Reflection and Activity

PART I:  Reflection

Most of what I've learned focused on aspects of student learning.  This course reiterated the importance of using active learning in my instruction and using real life scenarios with my assignments and class activities.  I was then introduced to the human side of instructional design when I learned about motivation and social constructivism.  One final point was being introduced to having student assess their performance.

I've known about active learning for 10 years, but rarely had seen it in action.  This course made me envision how I could incorporate in my instruction.  The week 2 Fink reading discussed active learning and the many levels where it engages students.  Experience, information and ideas, and reflective dialogue compose a holistic view of active learning.  Learning activities should incorporate these elements in order to engage the student and enhance their learning.  I realized a significant portion of my students don't learn from my sessions.  Perhaps active learning could address multiple learning styles and help students learn more from my instruction.  I could present activities such as case studies and real life scenarios to my students in my sessions.

Motivation was an aspect of teaching and learning where I paid little attention.  I relied on extrinsic motivation where students complete the assignment to get a grade or "just to get it done and over with."  I've always known that instruction needed to have a hook that interests the students and to demonstrate topics that were current.  However, considering motivation is important for students to want to continue their learning beyond the library instruction session.  Motivation is a part of what enables students to become lifelong learners.  The week 3 assignment required me to consider the ways I motivate my students; I need to consider ways to intrinsically motivate students to cultivate an interest in the topic that is taken away from the session and brought into other areas of their lives.

Finally, I learned more about the emerging learning theory of social constructivism.  Since humans are social by nature, some type of socializing in an educational context can bring powerful learning opportunities.  Why not use interactions for instructional reasons?  When students work together or in groups, they are able to ask questions, test or augment their understanding, and create a positive learning environment.  They can also assist each other since many students feel more comfortable asking their peers for help than the instructor.  I also think that using social constructivism can make what is often a boring or dry library session into something more interesting to the students, which may spark their interest in a topic.

PART II:  Activity

This assignment is for a first and second-year speech class.  The learning objectives are as follows:

• Identify credible sources of information for their assignments.
• Formulate a search strategy for information.

Before the class, students will be assigned to watch 2 brief screencasts:  one is about using a library database to find articles and information while the other is about creating a search strategy.  Students will be assigned to try some sample searches in a database and choose 1 article to use later for an informative speech.  This is a "flipped" classroom model, and I'm hoping for students to do this to initially explore and try to gain a basic understanding of library databases and searching for information.  This part of the assignment will give the students some initial experience for searching through databases.

In addition to the screencast tutorials, students will be assigned to write a 1-paragraph reflective piece where they briefly described what they thought worked in helping them find articles, what didn't work, or to comment on the quality of the results they found and why the results may had been that way.

In the following class, I will reintroduce the topic of creating a search strategy.  Since students will have already done some searches, they will have prior knowledge and experience.  They can also compare how they did their searches, and think of ways they can refine their search for additional articles and information.  Students need to be able to reflect on their learning.

After the mini-lesson on creating a search strategy, I will have students pair up and try to search for another article while using the refinements they had generated.  I will circulate through the computer lab to talk to each pair to briefly discuss their reflection paragraph, answer questions, and give positive though corrective feedback for their searches.  The rest of the students will work on finding more articles for their assignments.  This will make use of social constructivism where students work together to complete a task.  In addition, this activity will allow me to give FIDELITY feedback to the students.

One the library instruction session is complete, my role is finished with this speech class.  The class professor will work with the students and give the students an assignment for an annotated bibliography.  The assignment will prepare students to gather information for an informative speech.

Week 4 Blog

1.  What technologies (and these can be old, new, or emerging) might be most appropriate for your final project? Does your final project align with any of the trends represented in the Horizon Report you reviewed? Now answer the first two questions posed in Consider section of the 5-Step Ed-Tech Integration Model from the How to Choose article.

A.  Polling tools may be useful for a one-shot course.  It aligns with the trends from the Horizons report by being more social and interactive with their peers.  It will utilize mobile devices in learning.  Polling tools also provide a chance for real-time assessment through its feedback.  

Consider it the tool will enhance/improve/motivate:  I think it will improve student learning because students will be able to answer questions which I can use to monitor their understanding.  I can promptly adjust my instruction to address gaps in student knowledge or if something is not clear.

Review/ revisit learning objectives:  The objective for my initial project was for students to create an annotated bibliography in order to get them to gather resources for a final project.  It is important for me to address gaps in student understanding because I am teaching a one-shot session; I do not have the additional classtime needed to work with students.

