Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts

Monday, November 12, 2018

MAC Fall Symposium 2018

I had the privilege of being invited to help lead this year's Midwest Archives Fall Symposium. What an amazing day! The theme was "From the Stacks to the Classroom" and we had such a wonderful day together exploring exciting topics, sharing ideas, and growing together! Many thanks to my co-presenters, Rachel Seale (Iowa State University Special Collections) and Anna Trammell (Pacific Lutheran University). I left feeling as though I had 34+ new friends to nerd out with about instruction!

We began the day with one of my favorite activities (that I borrowed from the Info Lit workshops I lead with Becky Canovan of University of Dubuque): Solution or Sympathy! Y'all, archivists and librarians are such kindred spirits and the questions or situations that were submitted and shared with the group were phenomenal! Here's how Solution or Sympathy works. Participants:
  • Write down instruction/archives-related questions or concerns;
  • Share the questions anonymously to see if the group has experienced something similar;
  • Offer up possible solutions, or sympathize, and let the person who submitted the question know that at least they're not alone.
What I love about this activity is that it works in almost any context with almost any profession! Everyone has problems and everyone wants to know either 1) what have others done to address/resolve this problem, or 2) who is here and can at least commiserate about this. Because, sometimes it's nice to just know you're not the only one.

We could have done Solution or Sympathy all day (seriously) but transitioned to an active learning/collaborative learning session primarily led by Rachel Seale. I LOVED the narrative building exercise she introduced to the group. To use this in your own classroom, divide your artifacts/documents into 4-6 groups. Similarly, divide students into the same amount of groups and ask them to read and evaluate the documents, preparing to share out with the rest of the class information about their resource. Because you have cultivated the collection, eventually through the sharing-out process, students will start to see a story emerge from the resources. By the end, the whole class should be able to pull together the whole story - either through a whole-class discussion, or by a volunteer student who can tie it all together. You can also discuss what's still missing from the story, or try to predict what happened next. Lots of great inquiry can be built from this example! Rachel also led another activity where groups taught each other about various Collaborative Learning Techniques. She recommended the resource Using Primary Sources: Hands-On Instructional Exercises edited by Bahde, Smedberg, and Taormina.


Rachel & I collaborated to lead a session on Growing Your Instruction Program. We set up table-topics where participants could self-select which conversation they wanted to participate in. We prepared some conversation-starter prompts, but essentially the participants ran each table independently. All we asked was that a recorder be assigned to each topic so those who are interested in more than one topic could still learn after the fact, despite not being able to be in two places at once, because the notes were shared out with participants after the conference. We did allow for participants to rotate tables partway through the activity, though most stayed at their original topic. The overarching topics were:

  • Building relationships with faculty
  • Building relationships with students
  • Building relationships with colleagues (librarians, archives, staff)
  • Advocating for resources
  • Marketing your archives

Anna Trammell led a session on Designing Special Collections Instruction Sessions Using a Social Justice Framework, and also shared out a session focusing on Utilizing Instructional Technologies in the Classroom. A few of the highlights from those sessions are found in my tweets, below.

I led a session on Assessing Your Instruction Program and presented 60 assessment ideas or tools in what was slotted for 60 minutes. I warned the audience that I'd likely be talking like the Micro Machines commercial guy or an auctioneer, and I did.
I also promised that if there was extra time, we'd go back and do some more Solution or Sympathy questions. Well, I was totally Micro Machines-y and wound up covering the 60 ideas in 30 minutes! So we dug back into the Solution or Sympathy, which also seemed to be a hit. It worked out well!

We closed out the day with an Instructional Design Workshop where groups used provided scenarios to develop a lesson plan that incorporated some of the elements covered throughout the day. Groups had ~1 hour to work on their plan and then reported out to the group:

  • A brief description of the scenario
  • Explanation of how they addressed communication barriers, incompatible expectations, and how they worked with the requestor to find out more about their needs to develop a plan. 
  • Identified their learning outcomes
  • Described or demonstrated how they incorporated active learning techniques
  • Described what items they used (from collections)
  • They also had the option to share out instructional technologies or social justice framework elements if they chose to include them
  • How they assessed the activity/lesson
What rich conversations were generated throughout the entire day! I loved learning from participants and helping facilitate activities! Below are my tweets from the day -- with tidbits and takeaways from the various sessions! Thanks again to participants for being so wonderful, and to MAC for inviting me to help plan and facilitate the day!










































Posted by Cara at 11:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , ,

Monday, August 19, 2013

Summer Wrap Up

Well, the end of summer is here. Last week we wrapped up the Summer Reading Program (below are just a few of our prize winners).

