| Faculty-Requested
Instruction - Library instruction continues to be a top priority at the
Pollak Library. During fall 1999, faculty librarians taught 311 faculty-requested library
instruction sessions. This was a 16% increase over fall 1998. Instruction occurs at all
levels and across most disciplines. Approximately 7,702 students participated and learned
how to use the Library, notably electronic information resources, more efficiently and
effectively. Did
you know that you could bring your class or classes to the Pollak Library for a library
Instruction session? During the spring 2000 semester, as in past semesters, the Library is
offering a variety of instructional opportunities including our faculty-requested
instruction sessions. These hands-on sessions are designed to involve CSUF students in
active learning that will boost their confidence and increase their knowledge of library
research methods and materials. A fundamental element of this active learning is the
concept of “information competency”: the ability to state a research problem,
then find, evaluate, organize, synthesize, and use information to solve the problem.
A general session consists of a brief
orientation to the Library and an introduction to library research, including
demonstration and practice searching of the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) and
relevant electronic resources. Sessions can also be tailored to the specific research
needs of a class and include the above, as well as advanced search strategies and
techniques, analysis and use of appropriate class-related print and electronic resources,
and searching and evaluation of relevant Web sites.
If you would like to schedule a session
for your class or classes, you have several options. You can call the library Instruction
office at x3041, stop by the Reference Desk and fill out an Instruction Request form, or
fill out an electronic form
at the Library's Web site. Preference is given to those classes in which the professor
will be present and there is a research/library assignment. Requests for library
Instruction must be made at least two weeks in advance
Workshops Open
to All Students - During
the first three weeks of the spring 2000 semester, Pollak Library offered Library Survival
Skills 2000 sessions. These hands-on workshops provide students with an overview of
library resources and library research via the Library Survival Skills 2000 web
site. Specifically, students learn about the Library web site, connecting remotely
through Titan Access, using the OPAC, and citing print and electronic sources. Searching
the comprehensive databases Expanded Academic ASAP and Lexis/Nexis
is also covered, as well as printing, downloading, and e-mail options.
Later in the semester, several other
workshops will also be offered including Finding Articles Online
and Exploring the
World of Electronic Journals (E-Journals). These workshops are designed to help
students optimally use electronic databases and electronic journals at CSUF, whether they
are looking for newspaper articles, magazine articles, or articles from scholarly
publications. These sessions will cover basic concepts in periodical research as well as
search strategies.
For more information and the workshop
schedule inquire at the Reference Desk or read the workshop schedule on the web at <http://www.library.fullerton.edu/erworkshop.htm>.
Library
Participation in Fullerton First Year - For the third year, a team of
Library faculty was also involved in teaching in the fall 1999 Fullerton First Year (FFY) program. For
a four-week period, 150 FFY students from six sections of the Introduction to Information
Technology and Presentation course experienced the Library first hand in our
state-of-the-art instruction rooms. Acquisition of information competency skills was the
goal. Students learned how to evaluate Web sites, distinguish between popular and
scholarly periodicals, search electronic library information resources such as the OPAC,
Expanded Academic, and CQ Researcher, interpret citations, and cite electronic resources.
One comment we received from a student offered that "this was an enlightening course
and it helped me develop skills to use in the Library now and in the future."
Objectives
& Assessment of Library Instruction - Librarians are also currently
involved in assessing the effectiveness of library instruction in several ways. In early
December 1999, surveys were sent to 152 faculty who had requested and participated in
library instruction sessions during fall 1999. The surveys outlined librarians’
objectives for student learning, including:
- identifying principal library service
points
- executing searches using the OPAC
- identifying and using relevant
electronic information resources as well as print indexes to locate articles in
periodicals
- interpreting citations
- distinguishing between popular and
scholarly sources
- identifying keywords and concepts
- evaluating Web sites
The surveys then asked faculty if the
sessions had met their expectations, if electronic guides or handouts were helpful, and if
they planned to schedule a library session for Spring 2000. To date, a total of 67 surveys
have been returned. Almost without exception, all agreed or strongly agreed that the
library instruction sessions met their expectations and that handouts and guides were
useful. Faculty comments included: "The quality of the students' products based upon
research was enhanced by the sessions"; "Many of the students were floundering
before the presentation, and afterwards they found the sources they needed to focus their
papers and projects"; “The instruction session was very effective and students
were able to utilize the guide and resources throughout the semester."
We are also currently assessing student
satisfaction and further needs with regards to the Library Survival Skills workshops. At
the end of each workshop, students are asked to fill out a brief online evaluation form.
Complete results are being compiled and will be evaluated. Preliminary results indicate
students would like 1) the sessions to be longer, 2) distribution of handouts, and 3) a
variety of advanced sessions offered. The results of these surveys will be used to improve
the effectiveness of workshops, and better meet student research needs.
Finally, the use of in-class exercises,
homework assignments, and a final exam have been the assessment techniques used with
Fullerton First Year classes for the last three years. From completed homework assignments
and the final exam, we have found that students have difficulty in interpreting
bibliographic citations. To address this, we have spent more in-class time discussing
citations, and have improved the in-class exercises and homework assignments to make this
concept more explicit. Also, students have difficulty distinguishing between popular and
scholarly sources. This past fall, an in-class group activity was designed and implemented
in which students were asked to critically examine and evaluate various types of print
periodicals (newspapers, several professional journals, popular magazines), and identify
the elements that made each unique. The FFY final exam is always useful as a measure. It
has indicated which learning objectives need to be more effectively stressed, and the
areas in which we need to emphasize conceptual thinking over the mechanics of database
searching.
In all of the above learning
situations, the Library works with students and faculty to hone the skills of information
competency. Much as the Library itself and the world of scholarly resources continue to
evolve, the effort to impart these skills continues to be a work in progress.
Suellen
Cox
Library Instruction Coordinator |
