Abstract

The article focuses on assessing facts of students’ learning activities management in libraries at universities of education. In general, the implementing contents of students’ learning activities management in libraries at universities of education is of good level. Among them, the aspect that has been done best is management of students’ objectives, content, subject curricular in libraries at universities of education and conditions of assisting students’ learning at libraries. The content of management is implemented from the lowest level of managing disciplines of students’ learning at libraries. Basing on practical survey, the piece of writing proposed 6 measures to manage students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education. If these 6 measures are implemented simultaneously, they are capable of enhancing efficiency of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education, which contributes to raising training quality of universities these days.

1. Introduction

In order to gain academic achievement and satisfy any individual’s needs, studying is a purposeful and required activity. Therefore, studying has become an action with motivation, method and content systems. There are several types of studying which assist students to achieve certain knowledge and skills to meet their needs. For students who are trained to become teachers, learning and studying activities has been considered as a more important factor because they expand knowledge and skills to young generation in the future.

Hanoi National University of Education training regulations are built on credit systems and students need to spend 30 hours of self-study in order to complete any 01 credits ¹. In order to meet the need of training basing on credit system, universities of education have to establish several forms of students’ learning in which learning at libraries is regarded as most appropriate form. The library in universities has become one of the promising learning atmospheres for forming the future of learning and research ². Learning at library not only provided services for studies and research, it also includes university's information framework in the student’s learning process of the selective program along with the university faculties and departments. The library has been played an essential part of the university and impacted deeply on the development of university. The need for using student’s learning management system in university libraries has become more important along with the emergence of student-focused model in teaching approaches ³. If the management of students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education is done well, the quality of training can be raised to meet the requirements of fundamental and comprehensive tertiary education renovation in the current period.

There are several studies showed that student’s library use is associated with learning achievement. The data from study of George Kuh and Robert Gonyea indicated that the more frequently students experienced library activities, the more often they used computer technology to interact with their lecturers. Despite undergraduates’ background characteristics, the libraries appear as a positive learning factor for all of them ⁴. The modern information and communication technologies (ICT) help the library to become not only the traditionally perceived learning environment as a physical space, but also the virtual learning environment University libraries include well-equipped resources and tools to support intensively learning and researching. Thus, students who are competent of using different learning services by themselves in the library are able to achieve better academic results in universities ⁵. Wells showed that there is a helpful relationship between the use of a various resources in library and academic achievement ⁶.

There are some difficulties and demanding in finding new ways manage student’s learning in libraries and improving their work as well. First of all, university libraries operate in a modern competitive environment in which their services and resources are required to improve. In 2012, Cribb and Holt conducted a study on student’s behavior and attitude towards library activities before and after coming to university. The results indicated that undergraduate students had limited awareness and attention on learning in libraries during their first year at at Ozyegin University in Turkey. From that they suggested that university library should focus on ways to engage students with the services that library provides them ⁷. Additionally, challenges related to distance learning and teaching course design and learning materials have been also studied by other studies. Among those, a study conducted at University of Southern Queensland (Australia) examined the idea of using public library service to assist and support regional student’s learning ⁸ Another study conducted at University of Huddersfield (UK) found that there is a strong relationship between library experience and academic achievement at both college and course level ⁹. In Thai University, although libraries have often renovated information resources, services, technologies and services, there are not any sign of implementing practical procedure to support student’s learning ⁵.

The requirement for implementing a learning management system (LMS) and other mechanisms is also mentioned. Black & Blankenship totally agreed that various resources should be integrated into learning management systems to develop the educational involvement of students and enhance student usage of library tools ¹⁰. In several training institutions, learning management systems are picked and controlled by the university information technology (IT) departments; the process of selection normally includes faculty staff at some extend or sometimes librarians ¹¹. The e-learning technologies variously adopted in higher education have been growing rapidly in recent years. The usage of online materials and online courses have improved the communication online between lecturers, instructors and students and even among students themselves. These tools also encourage active involvement of students in classes and motivate constructively types of learning. Particularly in academic libraries, adopting resources and services into learning management system offers a potential chance to enhance library perceptibility, develop commitment with students, and strengthen collaboration with faculties ¹². In China, international student feedback gained from a survey conducted at Wuhan and Beijing universities showed that general library services to access information and involve library environment had good impact on learning process. A website for US librarians and researchers learning current issues of Chinese academic libraries at this library was also provided ¹³. A tool called Carmen Library Link had been created at the Ohio State University for learning management in libraries. It enables librarians to create resource pages which will be delivered to students within their own courses. As the results, using of Carmen Library Link helps student to learn effectively and successful during the course ¹⁰.

