Students at York University can now access YULearn, York's new online learning commons. The site provides students with a single gateway to online critical skills assistance and offers wide-ranging support in the areas of library research, university skills, writing and subject/discipline resources.
Vivienne Monty, librarian at Glendon's Leslie Frost Library, chaired the committee that developed the YULearn site. "I had the vision to create the site years ago. I found that there was a similar initiative underway that would develop a physical presence for the University's Learning Commons [in the Scott Library] and it was serendipitous," says Monty. "This site is not meant to help students in lieu of a real person, but let's say you are a student working on an assignment late at night and you need help with research or a specific skill, this site provides that support because it is available 24/7."
Developed in conjunction with the Centre for Support of Teaching, the York Libraries, writing centres on both the Keele and Glendon campuses and numerous indvidual faculty members, YULearn is the result of months of development, says Monty.
"I encourage students to use the site," says Monty. "The committee is also very interested in receiving feedback, which will be used to develop the site."
The YULearn Web site was designed by Maryam Malik, a York MBA student, and Stacey Mechefske of the Leslie Frost Library, Glendon College, who now administers the site. Additional support was provided by Mitchelle D'Souza at the Centre for the Support of Teaching.
The YULearn online learning commons project is coordinated by Sophie Bury, librarian, Bronfman Business Library; Haiyun Cao, librarian, Scott Library; Sarah Coysh, librarian, Leslie Frost Library; Professor Robert Kenedy, Faculty of Arts; Norma Sue Fisher-Stitt, director Atkinson Centre for Mature & Part-time Students (ACMAPS); Ilo-Katryn Maimets, librarian, Steacie Science & Engineering Library; Vivienne Monty, committee chair and librarian, Leslie Frost Library; and John Spencer, Centre for Academic Writing. Professors Leslie Saunders and Polly MacFarlane, director, personal & crisis counselling & learning skills contributed to the development of YULearn.
For more information, visit the YULearn Web site. For more information on York's Learning Commons initiative, visit the Learning Commons Web site. Queries and suggestions about this site are welcome and can be e-mailed to yulearn@yorku.ca.