Education Commons^™

Targeting Point Of Need To Increase Traffic To Library Resources, James C. Miller

Georgia Library Quarterly

This paper examines the effect of creating LibGuides tailored to a student’s point of need and focuses on their potential to boost usage of library resources. In this study, LibGuides were designed for specific assignments and introduced to students during library instruction sessions. Pre- and Post-LibGuide web traffic suggested that LibGuides increased web traffic to library resources. This article suggests that library resources should not only provide sources for assignments but also assist a student through the stages of completing an assignment. As a corollary benefit, creation of assignment-specific LibGuides also increased collaboration and discussion between faculty and librarians.

When My Sub-Editor Is A Nit-Picking Bot: Mediating Roles Of A Tv News Scriptwriting Exercise, Andrew Deacon, Catherine Wynsculley

The African Journal of Information Systems

Online learning activities have promised new ways to engage students. This paper describes the design and use of the NewsScripts online learning exercise over a decade. This web-based television news scriptwriting exercise is used with media students at the University of Cape Town to expose them to news scriptwriting practices. Students write a script to match a video, employing a television news writing style. The more important transformational opportunity is deepening students’ own critical media analysis skills. Our focus is how the NewsScripts design evolved and changed over time to remain part of the curriculum. Underlying the curricula of university …

Towards A Shared Understanding Of Emerging Technologies: Experiences In A Collaborative Research Project In South Africa, Daniela Gachago, Eunice Ivala, Judy Backhouse, Jan Petrus Bosman, Vivienne Bozalek, Dick Ng’Ambi

The African Journal of Information Systems

While the practice of using educational technologies in Higher Education is increasingly common among educators, there is a paucity of research on innovative uses of emerging technologies to transform teaching and learning. This paper draws on data collected as part of a larger study aimed at investigating emerging technologies and their use in South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to improve teaching and learning. The research employed a mixed method research design, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods—quantitative data from a survey of 262 respondents from 22 public HEIs in South Africa and qualitative data gathered from 16 …

E/Merging Across Africa: Five Papers On The Use Of Educational Technology In African Higher Education, Tony Carr

The African Journal of Information Systems

This guest editorial comments on the rapidly changing environment for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in African Higher Education Institutions (HEI), introduces the e/merge online conferences and gives a brief introduction to the papers in the special issue.

Teaching Computer Skills To Senior Citizens: A Library Assistant’S Learning Experience, Ngaire I R Smith

Georgia Library Quarterly

This paper describes the challenges of teaching senior citizens in their 70s and 80s elementary Web and computer skills at the University of Georgia’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Simple tasks such as clicking on links and understanding the difference between the address bar and a search box confused class members and the instructor attempted to address this age divide by developing activities that would make using the Web easier and more fun.

Of Fairs And Festivals: Librarians Teach Thematic First-Year Seminars, Donna Braquet, Micheline Westfall

The Southeastern Librarian

For almost a century, library skills instruction by academic librarians has been a vital component of university programs created to help first-year students adapt to the social and academic environment of college life (Walter, 2004). Asretention of first-year students has become a strategic goal for universities, a variety of firstyear experience (FYE) programs have been developed over the last decade to address this goal. For many academic librarians, the FYE programs have resulted in an increased collaboration with faculty (Walter, 2004). This collaboration ranges from assisting faculty with incorporating information literacy skills within classroom instruction to embedding librarians within classes …

Making Research Make Sense: Guiding College Students Into Information Literacy Through The Information Search Process, Jeffrey M. Mortimore

The Southeastern Librarian

Bennett College for Women is a private, four year college serving approximately 725 African-American women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Because of its unique demographic as one of only two all-female, historically black colleges in the United States, Bennett College attracts women from across the country and the world with a profound diversity of talents and preparation for undergraduate study. The Thomas F. Holgate Library supports the research needs of the college through an active instructional services program at the undergraduate level. While the library has provided library orientation and traditional bibliographic instruction for decades, during the 2007/8 academic year, and …

Bibliographic Instruction Lessons From A New Librarian, Carley Suther

The Southeastern Librarian

Although I have worked in the library profession for two years, it has taken longer to understand the phenomenon of bibliographic instruction. My pre-library school background is in education, but marrying the two disciplines has not been as easy as I first assumed. I had read a lot of helpful articles about library instruction in general, but ran across very few that were geared towards best practices and advice for new librarians. In this article I will address some of the key issues that I faced when first confronted with the challenge of library instruction.

Night Vision Goggles Or Rose Colored Glasses: A Unique Perspective On Training The Library Graduate Assistant In Instruction, Mary Todd Chesnut

The Southeastern Librarian

A review of the course descriptions for the twelve ALA-accredited Library and Information Graduate Schools in the southeastern states identified that the majority offer only one or two elective course related to library instruction (see appendix). These courses cover topics such as curriculum design, learning theory, best practices for teaching, and information literacy strategies. Some graduate program curriculums do not offer specific courses in library instruction, instead including it as a topic in a broader course such as Academic Libraries or in conjunction with a school media specialty.

Falling In Line: Curricular Alignment In A Library Credit Course, Michael Aldrich

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article discusses the usefulness of curricular alignment and how it can be achieved in teaching a library & information science course.

Library Tools For Connecting With The Curriculum: How To Create A Professional Development Workshop For Teaching Faculty, Sonya S. Shepherd, Debra Skinner, Robert W. Fernekes

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article focuses on ways taken by librarians in linking library tools with the faculty curriculum in Georgia. It states that librarians Sonya Shepherd, Debra Skinner and Bob Fernekes from Zach S. Henderson Library have formed a team that would push students into library resources required by their faculty. It also mentions the creation of linking tools tutorials to improve student and faculty use of the resources.

Partners With A Vision: Librarians And Faculty Collaborate To Develop A Library Orientation Program At A Non-Traditional Campus, Jo Anne Bryant, Alyssa Martin, Jana J. Slay

The Southeastern Librarian

In Fall 2004, the Chair of the Department of Communication and Fine Arts was charged with customizing the TROY University Orientation course (TROY 1101) curriculum and activities for the Montgomery Campus student population. After talking with the Montgomery Campus library director about the need for including a comprehensive library component, the Chair began working with two librarians to create a library orientation component for TROY 1101, a one-semester hour course that would be required for all new and transfer students effective Fall Semester 2005.

Department-Integrated Information Literacy: A Middle Ground, William Joseph Thomas

The Southeastern Librarian

Much of the current literature on information literacy on college and university campuses encourages instructional services librarians and departments to pursue one of two options: either integrate information literacy into the curriculum as a campus-wide initiative, or establish a forcredit information literacy course taught by librarians. For a variety of reasons, instructional programs may not be able to accomplish either of these goals immediately. Perhaps the library does not have the institutional influence to mount a campus-wide program, or maybe the library lacks the needed resources in terms of personnel or instructional facilities. Tackling the planning required for a program …