Failing to learn: Embracing failure for successful instruction Brent Nunn (DePaul University) and Terrence Bennett (The College of New Jersey)
- Handout (.doc)
How can librarians enliven their instruction sessions? Is learning by listening an effective way to reach your audience, or is it a flawed approach? Reflecting on lessons learned through their successful (and unsuccessful) application of corporate learning theory into the library environment, presenters in this workshop will encourage attendees to re-examine their ideas about library instruction, and will also share thought-provoking lessons derived from the influential writings of Roger Schank.
This workshop will demonstrate how to move beyond the conventional sit-and-listen instruction session and offer ways to create a more memorable learning experience. Drawing from the provocative writings of learning theorist Roger Schank, the presenters of this workshop will emphasize innovative ideas about effective learning.
Schank maintains that learning by listening is flawed because the human mind processes new information by trying to match it with similar information that has already been learned. In order to be effective, learning must be tied to a goal; learning requires memory modification; learning should be enhanced by story creation; and learning depends on failure. Guided by these assertions, the presenters will introduce innovative approaches to library instruction, which will include challenging participants to make mistakes and then to transform these mistakes into the critical components of deep learning.
After briefly establishing a theoretical foundation for the workshop, the facilitators will engage workshop attendees with exercises that will allow them to put Roger Schank’s ideas into practice. Adhering to Schank’s theories of effective learning, this workshop will not be a traditional sit-and-listen instruction session.
From candy to clickers: Interactive activities to involve students in library instruction Randy Christensen and Richard Eissinger (Southern Utah University)
- Presentation (.pptx)
This highly interactive session will demonstrate teaching strategies through the use of educational gaming, audience response systems, and interactive online tools to engage students and add interest and excitement to library instruction. Educational gaming activities will range from large group interactive games useful as ice-breakers to small group activities to encourage concept brainstorming. The presenters will discuss reasons for using gaming activities, techniques for creating games, and how to improve student engagement. Clickers, an audience response system, will be used to demonstrate how this technology can be used as an ice-breaker, to improve attentiveness, to confirm student understanding, and to generate small group brainstorming. The presentation will then explore some of the interactive online tools that can be used to visualize information searching and retrieval to enhance information literacy instruction. Online tools such as Visual Thesaurus, Grokker, and KartOO offer unique ways to visualize information patterns, facilitate information discovery and navigation, and reveal hidden concepts to help students develop their information literacy skills. Finally, the presenters will investigate how these tools can be used to create involvement in online class environments.
Many paths, one journey: mapping the routes to information literacy Margy MacMillan (Mount Royal College)
- Presentation (.pptx)
- Handout (.doc)
- Sample (.doc)
Students gain information literacy skills from a range of sources, not all of which involve direct librarian intervention. These skills grow and diversify over the course of their studies in ways that pre/post test research protocols cannot capture. So how can we understand how they learn what they know? This presentation describes a long-term project using the Information Skills résumé as a case study of gathering, analyzing and using qualitative data to better understand student learning and thereby improve information literacy instruction. The Information Skills résumé tool, used to gather information from journalism students over five years, showed development of information skills and knowledge in response to formal classes, self-directed learning, internship experiences and changes in the information environment. This descriptive approach to assessment clearly demonstrated the benefits of an integrated information literacy program and provided rich experiences for both the students and the researcher, which in turn fed directly into continuous improvement of instruction. The tool is free, easy to implement rewarding for both researcher and students.
Student Peer Assessment as an instructional strategy Jon Eldredge (University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center)
Student Peer Assessment (SPA) has been used for a number of years for educating future health professionals. This interactive session will enable participants to explore different forms of SPA, and then to adapt the most appropriate form(s) to her or his library instruction strategies. The facilitator has used SPA with medical students for the past decade. During the past three years the facilitator has used SPA more intensively and with a more structured approach with graduate students in public health, clinical research, health policy, and from a physician assistant program. The session will involve several hands-on exercises so that all participants will leave the session with an informed action plan to implement SPA at her or his institution.
The first-year college student’s approach to a research paper assignment can be similar to that of a wild bucking horse loose in a pasture. Librarians and classroom faculty members, on the other side of the fence, find it their role to corral these wild horses. During this experiential workshop, Hudson Valley Community College “horse whisperers,” Robert Matthews from the Marvin Library and Sushmita Chatterji from the English Department will demonstrate successful partnership techniques developed to assist students in taming these mustangs.
The savvy researcher: Teaching information management skills to graduate students Merinda Kaye Hensley (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
- (LibGuides)
Who better to teach information management skills than librarians? Run-of-the-mill library instruction rarely leaves time to cover topics such as current awareness tools, copyright concerns or scholarly communication education. The Savvy Researcher asks us to reconsider the drop-in workshop as a venue for the inquisitive graduate student. In this interactive session, we’ll demonstrate several active learning techniques including PowerLearn, a form of speed dating for instruction. You will develop a lesson plan to implement a workshop/module customized for the needs of your institution. At the end of this session, don't miss the Pecha Kucha, “Every path has its puddle: We wore rain boots so you don't have to.”
The teaching philosophy framework: Learning, leading, and growing Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Beth S. Woodard (University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign)
A teaching philosophy statement is a powerful framework for exploring one's beliefs about student learning, classroom leadership, assessment, teaching and learning styles, and programmatic development. Unfortunately, developing a teaching philosophy statement can be a daunting task. Librarians may find though that having a statement is necessary (e.g., promotion dossier) and/or desirable (e.g., personal reflection). The workshop will offer a structured and scaffolded approach to drafting a philosophy statement and identifying evidence from one's teaching practice as the framework for a teaching portfolio. Participants will have the beginning of a draft personal statement at the conclusion of the workshop.
