Library Services provide information literacy, research skills and academic skills teaching and support for your students at all levels across the University
We can help your students with vital skills needed to enable them to succeed in their academic work at university:
- Finding high quality information, including how to use the Library Search and effective database searching
- Reading, writing and presentation skills
- Referencing and using reference management tools
- Plagiarism and academic integrity
- Revision and exam skills
- Maths and stats
The work we do in teaching key academic and information literacy skills, and supporting our learners with these essential skills, is reflected in the University’s Four Pillars of excellence in education and student experience by:
- Helping students develop key skills necessary to succeed in the world of work and as active citizens
- Providing individualised and student-centred learning and support to meet the needs of our diverse learners
- Continuing to develop our provision to ensure that our students are gaining skills relevant to society and the world of work
- Engaging “students in skills development that will support their ability to achieve their own goals”
Helping students to develop “wide-ranging higher-level skills … so that they can effectively develop and market themselves to future employers.” 1
The Teaching and Learning Support team are student-centred professionals who work alongside students to make sense of and get the most out of their time spent at university. Through partnership, and collaboration we are committed to making sure all students meet their full potential and enjoy their learning at Queen Mary. Our teaching sits within the areas of learning development and the support of key study and transferable skills, which underpin the interrelated components of the University’s Approach to Education.1
Our team of information specialists can help develop skills in discovering, accessing, and using information well: for learning, teaching, research, and for life. We provide teaching and guidance on these skills that is professional and trusted by students, researchers, and staff. We aim to foster confidence in these key skills which helps the Queen Mary community to thrive in their studies, research, and work whilst at the University and in their lives beyond.
Academic Skills Advisers can provide students with general support in developing their scholarly practice. They are also able to assist colleagues with embedding academic skills within their courses in a variety of different ways. Alongside our generic offering to students, we can help colleagues with resource development, co-teach on your module, or provide resources to help improve your students’ academic literacy.
Academic skills and information literacy teaching for taught students is most effective when fully embedded in academic programmes, and we can work with academic staff to provide bespoke teaching at key points within the curricula.
Whilst our fully interactive hands-on group sessions are best delivered face to face, we can also deliver teaching fully online, in a blended format, or via mixed mode education.
We provide academic skills and information literacy teaching in a range of formats in line with the interrelated components of the University’s Approach to Education 1:
- Induction sessions to introduce students to the resources available and how to use them effectively
- Standalone independent learning activities delivered via QMplus, such as our Find It! Use It! Reference It! Module, which is a great introduction to some of these skills for new students. A certificate of completion is available for students who complete the full module.
- Independent learning activities delivered as part of a blended approach to underpin facilitated sessions
- Large and small group interactive sessions encouraging ‘learning by doing’
- Drop-in sessions and one to one appointments to provide additional support and enable individualised learning at the point of need.
If you would like us to run an induction session or more in-depth workshop for your students, please contact your Faculty Liaison Librarian or Senior Academic Skills Adviser. We can work with you to tailor these to the needs of your students.
We also run a number of workshops which students can sign up to, as well as providing drop-in sessions and one-to-one support. If students want to enhance any of their academic or research skills, please refer them to these sessions, or they can always email their Liaison Librarian or Academic Skills Adviser to further discuss their needs.
We look forward to working with you and your students.
The introductory session that is embedded in our programme really suits their needs. … [This leads to] better quality data searches, clearer understanding of relevant tools, and, therefore, more robust assignments— Dr Erik Blair, Senior Lecturer in Health Professions Education
We can also provide support for your research. See our research support pages for more details of the teaching and support we provide for researchers.
1. Queen Mary Academy. The Queen Mary Education Approach. [Internet]. 2022 [cited 22 August 2022]. Available from: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/queenmaryacademy/the-queen-mary-education-approach/