Digital Commons Network^™

Using Rubrics To Assess Authentic Learning Products From One-Shot, Course-Integrated Library Instruction, Jennifer Stout, Laura Gariepy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Librarians face numerous challenges when designing effective, sustainable assessment methods for student learning outcomes in one-shot, course-integrated library instruction sessions. In this presentation, we will share how librarians at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) use a rubric to assess students’ authentic learning products from one-shot instruction sessions for a research and writing course required for all undergraduate students. We will share how rubric-based assessment enhances student learning and explain how we use this type of assessment to demonstrate our information literacy program’s effectiveness.

University 200: Inquiry and the Craft of Argument is a sophomore-level writing and research course required for all …

The Proof Is In The Worksheets: Assessing Information Literacy Outcomes From Library Instruction In An Evolved Fye Program, Robin Johns Grant

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In the past, Middle Georgia State College’s assessment of library instruction mainly consisted of post-instruction evaluations in which students answered questions about the class’s usefulness and gave comments. However, we wanted to be able to tie our library instruction sessions to learning outcomes based on ACRL Information Literacy Standards—not just student impressions of the class. For three years, the college had been conducting two library instruction sessions for each section of our new First Year Experience class, and we were using a standardized instruction outline and worksheet for each of those classes already. The FYE program, therefore, was the ideal …

When Will We Use This In Real Life?: Problem-Based Learning And Its Use In Effective Information Literacy Instruction, Bridget S. Farrell, Adelia B. Grabowsky

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Chances are that at some point in your career, you have heard a student ask, “When will we use this in real life?” For most instructors, those can be hard words to hear, especially after careful thought and planning has gone into developing a library session geared toward a class assignment or project. One way to decrease questions about real world applicability is to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning in library instruction. Problem-based learning (PBL) has been defined by Berkel and Schmidt as “an approach to professional education that stresses the use of real-life problems, encourages learners to discuss them, …

Flashlight: Using Bizup's Beam To Illuminate The Rhetoric Of Research, Kate Rubick

Library Instruction West 2014

Have you noticed that the way we typically describe information sources has more to do with what the sources are than on what writers might do with them? In Fall 2013, an instruction librarian at Lewis & Clark College partnered with a professor teaching Rhetorical Criticism to depart from the traditional, search-oriented library instruction session. Instead the librarian guided students as they critically appraised the works cited in a peer reviewed journal article using the rhetorical vocabulary of BEAM.

Join us as we explore BEAM as one tool for framing processes of academic research and writing. And be a part …

Borrow Globally, Recycle Locally: Repurposing Genius Ideas To Meet Your Goals At Your Institution, Mark Lenker, Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol

Library Instruction West 2014

As soon as we saw it, we fell in love with the North Carolina State University Libraries’ amazing “Mobile Scavenger Hunt.” It represents the perfect application of mobile technology (iPod Touch devices networked with the Evernote content sharing system) to engage students while they learn about NCSU’s wealth of library resources. But NCSU is a very large institution (34,000+ students) with a reputation for cutting-edge library initiatives. How could we make their program work at a smaller institution like ours (< 5,000 students)? By working really hard, refusing to take ourselves too seriously, and being willing to try things out before they were completely perfected, we were able to treat our first-year seminar students to “Library vs. Wild,” a fast-paced, active-learning game in which students work together to explore the far reaches of the information wilderness. We’ll share how we adapted NCSU’s game to work for our library, our learning outcomes, and our personality.

How Librarians Are Winning The West: Development Of A Scalable Digital Learning Badges Program For Information And Research Proficiency, Bee Gallegos, Kevin Pardon

Library Instruction West 2014

Digital learning badges offer an innovative approach to foster student success within the higher education learning environment. At Arizona State University, the need to reach transfer students was the impetus for creation of a digital learning badges project that offers librarians a mechanism to sequence and assess instruction within the University’s New College curriculum, provides faculty with a menu of choices to match skills with course goals, and is sustainable across disciplines, instructional formats and campuses. A team of librarians representing multiple disciplines, in collaboration with faculty and online staff, developed this pilot program for students to learn and demonstrate …

Leveraging Adult Learning Theory With Online Learning Modules, Rebecca Halpern, Chimene Tucker