Visual and media literacy, the overlooked competencies: How we are influenced by what we see Frances A. May (University of North Texas)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout of video clips (.doc)
We are often taught to analyze verbal and written communication, but the analysis of visual communication, (for example, in advertising, art, media, and film,) is often neglected or ignored. This presentation is intended to show attendees the ways in which pictures and videos affect them, and how to analyze and decode images in order to construct meaning from the visuals. They can then pass this information on to their students.
Patricia Senn Breivik argues that information literacy should incorporate multiple types of literacy, including computer, library, media, network, and visual literacy (2005). In an era of massive exposure to visual images through the media and World Wide Web, librarians, educators, citizens and students need to be aware of the power of images to enhance as well as persuade and manipulate the messages we receive. Until we are aware of the techniques used in film and advertising, we are susceptible to manipulation. Therefore, this subject should be a concern for educators and librarians as a major component of critical thinking.
The attendees will view examples from advertising, the media, film, and art, and be shown, through stills and clips from films, how artists and film makers have used them to tell their stories and elicit emotional responses from their audiences. They will be given the opportunity to analyze a variety of examples during the course of the session. Their ability to understand and appreciate films and art will also be increased and enhanced. It will be an eye-opening experience.
Breakout Sessions
A new model for evaluating the online tutorial: Does your tutorial reflect your mission? Paulette Kerr and Jana Varlejs (Rutgers University)
The online tutorial has emerged as a ubiquitous representation of information literacy (IL) instruction and often is the visible face of IL programs. Tutorials have been evaluated primarily in relation to criteria of instruction. This presentation asks new questions: Does the tutorial reflect the library's goals and mission for information literacy? Does it do what we say we will do in our mission? The presentation details the process and provides graphic results of the in-depth evaluation of one library’s mission and tutorial. The audience will be asked to participate in an analysis of a library’s mission statement and online tutorial. Participants will leave with a framework and tools to conduct a similar evaluation in their institutions.
Beating the competition: Librarian as performance artist Marc Mason (Arizona State University)
“Libraries have to compete.” We hear it often enough: Bookstores, Google, coffee shops… There are many resources that draw the attention of our students (cell phones/text messaging, Facebook/MySpace, sleep), and we have to work harder to get them to come to us. But getting them to the library is just the beginning.
So we have to compete! Be more interesting, more compelling than anything else in the students’ vicinity. And change perspectives; they are not your students:
They are your audience.
Audiences demand entertainment. It’s no longer enough to be a knowledgeable teacher with a strong instructional paradigm. You must also be a performer, captivating students with wit, creativity and charisma.
Join an Arizona State University librarian as he shares instructional strategies that incorporate skills developed from stand-up and improv comedy to turn instruction sessions into entertaining workshops that keep student attention. And learn what happened when he began teaching “performance skills” workshops for librarians that are designed to encourage them to abandon traditional approaches to interacting with groups, tap their creativity, and rely more on their wits.
If you’re looking for new ways to beat the competition, thinking about releasing your inhibitions and embracing your inner “theatre geek”, or want to polish your own performance skills, check out this exciting and hilarious session and go home with a grin! You’ll discover a new sense of fun, make your students laugh a little, and add some silliness to a profession that can take itself a bit too seriously.
Critical political thinking Eric Frierson and Gretchen Trkay (University of Texas at Arlington)
- Presentation (.pptx)
Strong democracies rely on the well-reasoned, informed decisions of voters. With this in mind, our library partnered with our Department of Political Science chair to develop assignments requiring students to think critically about political viability. Using library resources and web resources, students evaluate political platforms, media treatment of candidates, and academic discourse about relevant issues, and present their perception of a candidate’s viability via a YouTube video. Throughout, students evaluate and synthesize information, becoming discerning information users.
Our session will help attendees develop these meaningful information literacy projects with faculty members by describing the way we approached our faculty (using shared goals as a reason for collaboration). We will also talk about logistical challenges, including the design and execution of an assignment for a 100-student class using video technology, and how we overcame those. Finally, we will demonstrate assessing student-produced multimedia projects using a rubric developed by the "Media Scholarship" program at Hamilton College. We will look at a student video and evaluate it based on students' interaction with media content, information literacy skills, and the conceptual messages in the video.
After our session, attendees will be able to brainstorm meaningful projects that will engage faculty members and students, regardless of academic discipline. They will also be prepared to deal with logistical challenges and assess the results of multimedia projects.
Developing an online credit-bearing information fluency course: Lessons learned Yvonne Mery, Rebecca Blakiston, and Leslie Sult (University of Arizona) - Presentation (.pptx) - Handout (.pdf)
This presentation will focus on the University of Arizona Libraries’ development and implementation of its first online one-credit information fluency course, the Skillful Researcher. This course is taught entirely online and has allowed the Library to reach new students who have little experience with the Library and its resources. The presentation will be aimed at librarians who are currently planning their own online or credit-bearing courses. Attendees will learn how we developed the course from its inception to its evaluation and how they can avoid the same mistakes and pitfalls in their own development.
Doing it right: Collaboration, shared workspaces, syndication and broadcasting at the ANimated Tutorial Sharing Project Carmen Kazakoff-Lane (Brandon University) and Paul Betty (Regis University)
- Presentation (.pptx)
In Information Literacy, collaboration is a catch phrase for librarians working together with others within their institutions - but important collaboration must occur across institutions as well, if we are to meet increasing user demands for 24/7, point-of-need, instruction.
