Two of this weeks articles, Dempsey and Hoffert, are happy to report that book clubs have been revitalized! All it took was a departure from the traditional "pick a book and read it, then we'll discuss it at the library" structure. Groups now hold discussions with readers having read different pieces with a common subject or theme, or they might not all be at the same point in a book (some events don't require that attendees have even started the book at all), and the reading material can be more adjusted to readers' interests; more contemporary, not just classics or Oprah list items. Readers can talk at locations and times that fit their schedules, sometimes online and outside of the library itself. While Dempsey focuses on fitting book groups to modern lives, Hoffert seeks means of mixing things up, including varied media in discussion, video- and teleconferencing, publisher-offered extras such as podcasts, and sneaking nonfiction into discussion sections.
Tredway and Metzger both write about the intellectually transformative powers of the Socratic seminar, in which students discuss a reading with minimal instructor influence. Metzger went well beyond Tredway's introductory information to describe developed methods for analysis, as she used the seminar to instill both critical analysis skills and metacognitive abilities in her high school students. The strength of the Socratic seminar lies in its group discussion focus and open-endedness, wherein participants are not expected to touch on all points of a rubric, and the emphasis on participation, as the outer, non-speaking 'ring' of participants are included through their role as recorders and summarizers of the inner group's free-range commentary. Overall, the approach aims to get students to really interpret a reading instead of having the "right" answers spoken at them by a lecturer.
As a freshman at UMich back in 2006, I misguidedly took three, maybe four first year seminars, which were nothing but constant discussion. They weren't actually Socratic, but the instructors still urged us to get a bit tangental and encouraged all thoughts on the readings, be they traditional or not.Come to think about it, my 400-level English lit class involved a lot of free-range discussion, too. But the prof still outlined the important concepts we were all supposed to get, and there were definitely "right" and "wrong" concepts when it came time to write papers. Would the class have helped us to develop better critical skills if we had had fewer guidelines, less structure from the prof? It certainly would have taken more time to get through the material. And what would true Socratic form have lent to my other seminars? Is it advantageous to have the two separate rings in the discussion? Is it enough to take the instructor down from the lecture podium to the participant's chair, or is it important to assign certain members to observe the critical discussion? I find that my own metacognition begins as soon as I am reminded of it, but the Socratic form would have me study others' methods of cognition and analysis and apply them to myself asynchronously. Perhaps the method is good for beginning students, but the separation seems cumbersome with a group experienced enough in reflection.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Week 5 Class
This week we picked up our post-McGonigal discussion about videogames and how gamers/gamer culture may or may not have some sort of grand potential for transfer into "the real world." While there are initiatives with noble effects (EyeConnect, donation-score matching), it's fairly difficult to find a positive transfer from games as a whole into non-game territory. Not that there aren't games with good transfer value out there, but the challenge remains for intentionally educational games to successfully combine good play with a good lesson. The gaming community is often seen as people who like to have fun, but we discussed the darker (and dimmer) aspects, too, like the contribution many games make to the desensitizing of younger generations, and the misogyny lurking on console and MMORPG networks. Penny Arcade linked Fat, Ugly or Slutty the other day, which has gathered a sizable amount of evidence for the case that not all gamers are shy hero-wannabes in need of an achievable chance to help the world.
Of our discussion-consolidation of our librarian blogger samplers, most findings were unsurprising. What did stick in my mind was the last question, "is blogging on the way out?" One of my bloggers, Andy Wentworth of Agnostic, Maybe, recently blogged about why he blogs (so meta!), but I didn't realize it might be part of a possible trending decline. How long have blogs been a "thing?" I'm not sure I'd mourn their passing, but would we really be losing blogs? or just the trend; their validity and popularity? And what am I doing blogging, here, anyway? I'd rather contribute to an open class discussion, even on a forum or wiki, than write entries every week, which people read because it is expected of them.
Of our discussion-consolidation of our librarian blogger samplers, most findings were unsurprising. What did stick in my mind was the last question, "is blogging on the way out?" One of my bloggers, Andy Wentworth of Agnostic, Maybe, recently blogged about why he blogs (so meta!), but I didn't realize it might be part of a possible trending decline. How long have blogs been a "thing?" I'm not sure I'd mourn their passing, but would we really be losing blogs? or just the trend; their validity and popularity? And what am I doing blogging, here, anyway? I'd rather contribute to an open class discussion, even on a forum or wiki, than write entries every week, which people read because it is expected of them.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Bonus Library Blogger Entry
I had a hard time picking out just four bloggers for this post; as one professor recently put it, I'm still working on finding a particular direction within this field of information. Because of this, I didn't have an area of specialization in mind to pick two from for this assignment, so I just kept my spread distributed across at least three of the list categories we were provided.
