Open education is a philosophy about the way people should produce, share, and build on knowledge. “Open educational resources (OERs) provide a model for convenient, cost-effective access [to resources] with no copyright barriers to worry about, expensive texts to purchase, or restrictions on adaptation, customization or re-use.”[i]

Open Education Week seeks to raise awareness and highlight open education efforts worldwide. OE Week provides practitioners, educators and students an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of open educational practices and be inspired by the wonderful work being developed by the community around the world. [ii]

The 2020-2021 year presented unprecedented challenges in the world. One of these challenges met by educators was the sudden shift to online learning. Red River College kicked off discussion and supports for Faulty using OER (Open Educational Resources) in May 2020 spearheaded by the new Copyright officer in partnership with Campus MB. Over one hundred faculty and staff attended this session, and two additional sessions on OER were hosted during the 2020 year.

One simple adoption of an open textbook at RRC during the 2020-2021 year served 840 students, saving each student $159.95 in textbook costs for a total saving to students of $134,358. This the impact of just one title, over the years RRC has seen over 8 open textbook adoptions.

OER’s have also provided instructors at RRC with additional resources to work with and adapt in a time when access to physical resources has been limited. The Open Education philosophy proves to be a great asset in the push for online learning environments prompted by the pandemic,  but OER’s themselves have been around since the early 2000’s.

If you would like to view our past 2020 OER session it was recorded and is available to be viewed at your convenience:

OER’s are resources published under an open license, such as Creative Commons, these resources can be freely adapted to help your students meet the learning outcomes for your course. At RRC our main focus in the 2020 year has been around the use of Open Textbooks but many different OER’s exist as vast as the types of educational content. If you feel like you missed the boat and are just hearing about OER, let me assure you that isn’t the case. The RRC library offers an OER Landing Page to start you out on your Open Education journey.

If you are already familiar with OER and would like to take this week to get up to speed conversations educators are having regarding Open Education during the pandemic Law Bytes has a prerecorded podcast discussing the significant new challenges for teachers and students in adapting course materials to the online learning environment. Be sure to check it out!

Episode 45: David Porter on the Benefits of Open Educational Resources as Millions Shift to Online Learning

As we celebrate Open Education Week for the 2021 year, I challenge instructors to ask themselves:

What can Open Education do to support your online instruction?

How can Open Education serve your students?

If you are seeking OER assistance or support get in touch with the RRC Copyright Officer.

Happy Open Education Week!

[i] Michael Geist, “David Porter on the Benefits of Open Educational Resources as Millions Shift to Online Learning,” Law Bytes Podcast, March 30, 2020, https://www.michaelgeist.ca/podcast/episode-45-david-porter-on-the-benefits-of-open-educational-resources-as-millions-of-canadians-shift-to-online-learning/.

[ii] Open Education Week. Open Education Global, n.d. https://www.openeducationweek.org/page/what-is-open-education-week.

Red River College takes the protection of Intellectual Property rights seriously. The College and its staff and students are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure that materials protected by copyright are used in accordance with the law by following our Fair Dealing Policy. Copyright is complicated but interacting with Copyright materials is often a daily part of our lives. At work, during our education and in our leisure time, we are often engaging with copyright materials. Fair Dealing is an important part of how we as educators and students ensure we are using Copyrighted content with respect to the rights of the individuals that create the content, and in in accordance with the law.

Could you imagine if there was no legal way to use Copyright material without permission from the owner of that content? How would this affect your work, education and hobbies?

Our ability to use Copyright content when we don’t secure permission is limited, Fair Dealing is a provision in the Copyright Act that permits use of a copyright-protected work without permission from the copyright owner or the payment of copyright royalties in limited circumstances. Fair dealing exists as a user right within the Copyright Act for the public good to foster education, creativity, and innovation.

The doctrine of Fair Dealing guides our use of Copyright material under the Copyright Act of Canada, but how do we use materials in accordance with Fair Dealing? Here at the RRC library we have some helpful tools to point you in the right direction. If you are trying to make a decision around using copyright material we have a Fair Dealing tool to support you. This tool will walk you through a series of questions around your use of copyright content to ensure your use is in line with our policy, and the tool will direct you to the Copyright Officer when you are in need of assistance.