Within this piece of writing, we are going to assess the facts of students’ learning management systems in the library of Hanoi National University of Education, then propose solutions to improve the efficiency of students’ learning activities at the library.

2. Content

We use the following methods for our study.

We gave questionnaires to 298 people working in Hanoi National University of Education and Hanoi Pedagogical University 2, including 18 people from managing boards of 6 faculties, 240 lecturers, 40 people working at libraries.

We interviewed intensively 12 officers and lecturers in order to supplement research findings of facts.

We also used SPSS software to analyze the data collected.

Methods of marking and scale of assessment

For the degree of implementing students’ learning activities at libraries: Excellent (4 points), Good (3 points), Average (2 points), Not good (1 point). Standard of assessment: Excellent: X = 3.25 – 4, Good: X = 2.5 – 3.24, Average: X = 1.75 – 2.49, Not good: X < 1.75.

2.2.1.1. Awareness of the importance of students’ learning management activities in libraries at universities of education

For the past few years, universities of education have imposed the training credit system, thus, one of students’ major learning forms at universities of education is the system of libraries to support their learning. To find out the importance of managing this activity, we have collected findings, as shown in Table 1.

The table shows that majority of administrative staff, lecturers at universities of education said that students’ learning activities management at libraries is very important (72.48%) and important (27.52%). No administrative staff and lecturers thought it is less important and not important. Thus, currently it can be affirmed that one of the things to be focused on at universities of education, after these university have changed to the form of training based on credit system, is the form of students’ learning activities management in libraries. As a result, universities of education have to invest frequently and continuously in managing this form in order that the quality of training in the universities is improved. We have intensively interviewed one lecturer in the managing board of faculty of philology at HNUE. He said that, “Beforehand, when the university did not train students basing on credit system, the students’ learning at libraries was not much cared. However, since the training basing on credit system has been implemented, the faculty of philology has inquired study consultants to cooperate with the Centre of Information and Library to manage the faculty’s students’ learning activities in here. I think that only when the faculties care about managing this activity of students at the library, students’ self-study is effective.”

2.2.1.2. Facts of managing the implementation of students’ objectives, content and curricular of subjects in libraries at universities of education

For each unit of study of a training field, there must be the part of determining objectives, content, curricular of subjects. Universities of education require lecturers to inform students clearly during the first lesson to give them orientation of objectives and content of subjects that they need to know and curricular of subjects based on the timeline. Students are also introduced which part of the curriculum they study in class, which one they self-study; and during the self-study lessons, they have to make sure that their self-study follows lecturers’ requirements. To find out facts of managing the implementation of students’ objectives, content and subject curricular in libraries at universities of education, we interviewed administrative staff, lecturers, study consultants and staff at the libraries. Findings are shown in Table 2.

Of the aspects in the survey of managing the implementation of objectives and content, Good level is with Mean 2.88 (Mean (min) = 2.48 and Mean (max) = 3.14).

The aspect assessed to be done best is: “Managing the implementation of students’ study objectives at libraries”, ranking 1^st with Mean 3.14. Whereas, the level of Excellent implementation occupied 43.29%, Good: 32.89%. The findings are suitable and the amusing signal to raise the quality of students’ learning at libraries. That the management of implementing objectives is good will be a significant signal to assist training faculties at universities of education to assess students’ styles during their study following the credit system.

The second aspect assessed to be done well is “Managing students’ learning curricular at libraries” with Mean of 3.01, Good level. Students’ learning curricular follows the regulations that when lecturers ask students to self-study, they must tell students requirements of the number of hours they are allowed to work in libraries, then send the information to the Centre of Information and Library in order to cooperate in managing the implementation of students’ learning curricular at libraries. As we have found out in the library at HNUE, according to the staff there, some lecturers sent their requirements to the library, whereas others have not sent or only sent the requirements as a must without specific supervision on the implementation of students’ learning curricular.

