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Engaging Students in Issues in Science and Technology: A Mechanism to Introduce Current Issues and Improve Information and Technological
Literacy
Using Web-tracking software to assess course and revise webpages
"Issues in Science & Technology" is an interdisciplinary course that
addresses societal concerns brought on by technological advances. The
specific student university student learning outcomes identified for Issues
in science & Technology“ (Demers, 2003) include effective communication,
information literacy, problem solving and technological literacy. In the
course, students investigate selected contemporary science and
technology issues and problems and how they have developed over time.
The students examine a wide range of science-technology related issues.
The course offers a scaffold of assignments that leads the students
through the process of acquiring and evaluating information as they
question their hypotheses about the issues they have elected to research.
The requirements to meet these assignments as they prepare to compose
their oral and written reports make the significance of the library
information literacy program of primary importance.
This poster presents information
1. about the course design via the course web page (provided on the
laptop).
2. About the collaborative efforts with library faculty in developing students
advanced information literacy skills.
3. Utilization of web-tracking software to assess student’s use of the
course web page as a mechanism to revise and improve the course.
4. Student topics and perceptions of the course.
5. Your assistance in improving specific assignments and assessment of
student learning outcomes is appreciated.
http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/ndemers/10363/index.htm
A. Schedule
for the course Spring, 2001
DATE
Jan. 14
Jan 16
Jan 21
Jan 23
TOPIC
DUE
Introductions
List of 5 issues
Defining Science / Issues chosen
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY NO CLASSES
Computer tutorial- advanced library
research
Meet in BHG 205 for class
Jan 28
Discuss individual projects in groups.
Jan 30
Feb 4
Feb 6
Feb 11
Discussion Chapters 1 & 2
Feb 13
Feb 18
Discuss timelines/assignments
Sign up for Presentations
Discussion, Chapter 8 & 9
Pro/Con Websites
Evaluation
Feb 20
Feb 25
Discussion of timeline
Presentations discussed/groups
formed
Independent topics chosen.
Discussion Chapter 3, 4 & 5
Discussion Chapter 6 & 7
Final Preparation for presentations
Feb 27
Mar 4- Apr 3 Independent presentations and
discussion*
Mar 27
Independent presentations and
discussion*
Independent presentations and
Apr 3
discussion*
Set up group debates
Group Debate
Apr 8
Apr 10- 22
Apr 24 & 29 Class summary and discussion
May 1
Portfolio
Research Plan Worksheets
Topic titles- very specific
Essay regarding Science and
Technology
Timeline
Library work
Annotated bibliography
First version of individual
projects (bring 2 copies)
Peer review
Summaries of Presentations
Written reports
Portfolio
Number of hits to IDS 3303 website on each date of semester
0
Date of semester
Nora Egan Demers
Florida Gulf Coast University
Ft. Myers, Florida
B.
1/14
1/18
1/22
1/26
1/30
2/3
2/7
2/11
2/15
2/19
2/23
2/27
3/3
3/7
3/11
3/15
3/19
3/23
3/27
3/31
4/4
4/8
4/12
4/16
10
20
30
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C.
Research plan worksheets (1/30)
Topic titles (2/6)
Essay (2/12)
Website Evaluation (2/18)
Timeline (2/25)
Annotated bibliography (3/4)
First copy of paper due (3/27)
Peer review due (4/3)
URL provided to Biology list serve (4/4)
Summaries due (4/10)
number of hits to page
B. Student comments about the course:
What did you learn the most about?
Help me improve the course:
1. What is the value of an intellectual history to one who wants to understand
Issues in Science and Technology? If this is important to achieve, what can I
do to make it clearer that this is what I want in the ” timeline assignment”?
How should I assess the assignment that is submitted?
People should be allowed to select the gender of their
child.
I learned most about science and how to think critically.
Become a skeptic in some sense of the word, and go out there
and figure it out!
Gene therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
is worth the cost in lives and money.
