Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Working Out The Bugs: Piloting Library Instruction In An Online Entomology Graduate Program, Andrew Cano

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Like most of its peer institutions, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries faced the challenge of meeting the needs of a growing number of students taking online courses. The author, hired as the new Virtual Learning Librarian in January 2016, was charged with creating a new Virtual Learning Program. This tutorials-based program was first fully implemented in a fully online Entomology graduate program. This paper summarizes the development of the Virtual Learning Program, how it was adapted to the Entomology program, and the initial results from the first semester of implementation.

Chemists Atwitter, Raychelle Burks, Stephani Page, Kiyomi D. Deards, Joan Barnes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Twitter can be used to promote chemists, their work, and their events to other scientists and the general public. From checklists to timelines; how to use Twitter successfully as an individual or institution is discussed. This chapter includes: examples of how the authors have used Twitter, how to find and use common subject tags, tags most used when Tweeting about chemistry and science, and a discussion about measuring success. Knowing when and how to Tweet will help chemists communicate successfully with their peers and the general public in 280 characters or less.

Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching Information Literacy To First-Year Students: A Phenomenographic Study, Lorna M. Dawes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

This study examines faculty perceptions of teaching information literacy and explores the influence of these perceptions on pedagogy. The study adopted an inductive phenomenographic approach, using 24 semi-structured interviews with faculty teaching first-year courses at an American public research university. The results of the study reveal four qualitative ways in which faculty experience teaching information use to first year students that vary within three themes of expanding awareness. The resulting outcome space revealed that faculty had two distinct conceptions of teaching information literacy: (1) Teaching to produce experienced consumers of information, and (2) Teaching to cultivate intelligent participants in discourse …

Where Science Intersects Pop Culture: An Informal Science Education Outreach Program, Raychelle Burks, Kiyomi D. Deards, Erica Defrain

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Attracting a general audience to STEM topics can be a challenge, and developing engaging and interactive instruction is important for educators in all fields. While many chemical educators have successfully used pop-culture themes to introduce their students to scientific concepts, these encounters are largely limited to formal classroom environments. Inspired by the successes of community science programs such as Science Café and Nerd Nite, science educators from two Nebraska campuses sought to broaden the exposure of their pop-culture themed class lectures, and created the SciPop Talks! program. Now entering its fifth year, this informal educational outreach program has become a …

Mixing It Up: Teaching Information Literacy Concepts Through Different ‘Ways Of Learning’, Lorna M. Dawes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

The new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy (ACRL, 2015) has propelled librarians into new approaches to teaching that concentrate on the concepts and not the procedures or tasks that relate to the effective use of information. It is known that students vary their learning strategies in response to the context of their learning environment (Richardson, 2011) and so it is imperative that instruction facilitates various ways of learning, that can be accommodated in both the small and large classes. Historically librarians have focused on the teaching of the skills: how to search databases, how to find information, how to evaluate …

Building A Scholarly Network In Learning Communities At The University Of Nebraska–Lincoln, Charlene Maxey-Harris, Lorna M. Dawes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

In 2011 the Chancellor at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) charged each department and academic unit within the university to create programs and strategies to increase student enrollment within the next six years. The UNL Libraries embraced this goal by becoming more involved in the first-year experience programs and the first-year learning communities. This chapter will outline how the UNL Libraries gained library administration support to hire a Learning Communities/First-Year Experience Librarian and describe how they applied the theory of threshold concepts to develop a series of workshops and e-booklets to teach information literacy skills to students affiliated …

Librarians Going Mobile: Applying “Threshold Concepts” To The Design Of E-Booklets For Library Instruction., Lorna M. Dawes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Assuming that students no longer read printed handouts, many librarians have stopped producing printed handouts after observing the piles of paper that remain after library sessions. Libraries have transitioned comfortably to providing online access to handout information via subject and course guides, and now need to make a more complete transition to making them mobile. Although only four in ten college students own a tablet, 75% own a smart phone, and over a third of students intend to purchase either a tablet or a smart phone in the next six months. (“Pearson Student Mobile” 7). Librarians are all aware that …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Tools For Online Database Instruction, Yvonne Mery, Erica Defrain, Leslie Sult, Elizabeth Kline

