Spring 2009 Meeting: Next Generation Research Guides

The spring meeting will be held at Mount Wachusett Community College Library.
Date Friday 3/6 2:00-4:00

Topic: Next Generation Research Guides
Heidi McCann will share information on their libguides implementation at MWCC and Sara Marks will discuss the Fitchburg State Library's use of libguides.

• Directions to MWCC
  
• More maps and campus locations
  
• A map of the campus showing the layout and library location (PDF)

Park anywhere in “North Parking Lot C” (very few classes on Fridays so there should be plenty of parking close by). No permit needed. Enter the building, then look for signs I’ll post pointing towards the library. We’ll be in the Library Instruction and Research Lab, Room 071 on the lower level of the library. If people are lost en route, call 978-630-9338.

Bibliography for Engaged Teaching and Engaged Students

Michele recommends the following sources.

Bruce, C. (1997). The seven faces of information literacy. Auslib Press.

Bruner, J. (1960). The process of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Cardiff University. (2007). Handbook for information literacy teaching. Available at:
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/educationandtraining/infolit/hilt/index.html

Cook, D. & Sittler, R.L. (Eds.). (2008). Practical pedagogy for library instructors: 17 innovative strategies to improve student learning. Association of College & Research Libraries.

Elmborg, James. (2006). Critical information literacy: Implications for instructional practice. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(2), pgs. 192-99.

Jackson, R. (2007). Cognitive development: The missing link in teaching information literacy skills. Reference & User Services Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 4, pgs. 28-32.

Jacobson, T.E. & Xu, L. (2004). Motivating students in information literacy classes. Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Ragains, P. (2006). Information literacy instruction that works: A guide to teaching by discipline and student population. Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Rockman, I. (2004). Integrating information literacy into the higher education curriculum. Jossey-Bass.

Schwab, J. (1962). The Inglis Lecture. The teaching of science as enquiry. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Schwab, J. (1978). Education and the structure of the disciplines. In J. Westbury & N. Wilkof (Eds.), Science, curriculum, and liberal education . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57 (1), 1-22.

Sparks, D. (1992). Merging content knowledge and pedagogy: An interview with Lee Shulman. Journal of Staff Development, 13(1), 14-17.

Smith, F. (2007). Games for teaching information literacy skills. Available at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/117/

Ward, Dane. (2006). Revisioning information literacy for lifelong meaning. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32, 4, pgs. 396-402.

Template for a Lesson Plan

Michele Reich shared this template with attendees.

Goals: Overarching and long term. Derived from ALA/ACRL standards for information literacy and your school curriculum regarding information literacy and research behaviors.

Objectives: Support the achievement of goals and are stated in terms of observable and measureable behavior. See http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/plan/behobj.html.

· What do you want students to learn as a function of having spent time with you?

· Here you would target depth of understanding, refinement of skills, and application of knowledge.

· Incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy for the Cognitive Domain within and across objectives.

Prerequisite Behaviors: What students need to know or to be able to do before learning the new behaviors (objectives).

Materials: What you will need in order for the learning activities.

Learning Activities: Opportunities for students to achieve the behaviors stated in the objectives. http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html.

· Develop at least one learning activity for each objective. Try to incorporate more than one objective into each learning activity.

· Keep in mind timing; pacing, roving.

· Sequence of each learning activity (and lesson plan as a whole) is: motivation; advanced organizer; prerequisite skills; presentation of content, processes, skills; practice; assess; re-teach.

· Includes teacher talk; team practice with assignment; student talk; teacher talk.

· How much time will be given for each learning activity? Also include how much time assessment and evaluation will take.

Assessment Activities: How you and the students will know they achieved the objectives. Incorporate opportunities for assessment into learning activities.

Evaluation: What went well? What changes would you make next time? Why will you make these changes? In combination with the assessment, it answers the question what will need to be re-taught and how.

Classroom Engagement Strategies Notes from ARC Meeting, October 17, 2008

Organized by Michele Reich
Notes from meeting
Use name tags!
· Good teachers remember students names
· Making connections w/students and developing relationships
She asked us to jot down what we hope to learn today, how we hope to learn, and how we know we’ll learn what we hope to and demonstrated that our responses are the framework for parts of a curriculum: ask yourself what you want students to know, how they will know and how they will know they know.

Good teaching… includes:
· Caring
· Active/social/interactive, possibly use movement
· teachers who organize and promote learning
· learning by taking action, possibly social interaction
· Students have something to engage with, to build on prior knowledge
· Teachers who walk around classroom, move around room
· Teachers who get to misconceptions b y asking students why they are doing what they are doing

Information vs. Knowledge Literacy
Michele suggests we think of it as “knowledge literacy” and that students are looking for knowledge not information like a phone number or citation. She suggests that subject liaisons get to know the professors and ask them how these particular folks think about knowledge and how it is created in that area. Instruction should be tied to the discipline and that an authenticate task be part. Have students look at research articles to help them understand components of research.

Michele feels that use of PowerPoint does not help students learn, no chance for them to pick out important points.

Review learning theories and pick one “that resonates” with you. For example, Piaget, you take action on a world, that’s how you learn. Another is the “zone of proximal development” by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky.

