Free Webcast on Info Literacy and Visual Instruction Methods, Dec. 3
Posted: November 30, 2009 Filed under: Information Literacy, Instruction, Opportunities: Professional Development | Tags: Information Literacy, Instruction, Professional Development, Webcasts Comments OffBlended Librarians Webcast:
Collaborating With Faculty on Information Literacy Instruction: Using Visual Methods to Enhance Student Learning
Steven Bell and John Shank, co-founders of the Blended Librarians Online Learning Community and their guests, Laurel Cornell and Carrie Donovan, invite you to join them for the live webcast, “Collaborating With Faculty on Information Literacy Instruction: Using Visual Methods to Enhance Student Learning” which will take place on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 3 pm. EDT.
Event Description:
Students’ ability to create visual work is important in their understanding and learning of complex concepts. While visual literacy is a growing phenomenon of interest amongst librarians in a variety of settings, visual methods for teaching are centered around the learner’s ability to take in new knowledge and express it in an original, visual form. In this session, two members of Indiana University’s Visual Methods Research Group will explain their research in exploring visual teaching methods, as well as their collaborative efforts to integrate information literacy into an undergraduate course using visual methods.
Guest Presenter Bios:
Laurel Cornell, Professor of Sociology, Indiana University, spent the first two-thirds of her research career working in demography, gender and Japanese studies. She used quantitative historical data from villages in early modern Japan (1600-1868) to examine a variety of comparative questions relating to household structure, marriage, divorce, gender roles, aging, and mortality. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Social Relations, Johns Hopkins University. Professor Cornell returned to graduate school and received a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia in 2003. She is interested in large public projects — especially those involving disused industrial sites — and in public art. In her teaching Professor Cornell emphasizes visual methods of learning and student involvement in the community (service-learning).
Carrie Donovan, Instructional Services Librarian, Indiana University, is the librarian for Gender Studies and the Head of Teaching & Learning for the Indiana University Libraries, where she works with students, faculty, and instructors to connect the libraries to student learning. An instruction librarian for ten years, Carrie has explored a variety of methods and strategies for helping undergraduates understand information-seeking and their role in it. Her research areas of interest include visual teaching methods, discipline-focused information literacy, first year experience initiatives, and teacher development/training for librarians and future librarians.
Although this event is free, advance registration is required to reserve a virtual seat. If you are already a member of the Blended Librarians Online Learning Community here is a link into the Learning Times Network that will get you to our Community and the registration page:
http://home.learningtimes.net/library?go=2266281
If you need to join the Blended Librarians Online Community in order to register (no fee to join):
Go to the Blended Librarian website at http://blendedlibrarian.org ,click on the “Join” button on the home page of Blendedlibrarian.org and follow the instructions.
Information Literacy vs. Crap Detection
Posted: July 7, 2009 Filed under: Discussion, Information Literacy Comments OffMy good friends at Derivative Image have a short overview of Howard Rheingold’s “Crap Detection 101,” including a mention of the fact that librarians aren’t listed as a valuable “crap detection” tool.
As librarians, how do we promote the value of our services–particularly the ability to teach skills like info/visual literacy? Well, attention to terminology might be a first step. The average student (and even some faculty members) has no idea what “information literacy” means, but we can certainly all understand a rather colorful term like “crap detection.”
Other ideas? Comment away!
distance education and libraries
Posted: June 4, 2009 Filed under: Academic Librarianship, Information Literacy | Tags: ACRL, distance education, tutorials 2 Comments »Among my many fun, summer projects this year is the task of creating online tutorials for distance education students. After reviewing the ACRL’s standards and guidelines for distance learning library services (for more info see: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning.cfm) I feel inspired to begin this project…and I’d like to discuss it with my fellow librarians!
Have you created online tutorials for distance learners? If so, what were the tutorials designed to do? Teach specific skills, like using the catalog or databases; or information literacy, such as how to evaluating information and developing research topics; or explain library procedures, like renewing books or interlibrary loan services? What software did you use (I’m thinking of using CamStudio – it’s free!)? How did you assess the usage of the tutorials and their success?
Integrating Library Instruction into the Curriculum
Posted: May 21, 2009 Filed under: Advice, Discussion, Information Literacy, Instruction | Tags: Discussion, Instruction 5 Comments »Lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about library instruction. The art history department at my university has invited me to help develop a new course, tentatively titled “Information Technology for the Art Historian.” The course will focus on a variety of skills that are needed to be successful academically, such as conducting research, acquiring and using images, preparing presentations, and writing research papers. I’m really excited about this opportunity to include the library in the art history curriculum!
There seems to be a trend toward integrating library instruction in the curriculum, rather than the more traditional one-shot approach to library instruction. At the recent ARLIS/NA conference, I attended a discussion group that focused on making library instruction an integral part of student’s educational experience. Some suggestions included, using assessment tools such as Survey Monkey for pre-and post-testing during library instruction, incorporating games and group-work, and using visual mapping/mind mapping to teach the research process.
I’m wondering what other tips and tricks librarians can try to make the research process fun and interesting for students, especially in a semester-long course. Has your library integrated library instruction into course curriculum or developed a course (either required or for extra credit) for students at your institution? If so, what challenges and successes have you experienced?