Here are some fun facts about our Summer Reading Program:
  • This summer was the first time we've done a Summer Reading Program
  • Our theme, Groundbreaking Reads, just happened to also match the construction going on around the rest of campus
  • 36 people signed up to participate, ranging from students to staff to faculty and faculty/staff family members
  • 37 prizes were given out throughout the summer (ranging from candy bars, dried fruit, small gift cards, used books and DVDs, to the large prizes: 20 minute massages, Half Price Books gift card, and a GV Bookstore gift card)
  • We held 4 lemonade lunches, a kickoff party, and a wrap up party
  • A total of 221 book slips were submitted for the prize drawings
  • I received over 50 book purchase recommendations from the book slips that were submitted (on the prize slips there was a check box asking "Was this book one you would recommend the Grand View University Library purchase for others to read?")

The University is finishing up one of the most visible construction projects on campus, the Grand Central Plaza (which includes a more accessible ramp up to the library!). If you look closely, you can also see the addition to the student center (the new level on the roof across the street).


We're gearing up for classes to start next week. This fall is going to be another busy one, but I'm hoping, despite the new challenges and responsibilities this year (new committees, lots of teaching across campus, professional organization involvement), that there will be fewer 12-hour days and a bit more balance.  This fall will definitely not be a "lather, rinse, and repeat" fall, but at least we've done the Core Sem I thing before and have a better idea of what to expect and we're definitely making some improvements to our planning, instruction, and assessment.  

Happy hectic fall, all!
Posted by Cara at 10:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , ,

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tech Blog Discussion: What is Your Library Doing about Emerging Technologies?

Jeffries, C. (2010, July 6). What is your Library doing about Emerging Technologies? LITA Blog. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://litablog.org/2010/07/what-is-your-library-doing-about-emerging-technologies/

Courtney Jeffries summarizes the LITA panel presentation from the ALA 2010 annual conference. Group 1 tackled the question “What are emerging technologies and how should they be adapted for libraries?” Rather than emphasize the (growing and changing) technologies, I loved one of the panelist’s responses (Elisabeth Leonard from Western Carolina University) who emphasizes the users. “Leonard suggested that as librarians we should “think through the eyes of our users.” Who are we trying to meet and where do they want us meeting them? What’s the context? An example given was social networking. Facebook, Twitter, and other similar platforms, while considered emerging to many librarians, have seemingly always been present for younger library users/college students. (This is something I’ve been struggling with in exploring emerging technologies. What is considered emerging? Much of the professional literature emphasizes technologies that have become a part of my daily life, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, chat, online videos, course management tools, wikis, RSS feeds/readers, blogs, etc.) The summary article also notes that Leonard “added that the reverse could be argued for another user group.” This is particularly timely now that many non-traditional students are returning to collegiate studies. While it would be easy to heavily rely on emerging technologies and social networking, it’s also important to consider the learning curve for these returning students. Not only are they making big changes in their professional lives; they are also encountering many new technologies they likely did not have to use before they began their professional careers (i.e. course management software, electronic databases, online forums, online course registration, even email).

In the session summary Jeffries note’s the reaction of Frank Cerone’s (Purdue University Calumet) to including social networking under the umbrella of emerging technologies. Cerone “argued that social networking sites are not emerging technologies for any user group.” He instead directs us to examine commercial technologies. Cerone gave the example of 3-D television as an emerging technology, though Leonard considers it a “leading edge technology,” as opposed to an emerging one. I am hesitant to embrace these commercial “leading edge technologies” (mostly based on my frugal nature), questioning how they can be used to further the educational goals of the institutions, students, faculty, and learning communities we serve. Keeping in mind how these technologies can supplement and improve our communication or other services we provide is key (are we purchasing/using just to feel more technologically advanced?).