The Bloggers
librarian.net
Jessamyn West, a Vermont library technologist and Metafilter community manager, addresses the issues that most interest me; digital libraries, public knowledge projects, and hip/relevant information/knowledge technologies. She's secured her spot as a well-known blogger over years of addressing the future of information technology and freedom of speech and expression since 1999. I was particularly drawn in by her attitude of interest and enthusiasm for open access and her post about SI's own Michael Barera and his Wikipedian in Residence job.Agnostic, Maybe
New Jersey public librarian Andy Wentworth is a mover and a shaker, the man behind Sweater Vest Sunday and the facebook groups for “People for a Library Themed Ben & Jerry’s Flavor” and Save the NJ Libraries. His posts typically address library-related current events and posts, such as books banned or removed from circulation, ebooks and licenses, and a librarian-petticoat-ruffling article that made the internet rounds.The Annoyed Librarian
This anonymous blogger for Library Journal brings a humorously blunt, realistic/practical voice to the greater library discussion table, addressing perhaps a wider range of current library events and articles than that of Andy Wentworth. She's addressed the "bookless library" trend, an article about librarians' "soft skills," censorship/books removed from circulation, and ALA politics. Her writing voice is critical and sometimes abrasive, but I appreciate the informed discussion.Free Range Librarian
K.G. Schneider, University Librarian at Holy Names University in Oakland, CA, is a librarian, writer, and beer-brewing hobbyist with a preference for the mor modern, technological aspects of the library. Her posts are long and very thoughtful; she usually writes about her own life and whatever issues she has been musing about, be they more current library events or more overall library theory. Particularly of interest to me were her posts about "Rediscovered Management Lessons" and a mixed bag that covered the importance of the ALA and the changing focus in library spaces, where I appreciated her level, experienced voice on the subjects.The Trends
The ALA (Politics)
The Association is a very public forum and indicator of library issues, so it's no surprise that each blog mentioned it at least once. On the more personal-experience end, K.G. Schneider has a recap of her attendance the Midwinter conference, but there are many more posts that address library-politics, the current issues of the more official libraryland. K.G. Schneider supports ALA committees as useful, if sometimes frustrating. Jessamyn West posts about larger advocacy events (national Library Week and Banned Books Week) and articles/talks that the ALA promotes that are relevant to digital libraries and information freedom. Andy Wentworth seems to uphold the Association as an authority, a useful vehicle for advocacy, while the Annoyed Librarian turns her skeptic's eye on Wentworth's Sweater Vest awareness movement.Technology
Annoyed and Wentworth address eBooks and a recent announcement about an Apple-store-like bookless library, but Schneider and West get more into devices and services; Kindles, MOOCs, the cloud, and iPad apps.Open/Free Information/Libraries/Access
Wentworth and Annoyed have twin posts about censorship, almost all have a Banned Books Week post, and Jessamyn West has several posts about open libraries and Public Domain.Library Currency
Librarians like to worry about being librarians. K.G. has posted about the aging idea of cataloguing and a patron's comment about the dated appearance of her library. Jessamyn has posted about new library lob postings and articles questioning the necessity of libraries. Annoyed Librarian posts "Librarians: Evolving or Extinct?" and calls that Apple-store-like bookless library a "passing fad." And Andy Wentworth's main cause seems to be library awareness, giving me the impression that the institutions are on the "endangered" list and in need of volunteer activism.Week 5 readings: Transfer
Chapter 3 of How We Learn provided a thorough analysis of important components and considerations. Transfer is important both at the acquisition and application ends of learning; teachers need to keep background and example contexts in mind when introducing new concepts and assessing understanding. True understanding, not just acquisition and recitation, is necessary for successful transfer, and it takes both time and motivation. The authors advocate active encouragement of transfer skills and highlight the applicability of metacognition to the situation of transfer.
