Engaging Students in Issues in Science and Technology: A Mechanism to Introduce Current Issues and Improve Information and Technological Literacy   Nora Egan Demers Florida Gulf Coast University Ft. Myers, Florida Using Web-tracking software to assess course and revise webpages B. A. Schedule for the course Spring, 2001 C. "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. 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. Excerpts of topics selected by the students to study during the course (A) and their feedback on the value of the course (B). A. Samples of issues selected: B. Student comments about the course:   What did you learn the most about? 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. 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? 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. 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? 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? 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. Figure 1. Student Perceptions of Their Own Information Literacy, Spring '03 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 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. 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.