The aspect that was done of the lowest level is “Managing students’ learning content at libraries” with Mean of 2.48. The percentage of Excellent level is 19.46%, Good: 20.81% and Average (highest): 47.99%. These data are appropriate with the reality as there appears a fact that the number of staff in libraries at universities of education who directly manage students’ learning activities is limited. This duty is new to them; whereas, there are too many subject aspects belonging to different training fields. Lecturers have not cooperated well with them, which give them troubles in managing the implementation of students’ learning content at libraries. The results fit with the reality because when universities of education changed to training basing on credit system, there are a variety of training fields and occupations; the universities of education themselves not only train fields of education but also train non-educational fields such as Information technology, math, philology, social work and so on. The regular staff at libraries are not allowed to increase; whereas, the staff at libraries are not trained for managing students’ learning activities basing on the credit system. Therefore, the fact that they have difficulties is unavoidable, as one of the staff at libraries said, “I and many other staff at the library were trained in the field related to the library; some others were trained in Information technology; even some were trained in philology. We have hardly been trained in managing students’ learning activities basing on the credit system; thus, when we were asked to manage students’ learning activities at the library, we have been troublesome and need more time to accomplish this duty well. I myself think that I need to be trained in managing students’ learning activities basing on the credit system. As a result, I am able to finish my work best.”

2.2.1.3. Facts of managing students’ learning plans in libraries at universities of education

“No plans mean planning a failure”. For students at universities of education, during their learning time at libraries, as requested basing on the requirements of the credit system, it is necessary to build their own personal plans to meet lecturers’ inquiry.

According to the facts of managing students’ learning plans in libraries at universities of education, the findings are shown in Table 3.

Administrative staff, lecturers, learning consultants and library staff assessed that the implementation of managing students’ learning plans in libraries at universities of education is of Good ranking, with Mean 2.72 (Mean ranges from 2.41 – 3.05)

The aspect that was done best, ranking 1^st is “Managing determining objectives of learning plans at libraries” with general Mean 3.05. 36.58% of participants assessed it Excellent; whereas, 37.58% said Good. During the process of making their general learning plans and private learning plans at libraries, the very first and most important thing that students have to determine is the objectives of their learning plans at libraries. They have to make their objectives specific, obvious, in details and measurable so that students are capable of assessing the efficiency of their learning activities at libraries. Thus, lecturers at universities of education need to focus on equipping student’s methods to make their learning plans, including determining objectives of the plans. The findings are generally of Good ranking, related to managing this aspect, therefore, universities of education attached special importance to equipping students the skill of making learning plans including determining learning objectives. A lecturer from Faculty of History (HNUE) said that, “After students start their new school year, the university not only instruct them about learning and exam regulations in the first week of citizen life, but the youth union of the faculty also give students learning methods for universities, which assists them to get accustomed to changes of learning environment. We guide them to make their own personal plans that fit with the training requirements of the university basing on credit system.”

The second ranking is “Managing methods of making plans at libraries”, with Mean 2.80. 28.86% of participants assessed it to be Excellent, 30.54% Good, 32.55% thought it to be Average and only 8.05% said Not good.

“Managing estimated results of the learning plans at libraries basing on the learning duties lecturers assign students” is of the third ranking in the list with Mean 2.68 (Mean ranging from 2.41 – 3.05). That estimated results can be imagined is the aim of the management. According to our viewpoint and assessment, if the management can be done well, it is certain that aim of managing students’ learning results in libraries at universities of education can be attained.

The fourth ranking is “Managing process of implementing learning plans at libraries” with Mean 2.65 (Mean ranging from 2.41-3.05). As we have known, if objectives of learning plans at libraries are implemented well, plans are well-made; nevertheless, the process of implementation is not good, the management of students’ learning activities at libraries will not be highly effective. Thus, it is necessary to manage the process of implementing students’ learning plans at libraries. Findings showed that, 22.48% of participants said this aspect was Excellent; 28.86% said Good; 39.60% said Average.