The shorter Wiggins and McTighe article took the position that transferability is an important factor in holding students' attention. The authors outlined a couple of lesson plans that included a hook question/activity and emphasized the possibility of drawing in learners through the presentation of situations in which they would need to acquire the concepts of the unit in order to achieve understanding and rational answers. These plans showed how to construct a progression through meaning-making, concept acquisition, and successful transfer.
As always, it was interesting to read these more school-oriented approaches. But librarians don't get so many opportunities to teach people over an extended period of time, so what can I take from these pieces? First, it's important to consider transfer from existing schemata when assisting someone or leading a program; a few of the examples in the book chapter reminded me how easy it is to take the small things one might use as examples as "universal," for granted. Perhaps more generally, and most specific to me, is the basic fact that understanding takes time (as I am impatient), and that individuals will be able to transfer with differing levels of prompting. When teaching a class, guiding a patron, or explaining a concept in answer to a question, it is important to remember that some people will need more explicit explanation of transferability than I might need myself.
The shorter Wiggins and McTighe article took the position that transferability is an important factor in holding students' attention. The authors outlined a couple of lesson plans that included a hook question/activity and emphasized the possibility of drawing in learners through the presentation of situations in which they would need to acquire the concepts of the unit in order to achieve understanding and rational answers. These plans showed how to construct a progression through meaning-making, concept acquisition, and successful transfer.
As always, it was interesting to read these more school-oriented approaches. But librarians don't get so many opportunities to teach people over an extended period of time, so what can I take from these pieces? First, it's important to consider transfer from existing schemata when assisting someone or leading a program; a few of the examples in the book chapter reminded me how easy it is to take the small things one might use as examples as "universal," for granted. Perhaps more generally, and most specific to me, is the basic fact that understanding takes time (as I am impatient), and that individuals will be able to transfer with differing levels of prompting. When teaching a class, guiding a patron, or explaining a concept in answer to a question, it is important to remember that some people will need more explicit explanation of transferability than I might need myself.
Week 4 class: Feedback, Design of Surveys, and Touching on Transfer
After watching McGonigal's TED talk about transferring gaming strengths onto reality-based activities, we took a survey and analyzed its makeup, including what types of questions were asked, in what order, and what purposes they would serve in evaluation and revising of a program or session. I recalled SI 500 last year, when we had to gather information and were challenged to write questions that would get us the truest information, but I found that this exercise, both taking the sample survey and then analyzing the example questions, did give me a better idea of how to write an effective survey. The discussion included structure for keeping participants engaged and questions for gauging approach and attitude of the answerer, things I hadn't thought about before.
The TED talk itself was interesting, too. I took the Videogames and Learning course as an undergraduate a few years ago and it was interesting to see the traits that McGonigal highlighted for transfer to real world situations. Where the education course covered the abilities that can be learned and strengthened through videogames, whether through purposeful design or by virtue of the medium itself, McGonigal drew out traits developed by "gamers," those who have devoted a significant amount of time to videogames, that can be applied to problems on a grander (epic) scale. I pointed out in class that I had recently read a line somewhere about a "trend of gamification," although at the time I saw a sort of difference between the gamification of, say, customer loyalty versus development of "green" habits. Now, though, I see that McGonigal's speech merely approached the situation from an academic and socio-structural angle instead of a marketing one. It was good, though, to see examples of successful transfer of gaming tendencies onto the grand, constructive projects she has launched.
The TED talk itself was interesting, too. I took the Videogames and Learning course as an undergraduate a few years ago and it was interesting to see the traits that McGonigal highlighted for transfer to real world situations. Where the education course covered the abilities that can be learned and strengthened through videogames, whether through purposeful design or by virtue of the medium itself, McGonigal drew out traits developed by "gamers," those who have devoted a significant amount of time to videogames, that can be applied to problems on a grander (epic) scale. I pointed out in class that I had recently read a line somewhere about a "trend of gamification," although at the time I saw a sort of difference between the gamification of, say, customer loyalty versus development of "green" habits. Now, though, I see that McGonigal's speech merely approached the situation from an academic and socio-structural angle instead of a marketing one. It was good, though, to see examples of successful transfer of gaming tendencies onto the grand, constructive projects she has launched.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Week 4 readings: Learning Environments and Formative Feedback
From the book How People Learn came the concept of learning environments. Turns out the insight I had last week - about how the concept/method of learning has changed over time - was spot on, and that education used to be more about a standard set of knowledge than the ability to interpret and solve novel cases. The institution of schools has been changing, but methods, cultural factors, and concepts all develop in asynchronous ways. Students today are shaped by an environment that must be student, knowledge, assessment, and community centered; stipulations for an education that is appropriate for each individual in his or her own situation. I found much of this text intuitive, to the point where I wondered just how progressive my own grade school educators and parents were. What really did stick in my mind was the mention of Japanese classrooms, where students can expect to share with the class how they came to an incorrect answer (and, instead the existence of a derogatory or negative stigma, classmates should instead appreciate the value in studying how the wrong answer was found), and Inuit culture, where talkative students run the risk of being seen as less than bright.
