www. northumbria. ac. uk51 Jessie Junxia Hou PhD student profile " My name is Junxia Hou and I am a CETL AfL PhD student researching the transition between learning environments in China and the UK. Back in China I am a university lecturer and I hold positions of responsibility at my home university. I have spent much of the last 15 months with a group of 54 Chinese students from a well-known university in China who are now studying at Northumbria. I am focusing on their experience of the transition between the two learning environments and I've also been accompanying the students to classes and lectures here at Northumbria and interviewing them about their perceptions of their experiences. I feel that being part of CETL AfL is really helping me towards success in my PhD. There is a very positive atmosphere and people tend to share developments in their work as soon as they happen. It's the informality of the discussion that helps sometimes and there's always someone around to talk to if you need to test out an idea." Gillian Davison PhD student profile " I am a CETL AfL PhD student and my research is looking at the potential to develop learner autonomy through the practice of ' authentic assessment' in Higher Education. I am originally from the North East of England and prior to starting my PhD I had a career in Social Work. My interest in authenticity is grounded in the National agenda to raise the standards of learning and as such is an important national priority ( Leitch, 2006). The Higher Education Funding Council ( 2007) indicate that today's graduates need to be able to apply knowledge when working with people, they need to be able to work independently, become efficient problem solvers, engage in self- evaluation, and be able to develop higher order skills to become ' lifelong learners' in an increasingly globalised, technological world. Northumbria has excellent examples of where authentic and complex assessment tasks are being used and my study aims to examine the nature of these contexts."

52General Information Library and Learning Services Northumbria's Library and Learning Services are always on hand to support you; our City Campus library is open 24x7 and has a diverse range of services and support to ensure you have everything you need, when you need it. Services Well- stocked libraries at City Campus and Coach Lane provide access to more than 500,000 books, 300+ databases and over 30,000 journals, most of which are available electronically from anywhere in the world. Our award- winning search service, NORA, helps you navigate through this vast range of electronic resources to find the information you need. In addition, part- time and distance learning students can access our loan services by post. To help develop your skills, we offer a range of induction and advanced skills sessions throughout the year, tailored directly to the needs of your course. Dedicated PC's for postgraduate research students are available 24x7 in our Research Hubs. Northumbria's Digital Research Repository is available at www. northumbria. ac. uk/ nrl. It includes published research and peer- reviewed research materials. It is also a platform for authors to make their work accessible on a global scale. We also ensure we ' feed the mind' to help you make the most of your time in the Library. In ' the basement' at City Campus Library you can purchase fresh coffees and light refreshments any time of the day or night. Support Help is available 24 hours a day through a range of enquiry services - you can consult our staff in person at the library, ring us up or email us on ask4help@ northumbria. ac. uk from the comfort of your own home. As part of your induction you will be introduced to your Information Specialist who can help you to find the information you need and advise you of any further skills opportunities to ensure you reach your full potential. Success We strive to provide excellent customer- focused services and in 2008 Northumbria's Library and Learning Services achieved its best ever score in the National Student Survey, ranking us 13th across the sector for the question ' the library resources and services are good enough for my needs'. The library is at the heart of the campus and at the heart of the student experience, at the heart of the library is a first class service to help you become a first class student.