UQ seminar: schools, scholars and cybraries – seize the future

The University of Queensland Library (UQL) will hold a seminar this week to address changes in teaching and learning and improved information access in the cyber-age.

Leading presenters from the educational world, including UQ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Margaret Gardner and Dr Nan Bahr from the School of Education will discuss developing academic practice and the challenges of innovation at the UQL Cyberschool Seminar.

The UQL runs the Cyberschool program, which is dedicated to providing teachers and students in Queensland secondary schools with access to quality electronic information resources for effective teaching and learning.

The seminar will bring together school principals, teachers and teacher librarians responsible for curriculum design and implementation.

Manager of Information Skills and Community Outreach for the UQ Library Deborah Turnbull said the Cyberschool worked in partnership with school communities through the provision of quality information resources. She said it was designed to build a learning culture that would help create highly motivated learners.

“We are helping develop information literate students, ready for university level study,” she said.

Ms Turnbull said the seminar would help teachers familiarise themselves with the UQL Cyberschool program, as well as explore issues and challenges of teaching and learning in the cyber-age.

The seminar will take place on Friday, September 19 between 8:30am and 3:30pm at the Women’s College Playhouse on College Road at the St Lucia campus.

The UQL Cyberschool, through its website and negotiated discounted access to databases and e-journals, provides teachers and students in Queensland schools with quality authoritative electronic resources for effective teaching and learning.

The website links to e-resources for the key learning areas of the secondary school curriculum. Information ranges from astronomy to oceanography; Shakespeare to Nick Earles; computer science to woodwork; DaVinci to performance art; and from conflict studies to contemporary government.

The also provides tours and training in the use of relevant information resources, regular updates for teachers and teacher-libarians and an introduction to university life for students.

Ms Turnbull said over 130 schools already subscribed to the program; providing access for more than 100,000 students throughout Queensland. Over the past five years thousands of students have attended tours or training sessions run by UQL Cyberschool staff.

For more information about the program visit www.cybrary.uq.edu.au/schools

Media: For more information, contact Deborah Turnbull (telephone 07 3365 6344, email: d.turnbull@library.uq.edu.au), Noeleen Fleming or Liz Blumson (telephone 07 3365 6064, email: cyberschool@library.uq.edu.au) or Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email: c.saxby@uq.edu.au).