: Challenges and Opportunities Teaching Users to "Cite it Right"

1
Challenges and
Opportunities Teaching Users to "Cite it Right"

• Cecile Farnum and Dana Thomas
• Ryerson University Library

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Agenda

• What is RefWorks?
• ACRL Standards
• Impact on library instruction
• Challenges and opportunities
• RW instruction _at_ Ryerson and beyond
• Future Directions
• Discussion

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ACRL Standards

• The information literate student
• defines and articulates the need for information.
• accesses needed information effectively and
  efficiently.
• evaluates information and its sources critically
  and incorporates selected information into his or
  her knowledge base and value system.
• uses information effectively to accomplish a
  specific purpose.
• understands many of the ethical, legal and
  socio-economic issues surrounding information and
  information technology

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Components of Library Instruction

• Typically involves the tried and true topics
• Boolean logic
• Catalogue
• Databases
• Peer Review
• Live demo or hands-on
• Referral to service points
• (ACRL Standards 1-3)

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The Forgotten Ones What about standards 4 and 5?

• Often considered to be outside of the library
  realm why?
• Length of library instruction
• Expertise?
• Someone elses responsibility
• faculty
• writing centre,
• initiative of individual student

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Academic Integrity (AI) what is it?

• A set of values which promote honesty and genuine
  learning in education
• We hear about the donts of AI cheating,
  plagiarism, paper mills, copy and paste culture
• Intentional vs. unintentional violations of AI

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Current Climate of AI

• Prevention vs. punishment model
• teachable moments
• Turnitin.com as a teaching-learning tool stay
  tuned!
• Promotion of AI on campus posters, tutorials,
  websites
• It takes a village approach collaboration is
  key to building a culture of AI

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RefWorks What is it?

• Web-based, bibliographic citation manager
• Interfacing between library catalogues and
  licensed databases
• Users can collect and organize bibliographic
  citations
• Create bibliographies
• Insert in-text citations using Word

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RefWorks touches on (and blurs) the lines between

• Traditional library instruction
• Library
• Writing support proper citation
• Writing Centre/Peer tutors
• Academic integrity anti-plagiarism
• Faculty/Writing Centre/AI Office
• Software skills Word and Write N Cite
• Technology support

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Sohow does this impact LI and librarian roles?

• Teaching RefWorks requires knowledge of citation
  styles
• Inclusion of paraphrasing exercises and examples
  in instruction
• Troubleshooting with students on APA style
• Faculty request instruction on proper citation
  style
• Librarian / Writing Support?

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RefWorks _at_ Ryerson and Beyond

• Drop-in workshops primary mode of RefWorks
  library instruction
• No prerequisite knowledge of citation styles is
  required
• Most frequently offered as a single session, or
  as a pair of basic and advanced sessions

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RefWorks Drop-in Session

• The quality and accuracy of your bibliography can
  make or break your essay. The rule of thumb is
  this If youve used any type of information
  while researching your paper (for example, books,
  journal articles, web sites, interviews) you MUST
  give credit to the author or source of that
  information in your bibliography. Failure to do
  so may be considered plagiarism a violation of
  the Student Code of Academic Conduct. that can
  result in failure in the course, or a
  Disciplinary Notice on your record. Learn how to
  manage your research and create excellent
  bibliographies using RefWorks, a powerful online
  tool that will help ensure that youve cited all
  your sources the right way.

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Challenges

• Skills vary among participants
• Database searching and navigation skills
• Technical skills Im not very good with
  computers
• Citation and bibliography experience
• Familiarity with library resources in general

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Challenges (continued)

• Needs and expectations vary among participants
• Expectation to cover citation as main emphasis of
  the session
• Expectation that RefWorks is 100 automatic i.e.
  no editing or citation knowledge required
• Advanced users may be bored with portions that
  are review of databases and citation style rules

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Special Challenges for the Net Gen

• Comfort with technology
• Expectation of immediacy
• Evaluation of information is difficult
• Distinguishing between different types of online
  resources
• Unfamiliar with print equivalents of online
  resources
• Attention span and multi-tasking
• Unfamiliar with rationale for citation
• Postmodern collage as norm
• Technical ease of copying content from digital

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Challenges for the Librarian

• Time is limited
• Difficult to know how much context is required
  for any given group
• Difficult to sell RefWorks to students who have
  never had to follow a citation style
• Technical requirements for successful
  demonstrations
• Product is updated

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Missed Opportunities in Drop-in Format

• Teachable moments Boolean logic, database
  selection, citation guidance, paraphrasing
  exercises, evaluating information, anatomy of
  citations, academic integrity
• Advanced features go unnoticed?
• Session cannot be customized to suit participant
  needs

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Steps Taken beyond Drop-in

• Formation of a RefWorks teaching team
• ACS102 Learning and Development Strategies
• RW links included in academic integrity website
• Sessions for
• subject librarians library staff
• faculty research assistants
• Instructional videos (Camtasia) online

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Inspiration from other institutions

• RefWorks, Writing and Word Instruction (see notes
  for descriptions)
• University of Guelph, Ontario Canada
• Claremont McKenna College, Claremont CA USA
• Many others offering 90 minute sessions and 2
  part sessions for basic and advanced features.

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Opportunities Identified

• Partnerships
• Writing centre
• Academic links
• Faculty
• Additional instruction options
• Advanced Sessions
• Citation sessions as prerequisite
• RefWorks for theses
• Virtual instruction/webcasts
• RefWorks options for faculty

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Future Directions

• Shared online instructional materials integrating
  citation, RefWorks, paraphrasing etc.
• Integration of RefWorks materials within course
  management software
• Blog/wiki format for RefWorks support to
  facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing about
  RefWorks
• MOST IMPORTANTLY extend knowledge about
  RefWorks beyond the library to create multiple
  pathways into RefWorks

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Discussion Questions

• How do you approach RefWorks instruction at your
  institution?
• What kind of feedback are you getting?
• Whats working? Not working?
• Are you collaborating with any groups outside
  library staff re RefWorks promotion and support?

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References Recommended Reading

• Auer, N. J., Krupar, E. M. Mouse click
  plagiarism The role of technology in plagiarism
  and the librarian's role in combating it. Library
  Trends, 49, 415.
• Bronshteyn, K., Baladad, R. (2006).
  Perspectives on librarians as writing
  instructors Using paraphrasing exercises to
  teach beginning information literacy students.
  The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(5),
  533-536.
• Grimes, D. J., Boening, C. H. (2001). Worries
  with the web A look at student use of web
  resources. College Research Libraries, 62(1),
  11-23.
• Lampert, L. D. (2004). Integrating
  discipline-based anti-plagiarism instruction into
  the information literacy curriculum. Reference
  Services Review, 32(4), 347-355.
• Oblinger, D., Oblinger, J. (2006). Is it age or
  IT First steps toward understanding the net
  generation. CSLA Journal, 29(2), 8-16.
• Sheridan, J. (1992). WAC and libraries A look at
  the literature. Journal of Academic
  Librarianship, 18(2), 90-94.
• Swartz, P. S., Carlisle, B. A., Uyeki, E. C.
  (2007). Libraries and student affairs Partners
  for student success. Reference Services Review,
  35(1), 109-122.
• Wood, G., Warnken, P. (2004). MANAGING
  TECHNOLOGY academic original sin Plagiarism, the
  internet, and librarians. Journal of Academic
  Librarianship, 30(3), 237-242.
• Check REFSHARE SITE for updated readings and
  resources

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Thank you!

• Cecile Farnum cfarnum_at_ryerson.ca
• Dana Thomas d1thomas_at_ryerson.ca