S TUDENT R EFLECTIONS ON L IBRARY I NSTRUCTION W HAT T HEY T HINK T HEY ’ VE L EARNED, W HAT T HEY S TILL D ON ’ T K NOW, AND H OW TO B RIDGE THE G AP.

STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON LIBRARY

INSTRUCTION

WHAT THEY THINK THEY’VE LEARNED, WHAT THEY STILL DON’T KNOW, AND HOW TO BRIDGE THE

GAP

Jennifer ArnoldDirector of Library Services

Central Piedmont Community College

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ASK STUDENTS TO REFLECT?

WHY REFLECTION?

Try to get students to think critically about their research process Failed ‘research log’

assignment Needed students to slow

down and process what they had learned and what they still needed to know more about

The importance of reflective skills in increasing student learning has been discussed across many disciplines

THE PROCESS OF REFLECTION

A “cognitive and affective process or activity that (1) requires active engagement on the part of

the individual (2) is triggered by an unusual or perplexing

situation or experience (3) involves examining one’s responses, beliefs,

and premises in light of the situation at hand (4) results in integration of the new

understanding into one’s experience.” Russell R. Rogers, “Reflection in Higher Education: A

Concept Analysis,” 2001.

WHAT IS ENG 113?

Literature Based Research Position in the curriculum (after ENG 111, meets

transfer requirement) Focus is on research and writing; literature

serves as the medium Two and a half hours of instruction per week Five major assignments

Two short papers focused on analyzing literature and understanding the conventions of writing about literature

Group research presentation on an author and his/her work

Research paper Annotated bibliography

WHAT IS ENG 113?

Engagement with research and writing throughout the course: Group research presentation: exposing students

to research articles prior to the research paper Research paper/formal library instruction Annotated bibliography – final emphasis on

research (finding and using) and citations.

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION IN ENG 113

Prior to the 1st library instruction session, students complete a 10 question “Research Habits” Questionnaire: What search engine to they most often use and why? What do they think about the reliability of

information? Have you used any library for research – if so, which

and what types of resources? What do they think they need to know about

research and using a college library for this paper? Do they know how to pick out search terms? Do they know the difference between a scholarly and

popular journal? Have they ever had a LI session previously?

WHAT KNOWLEDGE TO STUDENTS COME IN WITH?

Significant amount of public library experience; some usage of the CPCC Libraries

Heavy reliance on Google and Yahoo because it’s easy and fast

Approximately 50% express some knowledge about why what they find on the Internet may or may not be reliable

50% have a limited idea of the difference between scholarly and popular journals

Almost zero knowledge of constructing a search

WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY NEED TO KNOW?

In some cases, “everything” How to use the databases How to actually locate material on the shelf How to manage the research process

Where to start How to extract what they need for their

assignment from the available resources Citations

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION IN ENG 113

Two class series (approximately 5 hours) of library instruction

First class focus: Searching and locating scholarly sources specific to their chosen topic First class goal: Students leave with 5 scholarly

sources for their paper Second class focus: Citations, plagiarism, and

MLA style Second class goal: Students leave with completed

citations for their sources Following Class: Writing workshop, focusing on

how to incorporate their research into their writing (draft due at the end of the class)

THE REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT

Completed in-class during the writing workshop

Completed after the two library instruction sessions, on the night their draft (separately graded assignment) is due, one week before the final paper is due

Students receive feedback on their drafts, and their reflection serves as a guide to areas I might need to focus on.

THE REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT

Six questions: Do you feel more comfortable using the library?

If yes, tell me why. If not, why not? What’s one thing you learned about the CPCC Library that you didn’t know before?

Many students procrastinate when writing research papers because they don’t know where to start. What you learned about how to start your research?

How do you think your writing process has changed or improved from the first paper to your research paper?

THE REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT

We talked about how to incorporate research into your writing. Tell me what you learned about this.

A strong thesis statement is critical to a good paper – it sets up the argument that you are making about the piece of literature. What have you learned about constructing a thesis statement?

What have you learned about citations and plagiarism? Do you feel you understand the issues more clearly than you did before? If so, why? What, if anything, is still confusing?

WHAT DO STUDENTS THINK THEY’VE LEARNED?

Reported on the Reflection Assignment: Online resources/databases exist How to actually search the databases Particular resources for literature That items can be requested from other

campuses and how to make that request Help is available at the library Plagiarism has serious consequences Citations are the way to avoid plagiarism

EXAMPLES FROM STUDENT REFLECTIONS

“Absolutely I feel more comfortable using the library! In particular, I learned how to actually search the databases to locate the specific type of information the assignment requires.”

“Yes, I do feel much more comfortable using the library and its resources. I learned many different ways to use the library’s databases, as well as how to request materials that may not be readily available on hand.”

“I now know that help is available, where to ask for assistance, and even a particular librarian to ask for help.”

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED?

Library Instruction has been effective in curtailing library/research anxiety: “At first I did not feel comfortable using the

library. I actually felt lost in this library. It’s so huge that I felt like I was one of the many little books here, except I was displaced and had lost the sticker that goes on my spine that says where I belong! Now, I know where to find resources and who to ask for help.”

WHAT DO STUDENTS FEEL THEY STILL DON’T KNOW?

How to approach the research process – i.e., I know where to find stuff now and how to search, but what do I with it? Confusion: Finding research that supports their

argument vs. allowing the research to shape their ideas

Paraphrasing – how much change is enough Distinguishing between types sources

(what’s an journal article?) Reading a database record Citations (format, when to/how much)

EXAMPLES FROM STUDENT REFLECTIONS

“I am still confused on picking a format for MLA citations.”

“While I learned to read (understand) citation information and to write a citation, I feel I need more practice to feel confident that I understand citations.”

