Student Reading List Experience - Survey Results

Last semester the Collection Development team ran a survey aimed at undergraduate students. We asked a number of questions on reading list use and how students were finding using the new Reading List System. 

There were 39 respondents across a range of disciplines with the majority coming from the School of Business and Economics. 

Some of the key results were:

• 95% agreed they are more likely to read items from their reading list when they are easily accessible.
• 71% agreed or strongly agreed that the Reading List System makes preparing for exams, essays and projects more straightforward.
• 61% agreed that the Reading List System improved overall engagement with the course module. Some 37% neither agreed or disagreed with the statement.

Survey Comments
As often is the case with surveys, the comments were interesting:

"I think it is a brilliant idea as it allows lecturers to provide students with the books they recommend or have used for a particular topic that is available in the library."

"I have only used the reading list system for one of my modules, but it has cut out the usual fiasco of trawling library search pages which is very helpful. "

          "It's easy to use and reliable."

Some students complained that their reading lists were not updated during the semester or some links to material were unclear. The overall response though is very positive and clearly demonstrates the benefits of the Reading List System for students. It does reinforce the need for the Library and lecturers to work closely together to provide straightforward access to course materials in a thorough and consistent manner.

For more information including guides and online tutorials see the Reading List page.

Collection Development