A heuristic approach to student learning: A Hong Kong perspective

Abstract

Students today are challenged to acquire knowledge and skills to think critically, contextually, and to transfer knowledge to exceed expectations. The learning process often requires heuristic inquiry that utilizes access to all types of information resources. This presents opportunities and challenges for information service support to integrate resources into the curriculum to enable the students to carry on learning beyond the classroom. In response to the changing academic landscape at the University of Hong Kong, it is necessary to align the information service role of the library with the mission of the University to assume an active and relevant partnering role. One of the major challenges is to better understand how to reach the students to enable learning and discovery within their curricula, to enrich their inquiring mind through engaged use of information which is increasingly interdisciplinary, distributed in digital and media. In Hong Kong where local secondary education is more exam based and students concentrate on tackling model questions and answers for exams but are not used to research for scholarly information, librarians have a role in helping students make the transition to face the different study approach at university. How can librarians assist students to develop better in their studies to enrich their learning experience? The study presented in this paper uses a student learning activity to investigate the students' research habits and the impact of information research assistance on their research skills and assessment result. Research findings generally suggest that there is some correlation between the increased quality of student research as exhibited in the student's grade on the assignment when students are exposed to research assistance. The findings of the study will be used to guide the development of an appropriate strategy in information instruction support to enrich the learning process. © Common Ground, Gayle R. Y. C. Chan.