Learn how the ANimated Tutorial Sharing Project (ANTS) facilitates inter-institutional collaboration and enables libraries to build a critical mass of open source tutorials (aka Open Educational Resources) that can be uploaded, downloaded, customized, subscribed to, embedded, or syndicated via sites like Facebook, iTunes or Libguides. Also learn:
- How ANTS works to eliminate duplication of effort across institutions,
- How ANTS informs colleagues of Best Practices in Screencasting and how these practices have lead to the production of OER’s that are professional, authoritative, current and generic enough to be used in any library,
- How ANTS online broadcast network (http://liontv.blip.tv) ensures that librarian created content is made ubiquitously available to the online community, and
- How you can participate!
Ethos and credibility: Collaborating to develop students' critical information literacy April Cunningham (Saddleback College) and Richard H Hannon (Palomar College)
Librarians and professors know that students who search online believe they can identify good sources based on surface credibility. But students make bad decisions if they apply criteria out of alignment with academic values. This presentation outlines an innovative merger of traditional Rhetoric and Information Literacy to guide students’ research decisions. The collaboration between a librarian and a Composition instructor illustrates librarians’ central role in deepening students' academic values. Participants will take away a new approach to developing students’ evaluative skills that draws on the philosophical principles of “good reasons” and ethos.
Focus on foundations: Integrating information literacy in an online faculty development program Corinne Laverty (Queen's University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
University centres for teaching and learning offer librarians another platform to bring information literacy to the attention of faculty. The Queen's University Centre for Teaching and Learning offers a professional development series leading to a certificate in the theoretical and practical foundations for teaching and learning. This past year a librarian and an educational developer re-designed the modules in an online format that integrates strands addressing information literacy, technology, accessibility, and pedagogy. The modules are open to the public and offer ideas on: curriculum planning; discussion-based teaching; lecturing; assessment; inquiry-based learning; active learning; team/group learning; evaluating teaching; scholarship of teaching and learning; and working with teaching assistants. Methods of online engagement and opportunities for information literacy integration in the modules will be highlighted.
Git along little dogies: A collaborative approach to library instruction for first-year writing students Jim Kinnie (University of Rhode Island) and Kerry Caparco (Cross Mills Public Library)
- Presentation (.ppt)
This presentation outlines the collaboration between URI Libraries and the URI Department of Writing and Rhetoric that has been designed to improve library skills for first-year writing students who all come to the library for an information literacy session. In ongoing discussions, URI librarians and Writing chairs updated the goals and outcomes of the library sessions and during the spring 2008 semester piloted a concept mapping pre-activity for students to enhance their research projects & prepare them for library research. The project design and assessment are detailed as well as the overall URI library instruction program for writing students.
Help us help them: Instruction training for LIS students and new librarians Amanda Click (The American University in Cairo) and Claire Walker (Cumberland University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
As a result of the ever-increasing importance placed on information literacy by academic libraries, librarians are now, more than ever, required to be skilled teachers. But how are LIS curricula and veteran librarians evolving to foster this set of skills in the next generation of librarians? Our research focuses on the instruction training experiences of librarians who graduated from LIS programs within the last five years. We will discuss the different ways that LIS students are prepared for library instruction throughout graduate school, as well as how new librarians are developed as effective instructors once on the job. Our intention is to answer the following questions: How are librarians learning to teach? Are instruction courses provided regularly in Library and Information Studies graduate programs? What kinds of instruction training opportunities are LIS students finding outside of classroom instruction? How are new librarians receiving on the job training related to instruction? Which of these training methods are the most effective for new instruction librarians?
How to illuminate your classroom with interactive learning techniques Jacqui Weetman DaCosta (The College of New Jersey) and Eleonora Dubicki (Monmouth University) - Presentation (.pptx)
Active learning is a method of teaching that encourages students to participate extensively during instructional sessions. This session will discuss several active learning tools, which can be incorporated into library instruction to improve student engagement and illuminate your classroom. As well as discussing the successes of these teaching methods, the presenters will also raise some of the issues and challenges that could be encountered. You will gain first-hand experience of two of the interactive learning techniques, as these methods will be used to deliver this presentation. While this presentation will be interactive and fun, it will not lose sight of the educational theories that underpin this style of learning. Results of student and faculty evaluations of these active learning methods will also be presented. You can evaluate the techniques and assess whether they would fit into your library environment. References will also be provided to further reading.
Information literacy and librarianship in the age of the social web: A critical discourse analysis of ILI-L postings Sarah Polkinghorne (Augustana Campus Library, University of Alberta) and Cameron Hoffman (Concordia University)
This session reports on research examining the intersection of information literacy, librarians' roles as teachers, and the social Web (or "Web 2.0"). Using a discourse analysis framework, the presenters explored postings published on the ILI-L listserv between January and October 2008 that addressed the integration of social Web applications with information literacy instruction. The analysis revealed that while the social Web continues to raise several hotly contested questions, librarians are increasingly utilizing social Web tools to engage students, improve learning and strengthen librarians' teaching role. These findings contrast with a 2007 discourse analysis conducted by the presenters, which observed that librarians predominantly employed social Web applications to market library services rather than to enhance instruction. This session will be of interest to individuals in the LIS community who would like to explore the teaching role of librarians, learn about how the social Web has been used in information literacy instruction, or integrate discourse analysis and learning theory into their library practice.
Instruction 2.0: Engaging students and faculty through course wikis Kristine Esch Kasbohm and Hazel McClure (Canisius College)
- Handout (.docx)
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Merriam-Webster online defines a "wiki" as "a Web site that allows visitors to make changes, contributions, or corrections". Librarians at Canisius College have used a variety of web-based collaborative resources such as wikis, Google applications, and Angel course management software to improve student engagement and faculty interest in information literacy instruction. These collaborative resources offer instructional support beyond the one-shot session in the library. They also provide an avenue for librarians to interact with students and faculty.