I learned the most about critical thinking and how important it
can be if people put it to use and weren’t so blind to certain
issues. I didn’t know anything about the issues presented in the
class.
Simplicity isn’t easy to achieve. There are more viewpoints than
my own.
Figure 1. Student Perceptions of Their Own Information Literacy, Spring '03
I have learned about many topics that I was not previously
aware of and find myself talking about them in conversations
and discussions.
I learned the most about reliability of information and the
constant need to question information I am given.
What will you recall about this course in 5 years?
In addition to students perceiving that their information literacy improved,
assignments demonstrate that they are more cognizant of the variety of
resources available and how the source influences the bias of information
presented.
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Figure 3. Utilization of website data to assess and revise course. A. Schedule of course assignments. B. the number of “hits” to the web pages during the semester. C. A two
semester summary of hits to the website showing the time of day student used the web pages. Students accessed the pages most often just before class on the day assignments were
due and in the hours just before and after class. There was also a noteworthy amount of activity between 10:00 pm and 2:00 AM.
A. Samples of issues selected:
Figure 2. Student perception of their own information marked on an
“information literacy continuum before and after the class as compared to what
they would like to achieve for information literacy.
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List due (1/16)
Excerpts of topics selected by the students to study during the course (A) and their feedback on the
value of the course (B).
1. Collaborations with librarians to improve information literacy
Collaborations included
•Advanced library training sessions
held in a computer class room
focused on showing students how to access databases and evaluate
resources
•one-on-one sessions with a reference librarian were also required
•brochures were developed specifically for the assignments
(timeline, annotated bibliography).
The training has been expanded to several other courses.
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I think what I will remember about this course is that you have
to filter everything that you see.
Genetically modified rice can help stop world hunger
in S. Asia.
This course forced me to become a critical thinker about life,
experience, and subjects bigger than me, and about things I
would never have considered. I will remember that thinking
critically can really work to my advantage.
St. John’s Wort is as effective as pharmaceutical drugs
for treating mild depression, at a lower cost, and with
fewer side effects.
I will remember all the research that I did for my project, but in
the end it helped me learn about my topic along with many
other topics brought up by classmates. It was a very valuable
class and taught me how to research instead of doing it at the
last minute.
Cloning animal organs is beneficial for society.
I’ll remember that this is one of the hardest classes I have taken
in college, but well worth the struggle.
Earth-based solar is more beneficial and realistic than
solar powered satellites.
I will remember how to look for research material and the best
way to evaluate them.
I will remember that we should take responsibility for our own
action. Be responsible consumer and know all the facts.
2. How much “scientific content” is necessary for an informed citizen (read liberal
arts education) to understand issues in science and technology? For
example, do you have to know what genes are and how they function to elect
a good policy maker?
Do you have to know to be a good policy maker?
3. My focus has been on improving the skills of critical (skeptical) inquiry and
information literacy. Is this the appropriate focus? Would you prefer to see
another focus? What? Why?
Conclusions:
The course improves information literacy as demonstrated by the students ability to utilize
and critically evaluate a wider variety of resources.
The course stimulates interest in scientific and technological issues as confirmed by
student comments about how they spend their free time and converse with friends
discussing material from the course.
Students at FGCU are well-trained to apply effort primarily to assignments that are
graded. As with most of us, deadlines drive actions, so assignments that provide scaffold
to build a final research project are helpful in assuring that the research progresses
through the term. It is important to find a way to assure the students that these are not
“busy work” but rather integral to the process.
References Cited:
McKnight, R and Demers, N.E. (2003) Evaluating Course Website Utilization By Students Using Web
Tracking Software: A Constructivist Approach. International Journal of E-Learning 2:3:13-17
Demers, N.E. (2003) Issues in Science and Technology: Student driven inquiry directed by the Scientific
Process. Journal of College Science Teaching 23:330-337
Demers, N.E. and Malenfant, C. (2004) Collaboration for Point-of-Need Library Instruction Reference
Services Review 32:3:XX