Michele shared an example she used at UMASS medical center which demonstrated the idea “template of a lesson plan.” She suggests that you give them an agenda for the session and sequence activities. Balance student and teacher talk, with much time for students to think aloud.

MWCC has three hours with their students and they integrate assessment by having the students present during the last hour. There are six that teach and they have standardized their handout and objectives. Ellen asks students for “library horror stories” to get across point. QCC starts with students where they are using Wikipedia, online research, why they may read Rolling Stone, etc. which engages students.

Michele suggests asking a trusted colleague to sit in a specific class with specific questions about your teaching so they can give you feedback. Web Sites on Engaged Learning will be posted soon!

Spring Meeting at Assumption College Library
Tentative Date 3/10 2:00-4:00 Topic: Next Generation Research Guides
Heidi McCann mentioned she could share information on their libguides implementation

Next Meeting: October 17

The next meeting will be Friday, October 17 from 2:30-4:30pm at WPI's Gordon Library. The discussion topic will be Classroom Engagement Strategies and will include a presentation by Michele Reich.

June 12, 2008: Meeting Notes

The Library's Role in First Year (FY) Experience and Orientation

Attendees

Christine Drew (WPI), Callie Curran Morrell (Assumption), Pam McKay (Worc. State), Patty Porcaro (Holy Cross) Barbara Merolli (HC), Eileen Cravedi (HC), John Coelho (HC), Gudrun Krueger (HC), Alice Barron (Anna Maria), Laura Robinson Hanlan (WPI), Michele Reich (WPI), Carole Myles (Assumption), Jim Douglas (Nichols), Matthew Haggard (Nichols), Donna Sibley (Becker), Jeanette Lundgren (Becker), Dale LaBonte (QCC).

Meeting Notes

To focus the discussion, the group defined First Year Orientation as a short-term program prior to the start of classes. First Year Experience was defined as larger and more sustained program, and might include a First Year Seminar (a for-credit course designed for First Year students).

Most attendees do run some type of library orientation programs for all students, and most of these activities are integrated within the college’s own efforts, rather than being run independently by the library. Most attendees’ colleges also run First Year Experience (FYE) programs and in most programs, the Library plays some type of role.

Examples:

At Becker, there is a FY seminar where students learn “what they need to know on campus” from different departments. The library gets to teach one week’s worth of classes for each section and covers the OPAC, databases, citation, plagiarism, starting points for research, and has different activities for students. They do about 20-22 sessions total.

QCC librarians get one session to talk about the library as part of a FY course. They also often get one in a Career Development course.

WPI does a lot of optional activities during orientation, including tours and handing out prizes, but they don’t necessarily reach every student. This year they are thinking of throwing a first-year party. By next year, all FY students will be in enrolled in a FY research seminar and the librarians hope it will result in students getting more uniform instruction in their freshman year. This FY program has its own Assessment Coordinator, and a few questions on the assessment survey focus on the library, so it is hoped that they can get some useful data.

At Worc. State, there is a FY seminar for which students choose a subject-based class and the Library often gives a BI session to them, based on the discretion of the professors.

Nichols gives a library tour and basic instruction to the FY Professional Development Seminars (about 22). Small groups also complete an activity-based, self-paced tutorial, available at http://www.nichols.edu/library/instructionalservices/PDS1/index.html. Jim Douglas is willing to share the library handouts given to students and parents during orientation if group members are interested.

Holy Cross will be introducing a new FYE this fall, with students living and taking a seminar in one of five possible clusters. Each cluster has its own librarian and it is hoped that as the program takes shape, each librarian will be able to play a significant role in their cluster. In the past they've done a treasure hunt during orientation and Eileen Cravedi is willing to share their treasure hunt worksheet to group members who are interested.

Assumption is also piloting a new FYE program this fall in which a group of self-selecting students will live together and take “paired” classes (currently 3 pairs offered), which will emphasize connections between different subjects. Library instruction is not mandated, but through outreach to the participating faculty the library staff is hopeful that they can offer IL instruction to these new classes.

Please see post below (6/12/08) for further reading and resources on this topic.

Select Bibliography of Resources on the Library and First Year Programs

Brief list of articles/resources on our current discussion topic:

Bissett, Susan J.C.. “Situating the library in the first year experience course.” Community & Junior College Libraries 12.2 (2004): 11-22.

Boff, Colleen and Kristin Johnson. “The library and first-year experience courses: a nationwide study.” Reference Services Review 30.4 (2002): 277-287.

Bullard, Kristin, Allison Bolorizadeh, Kawanna Bright, and Lavergne Gray. “Options for integration: creating a flexible library research module for the first year experience curriculum. “Tennessee Libraries 57.1 (2007): 1-4.

Jacobson, Trudi E. and Beth L. Mark. “Separating wheat from chaff: helping first-year students become information savvy.” JGE: The Journal of General Education 49.4 (2000): 256-278.

Kasbohm, Kristine E., David Schoen, and Michelle Dubaj. “Launching the Library Mystery Tour: a library component for the ‘first-year experience.’” College and Undergraduate Libraries 13.2 (2006): 35-46.

Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley. “A collaborative approach to information literacy in the freshman seminar.” Academic Exchange Quarterly 7.3 (2003).

A good web site for this topic is: The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (http://www.sc.edu/fye/index.html). Including “The First-Year Experience and Academic Libraries: A Select, Annotated Bibliography,” located at http://www.sc.edu/fye/resources/fyr/bibliography1.html

Also, http://www.ala.org/ala/acrlbucket/is/publicationsacrl/tmcfyebib.cfm

Next meeting: June 12

Our next meeting will be Thursday, June 12 from 2:30-4:30 pm at WPI's Gordon Library Anderson Lab A . The topic will be The Library's Role in First Year Experience and Orientation.

Directions to WPI: http://www.wpi.edu/About/Visitors/directions.html
Park in Boynton Street, Library Lot.

January 8, 2008: Meeting Notes

Getting the Message Out: Facebook, MySpace, and Creative Ideas

Please see post below (11/26/07) for list of resources and further reading on this subject.

Attendees

Fyiane Nsilo-Swai (QCC), Carolyn Noah (CMRLS), Pingsheng Chen (Worcester Public), Pam McKay (Worcester State), Alice Barron ( Anna Maria), Carole Myles (Assumption), Rachel Shea (Clark), Laura Robinson Hanlan (WPI), Lynne Riley (WPI), Ellen Madigan Pratt (MWCC), Christine Drew (WPI), Dale LaBonte (QCC), Mary Brunelle (Assumption), Callie Curran Morrell (Assumption), Barbara Merolli via web (Holy Cross)

Description of if/how attendees are using free social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace.

WPI- Several librarians have individual Facebook profiles (either personal or professional) and recently they created a Page for the library—a new Facebook feature. In the month since, they’ve received 23 “fans.” It includes library screen savers, short videos, hours, JSTOR and Worldcat search applications. They have an official Facebook Statement, including goals for the site, measures of its success, and steps for planning their profile.

MWCC- Ellen has a personal Facebook profile, but she would only get students she sees in the Library everyday. Doesn’t see it as accomplishing outreach.

Assumption- Some librarians have individual profiles, but have not really used it for reference. More social relationship-building with a few students who they know.

QCC and Worcester State- Not doing anything in social networking realm right now.

Clark- Rachel has a personal Facebook profile which she has used to let her Facebook friends know about events. It seems to work well for this.

Holy Cross- the main library is using it some.

Marketing/Promotion Ideas

There are lots of “Facebook apps” or applications that are already developed and available for you to add to your profile (check the Facebook group FacebookAppsForLibraries for lists). One is a bookshelf application- has potential for libraries to use to market their new books. (This idea similar to Clark’s Leisure Reading Bookshelf which is a visual display of cover art of leisure books, but links to the catalog record.)

Another marketing idea was to build and link to a library news blog, or a calendar of events. Libraries could post videos or tutorials on the Facebook page. Penn State offered a nice raffle prize to students for becoming a Facebook friend, and was able to gain lots of student friends through this method.

Fall semester, WPI tested out the Facebook flyer option ($10 for 2 days; to WPI undergraduates) about an event. They have no idea or way to track if anyone saw it.

Assumption is currently working on filming instructional commercials for its library and in addition to youtube, etc. may put the finished product on Facebook.

Questions/Concerns

Some attendees had concerns or hesitation about whether students want them in “their territory” or whether maintaining a Facebook presence was necessary even though it would likely be some new site in the future. Some responded to this with their feeling that it’s a way to make ourselves more accessible, pointing out that our territory is not just the library building. Another concern was brought up about keeping an individual profile professional and not too personal (or vice versa, if individuals had planned to use it outside of work). There was a feeling that you need to keep it balanced, perhaps with some harmless personal info (since it is a norm of the medium), but not too much (ie, political leanings, etc).

In addition to MySpace and Facebook, wikis, blogs, and other social technologies were discussed. Assumption, for example uses a wiki at their reference desk to keep all ref librarians abreast of current assignments or issues, and as a repository for answers to FAQs. Worcester Public has a Children’s Blog and the Regional Reference Blog. MWCC has a blog to advertise to faculty and likes that it is less intrusive that constantly sending an email. They also keep their Library Policy Manual on a wiki for easy access and changes. Christine at WPI briefly demonstrated social bookmarking tool del.icio.us; it can be used to share appropriate web sites for a course with students. GoodReads is another social networking site that lets you see what books your “friends” have, are, or would like to read.

ARC Strategic Plan

We again discussed the new ARC strategic plan and its goal to have this SIG organize an Information Literacy symposium for a larger community. Timing would be in 2011. Possibly want to ask NELIG or others to collaborate.

The group recommended that a symposium steering committee be made up of at least one representative of the ARC directors, as well as some representatives from the SIG. It would be helpful to have rep’s from both community colleges and four-year colleges.

Next meeting

The next meeting will be on The Library’s Role in First Year Experience and Orientation. It looks like it will be either June 10^th or 12^th. Please let Callie (ccurran@assumption.edu) or Christine (cdrew@wpi.edu) know if one works better for you.