Distance Learning Librarian

Keynote, Judy Brown

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:52:04 +0000

Fabulous, engaging presentation by mobile analyst Judy Brown about the future of mobile technology and education. I’m excited to see what lies ahead and am glad ECC Library is already exploring this area.

My Notes:

Personal devices
Rate of change
Uncomfortable high rate of change – so fast
FB not ready for mobile
Strictly On mobile FB change 23%
Tablets changing even faster
IPad uses majority Internet
Hard copy replacement
62% doctors use tablets
70+ % nurse use smart phone
iPads for NFL players for security
More primary use
Usage chAnge on web access – small piece
Small digestible pieces
No standard def for mobile learning
You don’t have to be mobile to use mobile
Knowledgable to knowledge-able
Ambien insight – knowledge and Learning, executive summary
2nd generation of mobile technology
Invert learning pyramid – do rather than teach
Mobile is a fundamental shift
To think outside the course
Test e-learning with mobile device
Perishable info should not be taught in the classroom – make it an app!
Spacing effect – long term memory must have repetition
Text4Baby.org
Snapguide – how to create little course
Coach’s Eye – how to do it, draw arrows
Abilene Christian University – iPad and iPod research
Font determines credibility to reader NYT?
Getting students involved in creation
EmpowerED -UCLA, each student gets iPad, $9800
Purdue – tools, Twitter background
ARIS – interactive storytelling
MASLO – access content, online and offline
Hyundai Equus – comes with iPad manual
Gamification with mobile
Distance Learning to Proximity Learning
Ford Taurus -drive well, plants grow
GPS, education at point of need and self correcting
Bendable screens and batteries, sensors, anticipation (MEMs)

Teaching a Large Undergrad Class Online

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:49:00 +0000

I need to check the program for the presenter’s names! A nursing faculty member and nursing instructional designer provided tips for undertaking the challenge of teaching a 250 student class online. I was particularly intrigued because the class they were discussing was a nursing research class. I ask if a librarian was involved with their class and was disappointed to learn that no librarian was involved and that the only library instruction was a video created by faculty. I actually think including a librarian in their class would tremendously lighten in what is a huge undertaking. I did appreciate the design of their class which was very simple and beautiful (and gave very clear links to library resources.)

My Notes:

College of Nursing
250 students
Not Clinical classes
Evidence nursing practice, used to be “nursing research”
Dissect the course
Select technologies
More detailed syllabus
A structured and supported learning environment
Same template in every nursing course

Library tools, APA and Style Guides in main class content
Weekly Guides
Give examples
Use wikis for class project, give step by step guide
Video feedback and suggestions
Interactive activities – survey (anonymous), short papers (short and structured), wiki projects
Adobe connect meeting to walk through process
Online debates – debate topics, pros and cons, databases, debates on the discussion boards, evaluate debate

Video create by faculty for library, no librarian involved in the class

Say goodbye at end of course

High Quality Mobile Video for Online Learning

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:42:00 +0000

Streaming High Quality Mobile Video… A Conversation and Some Code! Very informative presentation by Dean Blackstock, PennState, World Campus addressing the technical challenges of delivering high quality video to students in the educational environment. Can’t wait to check out the link he provided to the code he has created!

Here are my notes:

Kaltura (third party vendor) Integrated w/D2L (Note to self: need to learn more about this!)

Wowsa server

New Flash media server 4.5 added support for iOS

Progressive vs Streaming

Progressive
- copyright issues
- everyone gets same video file regardless video
- streaming needed full length feature film
- metrics not consistent because video is downloaded

Streaming
- improved navigation
- allows scrubbing
- live videos
- varying bit rates – detects users bit rate needs (has mobile version)

Http streaming enabled
- just-in-time packager
- flash for desktop/laptop browsers
- HTML 5 fallback for iOS
- Security – embed code won’t be read from other server

Student watching behavior
- Students watch only 4 to 8 minutes at a time

Challenges
- outdated plugins, JavaScript disabled
- secure networks (can trick user into thinking it is just a web page) New server does testing of ports for you

