Presented at LILAC 2023.

1. 'Making the most of
your digital readings:'
Planning and delivering a new workshop
Lucy McCaul – Special Collections & Archives Coordinator
Tom O’Toole Mills – Research Services Coordinator

2. Slide
Overview
 Who we are
 Why digital readings?
 Constructing the workshop
 Feedback and reaction
 Next steps
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3. Slide
Who we are
University of Essex
 Founded in 1964
 Approximately 17,800 students
 Three campuses: Colchester, Loughton,
Southend
Academic and Research Support Team
 Information literacy support
 Support for researchers
 Inductions
 One to ones
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4. Slide
 Institutional policy
"Except where there is a compelling pedagogical or accessibility requirement, or where the
physical item is key to an initiative … we apply a “digital first” approach to all content."
 Student preference for print
Responses to student survey showed respondents favoured print over e-books when given
the following scenario:
"You are studying on campus, and you want to consult a book that is available as an e-book
and print in the library. What would you do?"
 Departmental requests
Requests made by two academic departments for a workshop or training materials on
digital reading.
Why digital readings?

5. Slide
 Difficulties with navigation and discovery
"IL practitioners regularly grapple with the need to help students scaffold their understanding
of information formats; students find information online and don’t necessarily understand
what it is and where it comes from." Secker & Tilley, 2002
 Lack of specific guidance on digital readings
"Medium can influence both the depth of comprehension and the enjoyment of reading, yet
when it comes to published guidance specifically on academic reading, the role of medium
seems to be underplayed." Hargreaves, Robin, Caldwell, 2002

6. Slide
Sought to move from:
"We know you prefer print but here's digital"
To:
"Here's how we can support you with digital"
Shifting the conversation

7. Slide
Constructing the workshop
Considerations
 First workshop on reading
 Fit in with other training
 Active learning
Decisions
 Based around Talis reading list
 Follow along / explore later
 Deliverable online or in person
 Signpost to support
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8. Slide
Taking the temperature
 Students asked to show their responses
either with flashcards (in person) or emoji
reactions (online)
 Gauge where they are starting from
 Confidence gauged again at end of session
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9. Slide
Advantages of digital reading
Advantages of using digital reading platforms:
 Convenience
 Multi-user access
 Tools and features
 Accessibility options
Further benefits
 Employability
 Environmental benefits
 Personal digital ecosystem
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10. Slide
Introducing reading strategies
Planning and using a strategy
 Setting goals
 Identifying keywords
 Prioritising
Sample method: SQ3R
 Survey, question, read, recite, review
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11. Slide
Screen reading and platforms
Advice for screen reading
 Avoid distractions
 Read in comfort
 Time management
Digital platforms
 Frequently used platforms
 Common features
 Features to explore
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12. Slide
Demonstration / activity
 Talis reading list
 Explore reading list tools
 Advice as notes
 Examples of book and journal content
 Multiple platforms
 Links to support from other teams
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13. Slide
Tools & final temperature check
Accessibility options
 Reading set up
 PC set up
 Reading software
Temperature check
 How confident do you feel now?
 Gauge progress
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14. Slide
Help and support
 General help from the Library
 Academic skills help
 Library skills webpages
Skills at library
 Find, evaluate and manage information
 Online guides, videos, tutorials
 Workshops
 Bookable appointments
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15. Slide
Feedback
100 % of students who responded rated the workshop as either good
or great
Requests from academic departments for video recording of workshop
and interest in embedding session into timetable
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16. Slide
“the session was
helpful and will help
me with my essays!”
“there are a lot of
applications that can
be useful, but not
name[d] … in the
slides or in the chat”
“More on
referencing”

17. Slide
Next steps
 Review
 Revise
 Record
 Embed
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18. Thank you
essex.ac.uk
University of Essex
Academic & Research Services Team
arscal@essex.ac.uk
Lucy McCaul
lmccaul@essex.ac.uk
Thomas O'Toole-Mills
to21833@essex.ac.uk

19. Slide
References
Hargreaves, H., Robin, S. and Caldwell, E. (2022) ‘Student perceptions of reading digital texts
for university study’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education [Preprint], (24).
Available at: https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi24.817.
Secker, J. and Tilley, E. (2022) ‘Students, academic reading and information literacy in a time
of COVID’, Journal of Information Literacy, 16(2), pp. 69–79. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.11645/16.2.3291.
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