The final ranking belongs to the aspect “Testing, assessing the implementation of students’ learning plans at libraries” with Mean 2.41. Overall, this aspect was assessed Average. Only 19.56% said Excellent. The percentage of participants who assessed Average is the lowest, 41.28% respectively. Students’ learning plans at libraries are only done well when administrative staff implement the process of testing and assessment well. In order to test and assess students, administrative staff who manage students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education need to propose obvious, specific and objective criteria for testing and assessment. Besides, staff who manage students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education have to be trained carefully with methods to use tools of testing and assessment. After that, they will test and assess, as requested, periodically or suddenly so as to make sure that students’ learning activities at libraries are implemented basing on initial objectives. It is inquired that during the process of testing and assessment, staff managing students’ learning activities have to be objective and fair. Those students who implement their learning plans well will be praised; on the contrary, the ones who do not do it well will be punished basing on the forms given at the beginning of each semester. To find out why this important aspect got the lowest ranking of implementation, we had the answer from a librarian. “I think the fact that results of the aspect implementation were lowest is suitable with the reality of managing students’ learning activities at libraries. I am frequently on duty, as requested from the managing board of the library; however, I hardly hear that faculties and lecturers send us guidelines for testing and assessing students’ learning activities during their studying at the library. Possibly, many faculties and lecturers think that we are not professional in management or they forget that this university has recently changed to training basing on credit system for the past few years. The implementation is generally confusing, therefore, smooth cooperation among faculties, divisions and the library is not of good quality. This leads to slack and ineffective testing and assessment of students’ learning activities at the library. I hope that for the coming time, divisions of the university have to positively cooperate with us so that the management of students’ learning activities at the library is of good quality. This will enhance students’ learning quality at university; students will assess library staff’s position and role more correctly.”

2.2.1.4. Facts of managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries

Managing students’ learning disciplines including students’ learning disciplines at libraries is one of vital aspects during managing students, especially in the current condition of training basing on the credit system at universities of education. If this content is done well, the quality of students’ learning activities at libraries will be raised. The facts of managing students’ learning disciplines in libraries at universities of education have been investigated and the findings as presented in Table 4.

Table 4 shows that the management of students’ learning disciplines is of Average level with Mean 2.48 (Mean (min) = 2.30 and Mean (max) = 2.65).

The first ranking aspect is “Watching directly students’ attendance, disciplines at libraries” with Mean 2.65, Excellent: 24.16%, Good: 29.19% and Average: 2.65%. As we have found out by observing directly at libraries, the libraries implemented the process of “watching directly students’ attendance, disciplines at libraries” well with a variety of forms ranging from using cameras, textbook and materials borrowing cards, account addresses on the computers at libraries, etc. However, according to us, that the aspect implemented is at the highest level but still low and the percentage of participants assessing it to be Excellent is not high is because the system of infrastructure at the Centre of Information and Library does not supply sufficient seats for students from different faculties. They go to the libraries mainly during examination seasons; they do not arrive at the libraries frequently if it is not the examination time. The management system in there is diverse but not strict enough, which the management of students’ disciplines at libraries are in difficulties.

Ranking second on the level of Excellent implementing this aspect is “Using appropriate forms of praising and punishing for implementation of students’ learning disciplines at libraries” with Mean 2.55, that is of Good level. This is also a rather significant aspect contributing to assuring whether management of students’ disciplines is done well or not. It is because according to training regulations basing on credit system at universities of education, forms of praising and punishment related to implementing students’ learning disciplines, in general and their learning disciplines at libraries, in particular will be a useful tool for the staff managing this activity to apply in their management. If the staff does this in an objective and fair way, it is certain that efficiency of managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries will be improved.

“Building specific regulations of learning disciplines at libraries basing on lecturers’ and students’ learning plans” is the third ranking aspect with Mean 2.47. 18.79% participants thought it to be Excellent; 24.50% said Good; 41.95% said Average and 14.77% said Not good.

The aspect that was implemented with the lowest ranking is “Cooperating with libraries in managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries” with Mean 2.30 – of average level. 14.43% participants thought it to be Excellent; 21.48% said Good; 43.29% said Average and 20.81% said Not good. After investigating the reality in universities of education by interviewing administrative staff, lecturers of different faculties and library staff, it is clear that cooperation among faculties, divisions and the library is not practical without particular cooperation mechanism. As a result, many faculties and divisions find it confusing to cooperate with the library and vice versa. Even for the simplest thing related to the rights of faculties, that is buying coursebooks and materials, the Centre of Information and Library occasionally said that several faculties and divisions have not truly consider this issue though they know that it is comparatively important and affects directly the quality of students’ learning at libraries. A person working at the library of HNUE said, “At the beginning of the school year, the Centre of Information and Library sent coursebooks and materials registration forms to faculties and required them to send information back to the library in order to accomplish the plan for buying coursebooks, materials. However, after 2 years, I can see that some faculties and divisions have not paid attention to this issue. When the deadline was over, they still have not sent us required lists. The fact is troublesome for us to accomplish the plan for buying new coursebooks, materials to serve teaching and learning, including students’ learning activities at the library. I expect that faculties, divisions will learn from experience to go with us more effectively in every duties including jobs relating to managing students’ learning activities at the library. Consequently, the quality of training at the university is raised in the context that the society begins to “turn away” from universities of education.

