NELIG Annual Program 2008

Getting to know today’s college students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester
Vicki Burns, Head of Reference, University of Rochester

Several years ago, University of Rochester River Campus Libraries launched the Undergraduate Research Project under the guidance of our staff anthropologist, Dr. Nancy Fried Foster. Initially our goal was to discover how the students did their research and wrote their college papers. Later, we broadened our focus to include the students’ campus lives---the rhythm of their days, their goals and expectations, their relationship with family, and attitudes toward academic work. Some of our assumptions turned out to be true; others were turned upside down. In this talk, I will describe the research techniques, findings, and their impact on our libraries’ programs.

Universal Design for Information Literacy
Ted Chodock & Elizabeth Dolinger (Landmark College)

How are academic libraries addressing the needs of students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or learning disabilities? What methods can instruction librarians incorporate into our teaching to reach all students in our classrooms? This presentation will discuss the impacts of students with learning disabilities and AD/HD in our classrooms. Universal Design, a concept initially developed to address inaccessibility in built environments, is being adapted for use in academic instruction. We will introduce the principles of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) and discuss the relationship between it and current best practices in information literacy. UDI "anticipates the needs of diverse learners and incorporates effective strategies into curriculum and instruction to make learning more accessible."* We will share our experiences applying UDI in the information literacy program at Landmark, a college for students with learning disabilities and AD/HD. Attendees will also brainstorm methods to apply the principles of UDI in their classrooms.

How at Risk Students Learn to be 21^st Century Scholars
Isabel Espinal (University of Massachusetts Amherst)

A portion of the U Mass Amherst Scholars of the 21st Century Program introduces students to the library. This presentation illustrates many ways these students learn library and information literacy concepts. These students are considered "at risk," yet they can be successfully introduced to concepts and tools that librarians shy away from using with freshmen and even undergrads. I would like to talk about the special interplay between the very basic and the very complex. One way these students learn is by the instructor not taking anything for granted - she doesn't assume that an explanation of how LC call numbers work and how our building is laid out will give students the skills to actually know how to find a book. Another way they learn is by teaching each other. Students are encouraged to lead one another through exercises. Pros and cons of various choices to continue library success in this expanding program will be discussed.

Beyond the Facelift: Making Library Instruction Attractive to the Net Generation through Innovative Strategies and Technologies
Nicole Brown, Erica Schattle, Laura McCune-Poplin (Emerson College)

In response to curriculum changes at Emerson College, increased availability and diversity of online resources, and preferred learning styles of the Net generation, librarians have implemented student-centered, interactive lesson plans that are easily tailored to class needs. The presentation will focus on the redesign of instruction sessions for two required courses. Both lesson plans incorporate visual, written, and oral components that engage students with various learning styles.

“No, you can’t keep your iPod on in class!”: The iGen vs. the Information Literacy Instructor
Elin O’Hara (SUNY Plattsburgh)

Generation Y students want to be active; they want to move around their spaces. They like to play games, watch rather than write, and receive services tailored to their needs. Given these learning style preferences, it is the responsibility of those librarians teaching information literacy classes to re-think pedagogical game plans. The only prerequisite is an open mind to teaching strategies that are entirely different from the way we are ourselves accustomed to learning.

This presentation offers examples of in-class and take-home activities created for an introductory library skills class both before and after a pedagogical redesign. The presentation will show information literacy assignments that succeeded as well as those that failed. Simple assessments that any instructor can perform will also be provided. The presentation will discuss the instructor assumptions that need to be replaced in order to create effective information literacy assignments and a classroom environment conducive to iGen learning. The presentation will also discuss concrete examples of ways one can incorporate iGen-friendly technology into class assignments while preserving the information literacy content that is important to instructors.

Debate and Collaborate: Applying Evaluation Criteria
Corinne Ebbs, Teresa Shiel, Oliver Zeff (Westfield State College)

Based on the realization that lack of critical evaluation was a primary reason behind poor searching skills, substandard paper results, and plagiarism, the presenters of this session will model a lesson plan that honors various learning styles through small group work and team problem solving. Participants will apply evaluation criteria to article excerpts, first individually, and then by ranking the excerpts collaboratively and will report their findings. Following the activity a version of this lesson plan as used at Westfield State will be reviewed.

Attendees will be able to experience and walk away with a plan for engaging students in discussion and dialogue, strengthening students' grasp of concepts and facilitating their real-world application of those concepts.

Personal Connections: Using Context to Enhance Learning
Kate Cheromcha (University of Rhode Island)

My presentation examines context as an essential component of learning - one that I believe must be considered in order to design and insure effective instruction. Context can assign personal significance to new information, engaging students and enabling them to make meaningful connections between their existing knowledge and this new information more quickly. It also connects what is being taught - the content - to its present and future usefulness for the student. Today's college students expect this connectivity in their education.

In my presentation, I will summarize and present recent research on learning, including a description of today's students learning styles, preferences, and expectations; assumptions of both educators and students - misplaced and otherwise; and information on contextual instruction design, including sources and references. I will include examples of contextual instruction drawn from my experience in teaching "Introduction to Information Literacy", a semester-long, 3 credit course at URI. I have developed various lessons that connect to and utilize the students' existing skills and knowledge, while deconstructing and rebuilding their assumptions about both. For example, my students must evaluate medical websites in order to decide whether or not a loved one should use the information. The "real-life" contexts surrounding the lessons validate the content and enhance its transfer to the student's own knowledge base.