BACK TO THE BASICS: Library Instruction Redux

BRENT HUSHER MELISSA MUTH FU ZHU0 University of Missouri–Kansas City Miller Nichols Library Presenters:

Today’s Program  Background  Rationale for change  New instruction program  Evaluation & future steps  Questions 3 B

About the University of Missouri – Kansas City  Enrollment: 14,462 (Fall 2007)  62% undergraduate students  38% graduate & professional students  Up to 1365 students living on-campus 4 B

Two Core Classes  Arts & Sciences 100 (A&S 100)  Introduction to university life  Required for freshmen and transfer students  English 110  Basic composition course  Required general education requirement  Common syllabus  Often enroll during same semester as A&S B

Previous Instruction Plans  2006 and before  A&S 100 sections planned individually  English 110 sections planned individually  2007  A&S 100 taught uniformly (with “just in case” method)  English 110 section planned individually (often following A&S 100 lesson plan) 6 B

Just in Case?  Search strategy  Search the catalog  Search a database  Locate materials within library building  Locate materials outside library building  Locate electronic and paper format of articles  Do a library exercise outside of class 7 B -> M

Rationale for Change  Too much information/too little time  Same instruction/same semester  A&S 100 adapted for English 110 Primary difference: A&S 100’s no research English 110’s topics to research for class  Some students in both A&S 100 and English 110 Same semester Some just few weeks apart 8 M

More Rationale  Frustration of librarians / students  Too few standards/too little assessment  ACRL Standards not purposely applied  Short survey 9 M

Current Plan  Less is more  Active learning  Group interaction and discussion  Limit failure  Accommodates different learning styles  Incorporates ACRL Standards and assessment 10 M

A&S 100  Introduction to library  Myths vs. facts Myths vs. facts Class discussion about why myth or fact  Vocabulary Vocabulary Introduces basic, as yet unavoidable, jargon  Catalog and Academic Search Premier Familiarize/Awareness two basic resources 11 M

English 110  Beginning research skills  Developing search strategies  Using the library catalog  Using a general database  Translating topics into useable search strategies  With sample topic, librarian leads class in Identifying three main ideas Brainstorming synonyms and related terms Selecting set of terms to create basic search Demonstrating search 12 M

English 110  Translating topics into useable search strategies  Selecting own terms from topic students pair up Repeat process using a worksheet Try their search strategies in databases  Librarian led discussion Varying results Effectiveness of different searches 13 M

Assessment  The Spring semester 2008  Based on the learning outcomes and ACRL Standards, we have created two evaluation forms to find out if our new approaches would meet students needs  One session of A&S 100 with 20 evaluation forms.  Four sessions of English 110 with 89 evaluation forms. F 14

A&S 100 Evaluation Form 1. Please write down one thing you learned today from this session. 2. Please circle the class activities that have helped you learn about the library. A. Myths & Facts. B. Vocabulary. C. Class Discussion. D. All of them 3. What questions do you still have about the library? F 15

Spring Semester 2008 – A&S 100 F 16

1. Please write down one thing you learned today from this session. 2. Please circle the class activities that have helped you learn the library. a. Search Strategy. B. MERLIN/Academic Search Premier Demonstration. C. MERLIN/Academic Search Premier Hands-on Activity. D. All of the above. 3. What questions do you still have about the library? English 110 Evaluation Form F 17

Spring Semester 2008 – English 110 F 18

Assessment  Implications  Small amount of data  Flaws in the design of the evaluation forms  Multiple answers to the same question  Comments  Need to design a new evaluation form to get students feedback on classroom activities. F 19

Fall Semester 2008  Fall Semester implemented new evaluation forms  Number of sessions in A&S 100 and English 110  English 110 has 13 sessions with 133 returned evaluation forms.  A&S 100 has 18 sessions with 320 returned evaluation forms F 20

A&S 100 New Evaluation Form 1. Please write down one thing you learned today from this session. 2. The demonstration of the library catalog has helped me learn what I need to know to complete future assignment. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 3.The demonstration of Academic Search Premier has prepared me to do future research. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 4. I would like to have some handouts on how to search library resources before class. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 5. What questions do you still have about the library? F 21

Fall Semester 2008 – A&S 100 F 22

English 110 New Evaluation Form 1. Please write down one thing you learned today from this session. 2. The demonstration of the library catalog and how to use the database has helped me learn what I need to know to complete my assignment. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 3. The hands-on activity about the library catalog and using the database has helped learn what I need to know to complete my assignment. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 4. I am comfortable in finding journal articles after this class. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 5. The search strategy activity will help me in my library research. a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree 6. What questions do you still have about the library? F 23

Fall Semester English 110 F 24

Future Steps – A&S 100  Refine active learning activities  Student discussion of library experiences  Redesign library facts and myths to reflect library’s on- going changes in services and resources  Redesign library terminology and using clickers to do such exercises F 25

Future Steps – English 110  More student centered instruction  Address students’ research topics (point of need)  Identify students’ diverse learning styles  Use students own choice of topics to do hands-on exercises F 26

Future Steps – English 225  Integrate English 225 into new instruction program  Higher level of English composition course  Need more advanced research skills  Critically formulate and refine in-depth search strategy F 27

Future Steps – English 225  Student centered and active class plan  How to select a manageable and interesting topic  Critically evaluate information gathered  Make students come up with criteria to evaluate research resources (both online and in print)  Properly citing scholarly sources  Copyright law and avoid plagiarism F 28

QUESTIONS?:

Myths & Facts  The Libraries have online materials that are not available through Google.  The purpose of the library is to provide the books students need.  I can borrow 2000 books from the library at one time.  I can renew library books from home.  My study group can eat pizza while we work in the Miller Nichols Library.  If the library doesn’t have the book or article I want, I’m out of luck.  Every semester a student’s personal property, like a laptop, iPod, or cell phone, is stolen in the library.  Since all the information I need for my classes is available free on the Internet, I can do the research the night before my class paper is due.  I can access most UMKC online library resources from anywhere in the world.  I will bother the librarians or library staff if I ask them any questions while I am in the library. Back 30

A place to get help using the library. Search engine to find articles on a particular topic. Letters and numbers used to find books on the library shelf. A place to check out books. Summary of an article. Search engine to find books, DVDs and other items in UMKC libraries. A publication similar to a magazine with articles written and approved by experts in a field of study. Magazines, newspapers and journals. Merlin Online Catalog Periodical Call Number Database Scholarly Journal Reference Desk Access Services Desk Abstract Vocabulary Back

Reference Desk