My understanding is that students may need to work on assignments anywhere and anytime. Therefore a measure of good library service is how many services we can “effectively” deliver to you while riding a bus or working at your dining room table or sitting in a café. The new online SPARK modules are designed to give you an opportunity to learn library, writing and learning skills just in time or when you need them. None of us were born knowing how to cite references according to the American Psychological Association but SPARK can explain it. Most of us did not have a high school library with extensive electronic journal collections. But SPARK can introduce you to the library’s online resources. Sarah Coysh, our E-learning librarian who helped create SPARK, will be assessing this tool during her sabbatical in 2014. I hope you give her lots of feedback when SPARK launches. We’ll want to know what works well and then we won’t change it. Or what did not work well so we might improve it?

You can send your SPARK feedback by replying to this blog or sending a tweet to @yorkulibraries.

Cynthia

- Jessia

You wished you had been part of the SPARK focus group? You have another opportunity later in August. At that point we will conduct concept testing for the marketing campaign we’re designing to promote SPARK to students. If you or anyone else is interested, please participate.

And thank you for taking an interest in the virtual learning commons, SPARK. To answer your questions, the modules are a combination of useful information, step-by-step guides, embedded resources as well as “test your knowledge” quizzes and embedded videos. You’re right there is a challenge in providing a balance between general information and more discipline specific information. SPARK is meant to be a starting point that can then lead you to more in depth resources such as the Library Subject Guides or the Writing Centre. At certain points in the modules for certain questions/issues it also suggests consulting with the appropriate resource person such as a librarian, making an appointment with the Writing Centre, attending a Learning Skills workshop or dropping by the Learning Commons at Scott Library.

I hope this answers your questions and once SPARK is launched if you have further feedback please don’t hesistate to email us at askspark@yorku.ca

Cynthia

Almost wish I was part of the focus group so I could get a better picture of what kind of information is provided. The only thing I fear from projects like this is that, while all the information is in one place, the information is simplified and less detailed than something that isn’t spread so thin. There are disadvantages to being a jack-of-all-trades.

Take for example editing. I’m sure the module in SPARK is full of great information but there is also a long list of accredited style guides, grammar guides and the writing centri. These resources are discipline specific, tried and true and (arguably) only a little less flexible.

I suppose my question is this: Will SPARK point you towards other resources (like a fancy helpful links page), try to do everything on its own, or is it better described as somewhere in-between?