We have used wikis in several different ways. When students do not completely understand something discussed in the library session, or when they want more information, they use the wiki as a specialized subject guide. But the wikis go beyond that and provide a place for students, faculty, and librarians to engage the resource material. It also has the advantage of providing additional support from the library without using additional class time. Linking wikis through the course management system (Angel) ensures access to the target audience.
Our presentation will include examples of wikis that we have used, along with a discussion of how they were developed and some of our challenges, failures, and successes. We will report feedback from students and faculty, demonstrate how these resources support the information literacy goals of the Core Curriculum, and discuss what we have learned from assessment. We will also share future goals for this project.
Learning objects: Providing technology to reach the diverse users at the University of New Mexico Libraries Ali Green and Sarah Stohr (University of New Mexico)
Technology is critical in reaching the diverse group of students at the University of New Mexico (UNM). To serve these users, the UNM University Libraries is in the process of creating new learning objects that complement, supplement, and reinforce the library instruction currently offered to incoming students. The process of creating the learning objects will be the focus of this presentation as we explore the goals of the project, the life cycle of the learning objects created, and the expected outcomes as the project moves forward.
Leaving the farm: The power of partners and technology Valla McLean and Carolee Pollock (Grant MacEwan College)
- Presentation (.pdf)
- Handout (.pdf)
In an effort to address both the drawbacks of the one-shot library session and student apathy towards the library, a reference librarian and humanities professor developed a multi-tiered plan to enhance the information literacy learning experience of students. Through just-in-time instruction taught in the students’ classroom through a library resources module in Blackboard embedded in a humanities course this unique collaborative effort transcended space and academic departments. Hear about the benefits and challenges of teaching library skills through point-of-need instruction and innovative technologies such as Blackboard and Camtasia. Walk away with strategies for blended learning and creating collaborative environments.
Letting the inmates run the asylum: Student engagement in the progressive classroom Tracey Mayfield (California State University, Long Beach) - Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout #1 (.doc)
- Handout #2 (.doc)
- Handout #3 (.ppt; print in 'Notes Pages' view)
One of the biggest challenges in library instruction today is engaging students in the one-shot library instruction setting. Students are bored, incommunicative and motivating them to participate proves difficult. These challenges with students beg the question: how do we initiate and maintain student engagement in the one-shot library instruction?
Our approach is a simple one: let the students set the learning agenda.
This presentation will address how librarians can partner with students during the library instruction session to chart a unique and customized path towards learning. The presenters will demonstrate their method of letting students set the agenda that identifies their own learning outcomes thus facilitating a collaborative classroom environment that the students both enjoy and participate in.
The theoretical rationale for this method, active learning exercises that compliment this technique, and tips for those wanting to try it will also be included, as well as sharing data from over 2 years of student-set agendas to show trends that have emerged.
Lighting the path to collections through collaboration Brena Smith and Alison Armstrong (University of California, Los Angeles)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.pdf)
Delivering information literacy instruction through credit bearing courses has been practiced in university and college libraries for some time. However, when the UCLA Library considered developing a for-credit class, the traditional model of one credit, one instructor was simply not sustainable nor effective for the needs of the campus. Therefore, we looked to collaborate with our campus colleagues to develop a course, we chose to tap into librarians' expertise and interests to be able to deliver a collaborative model that can be flexible.
The two important components of our teaching model are:
1)a course that could be taught and coordinated by multiple librarians with different areas of expertise or interest;
2)a course that is supported and championed by campus partners thus ensuring high, stable enrollment.
The course, HNRS 101-I, Information and Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences, was designed to assist students who plan to be involved with a major research project, such as an honors thesis or other long term research project. Our intention is to connect students with resources available to them beyond the "usual suspects" and engage them more deeply with the libraries' collections.
The presentation will include background and development of the course, challenges and opportunities we experienced, and assessment and future planning. The audience will participate in an active learning exercise.
Meeting the information literacy needs of history faculty and students: An Evidence-based approach to IL curriculum development Deborah Hicks and Alison Henry (University of Alberta)
History, as a discipline, is unique in the way that practitioners undertake research and search for information. The sources historians are difficult to discover in library systems and require specialized searching skills. Anecdotal evidence collected at the University of Alberta indicated that there was a need to provide specific and targeted information literacy and bibliographic instruction to History students. Using a survey and interviews with faculty members, data was collected to develop a four-year IL curriculum. This presentation will focus on the results of the research and how they influenced the creation of a four year information literacy curricula. This presentation is not only of interest to History subject specialists, instead it will be of interest to anyone who is want to develop an evidence-based, faculty inclusive, multi-year IL curriculum that will meet the discipline-specific information needs of students.
No Lectures, no demos, no tests! How to succeed in the classroom without really [doing what you thought was] teaching Diane Zwemer (Woodbury University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.doc)
- Handout - Compilation of Comics (.doc)
“Less is more” is the oft heard rallying cry in library instruction. But how does this apply to a credit bearing information literacy course? Less what? And how do you decide? Learn how to encourage deeper learning and make your class more meaningful by replacing lectures, demos and tests with activities, practice and feedback. Cognitive development studies show that traditional teaching techniques aren’t as affective with today’s undergraduates. This presentation reveals how backwards course development and authentic assessment can successfully re-focus and strengthen an overstuffed course.
