NELIG Annual Program 2010
Meeting Digital Natives Where They Are: New Standards for the New Student
Abstracts

Information Seeking Habits of College Students: Using Assessment to Help Build Better Information Literacy Programs
     Mary Jane Sobinski-Smith and Joshua Becker, Western New England College

Librarians at WNEC will present their findings on how information seeking habits of millenials present a unique challenge to libraries in familiarizing students to an electronic world that includes both the visible and invisible web. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, obtained in the last five years, the D’Amour Library at Western New England College has compile an interesting portrait of our college students and their research processes. Their observations will inspire academic libraries to build information literacy programs that will better educate students.
 

Integrating Assistive Technology with Library Instruction
     Candace Brown, Landmark College

With increasing numbers of students with disabilities enrolling in postsecondary institutions, academic libraries are challenged with bridging another digital divide; the divide between those who need assistive technologies to access information and those who don’t necessarily need it. Two laws; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Public Law 104-197 (known as the Chafee Amendment), have guaranteed all post-secondary students equal access to required coursework material.  What can the library do to move closer to the goal of providing students with information in accessible formats in a timely manner? 

The first part of this presentation will be an interactive exercise to simulate the perspective of an individual with learning differences.  I will show examples of various freely available assistive technology tools that could be used in every library including several free text-to-speech software programs, often overlooked accessibility features from Microsoft, Gale databases, and Firefox.  I will share my experience of working with both librarians and IT staff to install free assistive technology tools on all public access machines in the Landmark College Library (Windows XP, Novell Network).  The latter part of the presentation will be a hands-on trial of a variety of online assistive technology tools. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop with Microsoft office and the Firefox browser installed.
 

Quality Counts: Developing a Game for Information Literacy Instruction
     Maura A. Smale, New York City College of Technology, CUNY

The ability to successfully evaluate information is a core information literacy competency. Evaluating sources, especially internet sources, is crucial for student success in college and their careers, and is important for lifelong learning. Quality Counts is a game designed to teach college students how to evaluate internet sources by encouraging them to critically examine websites and rewarding them for meeting evaluation criteria. Research has shown that both digital and non-digital games can be successfully incorporated into educational contexts to increase student learning. Using games for instruction is an active learning strategy that acknowledges multiple learning styles and encourages student engagement. Quality Counts is designed to be used in many different instructional contexts, from one-shot sessions to credit-bearing courses, and is fun for both the students and instructor.
 

Make No Assumptions: Incorporating The Student’s Viewpoint to Improve Library Spaces, Services, and Resources
     Susanna Cowan & Michael Howser, University of Connecticut

Today’s undergraduate student expectations are constantly shifting. With libraries focused on developing and enhancing learning spaces, services and resources how can we better meet the needs and expectations of this changing undergraduate population? The University of Connecticut Libraries spent this year exploring qualitative and quantitative methods for learning more about our users through a series of focus groups, surveys and filmed studies to better understand the needs of our undergrads in their own words. Join us as we explore techniques which you can adapt and implement in your own library to discover your students’ unique information, space, and other needs.
 

Meaningful or Meaningless: ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards in 2010
     Mary Jane Sobinski-Smith and Joshua Becker, Western New England College

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education are now ten years old.  Are these standards still relevant?  Google, Wikipedia, and open source accessibility have radically changed the way students receive and process information.  What modifications should be made to reflect the technological changes that will continue to occur in our institutions?  This roundtable will discuss whether the standards are meeting the currents needs of our students.  We will also discuss how different on-campus groups, such as faculty and administrators, perceive these standards. 
 

In through the back door: Harnessing back-door communication to enhance information literacy instruction
     Jessica McCullough, Fairfield University

Back-channel communication harnesses social networking and other technologies providing students informal opportunities to inquire, reflect, and communicate about course material or presentations.  In this roundtable discussion, we will explore question such as: In what circumstances could librarians utilize this type of communication to promote and direct acquisition of information literacy competencies? Which technologies are most appropriate to use in the library instruction environment?
 

‘BFFs:  Broaden Faculty Following’ by Using Emerging Technology to Strengthen Relationships
     Joy Hansen, Middlesex Community College

How might librarians use emerging technologies to strengthen relationships with faculty members both inside and outside the classroom? Dynamic and effective instruction - facilitated by wikis, blogs, online tutorials and chats, and more - is a product of successful librarian-faculty collaboration. Solid working relationships between professionals, however, aren’t built in a class period. Librarians can also make use of new technology in their formal and informal interactions with faculty members outside the classroom to build trust and confidence, better ensuring that library instruction secures a permanent spot on class syllabi. At this lunch table discussion , we’ll share examples of how we've been able to 'BFF' (or not).
 

What Do I Write About? Approaches to Teaching Information Literacy Standard One
     Suzie Remilien, Long Island University

As instruction librarians our job is to teach our students how to be information literate. That is, we teach our students how to identify an information need, access the information, evaluate it and use that information effectively (ACRL Competency Standards). However, anecdotal evidence has shown that the first standard, identifying an information need—with outcomes including the ability to identify a research topic and develop a thesis statement—is a major obstacle for many students. Without a topic, students are stuck, unable to move on to the next phase of the research process.  Students are impatient with traditional brainstorming techniques and are seeking more immediate web-based solutions to a perennial problem. What innovative approaches are librarians using to help students determine their information need? This roundtable aims to jumpstart a discussion on the most effective strategies for teaching students how to identify their information need in information literacy sessions.
 

A Perfect Storm: Cloud Computing and JiTT
     Ann Perbohner, Dartmouth College

Just In Time Teaching (JiTT) is an instruction method that creates a "feedback loop" where students are engaged in pre-class cloud computing based active learning exercises, and the ensuing in-class time together. Student responses are then used to form the basis or starting point for a classroom discussion led by their librarian. This presentation will include instruction ideas that can be implemented right away with little or no cost.
 

The Big Picture: Visual Storytelling in Library Instruction
     Nicole E. Brown and Erica Schattle, Emerson College

Visual stories enhance information literacy workshops by engaging student imagination and preventing content overload. Presenters will share examples of visual stories that allow students to "experience" the research process and inspire them to action. Attendees will learn simple presentation design and delivery principles used to create meaningful
shared experiences. They will apply these principles to transform stoic slides into memorable content. These techniques and strategies require no budget and minimal technology skills.
 

Redefining Instruction for the Future
     Sarah Walkowiak, Brandeis University

At Brandeis, we are currently in the process of adapting our instruction program with the goals of addressing the ever-changing information landscape and the new skills needed by 21st century students while working within the constraints of the current challenging economic climate.

This session will cover an overview of our instruction program and goals, our assessment process, work in progress, lessons learned, and an opportunity for group discussion around how to meet these common challenges.
 

The Crossroads of Learning: Librarians and IT Professionals Banding Together to Embed Information and Technology Literacies into Undergraduate Courses
     Collaboration for Enhanced Learning Librarians: Clarence Maybee (presenter), Charlotte Droll (presenter), Debbie Krahmer, Francesca Livermore, Colgate University

Librarians from Colgate University will report on what they have learned working with the Collaboration for Enhanced Learning (CEL), an interdepartmental group comprised of library and information technology professionals. CEL members collaborate with teaching faculty to enhance Colgate students capabilities with information literacy and information technology. In the past two years, CEL has paired a librarian and an IT professional with seven different courses to support students creating podcasts, academic posters, and digital storytelling assignmentsplacing students in the role of media producers as well as media consumers. The presenters will share how the assessment of each project informed the continuing development of our programming, and enabled us to better support the faculty and students involved.