Harper Adams University in the UK partnered with Beijing Agricultural College to launch two new undergraduate programs in 2004. In 2012 and 2013, librarians from Harper Adams visited Beijing Agricultural College to provide user education tutorials to first and second year students. There were several issues identified with supporting the international distance learners from China, including language barriers, cultural differences in learning and citation styles, and limitations of internet access and library resources in Beijing. The librarians addressed these challenges by simplifying their communication, allowing more thinking time, and encouraging engagement through interactive activities and games.

1. Harper Adams Supporting
International Distance Learners
Information Literacy Skills and the New student
10th July 2014

2. User Education -Beijing
Two new undergraduate programmes were
launched in September 2004 as a result of
the partnership between Beijing Agricultural
College (BAC) and Harper Adams University,
England.

3. 2012 and 2013 Harper Adams librarians visited Beijing Agricultural
College to run user education tutorials to 1st and 2nd year students

4. Research and ReferencingTutorials

5. Issues
Language
 70% comprehension
 Non-existent Mandarin
 Accent
 Difficulty for students to evaluate information
Culture
 Surnames – Western surname is always shown last - why is it first in a
reference?

6. Other Issues
Learning Culture
 Rote-learning rather than self-directed
 Students in China encouraged to use a large number of quotations
 What is common knowledge?
 Don’t ask librarians for help as they don’t mark their work!
 Beijing library ran poorly attended drop-in sessions – no compulsory user
education
 Campus barriers – internet provision, licences for electronic resources,
software - IE6 and Google HK

7. Beijing Agricultural College – Library
Enquiry Desk

8. Strategies
 Speak clearly and avoid colloquialisms
 Use repetition
 Use simpler language and avoid jargon
 Be approachable
 Allow thinking time
 Encourage engagement – library games, group work
 Train Chinese librarian (who is fluent in English) to run inductions!