Library staff showcase innovative teaching support at UL Conference

On January 15th, members of the University of Limerick (UL) library team showcased their contributions to enhancing teaching and learning at the 2nd annual Learning, Teaching and Assessment conference. Organized by the Centre for Transformative Learning (CTL) in collaboration with UL's four faculties, the conference provided a platform for staff to share innovative practices and learn from each other. This year's theme, "Learning, Teaching and Assessment – Naming, Sharing and Transforming Practice," highlighted the importance of collaborative growth in education.

Jesse Waters (Librarian, Digital Learning Resources), presented "Learning from Reading: Using Leganto Analytics to Know Your Students." Leganto, UL's reading list management tool for the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), offers valuable insights through its analytics. Jesse's session demonstrated how Leganto analytics can help instructors and library staff understand reading list scope, student engagement, and resource usage, ultimately enhancing the learning experience.

Kirsten Mulrennan (Archivist, Engagement, Exhibition and Outreach), presented "Archival Literacy and Engagement through Brightspace: The New Special Collections and Archives Toolkit from UL Library." This toolkit, available on Brightspace Discover, provides a comprehensive introduction to the Special Collections and Archives Department. It helps students appreciate the significance of unique materials and guides them on how to find, access, and use these resources in their research. Currently, the toolkit is integrated into one postgraduate and three undergraduate modules within the School of History and Geography and the School of English, Irish and Communication.

Ashling Hayes (Head, Research Services) and Margaret Phelan (Digital Learning Specialist), introduced the new Glucksman Library Research Information Toolkit. This online resource, available on Brightspace, supports taught postgraduate students across various disciplines in completing literature reviews. 

For more information on Reading Lists, the Special Collections and Archives Toolkit, or the new Research Information Toolkit, please contact the library team at libinfo@ul.ie.