“I can locate information, but I’m not sure that what I’ve found is appropriate and how to use it in my paper.”

EXAMPLES FROM STUDENT REFLECTIONS

“If I think of research like baking a cake, I’m not sure whether to use the research as the eggs (the binder), the flour (the main ingredient), or the vanilla (the strongest flavor).”

DATA/RESULTS – WHAT DO THE ASSESSMENTS REVEAL?

Overview: Only 25% of students report having attending a

previous library instruction session Correlation between evidence of critical thinking

on the reflection and higher scores on both the research paper and annotated bibliography

Informal feedback reflection between research paper and annotated bibliography tends to improve scores related to the creation of MLA citations

Students both report and demonstrate the impact of library instruction on their research habits

PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO LIBRARY INSTRUCTION (SPRING 2010)

4 students: 2 As 1 B 1 C

16 Students: 2 Fs 1 D 4 Cs 6 Bs 2 As

Students with previous LI – Research Paper

Student with no previous LI – Research Paper

ROLE OF REFLECTION/FEEDBACK IN IMPROVING SCORES

Summer 2009: Scores from Research Paper improved an average of 2 points (only 5 students earned lower grades on the second assignment), with a low of 1 point improvement and a high of 8 points

Fall 2009: Average 1.62 point improvement, with a low of 2 and high of 7 points (3 students with lower scores)

Spring 2010: Average 2.7 point improvement, with a low of 1 and a high of 12 (5 students with lower scores)

WHAT ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS?

On average, 15 to 20% of students will write a research paper that earns an A.

85% of students, when given the opportunity to use non-library sources on their annotated bibliographies, will not and will only use scholarly articles from the databases.

Most students retain what they learned in their first library instruction session when it comes to locating articles for their bibliography

BRIDGING THE GAP

Build student confidence – dispel doubts expressed on reflection

Supplemental instruction before 2nd research assignment Addressing specific problems with citations

Changes to curriculum and instruction Within the course

Development of group research assignment Within the sequence of ENG courses –

departmental re-emphasis of the need to provide substantial MLA instruction in ENG 111

BRIDGING THE GAP: FEEDBACK

Providing substantial feedback on their demonstrated performance at research is hugely valuable in producing learning

“Feeding Forward: Using Feedback to Promote Student Reflection and Learning – A Teaching Model” – Sarah Quinton and Teresa Smallbone Ask students to reflect on the feedback they

receive on assignments used to assess learning: What I do feel about this feedback? What do I think about this feedback? Based on this feedback, what actions could I take to

improve my work for another assignment?

WHY CHOOSE REFLECTION?

National Research Council: “A focus on classroom-based assessment itself

as a way to continuously improve learning, rather than simply measure learning after the fact, is increasingly being recommended…[F]ormulating assessment procedures for classroom use can spur the teacher to think more specifically about learning goals, thus leading to modification of [both] curriculum and instruction” Ash, Clayton, and Atkinson, “Integrating Reflection and

Assessment to Capture and Improve Student Learning,” 2005.

WHY CHOOSE REFLECTION?

Rogers: “Ultimately, the intent of reflection is to

integrate the understanding gained into one’s experience in order to enable better choices or actions in the future as well as to enhance one’s overall effectiveness.”

Quinton & Smallbone: “The transition from student to…worker requires

a significant shift in thinking, including acquiring the ability to self-reflect and to evaluate one’s efforts. Students need to be familiar with reflective practice before entering the world of work…”

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Self-reporting can lead to confusion between student satisfaction and student learning – structured reflection assignments help avoid this.

Reflection does not have to be a written process – Rogers reports that “directed discussions...appear to be effective in enhancing students’ reflective skills.”

The instructor has to have rapport with the students and model reflective behaviors

The environment needs to be conducive to reflection

Dedicated in-class time indicates the importance of reflection

GUIDING REFLECTION

Ash, Clayton, and Atkinson suggest four guiding questions, requiring students to both describe and analyze: What did I learn? How, specifically, did I learn it? Why does this learning matter, or why is it

significant? In what ways will I use this learning, or what

goals shall I set in accordance with what I have learned in order to improve myself, the quality of my learning, or the quality of my future experience?

WHY USE REFLECTION WITH LIBRARY INSTRUCTION?

According to Rogers, reflection seems to work best when: There’s an appropriate balance of challenge and

support The starting point is problem-based or situational The process is inductive (beginning with

experience) rather than deductive (beginning with textbooks and theories)

REFLECTION AND INFORMATION LITERACY Nutefall, Jennifer. “Paper Trail: One Method of Information

Literacy Assessment.” Research Strategies 20.1/2: (2004). 89-98.

Assessing students' information literacy skills can be difficult depending on the involvement of the librarian in a course. To overcome this, librarians created an assignment called the Paper Trail, where students wrote a short essay about their research process and reflected on what they would do differently. Through reviewing and grading these papers, librarians determined whether students understood the difference between the library catalog and article databases, evaluated the students' search terms to see if they used effective topic keywords and Boolean operators, and learned more on how the students reflected on their research process.

REFERENCES Ash, Sarah L, Patti H. Clayton, and Maxine P. Atkinson.

“Integrating Reflection and Assessment to Capture and Improve Student Learning.” Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (Spring 2005): 49-60.

Quinton, Sarah and Teresa Smallbone. “Feeding Forward: Using Feedback to Promote Student Reflection and Learning – A Teaching Model.” Innovations in Education and Teaching International 47.1 (February 2010): 125-135.

Rogers, Russell R. “Reflection in Higher Education: A Concept Analysis.” Innovative Higher Education 26.1 (Fall 2001): 37-57.

STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON LIBRARY INSTRUCTION

Questions or Comments?

Jennifer Arnold

[email protected]