Using Drexel Libraries’ Resources to Increase Students' Engagement with Course Readings

Researchers estimate that only 20-30% of college students complete required course readings. Among the many factors which contribute to this problem are cost—textbooks set students back an average of over $1,200 per year—and time. In our modern, attention-saturated environment, students have trouble setting aside time to find, access, and read their texts.

As a result, many faculty aim to make it as seamless as possible for students to locate and access their course readings. Faculty have leaned heavily on Blackboard Learn for this over the past two years, and students expect to find what they need directly in the course shell.

Did you know that Drexel Libraries offers tools and services that make it easier to directly connect your students to resources within Blackboard Learn—resources that won't cost students any extra funds? Here are three ways to make use of Drexel Libraries on your course site.

Course Reserves

You might be familiar with print reserves—the service that allows instructors to place a print textbook on hold for use within the Libraries. But the Libraries also offer electronic course reserve services. If the Libraries owns or subscribes to your course readings (such as online journal articles, ebooks, some videos, and short scans from print texts), we’ll put them right in your Blackboard Learn site.

Follow our process for adding the Course Reserves link to your Blackboard course shell, then begin making requests. This course reserves link is a one-stop shop: it’s where faculty make their reserves requests, and where students access the readings. As a best practice, place your reserves requests as early as possible before the new term begins—we may be able to gain access to items not yet in the collection! And be sure to review our guidelines on what can and cannot be included on reserve.

Library Guides

Unsure of which resources the Drexel Libraries makes available in your field? Which databases are relevant, and what tips do we have for using them? Librarians curate discipline-specific Library Guides—sometimes even for specific courses—which can be embedded in your Blackboard Learn site. These guides can quickly point your students to authoritative research sources in an otherwise overwhelming information landscape. Browse our guides by subject, then add them to your course site via direct link or via the embedded Library Guides tool.

Library Tutorials

The Drexel Libraries also provides video and module-based tutorials on a wide variety of topics. From connecting to full text, to using interlibrary loan, to exploring research starters or concepts related to academic integrity, we have you covered.

You can link to tutorials in your course site so students can view them as often as they need, or include them as part of an assignment. For example, our Library 101 tutorial has been placed in Architecture, Nursing, and Psychology courses to help students learn research fundamentals before turning to discipline-specific techniques. You can also request a visit from a librarian to help students prepare for more advanced work.

Key Takeaways

Drexel Libraries supports access to course materials through reserves, scaffolds effective research through the Library Guides, and supports self-guided learning by offering tutorials on research strategies and technology. To learn more about the Libraries’ resources and services, to connect with a librarian, or to collaborate with our Curricula Support team on library-based assignment design, fill out our contact form or email us directly at LibAssist@Drexel.libanswers.com.