Transcript No Slide Title

Don’t Throw Out the Baby!
Combining Classic Methods of Instruction
with New Technologies
Rich Gause and Karren P. Baird-Olson
University of Central Florida
Syllabus Orlando
March 19, 1999
http://library.ucf.edu/presentations/1999/syllabus/
In this age of
technology overload,
some of the classic
classroom techniques
can provide
stable footing.
 Lecture
 Overheads
 Question & Answer
 Discussion
 Handouts
 Written Assignments
 Feedback
Reasons for Including Low-Tech Methods
 Plan B -- Backup for Technology Glitches
 Methods Proven Effective Over Time
 Accommodate Learning Styles
 Add Variety to Learning Experience
 Comfort with the Familiar
What Made These Library Instruction
Sessions Successful?
 Hands-On Experience
 Meaningful Examples
 Handouts
 Reaction Paper
Why Did Professor Request
Library Instruction Sessions?
 Supports her ongoing interest in doing
interdisciplinary collaboration
 Supports her interactive teaching style
 Wants better research papers
 Encourages analytical thinking
Why Did Professor Request
Library Instruction Sessions?
Prevents following excuses:
“Library doesn’t have anything.”
“I can’t find anything at library.”
“People aren’t helpful in library.”
“I don’t know how to use technology.”
“I don’t know how to do searches.”
“I have time conflicts.”
Why Does Professor Require
Reaction Papers?
 Requires students to pay careful attention
 Gives professor feedback for follow-up
 Provides feedback to speaker
 Thanks speaker for his/her time
Student Reaction Paper
 What I knew before
 What I know after
 Recommendations
Comments
Questions
Why Does Librarian Provide
Library Instruction Sessions?
 Reduces need for one-on-one
 Markets information resources
 Contributes to learning process
 Sparks student interest in research
PowerPoint Presentation
for Juvenile Delinquency Class
Library Instruction Web Pages
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~rgause/classes/libinst.htm
 Reduce number of choices by focusing
on specific subject matter
 Describe why resources might be useful
 Include URLs of links
 Remain accessible throughout semester
 Given to students as handout
Student Feedback without Written Assignment
 No incentive is provided for students
to complete forms.
 Many don’t fill out the evaluation forms.
 Most who do fill out the forms just check off
a few boxes. Occasionally they include short
comments like “good job”, “interesting”,
“complete waste of my time”, or “confusing”.
 Without respondent identification,
follow-up is limited or impossible.
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"... I did not use the library very often, but when I did, it
was always an adventure. Since the session, I used
the library 3 times and it goes without saying that my
experiences have been much more enjoyable...."
"... I finally got an explanation about how the
advanced search works. Also the neat stuff about
how journals have an electronic copy on the
computer for you to look at instantly also I could email me that copy of the article to my home and
make a copy for free at my home printer..."
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"Prior to the Library inservice I could be aptly
described as a technological zero! Whenever I entered
the library to date I was truly lost, and in desperate
need of direction from the library staff.... I feel that
after experiencing the inservice, that many of my
computer fears have been alleviated. Equipped with
the handouts, and having witnessed the visual
demonstration I feel confident that I will be able to
access and extract the information I need...."
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
“The instructor lost me after the first five minutes. So I
did not get much out of his presentation. I am also
pretty much computer illiterate, so I did not understand
hardly any of his terminology.
I suggest that the instructor determine the level at
which most of the class is at (concerning computer
capability etc.) before just giving a period of instruction
on how to use these programs. I obviously need more
help and will seek it out when I go to the library.”
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"... It made me eager to go to the library to find out all
about it. So after class I went to the library and used
the sheets given to me in class to look up a lot of
information for a research paper that I have to do.
The sheets were very helpful...."
"Prior to Tuesday's library presentation, I felt that I was
as experienced as the next person when it came to
utilizing the equipment that our library provided.... I
learned more in those 45 minutes than I have learned in
almost a year's time...."
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"... I would highly recommend this training session to
any person in college. I regret finding this information
out so late in school. It really could have helped in my
other classes. I will however, use this information for
my last year of school and also take it with me when I
go off to graduate school."
"... I especially found it useful that handouts were given
out because we all know verbalization only goes so far.
I know I'll soon be found sitting in front of one [of] the
computers in the library with these handouts in one
hand and my other hand on the keyboard...."
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"... I thought the presentation was really impressive.
Not only was it high tech, but the librarians did a fine
job on their presentation. They were extremely
organized and knowledgeable. As far as what I would
suggest for future presentations etc, I am going to
need about a month in the library to absorb all of this
before even starting to comment. Overall they
covered everything I need to know."
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
"... I must admit that I was green to the teeth in
knowing how to reach the databases necessary. It
was near sheer hell and I became very frustrated
before I finally broke the ice and began to
understand the system enough to get some of the
material I had searched for. This, and a couple of
other tries, had me almost afraid to visit the library
except for quiet solitude and some study. Heavy on
my mind was a realization of the need to know how
to facilitate the system if I was to be successful in
getting my lessons completed. I was sweating at
the brow.
Excerpts from some of the students' reaction papers:
All of that was before the Library Research
Training session given in class on October 1st.
The presentation was exactly what I needed and I
can truly attest to the fact that it helped me greatly.
Not only did I find it very interesting but extremely
informative. All aspects of it: the overhead, the
on-line demonstration of the actual WebLUIS
information system - where we could actually see
the process as it happened and the handouts,
generated a renewed enthusiasm in me to do
library research again...."
Feedback and Follow-up
 Professor responded to student comments
 Librarian’s responses to specific student
comments included:
 Additional handouts
 Information about library audio tour
and Internet Workshops
 Computer Competency Class availability
Benefits to Students
 Reduced apprehension
 Increased knowledge of research methods
 Became aware of possibilities
 Improved quality of research papers
Benefits to Professor
 Updated her awareness of available resources
 Improved quality of students’ research papers
 Established another campus connection
Benefits to Librarian
 Provided with real research examples
 Learned more about resources
 Received specific feedback
for improving future sessions
 Established another campus connection
Don’t Throw Out the Baby!
Hold onto some of
your classic methods
of instruction as you
adopt the new
technologies.