LearningExpress Library is an amazing resource. Truly.
As I instruct librarians about our ELM (Electronic Library for Minnesota) resources, whenever we dive into LearningExpress Library (LEL) I hear immediate feedback from so many about how much is in there. They didn’t realize we had such a comprehensive resource for so many different areas. Recently, I was giving a workshop for Viking Library System in Fergus Falls and, while I had devoted 40 minutes of the agenda to LEL, we were only able to cover 2 of the 9 Centers and it still didn’t seem like we fully covered all aspects of the Centers. They went away with a better sense of how the resource could help their patrons and how they could introduce and guide patrons through different sections of the resource.
In this article I will focus on one Center, the College Preparation Center, and dig deep to highlight some of the exceptional tools available. One thing to note about LearningExpress Library is that to access any of the content you need to create an individual account. As you go through the resource and use the different tools everything will be saved in your account under the "My Center" section. So, let’s get started.
The resources available under College Preparation Center will help students prepare for college admissions exams and essay writing. The key tests in this center are ACT, SAT, and PSAT/NMSQT. Other test preps available are AP exams, for those hoping to obtain advanced placement and/or receive academic credit prior to entering college; TOEFL iBT test (the Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet-Based), offered to people interested in taking college-level courses or finding work in a predominantly English-speaking county; and THEA Test (Texas Higher Education Assessment), which does not pertain to Minnesota students. Most sections will offer tutorials, tests, and ebooks. Ebooks are downloadable and do not need to be returned. All tests are updated in August using the previous year’s real exams. So, the ACT test that students took in 2016 is the practice test for 2017.
Tutorials are courses designed to give students a foundational understanding of the different subject areas. Tutorials include pre/post tests, an introduction to the test, and unit sections for the different subject areas with a summary and unit quiz. As I mentioned earlier, any components you work with are saved in your My Center and you can go back to any section to complete or redo.
Practice tests are broken up by the different subject areas covered on that test with “Complete Simulated Practice Tests”. There are several practice tests for each subject, each with an explanation about the test, how to take it, how many questions are on the test, and the amount of time to complete the test. Most practice tests give 2 or 3 different test mode options: Simulation – the test will stop when the time is up; Practice – see the answer explanations after you have finished, timer is on but not enforced; and Learner – view the answers to each question as you go along.
You don’t have to go through the sections in order. You can jump around from tutorial to test to different subject areas. You can delete saved tests, review answers, review recommended resources, or start a test all over from the My Center section. The College Admissions Essay Writing section offers ebooks on proofreading, revising, and editing skills, and guides to the personal essay.
Students should expect to take some time to go over the material. However, if they need to leave a session it will be saved for them.
Next up, I will review the Adult Learning Center.