Want information about how to use our Fair Dealing tool, and how you can use Copyright material under Fair Dealing?

Register For our Fair Dealing Week Session

Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021
Time: 11am-12 noon

Register for Fair Dealing week Events Across Canada Here

Date:  February 22 – 26, 2021

Fair Dealing Week is a time to highlight and promote the opportunities presented by the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright act, celebrate successful stories, and explain this user right under the Copyright Act. How do students engage with, and rely on fair dealing? Check out this Fair Dealing Testimonial from Shifrah Gadamsetti Sociology Student and President of the Students’ Association Mount Royal University.

Educators also interact with copyright on a daily basis. “Fair dealing is critical for innovative teaching and learning on campuses across Canada. It helps our instructors bring dynamic and relevant content to their courses…” read more about how fair dealing impacts educators in the following testimonial from Leslie Reid Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) and Teaching Professor, Faculty of Science University of Calgary.

RRC policy is available to guide our actions when using Copyright material, our Library Team and Copyright Officer are here to assist Instructors and Students in interpreting this policy. If you have questions about Copyright or Fair Dealing be sure to visit the Copyright Page on the RRC library site and reach out the Copyright Officer for assistance.

Happy Fair Dealing Week!

Coming April 7, 2021: Long Night Against Procrastination

The event is free to all RRC students.

Details

What?

Long Night Against Procrastination

Where?

Online (web location TBA)

When?

April 7, 2021, 5-8 pm

Why?

For support and assignment help when you need it most

Who?

All RRC students

Highlights from Last Year’s Event

The first Long Night Against Procrastination was held at the NDC Library on Feb 6, 2020. Moving online will make it look and feel different this year, but our commitment to helping you succeed at RRC will always remain the same.

View highlights of last year’s event >> Long Night Against Procrastination – Feb 2020

Have questions? Please contact Bettina Allen, Library Services.

Written by Linda Fox–Library Technician, Program Support and Promotion

Plagiarism always has concerned instructors and students alike, especially as part of a more extensive discussion involving academic integrity. Much of the concern has to do with what it is, how people do not mean to commit it, and more importantly, informing themselves about the topic. The Getting Started with Academic Writing guide addresses those issues, and others, depending on the given need:

• Overviews of plagiarism types with infographics for quick reference.  Many sections feature some curated YouTube videos explaining the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of plagiarism and the skills needed to counter it.
• Some new sections on topics such as unauthorized group work and learning about paraphrasing/direct quotation skills needed during the writing process.
• Direct Links to our citation guide and our Writing Centre, saving time searching the guide page.

This guide also serves as a companion to guides such as the  Communication Guide, APA 7th ed Highlights, RefWorks, and a newly redesigned Writing Centre page from the Academic Success Centre.  Library Services continues to support student success with more exciting ventures and as always, reach out to the ‘Ask Us’ chat bubble if you need assistance.

Spotlight on the Geotechnical Engineering Technology Guide

RRC Library staff member, Rosemary Woodby, recently collaborated with instructors in the creation of a Geotechnical Engineering Technology Guide especially for students in RRC’s Engineering Technology program. Instructors Nathalie Emond, Alena James, and John Kuchak describe the process:

We are very pleased with the creation of the Geotechnical Engineering Technology Guide! The process was simple. Rosemary Woodby created a framework and with a few brief discussions, we collaborated to develop a robust resource. Students in the Civil Engineering Technology (Environmental, Municipal and Structural), as well as other related programs, will have a point of access which will provide them with a broad range of resources to explore and support their learning.

What are Guides and why are they useful?

Guides pull together Library resources such as books, videos, and database articles along with many online sources such as webpages, YouTube videos, online reports, and more. Guides put everything in one place, where any student can then access them. This can be especially beneficial when topics are shared across multiple classes. You can link to Guides in your LEARN site, you can even link to individual pages within the guides. Even better, guides aren’t static, we can add more/update/change content as we go.