The Sadler piece laid out the nuances of feedback, how summative is not the same as formative assessment and what criteria and best practices for critique and advice should be used for a truly dynamic student-educator/mentor relationship. Basically, while we can consider marks and grades a form of feedback, they can't inform our learning process very well; the answer is to foster more of an instructor-student dialogue, preferably during the course of work instead of at the end of or after an assignment or course.
Both readings this week were highly school-centric, but what can be carried over into library service, is the importance of cultivating the proper atmosphere/environment, as much as possible, for patrons and being attentive and engaged with patrons we assist or teach. It is especially effective to cultivate a rapport with those who need involved instructions.
The Sadler piece laid out the nuances of feedback, how summative is not the same as formative assessment and what criteria and best practices for critique and advice should be used for a truly dynamic student-educator/mentor relationship. Basically, while we can consider marks and grades a form of feedback, they can't inform our learning process very well; the answer is to foster more of an instructor-student dialogue, preferably during the course of work instead of at the end of or after an assignment or course.
Both readings this week were highly school-centric, but what can be carried over into library service, is the importance of cultivating the proper atmosphere/environment, as much as possible, for patrons and being attentive and engaged with patrons we assist or teach. It is especially effective to cultivate a rapport with those who need involved instructions.
Week 3 class: Info Lit and the Academic Research Process
I really enjoyed discussing the different information literacy pieces we collected ourselves for reading this week. My small group noted how difficult it is to attempt a general definition of information literacy; people in different areas of work or study with different capabilities and different goals will have different needs. A good approach to info lit education would be to approach from an area of interest to the user/student, and teach so that they understand the principles that they will be able to apply to other areas and situations. Out of the class discussion we seemed to come up with an agreement that, while libraries are a great place to promote information literacy, librarians still have to hurdle the uncertainty of the term and face the difficulty of finding a beginning point to build from.
And what sort of people do we see coming to us? Especially in academic libraries, people seek librarians' help when they are at a lower, more stressed point in their assignments or research cycle. We need to be conscious of patrons' places in Kuhlthau's Information Search Process cycle, to try to be understanding, BUT also to realize why trying to educate students and patrons before they have sufficient motivation to learn/absorb our lessons may not be effective. It might be a better tiing to give a librarian talk to a class when they're most likely to be starting to feel the pressure on a research project (try to find that point between "feeling the pressure" and "panic and high stress."
And what sort of people do we see coming to us? Especially in academic libraries, people seek librarians' help when they are at a lower, more stressed point in their assignments or research cycle. We need to be conscious of patrons' places in Kuhlthau's Information Search Process cycle, to try to be understanding, BUT also to realize why trying to educate students and patrons before they have sufficient motivation to learn/absorb our lessons may not be effective. It might be a better tiing to give a librarian talk to a class when they're most likely to be starting to feel the pressure on a research project (try to find that point between "feeling the pressure" and "panic and high stress."
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Week 3 readings: Information Literacy
Our instructions are to choose three articles for discussion from our area of specialization, but, as I am still working that particular detail out, I had less of a restriction on my search. The articles I ended up with reflect my developing interest in Wikipedia and learning beyond (just) the library.
The complete information literacy? Unforgetting the creation and organization of information
Isto Huvila, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 43, No. 4 (December 2011), pp. 237-245
This article made the point that much of the discourse surrounding the subject of information literacy focuses on the finding and evaluation of information, but ignores the information users create and organize. Much in the way that traditional literacy involves writing and not just reading, so should information literacy education realize that information, as it is created by humans as well as for humans, should be created with findability and evaluation in mind. The author points out that Flickr, as an example, provides the necessary tools, but that retrieving information from that system is only met with an acceptable degree of success due to the sheer volume of content available. Wikipedia is an example of the encouraging effects of a community that provides the power of example and incentive. Huvila lists four preliminary observations toward effective information creation and organization: mindfulness of the user (potentially through community), simple tools, personal benefit, and exalting attribution and conservative information creation practice.