Online library teaching for diverse learners Dr. Kathryn Miller and Marisa Spooner (National-Louis University)and Victoria West-Pawl (Colorado State University--Global Campus)
Are your online library lessons interactive learning experiences? This session will explore teaching tools and curriculum design that can add interest and fun to online library education. Kathryn Miller, Marisa Spooner and Victoria West-Pawl, online librarians, will introduce tools librarians can use to infuse energy and interaction into online library learning. Learn how Adobe's Captivate software, WetPaint wikis, JING, TalkShoe and more can be used to make online learning an interactive experience. Particular attention will be paid to varied learning styles and ideas on how to effectively craft online learning for diverse learners.
Problem Based Learning meets Web 2.0: Using a YouTube video to teach information literacy in a Problem Based Learning format Frances A. May (University of North Texas) - Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.doc)
Most of the available knowledge about NetGen or Millennial students indicates they are visual and kinesthetic learners, who like to work in groups. In addition, they get their information primarily from news media on the web. To capitalize on these trends, a powerful way of teaching information literacy was developed, combining Problem-Based Learning techniques with a 3-minute BBC news clip on YouTube. They were asked to list facts, define the problem, determine what other information they needed, and then shown how to find books and articles on the topic. They were then asked to propose a solution based on what they had learned. The librarian acts as a guide on the side, asking questions of the students to draw their knowledge and experience into the class, thus creating more interest and buy-in on their part. The skills thus learned are transferable. And it can be done in a 50 minute session.
The widespread lack of knowledge of media and visual literacy are limiting the ability of our students to think critically. It is a broad generalization to say that most people get their information from news broadcasts via television or web; however, it is probably an accurate observation. Therefore, incorporating visual media into an information literacy instruction session helps students of any age to be better informed citizens and more critical information consumers.
The presentation will describe the process, and share comments of the students.
Reduce > Reuse > Recycle: Teaching ACRL’s 5th Information Literacy Competency Standard Catherine Cardwell, Amy Fyn, and Carol Singer (Bowling Green State University)
- (LibGuides)
For an online credit-bearing course, a team at Bowling Green State University Libraries designed a module around ACRL's Standard Five in order to help students navigate the complexities of using information ethically and legally. Module contents, including readings, discussion questions, assessments and quizzes, may be used as a whole or in pieces as needed. Module readings and activities work equally well online or in the classroom setting and can be easily modified for one-shot library sessions or as part of a larger conversation on academic honesty and correct citing of sources.
Re-tooling the factory: Scaffolding for library labs in large first year courses Joanna Szurmak (University of Toronto Mississauga)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout #1 (.doc)
- Handout #2 (.doc)
The objectives of this session are two-fold: (1) To share and analyze the effectiveness of tool-based vs. concept-based pedagogical approaches to scaffolding for library labs in a large first year class at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM); (2) To elicit a discussion of my results and next steps in the light of the literature on the subject and my audience’s experiences and insights.
The quantitative study from which I am presenting data is the effectiveness assessment of two scaffolding pedagogies for a library assignment in PSY100 at UTM. Two groups of students in summer PSY100 labs were given a SAILS-based pre-test of their information literacy (IL) skills. One group received concept-based instruction in IL skills. The second group received tool-based instruction geared towards completing the assignment. Student performance on a SAILS-based post-test served as the basis for comparison of the two groups. The group which received concept-based IL scaffolding appeared to have better post-test scores. The implications of this outcome for IL scaffolding in large first year classes serve as the starting point of our discussion.
After this session, the participants may be able to: (a) identify the challenges of providing information literacy (IL) instruction in large classes; (b) reflect, using the PSY100 example, on approaches for assessing the effectiveness of IL instruction in large classes; (c) identify and analyze practical scaffolding pedagogies.
Save a horse, ride a new train of thought: Using threshold concepts to teach information literacy Lori Townsend and Korey Brunetti (California State University, East Bay) and Amy R. Hofer (Golden Gate University) - (Google Docs)
The sun beat down on a high, lonesome hilltop in Hayward... where three librarians at Cal State East Bay were redesigning a credit-bearing first-year Information Literacy course in order to move the content online. They reckoned that creating this online hootenanny would require rustling up some fresh lessons and activities and distilling the class down to a few essential learning objectives, based on ACRL standards. One librarian thundered into town with talk of "threshold concepts," a pedagogical strategy developed by Jan Meyer and Ray Land. Could threshold concepts serve as a lasso for students to snare a deeper understanding of what it means to be "information literate?"
Threshold concepts, as described by Meyer and Land, transform and integrate the learner's view of content; though potentially troublesome, they bring insight into how to think like a practitioner within a discipline. In this presentation, we propose threshold concepts for our discipline -- information literacy -- and describe how these concepts were used to redesign a credit-bearing information literacy course. We intend this presentation to serve as the beginning of a conversation with other librarian teachers about threshold concepts and how we might use them to rethink IL teaching and outreach.
As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
- Define threshold concepts and understand their application in teaching and learning.
- Recognize the potential of threshold concepts to transform information literacy instruction.
- Participate in a conversation about where our students experience thresholds while learning IL.
7 Secrets to Success: An Online Tour without a Library in 3 languages! Monica Fusich and Vang Vang (California State University, Fresno)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.pub)
- Graphic (.png)
The Instruction and Outreach Services Department in the Henry Madden Library had the exciting challenge of creating a tour in three languages (Spanish, English, and Hmong) about transitional library services. The Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno is located in the San Joaquin Valley, an area experiencing dramatic economic, cultural and demographic changes. This diversity is reflected in the student body of our University in which 55% are bilingual, the major languages being: Spanish, English and Hmong.
