Discusses a collaborative project involving academics, IT staff and Librarians to create a Web-Based 3D Virtual tour guide for the Harrison Learning Centre at the University of Wolverhampton.

Student utilisation of personal computers is very much on the national and international educational agenda. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has undertaken a three-year project to monitor the use of electronic information within Higher Education. The Pew Internet & American Life Project (Pew, 2001) has been looking at overall usage of the web by college students in the USA. The majority of today’s undergraduate students have grown up in a world where there have always been computers, the Internet, and mobile phones. The use of the Internet is, for many students, integrated into their daily communication habits. The University of Wolverhampton is investing heavily in I.T. and this project developed out of a need to have a better understanding of how students are using the computers within the Harrison Learning Centre. How many students actually activate their university accounts? Is the layout of the Harrison Learning Centre I.T. suite suitable for the ways it is used? How long do students sit at PCs on average? How are students utilising the Internet? When are peak usage times? The answers to these questions will help the Learning Centre to see where it needs to prioritise I.T. infrastructure and support.

This embedding project builds on one that was delivered in 2001, headed by Oliver Pritchard, Dudley Learning Centre Manager, leading a research team with staff working from different Learning Centres in the University. In the 2001 project, sessions on information skills were run in three differing subject areas for second and third years and their impact on student learning was assessed using questionnaires and focus groups for students and in-depth interviews with academic staff. Findings were encouraging. Skills and experience gained within the sessions were taken on and applied within assignment work to good effect. Within this small study there is evidence of a progression in student awareness, confidence and skills and Information Skills sessions bring a longer-term, practical and tangible element to the learning experience and are a valuable part of helping students to become more effective learners.

Lecture Capture technologies are becoming widespread in UK Higher Education with many institutions adopting a capture-all approach. Installations of capture devices in all teaching rooms and lecture theatres, scheduled recordings through integration with timetabling and automated distribution through virtual learning environments are swiftly becoming the norm. Capturing lectures has been shown to have a positive impact on student satisfaction, but numerous studies have shown little or no positive impact on student attainment as a result of capturing lectures. This article explores an alternative approach to the use of capture technologies in a pilot study at the University of Wolverhampton. The output of the pilot evaluation is a theoretical model recommending a shift in focus away from the conventional use of the technology for capturing lectures. It advocates a move toward the purposeful use of capture technologies to create content which adds value to student learning and increases engagement, which may ultimately lead to a positive impact on student attainment. The findings have implications for policy and practice around the use of capture technologies. Future work is described in the context of the project findings.

This project is in response to research carried out in 2007 with students who are dyslexic. This research investigated the barriers experienced by students in higher education who are dyslexic when accessing the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Reference is made to their comments throughout the text. The research identified one of the areas that they find difficult. This was the form they need to use to apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. The innovation has been designed to support this difficulty. An important thread running through the whole of this project is to help the student who is dyslexic to be in control, to feel valued and so to improve confidence and self-esteem.