Flexible Info. Literacy Strategies for Engineering Design in EPICS Hitting a Moving Target & Assessing Our Aim Lisa G. Dunn, Colorado School of Mines

EPICS (Engineering Practices Intro. Course Sequence) Team-Based, Projects from Real Clients Challenges for the Library Logistics for freshman EPICS  Timing - Project selection, syllabus  ~18 sections, 450 students, 4 days Participants: Students, instructors, program Projects  Change each semester  Information requirements vary widely

EPICS Projects

Hitting the EPICS Target Integrate with Course Maintain the team environment Relevance – Show immediate benefits Flexibility Sessions based on team activity, not lecture Feedback loops  Instructors  Librarians Worksheet forms easily edited

Assessment Feedback Pre-session surveys Final design project reports Comments from instructors & students Results  Instructors – “OK”  Students – “Will this help me do the project?” Need for updated information Quantitative Data

Changes On-the-Fly Classroom Existing space Laptops, team-based seating Flexible, scalable Assignments Divisions in teams’ work effort Selective Goals - Students will: Extract useful information Evaluate the information’s source

The “M” Word Marketing Awareness - “It’s marketing if you’re capturing information.” Change Response – Demonstrate the benefit “Marketing as if Your Library Depended on It,” Pat Wagner, Pattern Research, Inc.

Interviews with Instructors Feedback on EPICS Demonstrated the benefits  Enhanced team environment  Higher level of engagement  Students discovered relevant information Captured information  Further changes to EPICS  Instructors want…

Inteviews What Do Instructors Want? (in 45 min.) “You should do….”  Communications issue Different things - Contradictory priorities  EPICS program issue Everything  Our issue – go for relevance, effectiveness  Information literacy goals, assessment? Spinning Our Assessment Data

Future Plans EPICS Version X.x… Assessment Qualitative data ≠ Marketing Define and plan your project Keep it simple Learn Keep the loop going  Awareness – Know your customer  Change - Apply knowledge immediately  Response – Feedback