Library Instruction West 2014

Adult learners are a quickly growing population on university campuses. While there is a fair amount of research on the differences in adult learning pedagogies, most information literacy literature focuses on undergraduate skills and competencies. At the same time, more and more adult learners are harnessing the flexibility of online programs to get their degrees. How can we best leverage what we know about adult learning theories with sustainable, scalable, and engaging online learning modules?
Rebecca Halpern is the librarian for the online Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California. One of her biggest projects is …

How It Got Here: Teaching 'Format As Process' In An Era Of Web-Scale Discovery, Kevin Seeber

Library Instruction West 2014

What has the growth in web-scale discovery services meant for information literacy instruction? And what kind of threshold concepts do students need to grasp before they can use these tools effectively? This presentation addresses the concept of “format as process,” which emphasizes that evaluating information should focus on how it was produced, rather than how it is accessed. As students navigate discovery tools which combine a wide variety of source types into a single results list, their understanding of this concept is vital to evaluating resources and selecting those which are the most relevant. Learn about how “format as process” …

Upcycling Instruction: Developing Efficient Approaches To Working With Experienced Researchers, April Aultman Becker, Veronica Arellano Douglas

Library Instruction West 2014

Our classrooms aren’t always filled with wide-eyed freshman and novice researchers. Many of the students we teach are thesis writers, experienced researchers, and professional practitioners. Through teaching this population, instruction librarians quickly learn that possession of subject expertise and research experience is not necessarily a guarantee that students will have mastered efficient, productive information seeking behavior. Addressing these gaps in research and information literacy knowledge takes some finesse. Through a combination of discussion and activities, we’ll investigate the unique challenges and pedagogical opportunities that accompany teaching advanced students and researchers. Attendees will leave with practical ideas that they can incorporate …

How Can We Make Library Research A Little Wild? Make It Natural!, Jared Burton

Library Instruction West 2014

Incorporating a nature tour into a Library Research Strategies course at Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, California), my class took a guided tour of local ecosystems at the campus Wildlife Sanctuary as part of a larger lesson plan. The lesson plan consisted of four main parts: 1) Students formed five groups based on the ecological zones represented in the Wildlife Sanctuary; 2) Each group conducted research on their ecological zone, utilizing a variety of print and electronic library resources; 3) Based on their research, each group crafted informational questions which they were instructed to ask the tour guide (the “expert”) …

Using Anonymous(Ish) Google Spreadsheets To Enhance Student Engagement, Elizabeth Mcmunn-Tetangco

Library Instruction West 2014

Google spreadsheets can add value and engagement to library instruction sessions – and since they are free, they don’t tax already-burdened pocketbooks. Hear about how the UC Merced Library uses semi-anonymous Google spreadsheets to allow students to experiment with search techniques and learn directly from each other. Creating semi-privacy for students allows them to take risks and learn from the ideas of others in a non-threatening classroom environment that allows for experimentation and easy, immediate feedback. Tips and ideas will be included, along with a demonstration of how to create a Google spreadsheet, how to use it in a class, …

More Than A Citation Manager: Zotero For Scalable Embedded Librarianship And Instruction Assessment, Rebecca Kuglitsch

Library Instruction West 2014

Embedded librarianship via class attendance or course management system has been successful in extending the reach of library instruction beyond the single class session, yet it raises concerns about scalability and sustainability. However, librarians can effectively and sustainably extend their instructional reach into the classroom without requiring their actual presence or use of a course management system by using the group library feature of Zotero to communicate with students. Not only does using the group library make effective use of limited librarian time, it also leaves the students with citation management skills and the librarian with a new way to …

Playing Well With Others: Research Studios At The Cornish College Of The Arts, Bridget Nowlin, Megan Smithling, Heather Jean Uhl

Library Instruction West 2014

Cornish College of the Arts offers a distinctive blend of visual and performing arts grounded in a core curriculum of humanities and sciences. Cornish offers a Bachelor of Music degree and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in art, dance, design, music, performance production and theater.

With a focus on the visual and performing arts, and a faculty/student population of visual/aural/kinesthetic learners, our patrons’ interests are often "making and doing," rather than engaging in conventional academic research. Consequently, our librarians collaborate with faculty to align students’ own practices in the studio/performance space with more traditional academic research processes.

This interactive panel …