What does the collaborative process look like?

I can build these myself but when developed in collaboration with faculty they are so much richer; and create a strong resource that is tailored to the needs of the students. (Rosemary Woodby, RRC Library)

The process of collaborating on a guide is flexible but typically starts with a discussion. What is needed for that class? What type of resources and topics will this guide focus on? After the background information is worked out, we start to incorporate the instructor’s recommendations. Are there webpages, videos, books, or articles that an instructor recommends to their students? Those recommendations will be combined with items from the Library into a guide format using our LibGuide software platform. When we are all happy with the result, the guide is published and made available to students and the College community.

How do I request a Guide for my class?

Guides are created by the Library staff member assigned to your program area, as listed in our Collection Development Contacts. You may send a request to your subject specialist directly, or email the Library’s general account at library@rrc.ca.

Explore further: Additional Engineering Technology Guides created through collaboration

• Environmental Science – with Jonathan Mitchell, Civil Engineering Technology instructor
• Structural Engineering Technology – with Crystal Ungarian, Structural Engineering Technology instructor

Follow us on social media!

For everything from fun series to service and programming updates, follow us on social media. We’re active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Tip 1: Our Website

Your key to accessing the online Library is the Library’s website. From academic supports and services to resources and news, this is the gateway to everything related to the Library. Click the button below to check it out.

Tip 2: Our Online Service Desk

Access our online service desk by clicking on the Ask Us bubble on the Library’s website. This begins a chat with a real person in real-time during regular Library hours. If you submit a question after hours, you will receive a response when the Library opens again. You may also browse common answers to our most popular questions here: Popular questions.

Tip 3: Our Digital Collection

Explore our digital resources with OneSearch, which is the tool that searches the entire Library collection. We have thousands and thousands of online resources that you may access 24/7.

Learn more about OneSearch >>

• OneSearch video
• OneSearch guide

Tip 4: Our Events Calendar

Check our Events Calendar for the latest workshops you may attend, including Library Lunch and Learn sessions.

Tip 5: Our Library Guides

Library Guides are a great starting point for exploring the Library’s collection. Guides are a collection of resources and links on a specific topic, gathered together by a Library professional. A good place to begin is with our Library 101 section, which will help you get the most out of your Library experience. Otherwise, you may search the guides or browse by subject. Guides can draw you to new and unexpected resources, leading you to explore information in greater detail.

Tip 6: Our COVID-19 FAQ

Have questions about service changes during the pandemic? For example, wondering if physical books may still be borrowed? Indeed, they can! This is the kind of information you’ll find on the COVID-19 FAQ page.

We’re Here for You!

The Library and Academic Success Centre’s number one goal is to help you succeed at Red River College. Through chat and virtual meetings, we will meet you WHEREVER you are during these difficult times!

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Written by Joan Boersma, Library Services

One of Joan Boersma’s many roles in the Library includes the handling of ILLs (InterLibrary Loans). Here, she provides an overview of this important service.

One service that the Library offers is that of Interlibrary Loan. While our subscriptions to databases have increased considerably during the last 5 years, we obviously don’t have access to every article written. RRC library belongs to 2 consortiums in order to fill this gap. The first group is that of the libraries in Manitoba where physical and digital items are shared at no cost. We receive most of our requests from the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg for which we are very grateful.

The 2^nd consortium is DOCLINE and that is the National Library of Medicine’s Interlibrary Loan request routing system. The purpose of the system is to improve access to biomedical literature for medical libraries in the US and Canada. It has been interesting to see this willing group of medical libraries share resources during a pandemic while many libraries were actually closed and staff were working remotely without access to their physical collections. Often times the information requested was crucial to the treatment of patients in the hospital and it has been an eye-opening experience to see librarians hard at work to fill this need in a time-sensitive manner. Co-operation and resource sharing between libraries took on a new role, operated sometimes in non-traditional means, and occasionally RRC was able to contribute as well. It has been a great experience to be part of this larger community while working from my dining room table. During the pandemic, there have been requests for 215 articles from our faculty and students, and 75 of those were filled by our partner libraries. Other requests were located by deep-diving, sleuthing, and sometimes by contacting the authors to simply ask if they were willing to share their work. The sharing community of libraries (and sometimes authors) is alive and well during the pandemic.

