Implementing PBL into one-shot Nursing Information Literacy

Sessions

Alan Carbery, Nora Hegarty

Waterford Institute of Technology

Problem-Based Learning in the Library

Information Literacy

Problem-Based Learning

• Is knowing when & why you need information

• Where to find it• & how to evaluate, use

and communicate it in an ethical manner

CILIP’s Definition of Information Literacy

• Involves knowing when & why you need information

• Where to find it• & evaluate, use and

communicate it in an ethical manner

Important Skills for PBL?

Information Literacy and PBL have an obvious and close relationship• Impact of PBL on Information Literacy skills

IL instruction is “key” to the success of PBL Breen & Fallon (2005)

• Students must develop their information need in order to work on the problem presented.

PBL creates an “ideal arena in which to sharpen and focus” IL skills Dodd et al., 2011

• Students involved in PBL require more IL skills than those studying in more traditional learning environments. Dodd, 2007

Problem-Based Information Literacy (PB IL) Instruction is less common

Information Literacy plays an important role in PBL environments

• IL instruction is (largely) not embedded into students’ modules

• Attendance is often not mandatory

Why Is This?

• Students likely to receive IL instruction once per academic year... Maybe once throughout entire academic career!

ILI is usually ‘one-shot’

Munro (2006) talks about using PBL in IL Instruction• “Classes taught using the modified

PBL approach tended to generate far more student participation and engagement than traditional lectures”

• Directed tasks: focused and paced learning

Kenney (2008) wrote about problem-based IL instruction for one-shot sessions • An experiential introduction to

library research• The biggest reward of engaging with

PBL is “interacting with students in a more dynamic environment”

WIT Libraries Information Literacy

• Adopt an active learning, student-centred approach to all training.

• “There is increasing evidence that supports the belief that active, experiential educational experiences are more transferable than passive, lecture-based instruction.” Hsieh & Knight 2008

• Most of our ILI is one-shot and not embedded

• Integrated into the “Learning to Learn” module• Librarians meet with all undergraduate nursing

students (1st – 4th Years)

WIT Libraries Nursing Information Literacy Instruction

• More akin to the skills they require – real life, problem solving, evidence-based practice

Final year nursing students presented a unique opportunity for WIT Libraries to use PB IL

An atypical & uncommon PBL environment

Large Groups

25-30 students per sessionTime Poor

Sessions usually last 50-60 minutes

WIT Nursing IL instruction

Still largely one-shot

Can problem-based learning be effectively used in an

atypical ‘one-shot’ learning scenario?

FFinal Year Nursing ‘Pilot’inal Year Nursing ‘Pilot’

A PBL workshop model for one-shot IL instruction

Practicalities

• An atypical PBL classroom set-up:50 mins x 25 students per session

• The workshop itself• The PB IL process• The scenarios• Feedback from students• Our own observations• Going forward

PB IL Case Study - Nursing

The Workshop

Actively challenging the students to work together on practical and engaging research problems

Self-directed, task and problem-centred approach

Setting the scene

Librarian as facilitator

Psychiatric

Jane has been diagnosed with post-natal depression. Her doctor prescribes medication but she and her husband are interested in finding out about alternative therapies.

Your Task: Using the range of databases on offer, locate some journal papers that look at all aspects of the issue. You will work on this with your team and report back to the overall group.

Sample Scenario

The Process

Directed Tasks (Munro, 2006) • Create team - 5 mins

• Seeker• Scribe• Spokesperson

• Brainstorm topic - 10 mins • Tackle the topic - 20 mins • Present findings - 15 mins

Student Feedback

•Online feedback form

Feedback form at end of session

•9 statements: rating scale

•1 open question: any further comments?

10 questions

•93% rated the overall value of the library training programme as excellent or very good

Approx 65% response rate

97% either strongly agreed or agreed that the programme was practical and useful for their level

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80 75.8

21.2

3 0 0

98.5% reported feeling comfortable and confident about using the library resources to source

information for their final year projects

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree0

10

20

30

40

50

60

4751.5

1.5 0

Individual Student Comments

I’m now more confident. The

session was really important for me.

A simple understandable breakdown of

research methods.

Very useful in assuring students of their abilities.

Beneficial for me for my final year.

Our Observations

Energised and enthused students

throughout the sessions

Reinvigorated library trainers

Positive and encouraging

feedback from the nursing

faculty at WIT

Can problem-based learning be effectively used in an

atypical ‘one-shot’ learning scenario?

Going Forward…

Continue to integrate PB IL instruction into the final year

nursing programme

Further development of

problem scenarios or

‘triggers’

Move to use PB IL in other

disciplines – example: final

year engineering

•Breen, E. and Fallon, H. (2005) 'Developing student information literacy to support project and problem-based learning', in Barrett, T. and Mac Labhrainn, I., (eds.) Handbook of enquiry and problem-based learning: Irish case studies and international perspectives. Galway: Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, NUI Galway and AISHE, pp. 179-188.

•CILIP (2004) Information Literacy: Definition. Available at: http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-involved/advocacy/learning/information-literacy/pages/definition.aspx (Accessed 25 May 2011)

•Dodd, L. (2007) 'The impact of problem-based learning on the information behavior and literacy of veterinary medicine students at University College Dublin', The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 33(2), pp. 206-216.

•Dodd, L., Eskola, E. L. and Silén, C. (2011) 'Shining a spotlight on students' information literacy in the PBL process', in Barrett, T. and Moore, S., (eds.) New approaches to problem-based learning: revisiting your practice in higher education. New York: Routledge, pp. 130-143.

•Kenney, B. F. (2008) 'Revitalizing the One-Shot Instruction Session Using Problem-Based Learning', Reference & User Services Quarterly, 47(4), pp. 386-391.

•Munro, K. (2006) 'Modified Problem-Based Library Instruction: A Simple, Reusable Instruction Design', College & Undergraduate Libraries, 13(3), pp. 53-61.

Bibliography

• Assistant Librarian, Waterford Institute of Technology

• Email: acarbery@wit.ie

Alan Carbery

• Assistant Librarian, Waterford Institute of Technology

• Email: nhegarty@wit.ie

Nora Hegarty