Redesigning a FYE library module: Cleveland Based Learning Ben Richards, Cleveland State University

Agenda Reasons for redesign Goals Library module design Implementation Feedback and assessment Lessons learned

Background

Cleveland State University Young and urban institution Commuter reputation World class experience (Cleveland State University)

Freshman Year Seminar College skills Orientation Student retention and Success (Tinto, 1975; Pierard & Graves, 2002). (Cleveland State University)

Prior library module Common Reading Evaluating sources Annotated Bibliography

Conversations about replacement Annotated bibliography was not popular  Disconnected from course Feedback indicated FYE needed a redesign Common Reading put on hiatus Committee to redesign ASC formed (Pixabay)

Information literacy Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (ACRL, 2015) Shift from IL as discrete skills  to interconnected practices and habits of mind More emphasis on IL's integration into disciplines and other learning experiences

Cleveland Based Learning takes shape High impact – increase student engagement and retention (AAC&U, 2008) Request for local history aspect, “city-university connection” (Cleveland Memory Project)

Cleveland Historical

Lesson Plan and design

Using Information as a Springboard to Research (Frigo & Richter, 2015) Starter article provides a topic Students evaluate article Students use article to “springboard” their research Concepts Keywords Sources (Pixabay)

Learning Outcomes Students will be able to generate keywords, concepts, and main ideas from a piece of information or topic in order to build a search strategy and locate relevant sources. Students will understand that a single source of information is one piece of a larger conversation

Lesson Plan Students visit a historical site Students evaluate their assigned article Students attend library session Students present on their research topic Students write a reflective essay

Developing Topics Sites could be close or far, depending on your campus and students Topics and articles should accessible for first year students Topics should be highly relatable to “springboard” article Articles should be full of substance  (Pixabay)

Worksheets Evaluating Articles – critical evaluation Making Connections – brainstorming search strategy Source Profile – recording sources found during library session

Assessment Rubrics made to measure quality of searches and sources found Our assessment did not show growth of IL outcomes Student reflection measured modules impact on their connection to Cleveland and campus (Pixabay)

Research Guide http://researchguides.csuohio.edu/CBL2016_LOEX  

Implementation

Summer Transition Enrichment Program STEP library module takes place in half a day Accelerated pace showed us importance of ample preparation for students (Pixabay)

Training Instructors One training session is “big picture” – our time slot focused on information literacy and engagement One training session was detail oriented – our time slot had instructors walk through assignment

Semester Timeline Timeline varied for sections; bulk of 70 sections came to library in weeks 5-10. Weeks 1-4 : Introducing assignment, site visits Weeks 5-10 : Library sessions Weeks 11-15 : Presentations, Reflections

Assessment, feedback, and observations

Assessment Results Percent of students identifying concepts and supplying appropriate keywords: 87.18% (n=351) Percent of students identifying key sources in their “Springboard” article: 84.54% (n=317) Percent of students who wrote an appropriately narrowed follow-up question for their research topic: 72.19% (n=302) Percent of students who selected a quality source appropriately matched with their research question: 82.46% (n=325) Percent of students who gave an in-depth evaluation of their source: 59.75% (n=320) Percent of students who wrote effective and appropriately narrow searches: 80.88% (n=319)

Feedback from instructors Instructors said… Assignment was complex Some students struggled to make connection between site and research topic However… Students were more engaged with assignment Module fit with the context of the course

Reflections from librarians Librarians said… Not all classes were equally prepared Worksheets were difficult to complete in session However… Students were on task and engaged Students seemed to find the activities valuable

Results of student reflections Of (n=143) students, 82% wrote that they perceived their relationship with Cleveland as positively developing because of the assignment Many students directly cited the assignment as contributing to a positive connection with Cleveland and campus (Pixabay)

Improvements for next year Streamlined library session with less individual tasks New site-topic pairs Working with learning communities to develop discipline specific versions of CBL More emphasis on research topics; less on historical significance Streamline and expand assessment process; online worksheets, collect presentations

Personal reflections CBL was an opportunity for the library to try something entirely new Students benefitted from information literacy instruction and an out- of-classroom experience in downtown Cleveland Other skills built in to the assignment included working in groups, presenting, and reflective learning

Questions for the group: Does your campus have any unique circumstances that required something out of the ordinary for first year instruction? How have you made your first year instruction more engaging for students?  Has anyone incorporated an aspect of community engagement in to their information literacy programs?

References ACRL. (2015). Framework for information literacy in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework  Frigo, E., & Richter, J. (2015). Using information as a springboard to research. In P. Bravender, H. McClure, & G. Schaub (Eds.), Teaching information literacy threshold concepts: Lesson plans for librarians (pp. 19–22). Chicago, Illinois: Association of College and Research Libraries, A division of the American Library Association.  AAC&U. (2008). High-Impact Educational Practices. Retrieved from   https://www.aacu.org/leap/hips   Pierard, C., & Graves, K. A. (2002). The greatest problem with which the library is confronted: A survey of academic library outreach to the freshman course. In M. C. Kelly & A. Kross (Eds.), Making the grade: Academic libraries and student success (pp. 71–89). Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association, 50 East Huron St.  Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89–125. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170024