teaching today’s students what we learned……

Undergraduate Research Project

University of Rochester River Campus Libraries

Teaching Today’s StudentsWhat we learned……

Vicki BurnsRush Rhees Library

University of Rochester



What do undergraduates REALLY do when they write research papers?

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/downloadables/Foster-Gibbons_cmpd.pdf



• Faculty Work Practice Project

• What about undergrads?– Project Team– Leadership Group– Three study teams

Reference

Library facilities

Web Site



• Research begun Fall 2004

• Led by Anthropologist Nancy Fried Foster

• Used ethnographic research techniques

• Pre-study: faculty interviews

• Objectives broadened to gain broad insight into student lives

• More than 100 students participated

• More than 1/3 of library staff involved



Faculty commented more extensively on the problems of writing and critical thinking than on those related to locating appropriate sources



Methodologies used– Retrospective interviews– Photo Surveys– Mapping diaries– Reference desk survey– Interviews in student union– Design workshops for web page– Design Charettes– Late night dorm visits

Retrospective Interview

Design Charrette

Mahogany bookshelves,

Old style lampsNice cozy feel

Computer Loungewith 802.11g WiFi

With Nintendo WiFi Connection

Movies and video games on big

projection screen

Gleason LibraryDedicated Nov 2007

Something you couldn’t live without

Photo Survey

Carlson Library Rush Rhees Library

Reference Desk Survey

Interviews in Union“To participate, you

must:• Be an undergraduateAND• Working on a paper

that requires you to find books and/or articles

OR• Working on a project

that requires you to find data”

Mapping Diary

Late Night Dorm Visits

Design workshop for web page



Staff participation Development of interview and workshop

procedures Video recorded and transcribing of interviews Co-viewing interviews Interviewed faculty and students Developed new programs: Night Owl

librarians, Orientation Breakfast

Whoooo’s working late?

Night Owl Librarians

Help with assignments and papers

Sunday – WednesdayMarch 26 - 29 and April 2 – 5

until 11 PM

Call: 275-4478 Rush Rhees Reference

275-4465 Carlson Library Reference

IM: askURlibrary



Retrospective Interviews Most had had a library instruction session Expected to do well Found articles and books fairly easily, simply

changed topics if did not find enough Consulted with parents Found developing a thesis, organizing, and

writing difficult Several had consulted a librarian



Reference Desk Interviews Students did not come to desk “cold” All had tried to find information on his/her own Most students knew names of databases and

had used 1-2 of the them All students reported reference assistance

had helped them Save time Learned about resources, the library, and how to

search



Dissatisfaction with the technique Interviewed students immediately after

assistance Librarians uncomfortable with asking

questions and often to busy to adequately follow-up at the desk



Survey in the student union Felt they had enough time to do paper All expected to do well Found it difficult to narrow topic and organize

paper Most asked professor or TA for assistance Many expected to have prof review draft Some uncertain about what a librarian could

do for them



In summary, we found students: Confident about their ability to find

information Heavy users of libraries’ catalog and

databases Do not take the first hits from a Google

search Divide their research and writing into

chunks



• Often mention databases by name but also heard about the “libraries’ search engine”

• Look for a simple interface; for them it is a “point and click” world

• Confident of their ability to find what they needed; often if they did not find information they assume it did not exist and chose a different topic



Those who came to the desk Had tried and failed to find what they

needed Some consulted regularly with librarian Most had met librarian in class or an

earlier consultation



For reference/subject librarians some sobering results:

Lack of clarity about role of librarian or even what library staff had come to their class

Equate librarians with books See faculty or teaching assistants as subject

experts Consulted with a librarian on faculty

recommendation



Brief look at library instruction at UR No formal information literacy program Integrated into courses with assignments

requiring library research Library instruction in just about all first year

writing classes Mixed success in other classes, depends

on assignments, subject librarians, and interested faculty



• So what have we done???



• Strength our subject librarian/department liaison program For some, faculty interviews opened

communication Embedded Librarians Course Pages Include faculty in decisions when feasible Offer more options to faculty



Collaboration with College Writing Center Built on a strong foundation of good will Reflects the synergy between research and

writing Development of librarian tutors Working with the writing fellows Conducting research and presenting Increased presence in the pedagogy training

of instructors



Critical Evaluation of teaching methods Meetings to focus on teaching Led by Suzanne Bell, ACRL, Institute for

Information Literacy: “The Intentional Teacher: renewal through informed reflection.” (2006)

Review and trade teaching techniques; develop unique materials



Emphasis Develop clear goals with instructor Less lecturing and fewer demos; active

involvement of students Refine and limit amount of information

presented Get the students started; make certain they

know how to get further assistance Creative ways to teach the basics



Developed theme “every class has a librarian”

Course pages Parents Breakfast Scare Fair Appointments/ business cards at desk



Would we do it all again?

Would we change what we did?

Has it made a difference in our libraries?



Slides available at:

http://docushare.lib.rochester.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-2795

teaching today’s students what we learned……

Documents

night owl librarians

desk coldall

library staff

techniqueinterviewed

students participatedmore

themall students

carlson library referenceim

hisher ownmost students