If you have something you are looking for you can make a request by using our ILL Request Form or contact me at jboersma@rrc.ca.

Have questions?

Connect with us at library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us bubble during regular Library hours. We’d love to hear from you!

Follow us on social media!

For everything from fun series to service and programming updates, follow us on social media. We’re active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

If you are new (or even if you are returning) to RRC Library, the various options on our website can seem overwhelming. At the same time, what you see on the surface is only the tip of the iceberg. We encourage you to check out our Library 101 collection of guides, which are designed to help you get the most out of your Library experience. These are a great starting point if you are unfamiliar with our Library or just want general guidance.

There are three sections, which may be used in any order:

• Using Library Resources
• Writing, Citing, and more
• Databases and more

Our online service desk is open

In addition to our Library 101, our online service desk is open during our regular hours. If you have a question, Ask Us at library.rrc.ca! We’d love to hear from you!

Join us for LUNCH and LEARN a new skill!

The world of information is increasingly vast and also tainted by a great deal of misinformation. Library Lunch and Learn is a series of mini-lectures designed to teach you the specifics of finding and evaluating information. We also demonstrate the ins and outs of individual databases, which offer a wealth of information catered to your area of expertise.

January 2021 Schedule – Now Offering Live Sessions

RRC Library is excited to announce the January 2021 schedule of Library Lunch and Learn workshops, in which we will be offering live sessions as well as pre-recorded videos.  For more information, visit the new and improved Library Lunch and Learn site, which lists available topics and links to handouts, guides, and recordings. Please note that live sessions require registration, so click on the links provided below to register.

To view the complete schedule, visit RRC Library’s Events Calendar.

Wednesday, January 6
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

Rejuvenate Your Learning: Making the Most of LinkedIn Learning*

The learning videos formerly known as Lynda.com have found their way into course work and even our library guides. This session provides a refresher on what it is and navigating the various parts of a LinkedIn Learning Course to take advantage of this powerful tool for learning. Join us for a live demonstration of how to make the most of LinkedIn Learning. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Thursday, January 7
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

OneSearch (Database Instruction)*

The new and improved OneSearch will search print books, ebooks, as well as 30+ full-text databases simultaneously. Join us for a live demonstration and instruction on how to use OneSearch – the Library’s Search engine. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Friday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 12
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

Research Skills*

The number one problem students have when searching is creating keywords and building them into useful search strategies. Join us and learn some more advanced techniques to breakdown your search question, make finding keywords easier, and using operators to create useful search strategies. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Thursday, January 14
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

RefWorks: Reference Management (Software Instruction)*

RefWorks simplifies the process of research, collaboration, data organization, and writing by providing an easy-to-use tool for citation, bibliography, and reference management. Learn the basics of using this web-based tool and make writing your papers that much easier. For any person who needs to write and cite! This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Tuesday, January 19
All-day event – pre-recorded

UpToDate (Database Instruction)

UpToDate is a point-of-care medical and drug database that contains clinical information intended to assist medical professionals in treating their patients.  It is available to students and staff at Red River College from the Library’s website and can be accessed via an app from anywhere and at any time on your own mobile device. The database is intended for use in clinical settings specifically to improve patient treatment by delivering current information at the point of need, supporting timely decision making, and ensuring consistent care. Learn more about what this database has to offer and how to access and use it.

Thursday, January 21
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

Peer-Review*

Join us for a live discussion on Peer Review. For many disciplines, peer-reviewed research is required. Not sure if your perfect article is Peer-Reviewed? Check out this session to learn: what is a peer-reviewed (or scholarly) article or journal, how to identify a peer-reviewed article, and where to find peer-reviewed articles. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Tuesday, January 26
Live session: 12:15pm – 12:45pm

Advanced CINAHL (Database Instruction)*

CINAHL Plus with Full Text is the core research tool for all areas of nursing and allied health literature with full-text coverage of 770 health journals.  Attend this session if you would like to build better searches, know more about MeSH Subject headings, or just be more successful in your searches. Join us and get a look at this powerful database. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions.

