essex to help students become familiar with online and physical Library resources. This instruction can be offered as live taught sessions and activities, or as asynchronous learning content. Our Academic and Research Services team can work with you to embed taught sessions and/or asynchronous materials within your modules.
To arrange an induction, see our Request a Teaching Session page.
Inductions Offer
The Introduction to the Library session is recommended for all new starters at Essex, and is regularly offered as part of our open workshops programme. The standard format of this session is a 20 minute presentation, which covers the following basic information skills outlined in our Library Teaching: Skills Recommendation document:
This session can be offered in person or online and adapted to the below options to fit your students' needs:
To arrange an induction, submit the form on our Request a Teaching Session page.
Arranging October inductions: October inductions are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Although we try to accommodate all requests, we recommend booking October Library sessions 4 weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.
In-Person Teaching & Activities
Teaching sessions are scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and we recommend 4 weeks notice for arranging in-person teaching and guided activities.
Colchester
The Albert Sloman Library at Colchester Campus is able to accommodate groups of up to 20 students for in-person teaching sessions and activities. Available options for in-person activities include:
Southend & Loughton
In Loughton we can accommodate groups of up to 25 and inductions will be held in the Library. At Southend we can accommodate most group sizes but a suitable room will need to be booked with your department’s timetabling officer. Rooms should preferably be booked in the Forum to allow us to incorporate a tour of the Learning Hub and Library spaces into the induction. Available options for in-person activities at Southend and Loughton include:
Online Teaching & Activities
Live online teaching sessions are scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and we recommend 3 weeks notice for arranging online sessions and activities.
Our online sessions are delivered via Zoom, and can be paired with a self-guided online activity. For Introduction to the Library sessions, we recommend the below self-guided tours of our online resources and/or the libraries at Colchester and Southend Campuses depending on where your students are based. We also have a variety of other online tutorials and activities available, designed to help students develop their information and digital literacy skills. You can find more details on the Online Resources page.
Available options for online induction activities include:
*For online sessions, we generally recommend students complete the a self-guided tour of our online resources within the session, and are then encouraged to complete the campus-based part of the self-guided tour in their own time
We have a variety of online resources available, designed to help students develop their information and digital literacy skills and become confident Library users. These resources can be embedded in your module on Moodle and used in support of your teaching. For new starters, we recommend the below activities to help them become familiar with the support the Library offers and how to find resources.
A list of our online resources and what they cover can be found on the Online Resources page, and students can also access these materials via our Skills at Library page.
30-50 minutes
This session is recommended for all students in their first year of study. It is designed to help familiarise them with the Library, and the services available to help them throughout their studies.
This session is a practical introduction to advanced techniques that can be used when searching e-resources, as well as how to find material the Library doesn't have.
50 minutes
This session is recommended for second or third year undergraduate students, as well as postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students. It is aimed at those who may need to undertake more advanced searches for assignments or research.
This 45 minute session provides an interactive introduction to the key digital reading platforms available through the Library. We'll cover tips and digital skills to help screen-read efficiently, and highlight additional tools and resources that can improve the online reading experience.
45 minutes
This session is recommended for undergraduate students, as well as postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students who would like to build confidence using digital reading platforms. It is aimed at those who will use digital readings for coursework (ie ‘essential’ readings on reading lists) or research.
This session introduces students to the principles of referencing for academic work through Lego and other "hands on" activities.
Key areas covered
How to construct references in the departmental style
Duration
50 minutes
Context
This session is recommended for first or second year undergraduate students.
This session provides an introduction to how to use Google in a more advanced way, including specific tips and shortcuts.
1 hour
This session is recommended for final year undergraduate students and postgraduate taught/research students.
This workshop covers how to avoid 'fake' academic journals and investigate academic, news media, and social media sources using the SIFT method.
45 minutes
Understanding how to locate and choose appropriate information sources for academic work is essential for academic success. This session is recommended for first or second year undergraduate students, but can be useful for anyone interested in developing critical thinking and evaluating skills.
This session introduces students to some of the e-resources available in their subject area, which they can use to find information and sources for their assignments.
50 minutes
This session is recommended for second year undergraduate students. It works best with students from the same department or discipline.
This session provides an introduction to special collections and archives, and how they may be useful in an academic context. We can provide tailored sessions, so please do contact us with your requirements and we will do our best to accommodate them!
2 hours
This session is recommended for any level of study.
News & media sources can be incredibly useful across many areas of the social sciences & humanities, whether for current or historical research topics. This session will share with some of the key resources available and how they might be relevant to your students.
50 minutes
This session is aimed at students on modules involving study of news and media, or undertaking research requiring knowledge of news and media sources. It can be adapted for undergraduate or postgraduate level.
As well as delivering teaching, we provide additional support to help students develop their skills, and make the most of the Library and its resources.
We have a variety of online resources designed to help students develop their information and digital literacy skills. You can direct your students to these and can easily link to them via your Moodle page.
Subject Guides are a collection of resources put together by your Academic Liaison Librarian. The guides are designed to help students with specific subjects and topics they may want to explore.
If students have reviewed these materials and need any additional help or have specific questions about the topics/skills, they can Book a Librarian for a group or 1-to-1 session with their dedicated Academic Liaison Librarian.
If you have any additional questions or would like to discuss ways that you would like to collaborate with the Library on your module or programme, please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian .
