[Teaching_Composition] Teaching Comp--On line comp & Info Literacy
Karen Schwalm
teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Thu, 16 Nov 2006 12:42:08 -0700
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For a faculty evaluation portfolio activity back in 2003-04, I worked on =
developing a series of information literacy exercises tied to writing =
assignments in English 101 and 102. The librarians here at Glendale =
Community College (AZ) helped me think about what I was doing =
systematically. I read ALA's "Information Literacy Competency Standards =
for Higher Education" and then created a table that helped me map my =
assignments to the standards. I had to re-phrase the standards a bit, =
translating them into language I could understand more easily (and to =
squeeze them onto a single page). See the document here: =
http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/ils%20Table.doc The =
standards are on the left; my assignments are across the top. Feel free =
to download, copy, modify and use the table. If you make improvements, =
please send me a copy! I know it's very mechanical and reductive, but =
the table helped me keep track of what I was trying to do, and the =
single page format made the task seem more manageable. Looking at it =
now, I realize that I have actually made a lot of improvement in 3 =
years.
Because I was teaching online and on ground sections, I worked hard to =
develop exercises that could work in both environments. You can see a =
list of the ones for English 101 here: =
http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/English101/infolitexercises.htm =
(Ignore the first two; they are very site specific.) Some links may =
lead to password-protected files, and some may be broken; we've changed =
servers since then, and I moved a number of files. I have additional =
activities that I developed for English 102 which addresses research =
more directly. For all of them, I try to collect some find of feedback =
from students, and usually I post those on a web page for students to =
read. Some feedback is here: =
http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/activities.htm
I changed research topics last Spring (to electronic surveillance), so I =
heve revised exercises to address that topic.
Having now read the entries by Rolf and Russ, I realized that I have =
missed a lot of opportunities to talk about the rhetoric of citation. =
I'm getting into that a bit this semester, so I need to go back and =
revise some of these activities (or develop some new ones) to up the =
ante a bit. =20
A couple of themes have developed from this work. The first was to get =
students to recognize when they didn't know something. Sounds simple, =
but it really isn't. Librarians call this recognizing an information =
need; I think about it as thinking about thinking (meta-cognition). =
Then it's just one step towards teaching them how to find out what they =
don't know.
The second theme has evolved over the past few years as students come in =
with what they consider to be excellent Google skills. I have been =
talking about it as "efficiency." Students don't like to waste time, so =
if we can teach them how to cut to the chase and find exactly what they =
need, they might use something other than Google. I mean, narrowing =
your search results from 1.2 million to 500,000 hits isn't really that =
much of an improvement, especially when by using a library database, =
you'll find four excellent sources! They especially like the =
efficiencies of using ebrary; see their comments here: =
http://web.gccaz.edu/~kschwalm/English101/ebraryComments.htm and many =
of them have gone back to use Statistical Abstracts for other courses. =
I have also started to do a lot more with using searches to help =
students brainstorm or generate ideas. Finally, I haven't done anything =
yet with Web 2.0 tools. That's next!
My exercises are tied very closely to my assignments, so they aren't =
readily transportable, but colleagues have used them or adapted the =
ideas to their own situations. Feel free. I have also tried to =
incorporate written responses--short paragraphs--so there is some =
evaluation required. But students submit their responses using web =
forms, I get a copy in email, and I can evaluate them pretty quickly =
using a simple scale. =20
Information literacy is one of our college's secondary competencies, and =
while we offer specific courses, I believe that all faculty should be =
integrating information literacy instruction into their courses. It's =
just like WAC; it's everyone's job. The problem is that fauclty need to =
learn this stuff too, and I think the greatest benefit of this project =
has been how much I've learned.
By the way, I agree with Donna. Student questions (except for the most =
personal) go to a Help and Feedback area of my discussion group or to a =
specific topic about the assignment. I am very speedy and generous with =
my help there, a little slower and not quite so forthcoming in email. =
They get the idea very quickly in the semester. Students can often =
answer the questions there too!
Karen
-----
Karen Schwalm
Faculty, Department of English
Glendale Community College
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>For a faculty evaluation portfolio activity back in =
2003-04, I=20
worked on developing a series of information literacy exercises tied to =
writing=20
assignments in English 101 and 102. The librarians here at =
Glendale=20
Community College (AZ) helped me think about what I was doing=20
systematically. I read ALA's "Information Literacy Competency =
Standards=20
for Higher Education" and then created a table that helped me map =
my=20
assignments to the standards. I had to re-phrase the standards a =
bit,=20
translating them into language I could understand more easily (and to =
squeeze=20
them onto a single page). See the document here: </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/ils Table.doc"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/ils%20Table.doc</FONT=
></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> The standards are on the left; my assignments are =
across the=20
top. Feel free to download, copy, modify and use the =
table. If=20
you make improvements, please send me a copy! I know it's very =
mechanical=20
and reductive, but the table helped me keep track of what I =
was trying=20
to do, and the single page format made the task seem more =
manageable. =20
Looking at it now, I realize that I have actually made a lot of =
improvement in 3=20
years.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Because I was teaching online and on ground =
sections, I worked=20
hard to develop exercises that could work in both environments. =
You can=20
see a list of the ones for English 101 here: </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/English101/infolitexercise=
s.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/English101/infolitexercis=
es.htm</FONT></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> (Ignore the first two; they are very site =
specific.) =20
Some links may lead to password-protected files, and some may be broken; =
we've=20
changed servers since then, and I moved a number of files. I have=20
additional activities that I developed for English 102 which addresses =
research=20
more directly. For all of them, I try to collect some find of =
feedback=20
from students, and usually I post those on a web page for students to=20
read. Some feedback is here: </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/activities.htm"><FONT =
size=3D2>http://glory.gc.maricopa.edu/~kschwalm/FEP/activities.htm</FONT>=
</A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I changed research topics last Spring (to electronic =
surveillance), so I heve revised exercises to address that =
topic.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Having now read the entries by Rolf and Russ, I =
realized that=20
I have missed a lot of opportunities to talk about the rhetoric of=20
citation. I'm getting into that a bit this semester, so I need to =
go back=20
and revise some of these activities (or develop some new ones) to =
up the=20
ante a bit. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>A couple of themes have developed from this =
work. The=20
first was to get students to recognize when they didn't know =
something. =20
Sounds simple, but it really isn't. Librarians call this =
recognizing an=20
information need; I think about it as thinking about thinking=20
(meta-cognition). Then it's just one step towards teaching them =
how to=20
find out what they don't know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The second theme has evolved over the past few years =
as=20
students come in with what they consider to be excellent Google =
skills. I=20
have been talking about it as "efficiency." Students don't like to =
waste=20
time, so if we can teach them how to cut to the chase and find exactly =
what they=20
need, they might use something other than Google. I mean, =
narrowing your=20
search results from 1.2 million to 500,000 hits isn't really that much =
of an=20
improvement, especially when by using a library database, you'll find =
four=20
excellent sources! They especially like the efficiencies of using =
ebrary;=20
see their comments here: </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://web.gccaz.edu/~kschwalm/English101/ebraryComments.htm"><FO=
NT=20
size=3D2>http://web.gccaz.edu/~kschwalm/English101/ebraryComments.htm</FO=
NT></A><FONT=20
size=3D2> and many of them have gone back to use Statistical =
Abstracts=20
for other courses. I have also started to do a lot more with=20
using searches to help students brainstorm or generate ideas. =
Finally, I haven't done anything yet with Web 2.0 tools. That's=20
next!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>My exercises are tied very closely to my =
assignments, so they=20
aren't readily transportable, but colleagues have used them or adapted =
the ideas=20
to their own situations. Feel free. I have also tried =
to=20
incorporate written responses--short paragraphs--so there is some =
evaluation=20
required. But students submit their responses using web forms, I =
get a=20
copy in email, and I can evaluate them pretty quickly using a simple=20
scale. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Information literacy is one of our college's =
secondary=20
competencies, and while we offer specific courses, I believe that all =
faculty=20
should be integrating information literacy instruction into their =
courses. =20
It's just like WAC; it's everyone's job. The problem is that =
fauclty need=20
to learn this stuff too, and I think the greatest benefit of this =
project has=20
been how much I've learned.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>By the way, I agree with Donna. Student =
questions=20
(except for the most personal) go to a Help and Feedback area of my =
discussion=20
group or to a specific topic about the assignment. I am very =
speedy and=20
generous with my help there, a little slower and not quite so =
forthcoming in=20
email. They get the idea very quickly in the semester. =
Students can=20
often answer the questions there too!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Karen</FONT><BR><FONT size=3D2>-----</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Karen Schwalm<BR>Faculty, Department of =
English<BR>Glendale=20
Community College</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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