Learning and teaching support
- eLearning
- Reading lists
- Enhancing your study skills
- Information Literacy Resource Bank (ILRB)
- Guides and podcasts
- Managing your references
- Pool room support and presentation services
eLearning
At Cardiff University a suite of tools to support learning online is available to both students and staff. These online learning systems are collectively called Learning Central.
Learning Central facilitates 24/7 access to learning and teaching materials and other resources to support your learning at Cardiff.
You can access the system from any computer that has an Internet connection and a browser. All students and academic staff automatically have Learning Central accounts created.
You can access Learning Central and log in using your network username and password.
As a student, you will be able to access lecture notes, slides and other resources that have been made available for you, as well as being able to collaborate in groups, submit coursework, use discussion boards, chat rooms, blogs and wikis. For more information on the resources available to you, check online or contact your module leader.
You can also use Learning Central to create an electronic portfolio of your achievements and personal development planning and build your online CV.
If you are a lecturer you can upload teaching materials, communicate with your students, set online assessments or use any of the tools to give a richer learning experience. Access to Learning Central is securely controlled so that only your students have access to the materials that you post. Student enrolment on modules is automatic via the student record system SIMS.
If you are a member of staff, regular training sessions are available on many ways you can use Learning Central to enhance your teaching. Details of how to obtain help, training or further information on eLearning are available on the Learning and Teaching Support web pages or by emailing the IT Service Desk - insrvConnect@cardiff.ac.uk.
Reading lists
Your course tutor will advise you where to find the reading list for a particular module. Reading lists are often available in the relevant module on Learning Central or in your module handbook. Some reading list items - notably journal articles but also books - are available electronically and a list may have direct links to these items. If not, you will need to locate them via the Voyager library catalogue or the eLibrary.
We can help: if you would like help locating items on reading lists, please call in at the library or contact your School Reading List Contact Librarian. You can find out more on the reading list web pages.
Enhancing your study skills
Organised in partnership with academic Schools, workshops and seminars are available to enhance your research and study skills. These may include:
- Introduction to the library
- Finding the right information for your work
- Evaluating the quality of information and critical appraisal
- Avoiding plagiarism and citing references correctly
- Keeping up-to-date with the latest publications in your research area
- Using EndNote to manage your references
Further information is available on the information literacy web pages. Please contact any University library if you need more details.
Information Literacy Resource Bank (ILRB)
If you are a lecturer, why not liven up your learning materials with information literacy quizzes, tutorials, diagrams, images, cartoons and video demonstrations?
Topics in the ILRB include:
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Citing references
- Evaluating information sources
- Search techniques
- Using databases
- Using Voyager
- Using EndNote (reference management software)
- Essay writing
These bite-sized resources can be used directly from the ILRB website, downloaded for handouts or easily embedded into teaching modules in Learning Central.
Guides and podcasts
A six part 'Student Survival Guide to Writing a Good Essay' podcast series is available to give you hints and tips on writing essays, finding good quality information, referencing correctly and meeting essay deadlines. Visit the ILRB website to listen online or download the podcast.
Guides are available to help you use databases, University software and to improve your study and research skills. A range of guides is available on our web pages.
Managing your references
EndNote is a bibliographic software package that makes it easy for you to store, retrieve and cite references in a style of your choice. EndNote is also available off-campus (via EndNoteWeb) and there are guides and a tutorial to help you: follow the Find a 'How to…' guide link on INSRV's Education and Training web pages.
On this page you will also find guides to Citing References. Introductory and advanced training on EndNote is available – please ask in your University library.
Pool room support and presentation services
Information Services provides support for University owned pool rooms on the Cathays and Heath Park campuses.
Key services include technical support for IT and Audio Visual (AV) equipment, fault diagnosis and resolution, equipment loan, staff training and advice in the use of AV equipment and assistance for special events and conferences.
Help and assistance is available between the hours of 08.00 to 18.00, Monday to Friday with local contact information clearly displayed in each location. Additional support may be provided outside of these hours by prior agreement via email to insrvTechnical@cardiff.ac.uk
Additional support is also available by contacting the IT Service Desk which is staffed from 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday with additional telephone support available from 17:00 to 22:00 by telephone 029 2087 4487 or via email to insrvConnect@cardiff.ac.uk
For further information, please visit the pool room support and presentation services web pages.