CHECK
THESE OUT!
by Mary Pagliero Popp, popp@indiana.edu
Summer's here! It's time to sit back and catch up on your learning. In this issue I have included a few good readings from outside the library literature.
INFORMATION LITERACY COMPETENCIES
The February/March issue
(volume 3, no. 2) of Internet Trend Watch for Libraries, published
on the World Wide Web, includes two useful articles about work on information
competencies. Shaleen Barnes talks in "Developing Information Literacy
Competencies for a Five-Campus University System" <http://www.itwfl.com/umass.html>
about development of a list of common goals for the University of Massachusetts
system, including questions discussed and the actual goals adopted.
She includes a link to the final planning report on the Web, which contains
specific objectives, including objectives about the use of electronic resources.
Judy Swanson, in "Information Competencies - California Style!"
<http://www.itwfl.com/csu.html>
describes the work of the California State University System and includes
their ten core competencies, as well as links online to a self-paced World
Wide Web instructional module to teach the competencies, an electronic
workbook for use with an online catalog, and information about a 3-unit
Information Competence Class.
Please NOTE: The April
1998 issue of Internet Trend Watch for Libraries is the last issue
of this innovative journal. The back issues will be kept on the Web
for 1 year. We'll miss it!
GOOD READING FROM LIBRARY SOURCES
Cleary, Jane Scott. "Asking the Right Question: Formulating Effective Search Strategies for Electronic Databases." Research Strategies 15.3 (1997): 199-203.
- Describes a simple active
learning technique to teach students how to develop search strategies,
suitable for use in a 50 minute class and with both graduate and undergraduate
students. Student groups are given a topic and asked to select a
database and create a strategy. The strategies are then used and
discussed in class, a process taking from 15-25 minutes from start to finish.
- Describes a program to teach
high school students about ethical conduct on the Internet, with a particular
focus on email and on copyright and intellectual property. Sample
scenarios used with students and helpful Web sites are included.
- Suggests a collaboration
between libraries and computer centers to teach faculty about instructional
uses of the Web and provides tips for successful programs. Includes
criteria for choosing instructional Web sites to demonstrate and has a
useful appendix describing specific sites that meet such criteria.
- Describes an interactive
workshop for faculty about library assignments offered at Texas A &
M University. Contains a copy of the promotional flyer, the
complete content of the workshop, including group exercises and an assignment
checklist, and scripts for short role-playing skits presented by library
staff. This workshop could be adapted for high school teachers as well.
Dochy, Filip J. R. C., and Liz McDowell. "Introduction: Assessment as a Tool for Learning." Studies in Educational Evaluation 23.4 (1977): 279-298.
- Librarians interested in
an overview of research about assessment (defined as the use of tools to
systematically evaluate learning) will find this bibliographic essay a
useful starting point.
- Practical advice for public
speakers on presentation style, covering four areas: body movement,
voice, hand gestures, and controlling the audience. Includes pictures.
Worthwhile reading for all of us--whether novice or expert speaker.
- Examines recent research
on metacognition (thinking about how one learns or performs a task such
as research) and describes four instructional strategies for improving
student metacognitive skills. Includes clear definitions of important
concepts.
Kursh, Steven. "Going the Distance with Web-Based Training." Training & Development 52 (March 1998): 50-53.
Phillips, Vicky.
"Selecting an Online Authoring System." Training 35 (April
1998): 53-61.
WEBSITES:
Lake Washington Technical College. "Accessible Web Page Design." <http://weber.u.washington.edu/~doit/Resources/web-design.html> (19 April 1998).
- The DO-IT Program at Lake
Washington Technical College has compiled a useful Web site of resources
to use in making Web pages (including Web video and audio) accessible to
persons with disabilities. Included is their own brochure, "World
Wide Access: Accessible Web Design," which provides a nice overview of
the issues to consider.
- This site has been developed
by the National Endowment for the Humanities and its partners to provide
links to educational Web sites on core humanities and social sciences topics:
history, social studies, literature, government, and foreign languages.
Includes tips for evaluating Web sites, for citing them, and for using
them in the classroom.
- A comprehensive group of
resources for making Web pages accessible to persons with disabilities.
Bookmark this one!
IN BRIEF
Arnold, Judith M. and Elaine Anderson Jayne. "Dangling by a Slender Thread: The Lessons and Implications of Teaching the World Wide Web to Freshmen." Journal of Academic Librarianship 24 (Jan. 1998): 43-52.
Burdick, Tracey. "Pleasure in Information Seeking: Reducing Information Aliteracy." Emergency Librarian 25 (Jan.-Feb. 1998): 13-17.
Dickstein, Ruth and Kari Boyd McBride. "Listserv Lemmings and Fly-brarians on the Wall: A Librarian-Instructor Team Taming the Cyberbeast in the Large Classroom." College & Research Libraries 59 (Jan. 1998): 10-18.
Kaplowitz, Joan and Janice Contini. "Computer-Assisted Instruction: Is It an Option for Bibliographic Instruction in Large Undergraduate Survey Classes?" College & Research Libraries 59 (Jan. 1998): 19-28.
Ragains. Patrick. "Evaluation of Academic Librarians' Instructional Performance: Report of a National Survey." Research Strategies 15.3 (1997): 159-175.
Smith, Anne Marie and Caroline
A. Drakeley. "12 Tips for Using Hypertext." Training &
Development 52 (January 1998): 68-69.
Mary Pagliero Popp is
Information Technologies Public Services Librarian at Indiana University
Bloomington Libraries.