Fogler Library Faculty Newsletter #332

Fogler Website Usability Test, MATLAB Workshop, Textbook Alternative Workshop

In this issue:

  1. Participants Needed for Library Website Usability Study
  2. Introduction to MATLAB for Data Analysis
  3. Textbook Alternative Workshop

1. Participants Needed for Library Website Usability Study

Fogler Library is seeking members from the UMaine community to help us better understand how our users interact with the library website, which was relaunched in January 2017.

Participants in our usability study will attempt to complete a set of representative tasks using Fogler Library’s website. As they work through the tasks, participants will describe their decision-making process to two members of the library’s staff who will be on-hand to take notes.

The session will be held at Fogler Library and last no longer than 30 minutes. During that time, we will record the participant’s computer screen and their narration to use when making future decisions about the library website. Participants must have availability between 12pm and 5pm on April 19, 20, or 21. A $5 Bear Bucks certificate will be offered to participants who complete a testing session.

Any students, graduate students, or faculty who are interested in participating can complete the online form to be considered for the testing sessions.

2. Introduction to MATLAB for Data Analysis

Date & Time: Thursday, April 13, 6pm-8pm
Location: Fogler Library Classroom

This seminar will offer beginners a hands-on introduction to coding in MATLAB, one of the most popular programming languages used in academic and professional settings. We will start with an introduction to the GUI (graphical user interface) and basic programming syntax. In hands-on exercises, participants will upload files, write script, generate functions, and create figures. Attendees can apply the coding concepts toward a variety of programming languages after the workshop.

Previous coding experience is not required.

Please share this workshop with any students, faculty, or staff who may be interested in participating.

3. Textbook Alternative Workshop

Date: April 25, 2017
Sessions Available: 10-11am; 11am-12pm; 12pm-1pm
Location: Fogler Library Classroom

Join Fogler Library Reference Librarians and Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning Instructional Designers to learn about using free and licensed resources in lieu of textbooks.

In this workshop, reference librarians and instructional designers will work closely with faculty to discover resources that can replace expensive textbooks in your classes. To provide personalized feedback, individual or small group sessions will be organized based on discipline. Please RSVP by Tuesday April 18th to allow for scheduling.

More information on textbook alternatives can be found here.