A wave of books and articles, including Mark Bauerlein?s The Dumbest Generation, are calling attention to the declining analytical skills of college students. They read far less. They seem incapable of critical thought and debate. They take the research path of least resistance. And perhaps worst of all, they seem above constructive criticism. Is digital technology at the root of the dumber generation or is technology simply a convenient scapegoat? Some technology advocates, such as Marc Prensky, suggest that the students are fine, and that the educators are the ones who need to change their ways. Continue reading Dumbest Younger Generation or Clueless Older Educators: What Librarians Can Do To Promote Student Excellence→

Planning training and professional development for library staff or for yourself? Have limited funds? How can e-learning be a solution for your library or institution? Many innovative technologies are available in delivering flexible and inexpensive on-site programs. This free online program — which was webcast live from the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim — featured some current trends in e-learning as addressed by creators, experts, and librarians involved with virtual learning, the role of the e-learner, and the use of virtual space in training and development via e-learning. This was a joint program by CJCLS, CLS, and DLS. Continue reading Learning Virtually: Online Professional Development for Library Workers with Tight Budgets and Full Schedules→

Brian Mathews spoke on “breakthrough opportunities” and shared his latest ideas on creating interactive library experiences for students. This session will featured tactics for engaging students in both the classroom as well as in digital environments. Brian also discussed possibilities for the library and librarians to become a more integrated part of campus and highlighted his ubiquitous “push-out” philosophy. Continue reading Opening New Windows of Opportunity: Creating Breakthrough Instructional Experiences→

It’s a tough instructional situation: usually one class session (two if you’re very lucky) to teach students the basics about the library and its plethora of electronic resources. Most of the time, library teachers can’t rely on extrinsic motivators, no points or quizzes. The session may be designed to help students with an assignment, but that’s points delayed and not directly relevant to the session at hand. Are there ways to involve students, techniques that don’t rely on extrinsic motivators, reasons a teacher can give students, demonstrations that grab attention? During this session we will share possibilities and propose a process whereby techniques can be adapted and assessed, so that the likelihood of their success is increased. Continue reading Designing Instruction to get your Students Involved: Doing it Successfully in One Class Session→

In response to OSU Libraries Strategic Plan, librarians planned to make library resources easier to access by building prototype subject portals. However, conversations with faculty and results from a needs assessment changed the direction of our subsequent project. We focused, not on the subject portal, but on course assignment pages built by librarians in close collaboration with faculty because undergraduates clearly wanted to 1) connect with library information at their point of need, the course assignment 2) know that faculty recommended certain library and information resources for success and 3) save time and effort. Hear a discussion of the merits and challenges of using course specific tools, and share your experiences working with faculty to integrate library resources within courses. Continue reading Students, Faculty and Librarians: Making Connections through Course Pages→

The ICT-PBL Literacy Project is a problem-based learning approach to integrating information and communication technology literacy into the curriculum at Purdue University. This project uses the PBL model for information and communication technology literacy to incorporate cognitive and technical skills over a fifteen-week semester in a First-Year Composition course. During this time, students learned how to define their information needs from real-world problems, identify and test possible solutions, and communicate the results using available digital technologies – within the context of an existing curriculum. Dr. Macklin will describe the development of the project, and the results of ICT tests that she conducts in the course. Does the project produce the desired results? Check out the recording and hear what Dr. Macklin discovered through her research. Continue reading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Instruction: Using a Problem-based Approach to Address Learner→

The designers of web-based library instruction products traditionally pay too little attention to educational learning theories. Instead, their design approach is modeled on print resources. Paying more attention to pedagogy would result in the production of superior web-based learning experiences for library users. This session focused on why those librarians creating instructional tools should be exploring learning theories for maximum benefit to both themselves, and their users. Continue reading Designing Deliberately–Putting Pedagogy Into Your Library Instruction→

This talk, “Can You Use A Design Approach? Design Thinking for Blended Librarians”, featured a presentation and discussion about design thinking for librarians. The discussion was led by Steven Bell and John Shank. Their presentation provided an introduction to design thinking and how it can be used by librarians to design better services. What is design thinking? In short, the discussion examined how librarians can approach problems the way designers approach problems. They explored the connections between design thinking and Blended Librarianship. Continue reading Can You Use A Design Approach? Design Thinking for Blended Librarians→

Featuring John Law, Director, Strategic Alliances & Platform Management, ProQuest CSA Continue reading Observing Student Researchers in their Native Habitat→