Active Learning

IDEALA Week 2 Activity - Part 2

Teaching / Learning Activities

Information & Ideas

• Textbook - Badke, Research Strategies
• Videos - to be determined
• Websites - to be determined
• Samples of Assignments (from Professor and previous students)

Experience

• Exploring topics with concept maps
• Observing teacher and classmates as they search databases
• Searching databases - reference works, articles, books, images
• Presenting their new knowledge

Reflective Dialogue

• Minute paper - What made sense in today's lesson? What made sense in the class overall?
• Muddiest point - What is still unclear?
• Rubrics - Do I know what to do for this assignment? Did I meet the standards?
• Journals about learning - What databases help? What search techniques work or do not work?
• Annotations about sources - What did I learn about my research topic?

Integration of Steps 1 - 4

1.  Situational Factors

I believe the main learning goal for my course is reflected in the assessment and teaching-learning activities.  Students should have much practice in finding and using sources of information.  

I see a potential conflict due to being in a linked course.  I struggle to develop rich learning experiences because I am still uncertain about whether to simply guide students toward completion of their English essays or develop an assessment tool that students may not directly connect to their English paper assignment.

2.  Learning Goals and Feedback & Assessment

The main assessment tools are the creation of a presentation and annotated bibliography.  A journal allows students to reflect on their learning in the course, while an annotated bibliography requires students to reflect on the content of the course.

3.  Learning Goals and Teaching/Learning Activities

The intent of many learning activities is to directly support the development of the class presentation and annotated bibliography.  Past experience tells me that I do not develop enough teaching/learning activities to meet the large assessment goal.  Perhaps my expectations are too high for a one-unit class? Perhaps I need to improve my classroom management skills so that students stay on task?

4.  Teaching/Learning Activities and Feedback & Assessment

In part 1 of this week's activity, I suggested that students could evaluate each other's work on the in class activities.  Additionally, rubrics could be developed, shared, and discussed with students.  I imagine believe students could use these rubrics to evaluate my lesson (Did I teach them enough to perform well?) and to evaluate their own work (Did I do what the professor asked?).  Any kind of feedback from students assumes they are fully participating in classroom and homework assignments.  Also, students must be willing to honestly assess themselves and their classmates.

Worksheet for Designing a Course

From this broad goal:

"A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will confidently and capably find and use a variety of sources of information in order to understand their research interests and provide answers and solutions to their research questions and problems."

I have identified some specific learning goals for the course:

Learning Goals for the Course:  Students will be able to…	Ways of Assessing this Kind of Learning	Actual Teaching-Learning Activities	Helpful Resources
Identify research interests	1. Students will identify a main topic and sub-topics. 2. Students will narrow this topic into a research question.	Develop concept map Search reference databases Develop research questions Write citations for reference works	Textbook: -      Badke’s Research Strategies Videos -    TBD Databases: -      Gale Virtual Reference Library -      CQ Researcher
Find sources of information	1. Students will find at least five sources of information that help them answer their research question. 2. Students will journal about their search attempts and document growth or weaknesses in their search skills.	Search databases Evaluate and select articles and books Critically read articles and books Write citations for articles and books	Textbook Videos Databases: -      Academic Search Premier -      JSTOR -      Library Catalog (WorldCat Local) -      ProQuest Research Library
Use sources of information to provide answers to problems	1. Students will give a classroom presentation about their problem and one potential solution to this problem. 2. Students will create an annotated bibliography to summarize and evaluate their sources of information.	Write outlines Create presentations, such as poster boards, Prezi, or    PowerPoint Write annotations Write citations in MLA format	Textbook Videos Writing Center -      Handouts -      Tutoring -      Workshops Speech & Sign Success Center

  

Procedures for Educative Assessment

IDEALA - Week 2 Activity - Part 1

In week 1, I established learning goals for my credit course, Library 1A: Introduction to Library Research.  As a reminder, my main learning goal is:

"A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will confidently and capably find and use a variety of sources of information in order to understand their research interests and provide answers and solutions to their research questions and problems."

1.  Forward-Looking Assessment

Option 1:

Imagine that you are enrolled in a college course, in which the professor requires you to engage in a debate about a problem that impacts college students, such as exploitation of college athletes.  To win the debate, you must convince your audience (professors and classmates) that your understanding of the problem is strong and your potential solution is realistic.  Your description of the problem and solution must be based on scholarly sources of information.

Option 2:

Imagine that a good friend regularly drinks excessive amounts of alcohol.  Unfortunately, she has not listened to you when you suggest that she needs help.  Write a letter to your friend about the problem of alcoholism among college students.  In order to gain her attention, be sure to identify current research studies on this problem.  Summarize what you read, identify the authority of the sources, and explain how they relate to her problem.  End your letter with suggestions for where your friend can get help for her problem.

2.  Criteria & Standards

Finds Scholarly Source:

• Acceptable: Finds a journal article; Weakly connects source to research topic
• Exceptional: Finds a journal article; Strongly connects source to research topic

Summarizes Source:

• Acceptable: Summarizes the source in complete sentences; identifies the main point
• Exceptional: Summarizes the source in complete sentences; identifies the main point and sub-points; identifies argument found in the source

Evaluates Authority of Source:

• Acceptable: Identifies the authors' background and credentials; Connects authors' credentials to the research topic
• Exceptional: Identifies the authors' background and credentials; Connects authors' credentials to the research topic; Identifies possible bias based on the authors' credentials or vocabulary

Describes Relevance of Source:

• Acceptable: Indicates the source is relevant to research question; Identifies how the source helps answer question
• Exceptional: Indicates the source is relevant to research question; Identifies how the source helps answer question; Identifies gaps that are not answered by this source

3.  Self-Assessment

Group Assessment:
In class, students can work in groups of 2-3 to identify strengths and weaknesses in each others' work.

