A Guided Active-Learning Activity for A Guided Active-Learning Activity for Sophomore-Level Library ExperiencesSophomore-Level Library Experiences

by Caroline Geck, Kean University Librarianby Caroline Geck, Kean University Librarian

My presentation describes the process of creating an active-learning My presentation describes the process of creating an active-learning exercise that can be used in place of a traditional library instruction exercise that can be used in place of a traditional library instruction session (a lecture and hands-on experiences) for sophomore-level session (a lecture and hands-on experiences) for sophomore-level Research and Technology general education courses, especially Research and Technology general education courses, especially when I serve as a traveling librarian and visit the students’ when I serve as a traveling librarian and visit the students’ classroom labs. classroom labs.

My GoalMy Goal

I wanted to design an activity I wanted to design an activity that meets a major learning goal that meets a major learning goal for a research-geared course like for a research-geared course like that of Research and that of Research and Technology. Technology.

I decided to focus on further I decided to focus on further developing students’ meta-developing students’ meta-cognitive schemas or strategies cognitive schemas or strategies for scholarly article identification. for scholarly article identification. (The recognition of the difference (The recognition of the difference between scholarly journals and between scholarly journals and trade and popular magazines trade and popular magazines also meets ACRL Information also meets ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education 1.2.d and for Higher Education 1.2.d and 3.2.a.)3.2.a.)

Meta-Cognitive Schemas?Meta-Cognitive Schemas?

Meta-cognition refers to Meta-cognition refers to thinking about one’s thinking. thinking about one’s thinking. Meta-cognitive schemas can Meta-cognitive schemas can be defined as a process of be defined as a process of learning in which individuals learning in which individuals build upon their prior build upon their prior knowledge representations or knowledge representations or schemas. New learning schemas. New learning occurs when new connections occurs when new connections are are constructedconstructed from prior from prior schemas.schemas.

Meta-cognitive schemas or Meta-cognitive schemas or knowledge representations are knowledge representations are also called mind maps and also called mind maps and visually represented by visually represented by concept maps.concept maps.

Concept Map for the Definition of a Scholarly ArticleConcept Map for the Definition of a Scholarly Article

Let’s Team Up to Explore Scholarly and Popular Articles Online: Let’s Team Up to Explore Scholarly and Popular Articles Online: An Active-Learning ActivityAn Active-Learning Activity

Students work in groups of three to five, and the activity has three Students work in groups of three to five, and the activity has three explicit objectives:explicit objectives:

Learning to access electronic resources (E-resources) from the library’s Learning to access electronic resources (E-resources) from the library’s homepage.homepage.

Being able to distinguish quickly between scholarly and popular articles Being able to distinguish quickly between scholarly and popular articles by noting differences in content, writing styles, and formats.by noting differences in content, writing styles, and formats.

Developing skills in evaluating information while working in multi-window Developing skills in evaluating information while working in multi-window environments.environments.

The objectives are followed by brief directions about how to begin retrieving The objectives are followed by brief directions about how to begin retrieving the full texts corresponding to an APA-formatted References list and then the full texts corresponding to an APA-formatted References list and then completing the worksheet with critical skills questions comparing and completing the worksheet with critical skills questions comparing and contrasting scholarly and non-scholarly items. These questions are then contrasting scholarly and non-scholarly items. These questions are then used to answer the final question used to answer the final question “Define a scholarly article?”“Define a scholarly article?”

Students are also told to be prepared to present their worksheet answers to Students are also told to be prepared to present their worksheet answers to the rest of the class and to give reasons for their choices.the rest of the class and to give reasons for their choices.

Initial Observations of Students and the Activity in Two Library Initial Observations of Students and the Activity in Two Library Instruction Sessions for Research and TechnologyInstruction Sessions for Research and Technology

After my initial introductions and assistance for a few groups retrieving the first After my initial introductions and assistance for a few groups retrieving the first full text, students became very engaged with the activity and started intensely full text, students became very engaged with the activity and started intensely discussing the questions.discussing the questions.

The guided design of the activity enabled groups to complete the activity in 20 The guided design of the activity enabled groups to complete the activity in 20

to 30 minutes.to 30 minutes.