Delivery
- iOS – web, mpeg4, JW player

IPad
- no indication that there’s info below the fold

Bug in IE7 – click twice on Flash player

Mobile example
- Free JW player
- traditional web server

Paste Google Analytics identifier

Flash player not supported, flash media server is supported, will change name to adobe media player, HTML 5 standard has not been adopted yet

Online Doctoral Students and Library Skills

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:36:18 +0000

Kelley Conrad and Holly Rick from University of Phoenix discussed their project to improve the research and information literacy skills of advance degree students in their presentation Advanced Library Skills Self-Study and Effectiveness for Online Doctoral Students. It was heartening (and alarming!) to know that they struggle with learning the same research strategies our community college online students do. Interesting to hear how much they are able to tackle in a single in-person session with these students.

My Notes:

Doctoral students need better library skills
Can get away with Internet searching first few years
- getting them more involved and trained, more mastery and satisfaction

Pretest, Training, Post-test

Module Library Training

Access and Navigation
- Sage research methods online
- where, what, how to start
- ask a librarian, less than an hour

Advanced Research
-Boolean operators

Scholarly Articles and Popular Works
- peer review

Subject Guides

Evaluation of Sources
-scope, currency, authority, and audience

Organizing Research

Flipping the Classroom

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:29:48 +0000

In Flip Your Classroom to Increase Active Learning and Student Engagement, Bethany Stone, University of Missouri-Columbia, discussed her flipping two different classes – a small genetic diseases class and a large biology class. She had very positive experiences with both a recorded some good data. I found particular interesting as we head into our own Flip Classroom pilot project at ECC. I’d really like to experiment with Google Voice and text messaging as she describe using in her presentation.

My Notes:

Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams high school came up with term “Flipped Classroom”

Study showed students less active in class than sleeping

- Tech tools to create accountability
- Many ways to deliver content
- Tech savvy students

Post recording 1 week before class
7-10 minutes video, no longer
Other readings, activities, videos

Students responsible for taking notes and jotting down questions

Basic quiz for accountability
Find newspaper article and bring it to class

Answer questions – google voice – put up on web page
Control questions to answer. Can text them as a response individually too.

Activities during class – Concept mapping

Started with just one class a week

Follow up, another online quiz – higher level thinking

Small Genetic Disease Class
Does it increase student learning?
10% jump in scores for flipped and harder exam questions

Will it reduce attendance?
Still coming to class

Majority students liked

Big Bio Class
- students went right to quiz, didn’t study materials, lower pre-quiz scores
- improved post-quiz scores
- attendance improved
- More engagement, positive reception

Explain strategy to students, keep them informed
Balance carrots and sticks
Repetition of learning goals

Pitfalls
- you can’t force students to learn, failing students will fail harder
- love/hate student feedback
- more work for instructor

Benefits
- lifelong learners ( control own learning)
- engagement
- interaction
- instant feedback
- professional satisfaction
- gateway to online teaching strategy

Addressing Access and Equity in Distance Education

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:22:51 +0000

Irene Duranczyk and Jeanne Higbee from the University of Minnesota shared some interesting tips on how to make sure your online course and materials are accessible to those with special needs and how to ensure inclusion and multiculturalism through course content.

My Notes:

Prezi – presentation software that is non-linear (they used it during the presentation; very cool!)

Universal design – design to be usable by all to greatest extent possible

Written description for any visual, objective description

Universal Instructional Design (UID)
- Create a welcoming and respectful environment
- accessibility tools – ms office, adobe reader, Google docs

Making Word Docs More Accessible
- styles, use a style sheet in ms office, right click on the style – helps students using reader
- use sans serif font
- true numbering and bullet lists
- use tables to create double columns
- use references – table of contents to check accessibility
- embed alt text in the picture

Technology support for learning
- accessibility checkers
- speak tools
- captioning or transcripts
- download jaws free for 30 days

MS Office under file tab – access check
Change everything to adobe file (PDF)

Use creativity to vary learning
Use medium that best fits their way of learning
PowerPoint experience in habitat for humanity, halo video, videoed performance, illustrated fable book

Connecting with Students Through Video

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:14:53 +0000

Amazing presentation by Dale Suffrage of Kennesaw State University called Improving the Connection with Online Students: Through Introductory Videos and Weekly Update Videos. I am now very inspired to try using my smart phone to do weekly update videos for the classes I’m embedded in. I think this would be a great way to connect with students.

