Hello everyone,
*APOLOGIES FOR CROSS POSTING*
Thank you to everyone who responded to my questions about information skills and how we engage students who have received sessions in previous years. It appears that all who responded are also struggling with this issue - what a relief to know we are not alone!
There have been quite a few differing suggestions of how we may try to engage these returning students and I have tried to list/summarise those below. Lots of food for thought...
1. One college stresses the importance and benefits of using subject specific databases early on in a class - this is backed up with a slide presentation showing how a specific database will improve research as opposed to just using Google or the library
2. Make classes specific to a course/module as possible with examples (this was echoed by a few people)
3. Use PollEV as free app - http://www.polleverywhere.com/app it allows users to vote in response to questions. This can be used to gauge what level and understanding a group has
4. Use of humorous examples
5. Use of a coaching analogy (used with sports students but transferable to other areas) - premier league footballers have coaches - librarians are your information skills/study skill coaches
6. Be interactive - find out what problems students have had finding information previously
7. Show the students a framework of how they can progress with info skills
8. Ask students who believe they know something to demonstrate their knowledge to others
9. Create options for experienced learners to have an evaluative element - why do they choose to do something - use a particular piece of information/database etc
10. In support of above - value students existing knowledge - tease this out, evidence variation among learners and show the benefit of taking a step further (e.g.: finding better information, better marks etc)
11. Encourage teaching staff to allocate marks for information literacy (although this may be difficult due to curriculum constraints) - Library staff may need to develop an assessment criteria?
12. Stimulate debate between learners, have an element of peer assessment about the most efficacious ways of finding information, merits of each source etc)
I hope these comments are useful to you all. I will welcome any additions should anyone have them!
Thank you all again for your time and all good wishes for the festive season to you all!
Ruth
Ruth Wells
Learning Adviser
(Hours: Mon 8.30am -2.30pm, Tues & Wed 8.30am - 1.30pm, Thursday 1pm-7pm and Friday 12.30pm-5pm)
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Tel: 01983 550789
The Isle of Wight College
Learning Resource Centre, Medina Way
Newport, Isle of Wight
PO30 5TA
www.iwcollege.ac.uk<http://www.iwcollege.ac.uk/>
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