Information Literacy as a Sociotechnical Practice
Kimmo Tuominen, Reijo Savolainen, and Sanna Talja, The Library Quarterly , Vol. 75, No. 3 (July 2005), pp. 329-345
Information literacy is a good cause, but it is important to take into account the nuances of its name (including the stigmas attached to the term "literacy") and the challenges of applying the concept to a truly generalized goal. People can, for example, claim information literacy in the context of one field, but be completely lost in the information of a different field or context. The authors advise IL teachers to strive for a comprehensive understanding of the materials, technologies, social and cultural settings, and the extant skills and competencies of those they hope to assist.
Information literacy barriers: language use and social structure
The complete information literacy? Unforgetting the creation and organization of information
Isto Huvila, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 43, No. 4 (December 2011), pp. 237-245
This article made the point that much of the discourse surrounding the subject of information literacy focuses on the finding and evaluation of information, but ignores the information users create and organize. Much in the way that traditional literacy involves writing and not just reading, so should information literacy education realize that information, as it is created by humans as well as for humans, should be created with findability and evaluation in mind. The author points out that Flickr, as an example, provides the necessary tools, but that retrieving information from that system is only met with an acceptable degree of success due to the sheer volume of content available. Wikipedia is an example of the encouraging effects of a community that provides the power of example and incentive. Huvila lists four preliminary observations toward effective information creation and organization: mindfulness of the user (potentially through community), simple tools, personal benefit, and exalting attribution and conservative information creation practice.
Information Literacy as a Sociotechnical Practice
Kimmo Tuominen, Reijo Savolainen, and Sanna Talja, The Library Quarterly , Vol. 75, No. 3 (July 2005), pp. 329-345
Information literacy is a good cause, but it is important to take into account the nuances of its name (including the stigmas attached to the term "literacy") and the challenges of applying the concept to a truly generalized goal. People can, for example, claim information literacy in the context of one field, but be completely lost in the information of a different field or context. The authors advise IL teachers to strive for a comprehensive understanding of the materials, technologies, social and cultural settings, and the extant skills and competencies of those they hope to assist.
Information literacy barriers: language use and social structure
Peyina Lin, Library Hi Tech,
Vol. 28, No. 4 (2010), pp. 548-568
Citing 12 months of dissertation research at two suburban high schools, Lin expands on the aversions some people have to the use of the term "information literacy", the effect it can have on their drive to improve their literacy, and the library's unique role to encourage students in working towards such a goal.
As of yet, I have not figured out a comprehensive, enlightened way to synthesize all three articles, but I look forward to adding their ideas to our class discussion tomorrow.
Citing 12 months of dissertation research at two suburban high schools, Lin expands on the aversions some people have to the use of the term "information literacy", the effect it can have on their drive to improve their literacy, and the library's unique role to encourage students in working towards such a goal.
As of yet, I have not figured out a comprehensive, enlightened way to synthesize all three articles, but I look forward to adding their ideas to our class discussion tomorrow.
Week 2 class: User diversity and effective screencast tutorials
We began this class session by going over the conditions a librarian on the floor or in programming needs to consider when assessing the users she helps or educates. We might forget that norms we are used to may be glaringly strange to new patrons, and that experts will approach information and learning in a different fashion than novices. These are the sorts of things to keep in mind when creating lesson plans and screencasts, the process for which we also went over in class. We reviewed the ADDIE process from the readings; yet another iteration of the design and implementation process.
We spent a good amount of time reviewing and evaluating Google Reader tutorials, in order to gain an understanding of what makes a good screencast. Various students noted the way that the following influenced their judgement of the videos:
We spent a good amount of time reviewing and evaluating Google Reader tutorials, in order to gain an understanding of what makes a good screencast. Various students noted the way that the following influenced their judgement of the videos:
- pacing: time spent explaining, moving between screens
- narration: extraneous information, personality
- information content: comprehensive?
- time: attention span dictates less than 5 minutes
I observed that some reactions to video judgement were more about personal preference than I would have expected. Of the screencasts I've seen from our own assignment, too, I've already noticed that some students have already repeated the offenses we listed during this activity, proving that these tutorials are no less of a challenge than a short presentation to the class.
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