The Information Services ‘You Said, We Did’ campaign highlights the impact student feedback has across Library and IT resulting in real, student-led, change.
Here are some examples of what we’ve done in response to your feedback.
Free Software
You said… Promote software that students can download for free.
We did… You can get Microsoft Office for free along with many other software packages. For more information, see our blog post, Free Software for Students.
More Study Space
You said… Create more study space.
We did… Study space in the library has increased by 25%. We have a variety of study facilities including bookable Group Study Rooms, individual study desks, open study areas and desks with PCs. For more information on study space at the University see stir.ac.uk/2og.
Software Widely Used in the Workplace
You said… Greater access to software we will use in the workplace.
We did… Information Services are rolling out Office 365, which means all students can benefit from the use of this constantly evolving suite of software for free. For more information on Office 365 see stir.ac.uk/2nl.
More Computers
You said… Have more computers available in the library.
We did… We have introduced a laptop loans service. Students can borrow a laptop for up to four hours. You can find the laptops on level 2 of the library. See our blog post, New Laptop Lending Service, for more information.
Plagiarism Checker
You said… We’d like to check our work for plagiarism.
We did… Each of your modules in Canvas has an assignment called Similarity Checking Space. The Similarity Checking Space allows you to submit drafts of your work to check for possible plagiarism via the Turnitin service. For more information on using Turnitin see, Using Turnitin to Check your Work.
Cloud Storage
You said… Give students free cloud storage.
We did… Students and staff have access to OneDrive which gives you 1TB of online storage. Access OneDrive via the portal.
How to Use Canvas
You said… Provide instructions on how to use Canvas.
We did… In Canvas, click Help -> Canvas and Learning Technologies (Students) to access your Canvas help module. The module enables you to orientate yourself with Canvas and help you learn how to use some of the many features and tools Canvas has to offer.
eBooks and eJournals
You said… Please provide more ebooks and ejournals.
We did… The library’s collections expand far beyond the physical collection. We have access to 119,000 electronic journals through a range of local and national agreements with publishers. We have access to over 320,000 ebooks, now more than the 315,000 printed books we hold. Read more in our blog post, eJournals and eBooks.
Data Security
You said… Please keep my data private.
We said… The University is committed to keeping student data private in line with GDPR. Our student records system is held securely on-premise and is only accessible by authorised staff. For more information, see the Privacy Policy.
Study Space
You said… How do we know where the free study space is?
We did… You can check Resource Booker to see if there are any teaching rooms free (you can use any free teaching rooms or labs). For live information on PC availability, see Open access PCs (Library, Study Zone, PF Mezzanine) and Teaching Labs.
We value your feedback as it helps us to make improvements to our services. Have a suggestion? Contact us at information.centre@stir.ac.uk.