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

The intent of this study was to evaluate the Guide on the Side (GotS), an online learning tool developed by the University of Arizona Libraries, and a screencast tutorial for teaching information literacy and database searching skills. Ninety undergraduate students were randomly assigned into three groups: group 1 completed a GotS tutorial; group 2 viewed a screencast presenting identical content; and a control group. Each group completed an identical 16-item post-test. An analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences between the control group and both treatment groups; however, there was no statistical difference between treatment groups. Limitations of the study …

High-Impact Educational Practices: An Exploration Of The Role Of Information Literacy, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Sharon A. Weiner

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

There is an expectation that college students graduate with competency in information literacy. Ideally, institutions of higher education integrate these competencies throughout their curricula in a progressive manner. High-impact educational practices contribute to student success. The purpose of this article is to examine recent literature about five of the high-impact educational practices (capstone experiences, learning communities, service learning and community-based learning, undergraduate research, and writing-intensive courses) to understand the extent to which they include the integration of information literacy competencies. The article includes recommendations for practice and research in the areas of assessment, pedagogy, and program planning.

Making An Impact: Campus-Wide Collaboration For Course And Learning Space Transformation, Clarence Maybee, Tomalee Doan, Catherine Fraser Riehle

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Most of us would agree that the roles of librarians have been changing with an almost mind-reeling rapidity. While this can be challenging, it also can provide excellent opportunities to support our students in their academic endeavors in new and meaningful ways. At Purdue University such an opportunity arrived in the shape of a provost-initiated, campus-wide course redesign program called Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT). This initiative aims to bring active-learning to foundational courses traditionally taught through lectures. Involved since the onset, Purdue librarians recognized the IMPACT initiative as one way to enter the conversations blooming on our …

Inciting Curiosity And Creating Meaning: Teaching Information Evaluation Through The Lens Of “Bad Science”, Catherine Fraser Riehle

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Ability to evaluate information is a critical component of information literacy. This article provides strategies for engaging students in learning about information evaluation in the contexts of the scientific publication cycle and communication in the digital age. Also included are recent findings regarding undergraduate student research behavior and ideas for integrating constructivist learning theory in order to develop effective learning activities that encourage curiosity and critical thinking.

Creating Online Tutorials At Your Libraries: Software Choices And Practical Implications, Maribeth Slebodnik, Catherine Fraser Riehle

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

The use of online tutorials for information literacy instruction is on the rise. Active library-related discussion lists such as ILI-L, the Association of College and Research Libraries’ discussion on information literacy and instruction, and LIBREF-L typically feature several questions and surveys related to online tutorials every week. Discussion groups and forums at library conferences consistently offer discussions, programs, and resources about creating online tutorials, and share examples. What is causing the surge of interest in online tutorials? Reasons vary: staff shortages, a desire to provide more point-of-need assistance, and increased distance learning and a growing awareness—particularly in public and academic …

Librarians In The Hall: Instructional Outreach In Campus Residences, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Michael C. Witt

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

There is an old proverb, “If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain.” It can be a challenge to reach out to incoming undergraduate students who are often overwhelmed by the high expectations of scholarship at the college level and the complexities of the modern information environment. Unconventional and creative approaches are needed to reach millennial learners where they are, both physically, in terms of where they reside on campus, and pedagogically, by employing innovative and engaging teaching methods that they can appreciate and understand. In the fall of 2007, two librarians with …

Partnering And Programming For Undergraduate Honors Students, Catherine Fraser Riehle

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Purpose—This paper sets out to describe successful partnerships between Purdue University Libraries’ faculty and directors of undergraduate honors programs. By reporting the results and implications of these collaborations and sharing effective approaches for building new partnerships, the author hopes to provide ideas and suggestions for others considering similar collaborations and services.

Design/methodology/approach—During the 2006–2007 academic year, the Instructional Outreach Librarian at Purdue University, West Lafayette, began partnering with directors of honors programs and consequently implemented new services for undergraduate honors students. The paper cites examples, including one pilot program in particular—a research workshop for freshmen honors students in …