Intro videos
- connect with the instructor
- get to know your voice
- set stage for text based
- you-specific, not class specific
- sets tone for experience
- visualize
- unique to the person
- talk about hobbies
- ask for something you need on YouTube
- bring out personality
- hold up photos
- doesn’t matter what you say, it matters how you say it
- share personal things that you feel comfortable saying
- short and to the point
- clothing: what says you?
- setting: your co-star
- not in office, around campus is good

Weekly update videos

- replace housekeeping emails
- usually unedited
- natural relaxed conversation
- Romper Room magic mirror
- tangible sense of a personal connection
- most rewarding setting for student to hear name
- iPhone camera
- send to YouTube, unlisted, publish, tell a friend, send to email, 4:22 minutes
- shooting within your life
- record from webcam
- keep it short and to the point!
- don’t put weird tags
- don’t script but do outline
- backlit= bad

Keynote Address by Dr. James Zull

staceyshah — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:07:42 +0000

Dr. James Zull, author of The Art of Changing the Brain and From Brain to Mind, gave a very interesting talk about the brain biology and learning. I have never thought of learning as a physical change. Since I have a six month old, I was especially interesting his descriptions of how babies learn and acquire knowledge.

Here are my notes:

When we learn the brain physically changes

Theory of cognitive growth – brain becomes a mind through experience

1st principle: Use Widespread Regions of Cortex

3 functions of cerebral cortex – motor, integrating, sensing

Back regions – sensory take info and make pictures and facts dots in green =apple orchard
Front – create ideas, ladder under trees = apple picking (closer to meaningful leArning)

4 pillars of learning:
1. Get info
2. Make and discover meaning
3. Hypothesize and predict
4. Act-test

2nd principle: Knowledge Is connections – discover and use existing connections

Biology – network connections, Kurt Fischer (skill)

Explore-light
Light-remember
Light-see better
Light-move lamp
Light-discover new
Light-understand
Enlighten
Enlightenment

Cellular networks = knowledge

3rd principle: Meaning Emerges from Ancient Emotional Brain
Hormones adrenalin, dopamine, serotonin
Produce branching
Emotional chemicals make people change

Letting Go: Giving up Control to Improve First-Year Information Literacy Programs

staceyshah — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:33:15 +0000

Presenters:

Meghan Sitar, Instruction and Outreach Librarian, University of Texas Libraries
Cindy Fisher, First-year Experience Librarian, University of Texas Libraries
Michele Ostrow, Head, Library Instruction Services, University of Texas Libraries

Summary: I really appreciated this session in that the presenters shared their experience where they agreed to teach information literacy as part of a first-year program but found themselves overcommitted without the additional staff that they were promised so they had to give up some control of teaching information literacy. Instead, they focused on providing faculty with the information and training necessary for them to teach their students information literacy; they became part of the pedagogical process. Challenges include assessing the impact of their efforts and the anxiety that comes with relinquishing control. However, there were benefits such as having information literacy more integrated into the classes and not limited to just a 50 minute session. Also, it allowed for innovative new ways librarians could remain involved in student’s information literacy learning. For example, students in some classes blogged about their information literacy assignments which gave librarians the opportunity to read and comment on their work.

The Lab Model: Taking Embedded to the Next Level

staceyshah — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:13:56 +0000

Presenters:

Cynthia Snyder, Reference/Instruction Librarian, Rollins College
Elizabeth Dolinger, Information Literacy Librarian, Keene State College
Eliza McKnight, Reference Librarian, Bishop’s University
Annie Zeidman-Karpinski, Science & Technical Services Librarian, University of Oregon
Daniel Bromby, Reference Librarian, Bishop’s University

Summary: This session gave some examples of how various campus have embedded librarians into classes on their campus. Most of the examples involved either a weekly credit “research lab” as a mandatory part of the class or as required for credit library class existing on its own. Some of the issues that arose were garnering institutional support, union concern, spreading staff too thin, students not wanting to pay for more classes, and librarians did not get paid more for teaching credit classes. On the plus side, many had faculty who loved it and administrators liked having the library bring in revenue from those classes.