During the presentation phase, the students gave well-thought-out answers to During the presentation phase, the students gave well-thought-out answers to the last question the last question “Define a scholarly article?”“Define a scholarly article?”

Presentations and My Opportunity to Ask Students about the ActivityPresentations and My Opportunity to Ask Students about the Activity

I asked the students if there were too many I asked the students if there were too many questions on the worksheet? The overwhelming questions on the worksheet? The overwhelming majority of students said either “no” or that the majority of students said either “no” or that the activity had the right number of questions.activity had the right number of questions.

I asked the students whether I should use the I asked the students whether I should use the activity in future classes? Many students activity in future classes? Many students commented that they liked the assignment and commented that they liked the assignment and encouraged me to use the assignment in future encouraged me to use the assignment in future classes.classes.

Students made comments similar to the statement Students made comments similar to the statement that they would find scholarly articles in the future to that they would find scholarly articles in the future to support their research. These comments indicate support their research. These comments indicate that the students realized that scholarly articles that the students realized that scholarly articles would lend more support to their research than would lend more support to their research than other types of articles. other types of articles.

One student even said that he had One student even said that he had “gained “gained

new strategies to identify scholarly articles.” new strategies to identify scholarly articles.”

Unexpected BenefitsUnexpected Benefits

The active learning exercise seemed to reinvigorate learning and interest in The active learning exercise seemed to reinvigorate learning and interest in the information seeking process:the information seeking process:

Teams that finished early became very curious about the library’s database Teams that finished early became very curious about the library’s database page and wanted to know if they could use the same databases for their page and wanted to know if they could use the same databases for their own projects. Students also asked for database recommendations based own projects. Students also asked for database recommendations based on their topic of research.on their topic of research.

Several students commented that they were not aware of these databases Several students commented that they were not aware of these databases and would have liked to been introduced to these databases earlier in their and would have liked to been introduced to these databases earlier in their careers.careers.

Other students asked me about their search strategies and research topics.Other students asked me about their search strategies and research topics.

The overwhelmingly majority of students stayed after the activity was The overwhelmingly majority of students stayed after the activity was completed to conduct their own research.completed to conduct their own research.

Some Final ThoughtsSome Final Thoughts

This activity can be adapted to This activity can be adapted to your own needs in freshmen-level your own needs in freshmen-level and sophomore-level library and sophomore-level library experiences and is an example of experiences and is an example of the integration of information the integration of information literacy skills directly into the literacy skills directly into the university and college classroom.university and college classroom.

This activity can also be adapted This activity can also be adapted to an online environment, and its to an online environment, and its learning benefits can be further learning benefits can be further enhanced through a combined enhanced through a combined process of discussion and process of discussion and reflection.reflection.

Learning can be deepened in a Learning can be deepened in a physical classroom or online by physical classroom or online by letting students generate their own letting students generate their own questions for group discussion.questions for group discussion.

Constructive Learning in Constructive Learning in

Library Instruction: How Does Library Instruction: How Does

IT Compare IT Compare

With the Traditional Method?With the Traditional Method?

Ma Lei HsiehMonmouth University

Objectives of the Objectives of the Library Instruction Library Instruction SessionSessionStudents will be able to:Find journal articles in databases

Find books in the Library Catalog

Use Library Services

Surveyed StudentsSurveyed Students• Include 7 classes (80 students)

• Majors of the classes: education, communication, computer science, history

• No freshmen students in the study

Method Undergraduate

Graduate

Traditional

1 2

Constructive

2 2

No. of students

47 33

Traditional MethodTraditional Method

Librarian demonstrates,

students follow alone. Students do exercises on journal databases.

Librarian and faculty help.

Constructive MethodConstructive Method

Three principles:1. Students construct their own

learning with minimum instruction.

2. Peer learning and teaching 3. Instructor as coach in the

learning process.

Constructive Constructive MethodMethod

A. Journal databases: Librarian explains peer-reviewed vs. popular

journals / magazines, show databases on Lib. Web.

Divide Students into 4 groups of 2-5. Each group work with a database.

Students search on selected topics. Group representatives present their search

findings to the class (via NetSupport). Librarian gives critique of the searches and

explains about the features of the databases.