Moreover, Henry Madden Library, the university Library, is experiencing dramatic changes too-- building a new building, relocating materials (a million + volumes!), and dispersing essential services and staff throughout campus. During the presentation we will share our experience and knowledge gained in the writing of a grant proposal for a multi-language tour as well as the specific considerations of pre- and post- production in the creation, shooting, and editing, involved in filming this type of tour. We will include script writing, software, casting of talent in three languages, filming in multiple languages, and post-production work such as marketing and outreach. We will engage participants in this process by showing outtakes from the casting calls, bloopers, as well as snippets of the tour itself. We will also include an honest summary the positives and negatives of taking on this type of project.
Shifting the language of research using Problem-Based Learning Mark Dibble (Texas Lutheran University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.doc)
When librarians teach students how to conduct research, we need to use language which reflects how faculty conducts research. Faculty do not research topics, instead they are researching problems and questions. Students are often confused about how to apply the research skills they already have to academic research. Generally, they are unsure about how to get started when faced with a large topic. Instead of focusing on a topic, they should be focusing on a particular problem. Using problem-based learning as a teaching method allows librarians to model and instruct students on how research is done.
Teaching outside the box: Configuring your classroom for teaching success Paul J. Ruschmann (Davenport University)
Through a few short lectures interspersed with brief activities, this interactive presentation will briefly discuss the history of classroom design (configuration) and then demonstrate and discuss a handful of the best classroom configurations for promoting active learning and effective teaching. Besides actually getting to “move the furniture around,” participants will be able to discuss the effectiveness and efficiency of each model and have the opportunity to participate in on-going research on the topic. Participants will need to be ready to move, think, and rethink their positions on classroom configuration. Other topics touched upon will be the psychology of space, “classroom zones,” teaching preferences, effective use of movable furniture and classroom customization/personalization.
Teaching the teachers: Integrating information literacy into the teacher education curriculum Vanessa J Earp (Kent State University)
- Presentation (.pptx)
This session will describe how information literacy instruction was incorporated into the teacher education curriculum at Kent State University over a 3 year period. The presenter will discuss how the library involved the education faculty, the problems that arose and the solutions to those problems.
The embedded librarian: Integrating library resources into course management systems Emily Daly (Duke University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
Duke University librarians have collaborated with Instructional Technology staff to integrate subject-specific library resources into Blackboard, the university’s course management system. What began as a manual process on a small scale has grown to an automated process in which every course offered at Duke is linked to a subject-specific LibGuide developed by a subject specialist or instruction librarian. Guides may include instructional tutorials on using Duke’s databases, tips for conducting subject-specific searches and librarians’ contact information. Success of the project has been assessed through student surveys, faculty interviews and focus groups; feedback from students, faculty and librarians alike has been overwhelmingly positive.
This presentation will detail the collaborative efforts of Duke University librarians, Center for Instructional Technology applications staff and Systems support staff that have enabled Duke’s librarians to establish an instructional presence in virtually every course site at Duke. This has led to increased – and richer – online and in-person instructional opportunities and interactions with students and faculty.
This session will include the history of project, the role it plays in instruction at Duke, assessment measures used, and a brief overview of the technical components necessary for automation. There will also be time for audience members to share their experiences integrating library resources into their institutions' course management systems.
The map is useless unless you know where you are: Information literacy pre-assessment as a tool for understanding and collaboration Jason Ertz (College of DuPage)
The objective of this presentation is to provide librarians with a potential outline for beginning an information literacy assessment strategy, starting with pre-assessment. Librarians unsure about where to start when it comes to assessment will find that developing a pre-test can be a great way to start such a strategy collaborating with classroom faculty. Pre-assessment also is nonjudgmental pertaining to faculty’s teaching abilities and students’ learning making it an easier sell for collaboration or even initiating collaboration where none existed. If we can’t know where students end up after a class, at least we can get a sense of where they start and focus our instruction, likely a one-shot session, on the research skill areas that students may be lacking. But a good relationship with classroom faculty could lead to new methods of post-assessing, like bibliographic analysis, focus groups or search logs. It could also lead to more sessions with the librarian if a faculty member finds that some classes are extensively deficient in information literacy skills.
This presentation will highlight the pilot study conducted by College of DuPage Library and a select group of Composition faculty members. It will include study objectives, methodology, and results. Reasons for focusing only on pre-assessment versus both pre and post-tests will also be discussed. The need for using course management systems or online survey tools will made due to the need for immediate results by faculty and students. Future items will be discussed as the study continues throughout subsequent semesters.
The path to assessing library instruction: Using project management techniques to guarantee results Lesley Brown (Michigan State University)
As librarians begin to search for methods of assessing library instruction, they may feel overwhelmed and unsure of which path to take. A common problem is finding a sustainable method of assessment that can be easily realized. This presentation will detail one librarian’s experience using project management techniques to successfully propose and implement the use of an audience response system (clickers) to assess library instruction at Michigan State University. Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while adhering to classic project constraints—usually scope, quality, time and budget. A project is defined as a set of activities that use resources (i.e. people, materials, energy, communication, motivation) to achieve the project goals and objectives. In this session attendees will learn how to plan, organize and manage available resources to reach the goal of successfully implementing a method of assessment.
To the instruction cave, librarian! Graphic novels & information literacy Steven Hoover (Trinity University)
- Presentation (zipped files - extract all files, then double-click on Adobe Flash Player prezi.exe file to launch)
Graphic novels emerged as highly visible additions to many academic library collections over the last few years. Much has been written about the pedagogical value of graphic novels in K-12 settings, but their potential applications in relation to information literacy in higher education have not been seriously addressed. Graphic novels provide an ideal backdrop for teaching students a variety of skills, especially with regard to the ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standard Three and visual literacy. In addition, graphic novels are excellent source material for projects that require students to conduct research, evaluate source quality, engage in reflective writing, compare versions of a single work across multiple media, and investigate the relationship between historical events or people and their depictions in artistic representations.