B.  I would use LibGuides and online tutorials to supplement the one-shot instruction.  This doesn't strongly align with the trends from the Horizons report.  However, I consider them to be like class notes which will be important for students to have to successfully complete the assignment.

Consider it the tool will enhance/improve/motivate:  I think LibGuides will improve student learning by reinforcing what was taught in the one-shot session.  They can be used to motivate students;  I've found that they often respond positively to online tutorials because they build confidence in using library tools.

Review/ revisit learning objectives:  Using LibGuides and tutorials addresses multiple ways to learn, so this could definitely enhance the learning objectives.

Week 3 Blog Post

1. In your blog, discuss which theory/ies might be most applicable to your instruction and outline a specific activity/assignment/exercise that would facilitate learning according to that theory.

Learning Goals

Learning Activity

Feedback & Assessment

Applicable Learning Theories

·  Students need to identify academic information sources (specialized databases and periodical articles) in order to gather information and do literature reviews.

Students will individually search for information on their topic in a database.  They will be given a recommended number of articles to locate, but will judge if they need to find more articles.

(Feedback & Assessment) Students will create an annotated bibliography of the resources they located.  This will enable me to see the direction they are taking for their projects and provide feedback on their sources.

Behaviorism, Cognitivism

Behaviorism is used when students are asked to focus on doing a particular task (using a database).

Cognitivism is used when they evaluate the information sources they find and organize their findings in an annotated bibliography.

 2. Write a brief post addressing how you are going to motivate your learners/students, and align your response with the information drawn from Small's article on motivation. .

Extrinsic Motivation and Achievement Motivation:
I tell students that using good information sources is expected in college-level assignment.  This is to motivate them for an external award (doing assignments correctly and successfully following a standard) and for achievement (getting good grades)

Attribution Theory:
Telling students that doing a literature review and searching for information takes time and practice, and to give themselves time to work on finding information.  I show and discuss some of the mistakes I've made in my own searches for information but assured them my skills improved by trying new ways of doing them.  I think about this in light of what Small said, "Instruction, where appropriate, that encourages students to take more internal responsibility for their own learning success or failure, will help to motivate them to continue learning."

Another way I use attribution theory is to give students chunks of exercises to do during the session.  When students see they successfully can do these, I assure them they will be able to progress to the next step of the information seeking process.  This usually builds their self confidence, and they start to believe they "can do it."

Week 2 - Second Post

Step 5: Integrating Steps 1-4
1. Situational Factors

In the past, I held library instruction sessions in a computer classroom, but now my classroom only has one computer that is to be used by the instructor, I need to use some more active learning in my one-shot instead of lecturing.  I could probably do some group work, such as an activity where students create a search strategy when they need to be shown how to do one.  The students could share their results with the class and then I can give direct feedback (and maybe the students can give feedback as well).  The only problem I see with doing an activity is the time it takes away from the lecture and possibly not covering all the content that my instructor wants me to.

2. Learning Goals and Feedback & Assessment

I've given surveys after library instruction where I ask multiple choice questions on what was covered during the instruction session.  I align my survey with the content that was covered during the instruction session, so I'm confident that the survey reflects learning.  I haven't included any goals for having students learn how to assess their own performance; I'm not sure how to do that within library instruction.

3. Learning Goals and Teaching/Learning Activities

Do the learning activities effectively support all your learning goals?
Are there extraneous activities that do not serve any major learning goal?
The learning activities I have so far support my instructional goals, and usually between 66 - 75% of the time, students are learning from instruction.  I really need to include something more active in my sessions, perhaps do it after 20 minutes of my presenting (help with cognitive chunking).

4. Teaching/Learning Activities and Feedback & Assessment

The feedback loop has allowed me know know what students are learning, and it appears that between 66 and 75% of my students get it.  That leaves a significant remainder of students who aren't, and that concerns me.  Maybe my instruction needs to change to incorporate teaching for multiple learning styles, or maybe I should offer supplemental help after class.

As for practice activities, I can see that it is important so students can get immediate feedback and refine the skills they are being taught.  In addition, practice activities may activate their prior learning.

Week 2 Blog Post

Step 3. Worksheet
Procedures for Educative Assessment
1. Forward-Looking Assessment.

Imagine that a student needs to vote on whether or not Miami-Dade County should decrease its budget for its neighborhood libraries.  Go to the NewsBank database (which has the local newspaper Miami Herald) and find articles about library funding in order to gather information that will help them make a decision.

2. Criteria & Standards.

(i.)  Students will be able to identify a credible information source in order to locate information needed for an assignment.
(ii.)  Students will find periodical articles on an assigned topic in order to obtain information to inform them on the topic.