2.2.1.5. Facts of managing conditions serving students’ learning at libraries

To meet the need of students’ learning at the library, universities of education have to focus on investing in infrastructure, equipment to serve students’ study. The better the conditions serving learning are, the more effective the students’ learning activities at libraries are. After investigating conditions serving students’ learning in libraries at universities of education, findings are shown in Table 5.

The findings from the table show that, the aspect “Managing conditions serving students’ learning in libraries at universities of education” is assessed rather well with Mean 2.89 (Mean (min) = 2.67 and Mean (max) = 3.04).

The aspect done best is “managing borrowing thesis to serve students’ learning at libraries” with Mean 3.04. 41.28% participants thought it to be Excellent; 28.86% said Good; 22.15% said Average and only 7.72% said Not good. After investigating at the Centre of Information and Library of HNUE, borrowing domestic and foreign coursebooks, thesis serving students’ learning is strictly managed, arranged basing on scientific catalogue. Readers including students are served well and professionally.

The aspect “managing borrowing domestic and foreign coursebooks, newspapers, journals to serve students’ learning at libraries” ranks the second with Mean 3.01. 40.60% participants thought it to be Excellent; 28.52% said Good; 21.81% said Average and only 9.06% said Not good. These findings reflect that the management was implemented well. Nevertheless, due to limited sources of coursebooks, foreign journals, students good at foreign languages find it hard to exploit materials from overseas.

“Managing infrastructure to serve students’ learning at libraries” is the aspect implemented ranks the third with Mean 2.84 (Mean (mean) = 2.67 and Mean (max) = 3.04). 28.19% participants thought it to be Excellent; 34.23% said Good; 31.21% said Average and only 6.38% said Not good.

“Managing exploiting and using means of Information technology to serve students’ learning at libraries” is the aspect ranking final with Mean 2.67. 34.23% participants thought it to be Average. After investigating the reality, we were rather surprised that the quality of computer system at the library is not equal; some computers broke down and have not been repaired properly; some computers are comparatively new, however, the speed of transshipping data is quite slow due to many reasons including the case that the computers are infected by virus. The computer system was connected in LAN, however, the speed of Internet access is slow; some computers are even extremely slow, which makes students have difficulties when studying, looking up library materials through Information technology system.

According to the findings of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education, it can be generalized, as in Table 6 and Figure 1.

Basing on the facts of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education, in order to increase the efficiency of students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education, the following solutions need to be implemented comprehensively:

Measure 1: Training library staff at universities of education in skills of managing students’ learning activities

Measure 2: Renovating methods of managing students’ learning activities for lecturers and learning consultants in faculties at universities of education

Measure 3: Renovating methods of testing, assessing students’ learning activities in libraries for lecturers of faculties at universities of education

Measure 4: Renovating managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries

Measure 5: Intensifying cooperation among lecturers, learning consultants and library staff in managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education

Measure 6: Applying Information technology in managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education

These measures of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education are both strong and weak, closely related. Therefore, the above measures of management must be done comprehensively so as to raise the quality of students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education and improve the quality of training of the university.

3. Conclusion

Managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education consists of such aspects as: managing implementation of students’ objectives, content, subject curricular in libraries at universities of education; managing students’ learning plans in libraries at universities of education; managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries; managing conditions serving students’ learning activities at libraries. In general, implementing aspects of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education is of good level; the aspect done best is managing implementation of students’ objectives, content, subject curricular in libraries at universities of education. The aspect done the lowest is managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries.

According to a practical survey, in order to increase efficiency of managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education, 6 measures of management have to be implemented comprehensively, including: Training library staff at universities of education in skills of managing students’ learning activities; Renovating methods of managing students’ learning activities for lecturers and learning consultants in faculties at universities of education; Renovating methods of testing, assessing students’ learning activities in libraries for lecturers of faculties at universities of education; Renovating managing students’ learning disciplines at libraries; Intensifying cooperation among lecturers, learning consultants and library staff in managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education; Applying Information technology in managing students’ learning activities in libraries at universities of education.

References