Sheila Compton
Librarian , Dame Alice Owen’s School
Potters Bar, Herts
comptons@damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk
This materials remains the copyright of Sheila Compton
Why use the VLE
 Used by whole school community
 Provide library presence to integrate Library and
online learning
 Collaborate with teaching colleagues
 Encourage independent learning skills
 Prepare Sixth Form for Higher Education
 Showcase students’ work
 Interactive: forums, blogs, wikis, quizzes
 Addresses multiple learning styles with text, audio
and media
Introduce Library facilities
 Library facilities available off campus 24/7
 Library
information
 Online catalogue: search, renew,
reserve, request
 Promote reading
 Access to subscription resources and
E-Library
 Access to unique materials
 Links to external websites
 Research and study help
DAOS VLE
Library homepage
Library area
 Launch online catalogue
 Access to E-Library resources
 Access to resources created by librarian
 Reading lists
 Netvibes pages
 Resources for lessons
 Links to external sites: authors, research help, public libraries
 Links to other departments
 Interactive use
 Blogs
 Forums
The Library OPAC
Launches our library catalogue
 Direct link to online catalogue
 Available 24/7 anywhere
 Guides to using the catalogue
 Uses special Koha catalogue features
 Embed links to catalogue in other areas
 E.g. Additional Web2.0 Animoto and QR codes
Embed Catalogue and E-Library
links in other areas with buttons
The E-Library through the VLE
Launching Online Resources
Quality information 24/7
 EBSCO Literary Reference Centre
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

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(JCS)
History Study Centre (JCS)
Keesings Archive (JCS)
InfoTrac
New Scientist
Launch E-resources
Create resources pages
 VLE brings together print and electronic resources
 Gives students direction
 Pushes information out to the student
 Embed a forum for discussion and sharing resources
Create resources pages with
catalogue and E-Library links
Clickable hyperlinks to E-resources
Study help: Geography in the news
Sikhism research guide Year 7
Multiple access aids information
literacy
 Introduction to class in lesson in library
 On VLE for 24/7 access
 Library research and homework area
 Subject area area
Forums
 Interactive: encourages discussion,
reflection, sharing
 Easy to see who has contributed
 Good way of getting a list of
recommendations from a specific group
of students
 Work with English teachers to embed
into lesson or homework-easy to set
homework!
English teaching group forum
Ideas for forums
 Class /group reading recommendations
 Specific topics e.g. Books for boys.
Dystopia.
 Discussions for shadowing prizes
 Requests for suggestions
 Work with teaching colleagues, link to
other forums
Collaborate: embed links in
departmental forums
Using the Blog tool
 Personal reading record-students or staff
 Private or open for comments
 Students can track reading through
school
 Add other media e.g. PowerPoint, video
Student blog entry
Staff reading blog-show you are
reading too!
Surveys
 Interactive
 Collect opinions
 Use results to create statistics
 Create feedback
 Survey specific groups
 Encourages student voice - evidence of
consultation
 Extend to wider community: include parents,
governors
Roman Mystery Project
 Collaborate with history department
 Encourage reading historical fiction
 Research in Library to get authentic background
 OPAC for books and websites
 Pupils collaborate to write stories
 Stories scanned and put on VLE
 Hard copy in Library
 Pupil work showcased for all to see
Scanned Stories on VLE
Original Work Displayed in Library
Give your students an area to
manage themselves
So why the VLE....
 Links to your catalogue
 Promote reading
 Create resources to support the curriculum
 Encourage collaboration with teachers
 Support information literacy
 Link to external sites
 Encourage discussion
 Survey users
 Encourage student voice
Impact
 Blend of traditional and online resources
 Cross-curricular
 Encourages reading
 Encourages student collaborative work
 The VLE can take student work out to the
whole community
 Gives pupils sense of ownership
 Collaboration between librarian and teachers
External Web2.0 applications used
 Animoto: http://animoto.com/
 QR codes
 Netvibes: http://www.netvibes.com/en
 Buttons and graphics from Cool text :
http://cooltext.com
 Animations
 Wordles: http://www.wordle.net