Title: First-Year Programs and Information Literacy
1First-Year Programs and Information Literacy
- Challenges and Opportunities
Alan Bailin alan.bailin_at_hofstra.eduElena
Cevallos elena.cevallos_at_hofstra.edu Ann
Grafstein ann.grafstein_at_hofstra.edu Hofstra
University
2Background at HofstraFirst Year Programs (FYP)
Library 001
- 2001 Library offered 2 sections of Library 001,
a 1-credit standalone course - Aimed atbut not restricted to1st 2nd year
students - Pass/fail grading
- 2002 expanded to 4 sections
- Learning communities first initiated in late
1990s - Began as 6 clusters 3-4 thematically-related
courses - Standalone seminars introduced in 2003
- 42 seminars and 20 clusters projected for fall
2008
3Goals of FYP
- To foster appreciation of the intellectual
structure of different disciplines - To strengthen academic skills
- To provide increased connection with faculty
- To promote social cohesiveness and connections to
the university community - Program includes extra- and co-curricular
activities with faculty both on campus and in NYC
4Goals of Library 001
- To equip beginning students with the research
skills that would enable them to - Pursue their academic careers successfully
- Fulfill expectations of future employers, who
increasingly expect research and critical
thinking skills
5Standalone Library 001 Issues
- Did not reach target constituency
- Most students were juniors or seniors in need of
1 credit - Implications of a standalone course
- Students did not see its relevance
- Assigned research was perceived as artificial
make work - Upper-class students felt that the course would
have been useful for freshmen
6Relationship between FYP and Library 001
- 2003 FYP program approached library about
attaching Library 001 to FYP clusters - Wanted students to acquire concepts taught in
Library 001 early in their academic career - Proposed link would address 2 library concerns
- Course would be open only to 1st year students, a
constituency that had eluded the standalone
course - Would eliminate problems associated with
standalone nature would contextualize course - a. within a disciplinary structure and
- b. as an integral component of other courses in
students clusters
7Tentative Beginnings
- Fall 2003 piloted integration of Library 001
with 4 FYP clusters - Coordinated syllabi to achieve consistency across
courses - 1-credit library class would begin as students
were starting research for the other courses in
their FYP cluster - Library faculty participated in extra-curricular
activities
8After the Pilot Assessment
- Students did not always take library course
seriously - Still viewed it as marginal, not relevant
- Collaboration between library and FYP faculty was
tenuous - FYP faculty did not assign research appropriate
to library course - FYP faculty changed syllabi so that assigned
research did not coincide with library course
9After the Pilot How We Responded
- Collaboration considered overall success
- Added additional sections with attached library
course - Attempted to attach library course to appropriate
clusters - Replaced pass/fail with letter grades to
encourage more serious attitude among students - Encouraged FYP faculty to synchronize their
research assignments with the library course
10New in 2007
- Added 3 sections of Library 001 embedded in a 4
semester hour seminar - 75 of grade assigned by the seminar faculty
- 25 of grade assigned by the library faculty
- Change initiated in order to
- Encourage students to view library course as an
integral component of the seminar, rather than a
marginal add-on - Promote seamless integration between the focus of
the library course and research assigned in the
seminar
11Assessment Loop Assessing the Program
- Each year, structural changes were made in the
relationship based on feedback from the previous
year - Examples
- Letter grades replacing pass/fail
- Reduction in class size to allow for more input
from instructor during classes - Experimented with beginning the 9-session library
course at different points in the semester - 4-semester hour embedded model based on
identification of systemic problems
12Evaluating the Success of the Program
- Evidence exists that a 1-credit library course
has a long-term impact on students academic
performance - Hofstras data suggests a similar conclusion
- Retention rate is higher for students enrolled in
FYPs than for the freshman class as a whole - Retention rate is higher still for students with
an attached library class
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15Assessment of Individual Classes
- Pretest/Posttests
- Interactive exercises using Blackboard
- Other in-class exercises
- Direct assessments research assignments
- Course Teacher Ratings
16Example of Pretest/Posttest Longitudinal
Performance
17Example of an In-class Exercise
18Example of Corrections Posted to Blackboard
19Research Assignment Annotated Bibliography
20Annotated Bibliography Questions
21Sample Research Questions Based on Research for
Law Philosophy Class
22The Challenges
- How do we expand the program?
- How do we change the program without lowering
academic standards? - How do we identify those aspects that are
especially helpful to students?
23Two Different Approaches
- Use the same pedagogical strategies but expand
the number of people teaching. - Use technology and different pedagogical
techniques to reach more students.
24Both approaches have advantages and
disadvantages
25Personnel Expansion Advantages
- Retention of a successful pedagogical approach
- Possible enrichment of the program by including
more faculty with new ideas.
26Personnel Expansion Disadvantages
- Adjuncts may not have the same commitment to the
program. Instead of program improvement, the
result may be program deterioration. - The present structure is very labor intensive.
How long can this commitment level be sustained?
27Technology Advantages
- The ability to reach far more students with the
same number of faculty. - The possibility of creating more effective means
of teaching. - The possibility of freeing faculty from rote
teaching and providing the opportunity for more
quality interactions with students.
28Technology Disadvantages
- Technology could lead to dumbed down
instruction focusing only on what can easily be
taught by computers. - Reliance on computers could lead to less contact
with library faculty, contact that may be the key
to the present successes.
29A Technological Approach
- Computer-based tutorials
- Computer-based learning exercises on Blackboard
that are linked to the tutorials and other online
resources.
30Computer-based Exercises
- The goal of the Blackboard exercises is not to
test but to encourage students to find the
information to answer the questions. - A minimum level score must be obtained in order
to pass - Tests use a selection of the exercise questions.
31The Structure of Exercise Questions
- Each question uses either multiple choice,
true-false, or multiple match format. - Each question has one or more hyperlinks to
resources that will provide the information
needed to answer the questions.
32A Sample Blackboard Exercise Screen
33More Sample Exercise Questions
34Answering Questions An Online Tutorial Screen
35Answering QuestionsQuick Tips Sheets
36Using TechnologyA Blended Approach
- Brief introductory discussions and/or lectures.
- Online exercise begun in-class where questions
can be answered. - One third fewer classes. Students are expected
to engage in independent work.
37The Unknowns
- Could the freshman library course be more focused
on the online component if students did not have
a research bibliography? - What is the minimum number of class hours that
can be required without reducing pedagogical
impact? - Can faculty effectively teach a blended course?