Individual Assessment:
Students apply the professor's standards and criteria to their own work.  If they rate their performance low in any criteria, they should reflect on what aspects of the standards are unclear to them.

4.  "FIDeLity" Feedback

Frequent:

• Give individual and group work in class.
• Assign similar work as homework.

Immediate:

• Grade and return work promptly (by the next class period).

Discriminating:

• Develop rubrics for standards and criteria for homework. 
• Discuss the assignment, standards, and criteria with students.  
• Provide examples of tasks in class and post examples online for students to review at home as needed.

Loving:

• Identify strengths in my students' work.  
• Focus grading on one standard, rather than on all standards, so that students can develop at least one standard well. 

Designing Courses that Promote ...

IDEALA - Week 1 Activity

In addition to reading the pages of Fink, I also reviewed the articles by Booth, Davis, and Turnbow.  In addition to her USER method, I appreciate Booth's four-part instructional literacy framework: reflective practice, educational theory, teaching technologies, and instructional design.  Turnbow's article is helping me learn more about goals and outcomes, as well as assessment and activities that could integrate with these learning outcomes.  Below is my response to the questions posed on the Fink worksheets.

Step 1.  Situational Factors

Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

For this IDEALA course, I will focus on my teaching of Library 1A: Introduction to Library Research (LIBR 1A).  LIBR 1A is a one-unit course taught at a large community college.  Up to 30 students enroll in a section.  The current section is taught in an accelerated eight-week lesson, so students attend class two hours per week.  So far I teach in a face-to-face format in our library classroom.  This classroom is equipped with desktop computers that have Internet access and word processing software.  At the instructor podium, the professor and the students can project presentations and demonstrations.

General Context of the Learning Situation

I have taught LIBR 1A as a standalone course and in learning communities with English and Speech courses.  Most recently, I have taught in links with English 1A (ENGL 1A) in a learning community called Pathways to Transfer.  In Pathways, we hope that students enroll in and succeed in English 67-68-1A-1C and, even better, transfer to a four-year university.  English 67 and 68 are pre-collegiate; English 1A is freshman composition; and English 1C is critical thinking.  LIBR 1A links with ENGL 1A because it has a research paper component.

Nature of the Subject

Although I would like students to learn and remember some concepts about academic libraries and information competence, the ultimate goal of LIBR 1A is that students would practice what they are learning in class and to continue to apply research skills and utilize critical thinking in future coursework.  There are some elements of convergent thinking, like what a database includes, but open-minded (divergent) thinking is very helpful to the research process.

Characteristics of the Learners

All students in my current LIBR 1A section are enrolled in ENGL 1A. Thus, the assumption is that all of these students are capable of performing reading and writing at a college level.  They are fairly similar in terms of their abilities as students; however, they do have diverse personal backgrounds.  Some students are busy with school, family, and work responsibilities.  Other students are focused primarily on school.

Characteristics of the Teacher

I aim to build lessons that include active learning and critical thinking.  I am open to new pedagogy and curriculum.  I enjoy working with a semester-long credit class, because it is rewarding to get to know students on a deeper level than is possible in a workshop.  I struggle to engage students and I also wish to see more genuine participation from students in terms of classroom activities and homework assignments.

Step 2.  Significant Learning Goals

A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will confidently and capably find and use a variety of sources of information in order to understand their research interests and provide answers and solutions to their research questions and problems.

Foundational Knowledge

I want students to know that they can access a variety of information sources by using catalogs, databases, and search engines.  I want students to know that all information sources are not created equal, so they must think critically about the context surrounding their chosen information sources.

Application Goals

Students should be able to use databases to find sources of information. With a broad goal of using databases, I envision that students would develop a list of useful keywords and subject headings, enter search statements, and set limits as needed.  Students should also understand how to open, save, and email documents.

Student should also be able to evaluate sources of information.  More specifically, students should be able to read and view the sources of information.  Then students would examine these sources of information based on criteria such as authority, accuracy, and purpose.

Integration Goals

I want students to realize that "basic" search skills can be applied across many databases.  I also want them to realize that critical thinking, especially evaluating the source of information, is important in all aspects of their lives. There may be multiple answers or solutions to the same problem, so it is okay to challenge a source.

Human Dimension Goals

I want students to enjoy learning about their research interests.  I want them to be able to decide where they stand on certain issues.  Ideally, students would base their stance on evidence that they reviewed and appraised.

Students can realize they are not alone in an academic environment. Professors, librarians, tutors, and peers are available and willing to help them succeed.

Caring Goals

I want students to value information and to realize that they can contribute their ideas to this world of information.  I want them to value libraries and think that libraries contribute positively to our world.

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

What students learn in LIBR 1A will help them be "good" students in other courses at my institution and at their future institutions.  From this course, they should be able to use academic libraries in a range of ways, from finding and borrowing a book to planning and implementing multiple stages of the research process.  When it is a more extensive project, students should understand how long it might take to accomplish this project and they should have willingness to take these steps.

Why I Built a Blog

I am a librarian enrolled in an ALA eCourse, Instructional Design Essentials.  I was asked to create a blog for this course.  This is my first blog and my first blog post.  I look forward to the course and to meeting my future classmates.