Students increasingly want resources to be right at their fingertips – and why not?  The Libraries can help you provide your students with an array of research resources right at their point of need.  Virtual learning environments (course or learning management systems) such as WebCT and Moodle are learner-centered and offer students the “one stop shopping” experience they desire. These extremely rich web-based environments bring together the resources, such as course outlines, online quizzes, discussion forums, and powerpoint lecture slides that students need for their studies.  Why not also include library resources in order to provide students with the tools to successfully complete assignments and research?

York University is currently moving from WebCT to an open source Course Management System called Moodle. Moodle, unlike WebCT, seamlessly integrates with Passport York and introduces a variety of web 2.0 technologies such as Blogs, Wikis, and RSS feeds. Moodle is also continuously being improved and updated and a growing number of universities and colleges around the world have adopted it as their standard course management system.

At this time, you may be setting up your classes in Moodle for the next semester. Sarah Coysh, our new e-learning librarian, would be happy to assist you in integrating library resources and services with your other online course materials. This can be as simple as adding a link to the Libraries’ quick guide for finding online journal articles — or we can assist you in creating direct links to: 

Books and chapters of books Encyclopedias and Dictionaries Reports Journal articles Databases Websites Reserves Subject Research Guides/Course Research Guides Chat Reference RefWorks The above list is not exhaustive and there are many different types of library resources that can be linked in Moodle, either within specific documents (e.g. course syllabi) or in a list of resources available as part of your course.   Faculty members and students greatly value the addition of the library resources. As Lorna Marsden, York President Emerita, comments: “Students find it very helpful to have access to the library resources right on their course Moodle page. But so do I; when trying to illustrate a point in class I can go straight into the library without shuffling around a lot of pages on the screen.”  If you would like to take advantage of this service please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah Coysh, E-learning Librarian (scoysh@yorku.ca , telephone: (416)736-2100 x 88317 (voicemail)).

**Please note that for technical assistance with Moodle (e.g. setting up a course website, migrating courses, passwords etc.) contact the Faculty Support Centre faculty@yorku.ca.