Continues …

Constructive Method Constructive Method (continued)(continued)

B. Using traditional method to present: ◦ Journal Locator◦ Library Catalog◦ Library Services

EvaluationEvaluation

All classes give evaluation at the end:

1. Grade level2. Had a Library Instruction (ILI) Before?

3. Three things learned in this session.

4. What still confused you.5. Met your expectations?

Constructive vs. Constructive vs. Traditional MethodsTraditional Methods

Method Had ILI %

Met Expect.

%

No. of Students

Constructive

60 88 57Traditiona

l36 98 23

Undergraduate vs. Undergraduate vs. GraduateGraduate

Method Had ILI %

Met Expect.

%

No. of Students

Undergraduate

77 83 47Graduate

29 99 33

What Did Students What Did Students Learn?Learn?

Constructive Traditional

Journal databases 27%

Journal databases 26%

Search tips – keywd strategies, *, Adv. Search, modify searches 12%

Search tips – keywd strategies, *, Adv. Search, Modify searches 17%

Peer-reviewed vs. Popular 9%

Peer-reviewed vs. popular 9%

Search books – Catalog 8%

Search books – Catalog 9%

Citation 6%

ILL 9%

Other 22 categories Other 8 categories

Still Confused?Still Confused?

Constructive Traditional

Peer reviewed vs. popular

Peer reviewed vs. popular

Find journal articles

Citation

Catalog Catalog

14 other categories

Constructive LearningConstructive LearningAdvantages / disadvantagesAdvantages / disadvantages

Advantages Disadvantages

Engaging students - Students work with peers and faculty.

Time is a challenge- discuss, develop search strategies, present

Break learning mode – from listening to doing.

Students don’t discover things thoroughly for lack of experience / time.

Students retain better of what they learned.

Exploring new items, some students may feel confused.

Teaching with Teaching with Constructive MethodConstructive Method2 or 3 a group is more effective than 4 and more.

A smaller class works better than a large class.

Its time consuming to use this method. Use one part of instruction in this method.

Use traditional method with it.

ConclusioConclusionsns

Both methods are effective if students are engaged.

Students retain more with constructive method. But it’s more time consuming to teach.

Not everyone likes it. Use traditional method with it to meet various learning styles.

Assessment gives librarians feedback to adjust teaching to meet students’ needs.

Jacqui DaCosta

The College of New Jersey

What is the Cephalonian Method?

• A fusion of color, images, humor and music!

• A way to involve participants in the session and to encourage questions

• An attempt to relieve the boredom for all involved!

How does this work?

• There are 8 colored cards around the room – each with a question or a statement

• Colors are assigned to different types or categories of relevant topics

• Related topics are grouped and assigned a color

• Be prepared to address any question from the colored topic set and number your PowerPoint slides!

How the Cephalonian Method started

• Cardiff University librarian on holiday

• Developed by Linda Davies and Nigel Morgan

• Used initially for large group orientation and to replace tours

Popularity of the Cephalonian Method

• Revealed to the unsuspecting British librarian public in 2004!

• Been used– For large groups and small groups– At different types of institutions– With undergraduates and

graduates– For orientation and other teaching

sessions

My Mom’s e-mailed me a picture of Miguel, my pet iguana. Where can I print him out?

2 PC rooms (24 hour access)• Microsoft applications• Subject databases• Internet & email access

• Network printing accounts • Laser printing

What really irritates us?

Eating & drinking

Excessive noise

Theft

Cell phones !

Cell phones !!

Cell phones !!!

Reactions to the Cephalonian Method?

Students• They seem to like it – it’s

something different• They laugh with you and are

keen to see what is coming next

Faculty• “Wonderful”• “Superb”• They like the style

What can go wrong?

• Need a contingency plan for the technology to let you down!

• You are inviting a moderate amount of chaos into your classroom

• You can’t audition the students– Shyness– Audibility– Color blindness

Benefits of the Cephalonian Method

• A good icebreaker• Adaptable for different

audiences• It can make the students look

forward to their next library session!

• Achieves certain active learning objectives– Interaction– Discussion and questions