Emerging:
(i.)  Student uses Wikipedia or a general internet search engine to locate information on assigned topic.
(ii)  Student uses 1 to 3 sources of information from Wikipedia and/or a general search engine.
Proficient:
(i.) Student uses NewsBank to locate articles about the assigned topic.
(ii.)  Student uses 4-5 articles from NewsBank to use for their assignment.
Expert:
(i.)  Student uses NewsBank and other news sources locate articles about the assigned topic.
(ii.) Student uses 6 or more articles from NewsBank and other credible news sources about their assigned topic.

3. Self-Assessment.

Students can be given a rubric on how the grade will be assigned, and can follow how much they are following the assignment.

4. “FIDeLity” Feedback.

I could stagger the assignment where students start by finding 4 articles and then summarize them.   The students would then show me what they have found, and I would ask questions about where they found the information and provide feedback to that.  I would refer to the course assignment rubric in providing my feedback, and encourage them to use the library's information sources and formulate effective searches.

Week 1 Blog Post

Step 1. Worksheet

SITUATIONAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

This class is a first year, semester-long Speech class with 25 students in a 2-year college.  The class meets twice a week for sessions lasting an hour and a half.  This course is delivered in a classroom.  The physical elements that will affect the class is it is held in a general classroom with a computer workstation and projection screen for the instructor/lecturer.  My part in this class is to give 1 session as an introduction to the library and its resources.

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

The learning expectations by the college is that students will be able to learn how to organize, prepare and deliver speeches in a variety of settings (social and professional).  They will also learn how to do a variety of speeches (impromptu, informative, and persuasive).

3. Nature of the Subject

This subject is mainly practical in nature.  It is a convergent subject.  Current changes or controversies are not presently occurring in this field.

4. Characteristics of the Learners

Most of the learners are young adults who have multiple obligations (work, family, school).  They have been out of high school from a year to 5 years, which was probably the last time they had to present speeches.  Students usually approach speaking in front of others with a lot of trepidation.  They usually want to "just finish the class" since it is required for many programs and don't necessarily take it because they want to.  Their expectations are to do the work as quickly as possible, with the goal of passing the class.  Their preferred learning style is a combination of lecture with group discussion and activities.

5. Characteristics of the Teacher

The teacher I work with feels he has a role as guide and also reinforcement, that is, he is very direct with students regarding his expectations and when work is due.   He feels that students need a lot of reinforcement and reminders to complete the work and study for the class.  The teacher is highly familiar with his subject.  His strength is he is enthusiastic about his subject.

Step 2. Worksheet
Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals 

• Students need to know how to access the library's databases in order to gather information for their assignments (in speech and others).
• Students need to know how to create effective search strategies in order to successfully execute searches in the library databases.
• Students need to know about academic information sources (specialized databases) in order to gather information and do literature reviews.

What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?

• Information is available in other places than the internet.
• Using reliable sources of information is expected in academic work.
• Students will need to be able to evaluate the information they find if they want to use it for personal or academic purposes.

Application Goals

Students will utilize creative, practical and critical thinking for this speech course.  Students will need to be able to critically appraise the information they find and determine if it is relevant for their needs.  Students will also need to be creative in formulating search strategies when looking for information in databases.  Students will also need to solve problems and make decisions when they identify which information sources to use for their needs and where to access them.

What important skills do students need to gain?

• Identify a specific information need.
• Identify credible sources of information for their assignments.
• Formulate a search strategy for information.
• Evaluate the information they find.
• Summarize the information found and apply it to assignments/information needs.

Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?

Not necessarily.  They work out of a workbook that provides instructions and directions, and then assign students to use library materials.

Integration Goals

Students should make connections with the information seeking process in an academic setting with one one they may need to make in their actual lives.  Students should also see the information seeking process for speech assignments as being similar to other assignments they have while at this 2-year college.  Students should see that the expectations of work quality for this class is similar to other courses they take.

Human Dimensions Goals

Students can learn to see how they gather information and evaluate what they may need to change based on the feedback they receive from their instructor(s) and peers.  Students will learn about other speech topics by listening to their peers publicly speak on a variety of topics.  Students can also learn more about and develop their public speaking style.

Caring Goals

I hope students find an interest in speaking and in other topics from listening to their classmates speak.  I also hope that students will be able to appreciate the art and subtleties of public speaking.

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

I hope students will be more confident about their speaking and information-gathering abilities.  I hope students will value the information-seeking process and be more willing to undertake similar activities because of the knowledge and experience from the speech class.  I hope their interest in a class like this sparks an interest and skill in public relations, journalism, or other related majors that could be pursued.