TeachNotes is a bi-weekly, 45-minute talk and discussion on various teaching topics,
open to anyone who wants to learn more.
Click on a date to get a summary of the session and list of links to content covered.
2008
04/09 - AssessmentFor our inaugural session, we talked about why we should do assessment, the assessment cycle and types of assessment.
Watch the screencast of the session
Other Resources
NCSU AssessmentSample quiz from UC Davis
A Practical Guide to Information Literacy Assessment for Academic Librarians - ZA 3075.p73 2007
libraryassessment.info
A PowerPoint presentation on Assessment by Megan Oakleaf
Another ppt by Megan Oakleaf
A handy chart on types of assessment by Megan Oakleaf
2009
09/16 - Designing Instruction to get your Students Involved: Doing it Successfully in One Class SessionResources for further review:
Weimer, Maryellen. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2002 Available ASU Main Stacks LB2331 .W39
Kohl, Herbert. Growing Minds: On Becoming a Teacher. New York: Harper & Row, 1984
Available ASU Main Stacks LB1775 .K645 1984
The Teaching Professor - Higher Education newsletter that focuses on specifc aspects of teaching or administration. Available via WNCLN
The designers of web-based library instruction products traditionally pay too little attention to educational learning theories. Instead, their design approach is modeled on print resources. Paying more attention to pedagogy would result in the production of superior web-based learning experiences for library users. This session focused on why those librarians creating instructional tools should be exploring learning theories for maximum benefit to both themselves, and their users.
Librarians are just beginning to hear more about the concept of the user experience (UX). Many retail and service organizations, such as Starbucks and Disney, design user experiences in order to gain an edge on their competitors or develop strong customer loyalty. The key is differentiation. This webcast will present a general overview of user experience and address why it's important for libraries. Comparisons to the use of UX in the consumer market will be presented, as well as examples of how librarians can craft better user experiences.
Presenter: Valeda Dent Goodman, Associate University Librarian for Research and Instructional Services and Associate Professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
A wave of books and articles, including Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation, are calling attention to the declining analytical skills of college students. They read far less. They seem incapable of critical thought and debate. They take the research path of least resistance. And perhaps worst of all, they seem above constructive criticism. Is digital technology at the root of the dumber generation or is technology simply a convenient scapegoat? Some technology advocates, such as Marc Prensky, suggest that the students are fine, and that the educators are the ones who need to change their ways. We will be joined by Mark Herring who will frame the issues and share his thoughts about why librarians should be concerned about them - and what we can do to make a difference.
Presenter: Mark Herring, Dean of Library Services at Winthrop University
For further reveiw: Herring, Mark Y. Fool's Gold : Why the Internet is no Substitute for a Library. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007. Available ASU Main Stacks, ZA4201 .H47
In response to OSU Libraries Strategic Plan, librarians planned to make library resources easier to access by building prototype subject portals. However, conversations with faculty and results from a needs assessment changed the direction of our subsequent project. We focused, not on the subject portal, but on course assignment pages built by librarians in close collaboration with faculty because undergraduates clearly wanted to 1) connect with library information at their point of need, the course assignment 2) know that faculty recommended certain library and information resources for success and 3) save time and effort. Hear a discussion of the merits and challenges of using course specific tools, and share your experiences working with faculty to integrate library resources within courses.