Friday, January 30, 2015

#ALISE2015 : Juried Works in Progress Papers

Mirah Dow and Sarah Sutton (Emporia State University) - "A framework for teaching research literacy: Reimaging LIS instruction, assignments, and program and student-level assessment"

Having been engaging in a curriculum review.  Looked at course titles and descriptions, and then learning outcomes.  Garnered input from the community.

Libraries are central tithe pursuit of social justice. We want our students to be active participants in the process.  Our goal for all Emporia State Univ. SLIM LIS students at the end of their four core classes is that the have:
  • Advanced beginner level research interact skills
  • A working knowledge of model teaching research literacy to others
Advanced beginner is defined in the literature and is a step above novice.  (There are five stages, with the fifth being mastery.)

"The research literate LIS student has knowledge and skills LIS professionals need to actively practice and to instruct others to search, select, analyze, and use published research to make evidence-based claims and recommendations for problem-solving."

The skills used for locating and buying new sneakers online are not the skills needed for academic work.  

Two phases:
  • Literature context - access,retrieve, evaluate,and use existing research publications
  • Data context - design study, conduct experiment, analyze data, draw conclusions, communicate findings
Threshold performance skills - Core concepts once understand transform perception of a given subject.
Threshold performance skills 1-7: bodies of knowledge - This can be case-based instruction. (Mirah Dow and a team reported on case-based instruction yesterday.)
Threshold performance skills 8-12: Evidence-based practice
Threshold performance skills 13-18: Customization of resources
Threshold performance skills 19-23: Organizing information 

Partnering with their academic librarians (faculty librarians). 

Evaluation is done by LIS faculty.  Required the development of no new assignments.

Looking to publish the information about this literacy skills on their web site and give info to new students. It is clear on syllabi those assignments that relate to it.

Martin Wolske (UIUC) and Colin Rhinesmith (Oklahoma) - Championing social justice to LIS technology education: A critical sociotechnical systems approach 

Presentation at http://bit.ly/ALISE-CIS

Why a technology approach?
  • Technology centralism
  • Technology determinism 
  • Cyberlibertarianism 
Class - "Introduction to networked systems" - experiential learning and service learning,but not creating critical thinking or a holistic praxis.

Students need to understand how to connect the dots between the social layers and the technology layers.

CIS Goals in the three overlapping areas:
  • Technology and society
  • Teaching and learning
  • Research and knowledge 
They developed 10 points, which are delineated in their paper.

They have developed a demystifying technology framework.  So people aren't just passive consumers.

Icebreaker: (the answer to the second demonstrates that they are innovators, but they did not think of themselves in the first.)
  • Draw a picture of an innovator innovating.
  • Describe one way you've used stuff you have in a way it wasn't meant to be used to solve a problem you had.
LIS 5970: Leadership in Information Organizations - taught at the public library.  Project based with the teens in the library and library staff. Studio-based learning.  


Rebecca Croxton (UNC-Greensboro) - "Professional identities in online learning"

Part of an IMLS Grant.

There is a mismatch.
  • Increase in online learning.
  • Skepticism about quality if online degree programs by academic administrators, public citizens and employers.
  • Student learning outcomes in online courses can meet or exceed face to face,
  • Little attention has been given to how graduate online learners develop professional identities.
Purpose of the study - to fill a gap in the literature 

Theoretical framework
  • Social identity theory 
  • Community of practice approach
Fall 2014 - 252 students
  • 181 fully online 
  • 71 main campus students 
  • Includes 11 ACE scholars
Four research questions:
  • To what degree do students  enrolled in fully online graduate degree program feel a sense of connectedness to peers and faculty?
    • More connected to faculty than to other students.
    • Those is a cohort felt more connected to each other.
  • To what degree do online graduate students feel they have developed a professional identity in their chosen field?
    • Yes the already self identify as professionals. 
    • Those with unpaid or paid library experience had significantly higher professional identities that then no experience group.
  • Are peer connectedness and faculty connectedness significant predictors of professional identity?
    • Yes.
  • What are the satisfaction levels of online learners?
    • Yes!
    • Online learners value synchronous interactions.
    • Incorporating synchronous, non-mandatory interactions.
    • Have some synchronous classes.
62 respondents and interviewed 13 people.  Only 11 cohort students.

Key takeaways
  • Synchronous is highly valued
  • Work experience pays a key role in professional identity development
  • Online learners feel connected to peers and faculty.
  • Peer and faculty connectedness are significant predictors of both professional inventory development and online learner satisfaction.

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