IDP Journal Club Notes
June 23rd, 2009: 12-1pm, 303 Doe

Lorenzen, M. (2001). "Active learning and library instruction." Illinois Libraries 83(2), 19-24.

•     This is a review article about active learning

•     Appreciated that it pointed out all the issues that we couldn't put words to in our instruction

•     Good suggestions of little things we can do immediately

•     May have been confusion over cooperative learning versus active learning - cooperative learning is certainly active but is not the only example of active learning.

•     Jigsaw method was useful and many of us use variations on it; how to implement the jigsaw method effectively?

•     Space constraints often affect how we can work with a class.

•     How do we encourage students to participate in the activity when all they want to do is start searching on their own topic?

•     TIP/IDEA: Start with discussion, "What do you want to get out of this?"; alternately, have professor ask students beforehand what they want to get out of the library session so you have a list beforehand.

•     Tell them how much time you'll save them in their searching

•     **Schematic of resources from Pat

•     Reinforce that they don't know everything - start with "What's wrong with JSTOR (or the database they know and use the most)?" Show them what they DON'T KNOW, and what you can teach them

•     TIP/IDEA: for starting class: give them a citation or something to find to see if they can locate it; or, have them bring in an article and have them search the citations

•     Using a visual representation of how information is linked usually gets their attention (Web of Science does this well)

Allen, E. (1995). "Active learning and teaching: Improving postsecondary library instruction." Reference Librarian 51/52, 89-103.

•     TIP/IDEA ACTIVITY: Have them think/reflect/talk/write about something to reinforce concepts. Idea: have students diagram their research process

•     Make them think: What is my next step in this process?

•     "Active" learning does not have to mean "active" in the literal sense. It can be anything that isn't passive learning - it can mean mental activity.

•     Ask instructors what kind of group the class is, in terms of how responsive or interactive they are. This may tell you more about the instructor than about the class, however.

•     You need to have a hook for your class - they should have a need already when they come in, such as a research assignment.

•     Think about how you present yourself/your profession/libraries when you teach, because students often have no idea what we know, what we do, and what we have to offer them.

•     TIP/IDEA ACTIVITY: Instead of having "canned searches," do live searches and let the students see how the process actually works. have them suggest things to try to focus/expand the search. give suggestions to guide them with their search strategies.

Further readings mentioned during discussion:
   

• Pat's slides of information resources (PPT slides)
• Char: Made to Stick: Why some ideas survive and others die; by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. NY: Random House, 2007.
• Auster, Carol J. and Mindy MacRone. "The Classroom as a Negotiated Social Setting: An Empirical Study of the Effects of Faculty Members' Behavior on Students' Participation." Teaching Sociology, 22 (October 1994), pp. 289-300.
• Jacobson, Trudi E. and Beth L. Mark. "Teaching in the Information Age: Active Learning Techniques to Empower Students." The Reference Librarian. 51/52, (1995) pp. 105-120.
• Ragains, P. "Four variations on Drueke's active learning paradigm." Research Strategies (13). pp40-50.
• Gedeon, R. (1997). Enhancing a large lecture with active learning. Research Strategies, 15(4), pp. 301-309.