Group 2 discussed the “daily tasks and skills required of emerging technologies librarians.” Those who contributed for this session were Amanda Margis (Warren-Newport Public Library), Danielle Whren Johnson (Loyola/Notre Dame Library), Darcy Del Bosque (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Elisabeth Abarbanel (Brentwood School, Los Angeles), and Rebekah Kilzer (Drexel University Libraries). Many of the panelists emphasized the changing roles of librarians, no matter the populations served. Embracing flexibility, being involved, sharing technologies with colleagues, introducing new terms and programs to those around you. Kilzer shared a bit about her beginnings as Emerging Technologies Librarian at Drexel University Libraries. A wonderful suggestion for anyone beginning a new position is to take note of those technologies that have already been utilized. Also, visiting with “colleagues about their expectations of and suggestions for emerging technologies at their libraries” is a great way to gauge where the library is, where the librarians are, and where to start (what sort of things can be introduced? What will support the mission of the university/library?). Particularly relevant were the answers to the question “ How can librarians sty current when it comes to emerging technologies?” Tech feeds and blogs like:
Mashable (mentioned in my last blog post)
Lifehacker
Wired
In the Library With the Lead Pipe (one I really like and have subscribed to for a while now)
ReadWriteWeb
Non-profit Tech Blog
Museum 2.0
Margis suggested (and I agree), “if you want to stay up-to-date, play with the technology...Even if you don’t have it, just get your hands on it...Experiment, test, and reevaluate.” This is something I’ve been working with throughout the semester. I also think approaching the technology from a different perspective (thinking of it from a student’s perspective, a faculty perspective, a patron from the greater community with borrowing privileges) is key to effectively incorporating it into your library. Whren emphasized attending conferences, particularly those not library related to see what new things can be incorporated.

The next question addressed assessing emerging technology projects. Del Bosque suggests not just looking at what other libraries are doing, but rather looking at your local population. How is success defined? She suggests “Usability testing, surveys, and focus groups.”

Group 3 consisted of Cynthia Johnson (University of California, Irvine), Jacquelyn Erdman (East Carolina University), Kathryn Munson (Southeastern Louisiana University), and Marissa Ball (Florida International University). Assuming the responsibilities associated with adopting emerging technologies requires management and can be quite a commitment. Will you have an emerging technologies librarian? Are there librarians who have expressed interest in emerging technologies? How might responsibilities be shifted to assume the tasks associated with emerging technologies? At UC-Irvine, Johnson says her position is a consulting role (in addition to their web services department). Erdman works with a committee at East Carolina University. Florida employs a team-based approach, and has incorporated the following two tools in instruction and collection development:
Jing
LibX (an extension for Firefox and Explorer... Lately I have been using Chrome, so I may have to switch back to Firefox to experiment with it).
I have enjoyed creating simple, easy (and free!) screencasts using Jing, but have not used LibX, though I can definitely see its usefulness (I’ve just not had occasion to use it yet).

It was good to hear Erdman talk about emerging technologies while still keeping (restricting) budgets in mind. At East Carolina University they hosted “an in-house conference that focused on emerging technologies.” Sharing these tools with your local colleagues can not only help with the technologies presented that day, but can also cultivate a continuing dialog that can benefit everyone in the future. I like Munson’s suggestion of documenting what you are (and are not) doing and why. The key to this is finding a simple, efficient (i.e. not time consuming) way to do this in addition to the many duties librarians perform. Making sure your emerging technologies mission mirrors that of your university and library is important (otherwise, why are you doing what you are doing?). Johnson collaborated with other departments (educational technologies and web services) to achieve some technology goals. Right now I am interning at a small university library where collaboration is key between areas of the library, technology departments, and the larger campus.

One use of Twitter that I found somewhat surprising was what Johnson reported. “After setting up the library’s Twitter account, Johnson watched as it evolved into a virtual suggestion box. Johnson welcomed this unforeseen use of Twitter. Despite the suggestion box that had lived at the library for years, user feedback flooded the library’s Twitter account.” This emphasizes meeting the library users where they are.

David Ratledge (University of Tennessee), Gwen Evans (Bowling Green State University), and Rebecca K. Miller (Virginia Tech), made up the last group and discussed libraries and risk taking with emerging technologies. Evans utilizes Computer Science students, working with them to develop new technological offerings. By partnering experienced CS students with new CS students, there is some peer training that happens but, as can be expected, there are always unexpected challenges associated with this. Enthusiasm can sometimes overshadow practicality when it comes to taking on new tasks, so being sure you do have the resources to commit to new technologies (both man power and financial) is important to keep in mind. Making sure there is a long-range plan in place is important for maintaining new technologies.

Ratledge had a good point when he said, “Your users might be on Facebook, but, do they want you–the library–on Facebook?” When students are looking for assistance, is the first place they will look Facebook? Or will they automatically go to the library web page? What platform is best for supporting your library’s users’ needs? Another idea for discussing and experimenting with new technologies is a brown bag technology lunch series in which ideas can be exchanged (and technologies demonstrated or tried by participants).
Posted by Cara at 8:59 PM 0 comments
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)