Merlot 2009

Mark Vargas, Library DirectorAnne Buchanan, Assistant Librarian

Saint Xavier University Library

Building and Strengthening Upper Level Research Skills with Captivate Tutorials

Purpose of the Session

• Provide overview of the research skills of SXU students

• Review common research problems

• Use of tutorials as assignments to raise information-literacy

Research Skill = Information Literacy

• The ability to find, evaluate, and use information

• It is NOT computer literacy

• It is NOT media dependent

If students were research (information) literate they could…

• Understand the scholarly, peer-reviewed process

• Find and use resources appropriate for their classroom assignments

• Conduct all their academic research without using Google or Wikipedia

What is the Current State of Information Literacy?

Librarians’ Perspective

• Librarians were aware of problems

• No chance for a library research course

• Limited role in general education classes

Observations from the Library

• Limited awareness of the scholarly, peer-review process

• Perceived research skills exceed actual capabilities

• Students, at all levels, have difficulties finding– books– journals, whether in print or online– the appropriate database to use

ICT

• ETS offered Information and Communication Technology exam beginning in 2005

• Library funded the exam the first two years

• Now called I-Skills, and supported by SXU

What the ICT does

• Compares results from SXU students with those of peer nationwide

• Is not a computer-skills test

Seven ICT Proficiencies

• Define: The ability to use ICT tools to identify and appropriately represent an information need.

• Access: The ability to collect and/or retrieve information. • Manage: The ability to apply an existing organizational or

classification scheme.• Integrate: The ability to interpret and represent information.• Evaluate: The ability to determine the degree to which information

satisfies the needs of the task in ICT environments. • Create: The ability to generate information by adapting, applying,

designing or inventing information in ICT environments. • Communicate: The ability to communicate information properly in

its context of use for ICT environments.

ICT Results

• SXU students performed well below the national average in three categories; just met average in the other categories

• Gave the Library quantitative data to make this a major issue

Common Instructional Problems

Major Environmental Changes

• We learned in an age of limited information

• Students have access to levels of information beyond anything we could dream of in graduate school

• Library now has information resources impossible to obtain just a few years ago

Common Problems…

1. Library assignments often don’t have a clear learning objective

• Students don’t know why the assignment is made

2. Assignments don’t match the research skills of the students

• Assignments are often too esoteric or too complex, especially for freshmen and sophomores

Use of Captivate Tutorials to Improve Information Literacy

Tutorial Purposes

• Built-in assessment

• Standardize instruction on scholarly, peer-review process

• Instruction as homework rather than in-class

• Reduce duplicate instruction; reach more students

Tutorial Interactivity

• Must engage students

• Students choose info options

• Students must input data, make choices, take quizzes

• Must be completed by average student in about 15-20 minutes

Examples of Tutorials

• Scholarly, peer review sources• Research v. review, abstracts, keywords• Finding primary research materials• Specialized nursing research• Evaluating statistical data• SWOT analyses

Testing Process

• Initial tutorials tested on fellow librarians and staff

• Drafts tested by complete classes

• Continual tweaking based on feedback

Feedback

• Students– #1 question: why didn’t I get this

sooner?– Very helpful in understanding

research concepts

• Faculty– Very useful as homework

assignments– Less class time needed for library

instruction

What’s Next?

• Library is implementing Worldcat Local service, integrating all research into one interface

• Tutorials to emphasize evaluating and understanding data, not finding it

• Expand faculty requiring the tutorials