Deconstructing the Oneshot Research Skills Session

1
Deconstructing the One-shot Research Skills
Session

• An Instruction Technique Workshop presented by
  Cathy Palmer
• April 6, 2005

2
Learning Objectives

• By the end of this session, participants will
• Observe and participate in group learning
  activities
• Identify and address challenges to using
  interactive group learning activities in one-shot
  research skills sessions
• Design an group exercise for students in a the
  Writing 39C research skills session
• Recommend databases to cover in the Writing 39C
  research skills session.

3
Challenge

• The Statue of Liberty's arm is 42 feet long.
• How long is her nose?
• http//www.figurethis.org/challenges/c61/challenge
  .htm

4
What's the Big Idea?

• What is/are the big idea(s) that this exercise
  might help students understand?

5
Advantages/Disadvantages of the "Deconstructed
Approach"

• What are the advantages disadvantages of using
  the deconstructed approach to solve this problem?

6
The Constructed Approach

• Examples of the "constructed" or "cookbook"
  approach to the concepts introduced by the Statue
  of Liberty problem
• Exploring Similarity Using Scale Drawings
• Get Help with Proportions

7
Advantages/Disadvantages of the "Constructed or
Cookbook Approach"

• What are the advantages disadvantages of using
  the constructed or cookbook approach to solve
  this problem?
• Why do we use the cookbook approach to lead
  students through the problem-solving process?

8
How important is it to get the right answer?
9
The Real Challenge

• Design a small group activity that will help
  students understand the value of the library
  databases we introduce them to in the Writing 39C
  Research Skills session.

10
In your small group

• Discuss and decide which five databases the
  Writing 39C session should cover.
• Discuss and decide on the ONE BIG IDEA (learning
  objective) that students will know about using
  library databases at the end of the session.
• Design an activity that will help students
  achieve the learning objective.

11

• Thank you all for your contributions to the
  improvement of the effectiveness of the
  Libraries' Writing 39C Research Skills sessions.