*Live session: registration required

Thursday, January 28
All-day event – pre-recorded

Business Source Complete (Database Instruction)

This essential database for business students contains tens of thousands of full-text journal and magazine articles as well as newspaper items and e-books. Find current news stories, case studies, industry reports, market research reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, and more greatly enhance your understanding of the world of business.

Have a question? Ask Us!

To ask a question through our online service desk, simply visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button. We’d love to hear from you!

This academic year finds us in quite a different world; however, our commitment to providing you with the supports and services you need to succeed at RRC remains unchanged. As we continue this year together, the Academic Success Centre & Library are here for you.

During the week of January 4^th, students are invited to “Warm Up” for the winter semester by completing the daily seminars, workshops, and activities at Winter Warm Up Week.

RRC’s Library & Academic Success Centre have partnered with student services across the college to build this schedule of events to help students prepare for a successful Winter Term. Warm Up includes presentations, videos, resources, help desks, and supports you can access online. It’s the perfect opportunity to focus on skills that will maximize your success in your studies, including time management, study skills, getting the most out of your textbooks, managing testing anxiety, putting your strengths to work in your future career, and practicing mindfulness.

Tutoring and advisor support are also available by appointment.

Warm Up Week Schedule

Winter Warm Up offers a broad range of upbeat and informative sessions intended to build you up at the start of the new term. Feel free to attend everything on the list, or pick and choose what is suitable for you. Some sessions require registration, so please visit the Winter Warm Up website for the full details and to register for each session you plan to attend. We look forward to warming up to a new term with you!

Monday, January 4

Click for full details >> Monday Warm Up

9am Technology Skills for Success

10am Technology Literacy / Walk Through of the College Readiness Math

11am Drop-in Mindfulness Practice

12pm Library Help Desk Drop-in

1pm Write Like a Pro!

2pm Fundamentals of Academic Writing

3pm Drop-in Indigenous Support: Round Room with Elder Una

4pm Learning and Sharing Culture at RRC

Tuesday, January 5

Click for full details >> Tuesday Warm Up

9am How to Excel During Remote Learning: What Academic Integrity Really Means

10am Academic Integrity / College Readiness Math Assessment Drop-in

11am Mindful Movement / Yoga with Holly

12pm A Thoughtful Experiment in Copyright / Library Help Desk Drop-in

1pm Setting Goals and Building Habits

2pm Time Management Skills

3pm Stress Management

4pm Immigration Essentials You Need to Know

Wednesday, January 6

Click for full details >> Wednesday Warm Up

9am Reading for Success

10am College Readiness Assessment Drop-in / Reading

11am Drop-in Indigenous Support: Round Room with Elder Jules

12:15pm Making the Most of LinkedIn Learning

1pm Online Learning Strategies

2pm Online Learning

3pm Students Awards & Financial Aid

4pm Making Connections

Thursday, January 7

Click for full details >> Thursday Warm Up

9am Writing for College

10am College Readiness Assessment Drop-in / Research Papers

11am Job Search – Student Employment Services

12:15pm OneSearch (Database Instruction)

1pm “Netiquette” – Professionalism in Online Learning

2pm Virtual Classroom Strategies

3pm Job Interviews – Student Employment Services

4pm Start Strong

Friday, January 8

Click for full details >> Friday Warm Up

9am Professional Power Emails

10am College Readiness Assessment Drop-in / Intercultural Competence

11am “Talk to a Peer” Panel

12:15pm Research Skills

1pm How the ASC Can Help

2pm Working in Teams

3pm Drop-in Indigenous Support: Round Room with Elder Paul

4pm A+ Success Strategies

Have questions?

Connect with us at library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us bubble during regular Library hours. We’d love to hear from you!