Teaching Information Literacy: Frameworks and Activities Trudi Jacobson Coordinator of User Education Programs University at Albany Tjacobson@uamail.albany.edu.

Teaching Information Literacy:Frameworks and Activities

Trudi Jacobson

Coordinator of User Education Programs

University at Albany

Tjacobson@uamail.albany.edu

Focus of the Day

Active Learning: Exploration of the Technique

Motivating Students

Opportunity to Revise an Instruction Session

What do you hope to get out of this workshop?

Workshop Goals

Become familiar with advantages (and challenges) of active learning/teachingLearn a number of ways to incorporate active learning into the IL classroomUnderstand affective issuesExplore motivational techniquesBegin to incorporate these techniques into a lesson plan

Why should we encourage active learning in our classes?

Constructed Learning

Students are not a vessel to fill with knowledgeActive learners work with information to derive meaning and understandingIt is important for students to form new mental representations of the materialStudents construct and reconstruct new knowledge based on their experiences

The test of a good teacher…is, “Do you

regard ‘learning’ as a noun or a verb?” If

as a noun, as a thing to be possessed and

passed along, then you present your

truths, neatly packaged, to your students.

But if you see “learning” as a verb, the process is different. The good teacher has learning, but tries to instill in students the desire to learn, and demonstrates the ways one goes about learning. Schorske, cited in McCleery (1986)

If a teacher covers the material, does that

mean that students have learned? Or does

learning mean engaging the students?

Usually, teachers should cut down on what

they cover and find creative ways to engagestudents in the subject matter. Oxman-Mitchelli

Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do

not learn much just sitting in class

listening to teachers… They must talk about

what they are learning, write about it, relate it

to past experiences, apply it to their daily

lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves. Chickering and Gamson

Advantages of Active Learning

Retention Rates

Attention Span

Affective Factors

Learning Styles

Examples of Active Learning Techniques

Ideas from the literature

Ideas for freshmen (and others)

Ideas connected to Internet evaluation

Examples of Active Learning Techniques

What techniques are you using?

Active Learning in the Classroom

Drawbacks Solutions

Freewriting

Flexible When What Why

Quick

Revealing

Tips

Start small

Borrow tested ideas and methods

Work with a colleague Share ideas Co-teach Observe and comment

Keep a journal

Another Freewriting Example

What one thing from this session did you find most useful?

Please jot down one question you still have.

Motivating Students

Extrinsic motivation External and tangible

Intrinsic motivation Internal and intangible

ARCS Model

Attention

Relevance

Confidence

Satisfaction

John Keller “Strategies for Stimulating the Motivation to Learn”

ARCS—Attention

Capture interest and stimulate curiosity to learn New approaches Environmental change Varied activities

ARCS—Relevance

Meet personal needs and goals Share goals and objectives Familiar examples

ARCS—Confidence

Help learners feel they will succeed and can control their success What is expected of them Mastery experiences

ARCS—Satisfaction

Reinforce accomplishment with rewards (internal and external) Application opportunities

Practical Motivators

Teaching behaviors

Course design elements

Active engagement

Autonomy

Authentic assessment

Teaching Behaviors

Enthusiasm

Clarity

Interaction

Course Design Elements

Course topics

Course goals & objectives

Methods of instruction

Course assignments

Syllabus

First impressions: first day of class

Active Engagement

Can you learn how to ride a bicycle or how to kiss from a lecture?

(variation on a quote by Eric Sotto, When Teaching Becomes Learning)

Active Engagement

Active Learning Cooperative Learning Writing to Learn Discovery Learning

Active Engagement and the ARCS Model

Autonomy

What autonomy do students generally have in a course?

Autonomy and the ARCS model

Autonomy

Course activity

Course policy

Course content

Projects/assignments

Student assessment

Authentic Assessment

Students able to demonstrate what they know and what they are able to do

Formative Summative

Authentic Assessment

Rubrics

Concept mapping

Minute writing

Cases

Portfolios

Authentic assessment and the ARCS model

Finishing thought

Work that really counts pushes us to the brink of confusion.

Peter Carruthers, Physicist

Time for Your Scenarios

Session selection and revision (15-20 minutes)

Brief reports: Pairs (10-15 minutes)

Share a few of your ideas

What questions do you have?

Thanks to Lijuan Xu, co-author of Motivating Students in Information Literacy Classes, for permission to use and adapt several of the slides in this presentation