Library as a collaborative partner in teaching and learning : role and Contribution of the library in e-learning at Monash University

Abstract

Technology enhanced learning has become one of the dominant modes of teaching and learning in higher education today. Indeed, it seems that no higher education institution can survive without embracing the new educational technologies that have come to define teaching and learning in the knowledge era. E-learning as such, has become one of the dominant forms of delivering teaching and learning content. Rooted in established pedagogical foundations, e-learning adopts the constructivist approach to teaching and learning which attributes the construction of knowledge to learner experiences. Thus learners construct their own understanding and knowledge through interaction with others. As universities adopt the e-learning approach, libraries are also forced to find ways to deliver their content in ways and in platforms where the new generation of students interact. The focus of this research is to find out how Monash University Library has risen to the challenge of integrating its vast resources and services through the medium of e-learning, especially pertaining to the delivery of Information Research and Learning Skills (IRLS). The research aims to find out what the challenges, strengths and limitations are in this mode of information and content delivery. But the most pertinent question the study seeks to answer is “What is the effectiveness of e-learning in the provision of IRLS”. The results of the study culminate in a few suggestions by the researcher which could be employed to better assess the effectiveness of e-learning in IRLS.