The Library co-ordinated and presented experiential learning courses to Information Science students

The University of Pretoria Department of Library Services (DLS) and the Department of Information Science collaborated to present an experiential learning courses to final year Information Science students over the July holidays, from 2-13 July. From the Department of Information Science Liezl Ball co-ordinated, and Dr Heila Pienaar co-ordinated the course from the library’s side. About seventy students were divided in two groups and the following topics were presented twice over this period:

• Setting the context and library marketing: Robert Moropa, Isak van der Walt, Marguerite Nel and Zenzi Msweli on behalf of Elsabé Olivier
• Social media: Carike Schoeman and Isak van der Walt
• Library databases and tools: Suzy Nyakale and Mulalo Mushaisano
• Library system (OCLC Worldshare): Marguerite Nel, Martha de Waal and Carin Bezuidenhout
• Makerspace (Innovation): Sean Kruger and Heila Pienaar
• Virtual Research Environments (VRE): Isak van der Walt and Heila Pienaar
• Repositories: Ansie van der Westhuizen (Unisa)
• Digitisation: Lidia Swart
• Research Data Management (RDM): Dr Martie van Deventer (Department of Information Science)

The feedback from the students via their blogs was very positive and they particularly enjoyed the emphasis on practical sessions. Liezl Ball who co-ordinated the endeavour for the Department of Information Science wrote the following:

“A certain English bard once wrote: "I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." I can only say the same: "thanks, and thanks" for all your hard work with the INL 370 students!  Thank you for the positive experience they had at the library.”

Link to photographs of groups and student posters: https://photos.app.goo.gl/m17kTrqJT3QgGSwj6