Interactive Teaching Using the Student Response System

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Interactive Teaching Using the Student Response
System

• Greg Gulas Reference Librarian
• Lisa Williams Coordinator of Instructional
  Services
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington

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The Problem

• Lack of Participation
• Dont want to be singled out
• Embarrassed about giving the wrong answer
• Student Instruction Session surveys ask for more
  participation
• Are the students really understanding what the
  librarian is teaching?

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Searching the Literature

• Lorenzen, Michael. Active Learning and Library
  Instruction. Illinois Libraries 83.2(2001)
  19-24
• Drueke, Jeanetta. Active Learning in the
  University Library Instruction Classroom.
  Research Strategies 10.2(1992) 77-83
• Prorak, Diane. Button Pushing vs. Concepts
  Library Instruction, Technology, and the Swinging
  Pendulum of an Old Debate. PNLA Quarterly 67.4
  (2003) 4-5
• Cudiner, S Harmon, O. Comparing the
  effectiveness of different presentation formats
  for workshops on introductory library skills.
  Research Strategies 18.1 (2001) 49-61

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Collaboration

• Can be more that a buzzword
• Allows libraries to take advantage of technical
  advances without having to make them
• Yet another advantage of keeping channels open to
  faculty
• Stand on the shoulders of giants!

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Development of SRS

• Originally developed by UNCW Chemistry and
  Computer Science Departments to be used with hand
  held computers

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Development of SRS

• Written by graduate students, entire printed code
  is less than 50 pages.
• Designed to test student knowledge in real time.

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How SRS Works

• Designed to be easy to use for both instructor
  and students, the program is web based and
  requires very little computing power at the
  client end. All the processing is done on a
  central server.
• Uses ASP, visual basic and MS SQL. All computing
  is done on the server side.

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How SRS Works Beginning a SessionStep 1
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How SRS Works Step 2
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How SRS WorksCreating Questions
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How SRS WorksCreating Questions
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Types of Questions

• Multiple Choice
• True / False - Yes / No
• Graphics (students can indicate a point on the
  graphic)
• Opinion (agree / disagree)
• Confidence (sliding scale)

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Multiple Choice
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Multiple Choice
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Multiple Choice Students View
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True / False
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True / False Students View
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Graphics
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Using SRS for Library Instruction

• Examples of Library Instruction Sessions

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Question About Evaluating Web Pages
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Students Response
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Question about Periodical Databases
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Students Response
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Question about Plagiarism
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Students Response
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Last Question
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Results and Conclusions
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How the Librarians feel about the SRS system

• Easy to Use
• Attention holding
• Interactivity level has increased
• Change of Subject
• Allows students to feel involved
• Reinforces main points of the session

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How the Students Feel About the SRS System
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How the Students Feel About the SRS System

• Dont require people to take it multiple times
• More questions for those who still do not
  understand searching
• Use words that everyone can understand
• More explanation of why the wrong answers were
  wrong
• Dont make the questions too long It takes too
  much time to read them
• Too easy More in-depth questions More
  discussion questions

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How the Students Feel About the SRS System

• I think it is good to allow students who may not
  be sure of the correct answer a chance to guess
  without fear of embarrassment, however I think
  that when they get the answer right they wont
  receive the praise they need

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Survey Responses
Did you enjoy being able to answer questions
without speaking out loud? Yes 88 No 1.6
Maybe 10
Do you feel like the SRS system prevented you
from answering or asking a question out loud? Yes
11 No 80 Not Sure 8
Do you feel more comfortable with the information
taught during the instruction session due to the
SRS system? Yes 67.5 No 11 Not Sure 22
SRS was? Pretty Interesting 34 Somewhat
Interesting 55 Boring 11
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How Do I Get an SRS Account? contact Ron
Vetter (vetterr_at_uncw.edu)