Attendees will engage in a discussion, with the presenter and in groups, to explore the role that graphic novels can play in library instruction. After a brief introduction and an overview of the state of graphic novels in academia and academic libraries, the session will focus attention on information literacy skills and issues that are relevant to, and can be addressed by, the medium. Finally, the presenter will work with the audience to generate strategies for integrating graphic novels into their instruction efforts and collaborations with other faculty members.
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Trail Mix - buffet style offerings E. Anne Kelly (Wilfrid Laurier University)
- Presentation (.ppt)
This "recipe based and food themed" presentation will focus on the effective use of freely available web 2.0 technology on the web (delicious), and how it has transformed student access, engagement, and library use of the education materials available at Laurier’s library.
Because traditional cataloguing is limited in how in-depth subject headings can realistically be and practice has proven that subject description decided upon by non-practitioners can serve to obscure rather than clarify access to great materials. Finding curriculum related materials has proven very difficult for teacher education students given their needs (grade 2 math, about fractions), so a "delicious" resource finder was created to assist in gathering manipulative materials (games, toys), storybooks for reading, curriculum materials such as ideas of how to teach fractions to grade two students, and a myriad of great web resources and lesson-plans.
A timely discussion of how this type of technology fosters true and necessary collaboration, particularly in times of diminishing budget and resource allocations, and as a bonus promotes student life-long learning and retaining connections with the University, as graduates are welcome to use the resource finder and share their own recipes for successful teaching and learning.
Training the conductor: Providing professional development for Duke University instruction librarians Courtney Mack (Duke University) - Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.doc)
Duke University Instruction & Outreach department has created a programmatic module to provide instruction librarians continuous opportunities to strengthen and enhance their teaching and information literacy skills. Initially began as monthly meetings that were attended by few, has blossomed into a year-long of engaging programs that are attended by anyone within the library system interested in instruction. With pedagogy, teaching strategies, active learning, faculty collaboration and assessment serving as the overall themes of this module, these opportunities contributed to the quality of library instruction provided at Duke. This presentation session will detail the planning and collaborative efforts of the Instruction & Outreach department to provide valuable professional development opportunities to instruction librarians and interns, as well as highlight the various programs and activities offered.
Treading new paths: How creative collaboration transformed teaching the research process to USC Upstate's first-year students Andrew Kearns (University of South Carolina Upstate)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout (.pdf)
What are the special needs of first-year students in learning the research process? How will students come to see information literacy as a process rather than a set of discrete skills? What research and information literacy skills need to be intentionally taught in the classroom and library instruction sessions? How do we as librarians make sure that our instruction session fits organically into the course of which it is ostensibly a part? At USC Upstate, we have addressed these questions through creation of our First-Year Information Literacy Program in three first-year courses, involving creative collaboration between the library, the University 101 first-year seminar, and the Freshman Composition program. Using the ACRL Information Competency Standards as a structural framework, our program includes innovations such as our iPod (Mp3) Library Tour and Assignment, sequenced library instruction, cross-course coordination in introducing information literacy skills, and active learning. This presentation will highlight how and why we have come to teach research as a process, how we have bound the library sessions to the courses of which they are a part, and how we have kept collaboration on track. Reports of student and faculty feedback will be included. This presentation will be planned with ample opportunity for audience participation in order to facilitate a wider discussion of these issues and encourage creative thinking about ways in which participants might enhance their own first-year programs.
Using a pre and post survey method to assess the effectiveness of an online information literacy tutorial Lesley Moyo (Virginia Tech)
- Presentation (.pptx)
The presentation is a case study reporting on the assessment of Virginia Tech’s online Information Skills Modules (ISM): . The ISM is an information literacy tutorial developed for use either as a teaching tool or independently. The evaluators used a pre and post survey method to determine the ISM impact on research skills of agricultural economics students who used the tutorial as a textbook for a component of their course. The session will cover methods and instruments employed in collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, and how the data was analyzed. Discussion will include detailed findings and recommendations.
Using student feedback to improve course specific LibGuides content Karen W. Brown (University of South Carolina)
Librarians feel that LibGuides provide the opportunity to create user centered and intuitive research guides for students. However, relatively little feedback has been gathered from LibGuides’ intended audience. A LibGuides evaluation was conducted for upper level History courses during Fall 2008. The evaluation is an initial attempt to determine whether students found their course LibGuide useful, how many times during the semester a student accessed the LibGuide for his/her course, and ways in which course specific LibGuides content can be improved. Results of the evaluation will be shared along with a discussion and examples of how the results have impacted course LibGuides content.
Using Web 2.0 tools such as Google Apps in library instruction sessions with non-traditional students Alyssa Martin, Jana Slay, and Kent Snowden (Troy University)
Much has been written about traditional undergraduate students and their familiarity with Web 2.0 tools. But how “tech savvy” are non-traditional students? How can tools such as Google Apps be used in library instruction with these students?
Troy University Montgomery Campus serves an especially diverse student body; roughly two-thirds are adult, non-traditional students (average age of 28). Librarians on this campus surveyed students in library instruction classes to find out their knowledge and use of Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking, image and video sharing, collaborative authoring tools, communication tools, social games/spaces and blogs. Survey results show that many of the students not only had never used these tools, but they had never even heard of them. As a result of these findings, librarians now incorporate some of these Web 2.0 technologies in their library instruction sessions.
Presenters will discuss how librarians introduce students to Web 2.0 tools in library instruction and explain how online tools such as Google Apps can be used not only as a collaborative authoring tool for students, but also for librarians designing instruction sessions. For example, class assignments using documents, spreadsheets, and presentations can be created and shared, opened, and edited by multiple users at the same time. Students can be surveyed and their feedback results sent to a spreadsheet. PowerPoint slides can be created and published to the web for viewing at any time. The presenters will conclude by sharing both the benefits and drawbacks of using Google Apps in library instruction sections.
Utlizing students employees as an alternative means of providing library instruction Stephanie M. Mathson and Joyce Salisbury (Central Michigan University)
In tough financial times, library administrators want to keep expenditures down while offering outstanding services to and maintaining good public relations with patrons. In order to accommodate requests for tours and library instruction from non-university groups, we have Reference Public Support student assistants provide such services. Our presentation will outline the procedures we use to prepare the student employees to do this work, as well as the skills our students gain through it. We will also discuss the benefits for high school and community college students.
Having veteran student assistants conduct tours and library instruction sessions for non-CMU students extends the “low-level” reference assistance our students provide on an individual basis at the Reference Desk. Student employees earn far less than librarians and professional staff, so by utilizing their skills, we can provide services to the public that we would otherwise might not be able to afford or have a large enough staff to do.
Visiting students enjoy seeing someone close to their ages leading their group. Our student employees serve as role models because they tend to be excellent students and represent a positive college experience. They have campus jobs they gain practical skills from and enjoy a great deal.
Our practice also helps recruit top library student assistants for the profession. In the past few years, a number of student employees have gone to library school, and many others have strongly considered library and information science as a profession.
Videos on the research trail Krystyna Mrozek and McKinley Sielaff (Colorado College)
Sakes alive, we’ve all heard tell of a heap of videos online at rip-roaring libraries and YouTube. Libraries are hankering for ‘em -- video-pioneers are flourishin’ -- to say a heap more about the homestead and show a smiling buckaroo. Lickety-split clips can reveal services the library provides for its pilgrims. Criminy, this process is not high falutin. With a little by-the-by and training, greenhorns can hit pay dirt: annex or create video then reckon up knowledge of library resources and the research process. Cowboy-up and use your videos for assessment along with providing a magic lantern show.
What information literacy means to me: Collaborating with faculty to understand student perceptions of information literacy Eric Resnis, Arianne Hartsell-Gundy, and Katie Gibson (Miami University)
- Presentation (.pptx)
- Handout (.pdf)
This presentation will recount the experiences of Miami University’s (Oxford, OH) Faculty Learning Community for Improving Student Research Literacy, a group of professors and librarians who work together on incorporating information literacy into the curriculum.
Faculty members wondered early on how students in their classes conceive of their own information literacy skills. These conversations led to the creation of a survey for students to self-assess the information literacy skills that faculty perceived important, including:
- How and where students are searching for information.
- Student preparation to perform information research, and its applicability outside the library.
- Location(s) where students perform information research.
- Differences in information literacy skill perceptions between class level and experience with paper writing.
Results of the survey of approximately 400 students were matched to professor definitions of information literacy and a common list of desired information literacy skills created by professors at the beginning of the academic year. Study results allowed community members to see where perceptions among professors, librarians, and students were similar, and where they differed greatly. The results led to rich and stimulating conversations about how students perceive information literacy.
Conversation regarding the survey continued as professors revised course assignments as the culminating project in the community. Professors carefully utilized survey results and other experiences from the community to create enhanced syllabi with information literacy skills infused throughout.
This presentation will recount the experiences of members of the learning community, and provide details on how such a survey can be implemented at other institutions. The presentation will also provide time for discussion on how professor/librarian partnerships can provide for a more engaging student experience, and the value of a faculty learning community as a venue for further exploring information literacy.
Where did (s)he get those skills? An investigation of ACRL's Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians Theresa Westbrock (New Mexico State University) and Sarah Fabian (Eastern Michigan University)
How and where are instruction librarians being trained as teachers? In 2007, ACRL approved a revised set of proficiencies for instruction librarians. Using these new proficiencies, we have repeated a 1993 study (Shonrock and Mulder) that investigated if and when librarians were learning teaching-related skills. Using these data, we will determine whether library schools have made adjustments to their programs based on the recommendations put forth by the earlier study. We will also focus on specific skills instruction librarians predominantly report learning on the job, in order to identify where leaders of in-house professional development programs might target their efforts.
Wikipedia, ipods, and chickens: An active learning exercise to teach evaluation of information Latisha Reynolds and Anna Marie Johnson (University of Louisville)
- Presentation (.ppt)
- Handout #1 (.doc)
- Handout #2 (.doc)
- Handout #3 (.doc)
- Handout #4 (.doc)
- Handout #5 (.doc)
Librarians at the University of Louisville developed an evaluation of information exercise that is completely interactive. Students learn evaluation skills by participating in a small-group exercise, after which, the groups teach their classmates what they have learned.
Each small-group is assigned a different publication to evaluate such as a book, a website, a scholarly article, magazine or newspaper. They also have questions to answer in order to evaluate each source. After they evaluate the sources, each group chooses a student to present the information in front of the class.
The librarian acts as a facilitator to guide the students and to point out key elements of the assignment that may have been overlooked. Presentation will include detailed classroom examples, online materials, and discussion. Copies of teaching materials and a related article will be provided.
Break out of the lecture mode, and blaze a new trail for teaching evaluation at your library!
