First-Year Programs and Information Literacy

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First-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
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Background 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

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Goals 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

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Goals 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

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Standalone 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

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Relationship 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

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Tentative 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

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After 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

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After 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

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New 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

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Assessment 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

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Evaluating 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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Assessment of Individual Classes

• Pretest/Posttests
• Interactive exercises using Blackboard
• Other in-class exercises
• Direct assessments research assignments
• Course Teacher Ratings

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Example of Pretest/Posttest Longitudinal
Performance
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Example of an In-class Exercise
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Example of Corrections Posted to Blackboard
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Research Assignment Annotated Bibliography
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Annotated Bibliography Questions
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Sample Research Questions Based on Research for
Law Philosophy Class
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The 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?

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Two Different Approaches

• Use the same pedagogical strategies but expand
  the number of people teaching.
• Use technology and different pedagogical
  techniques to reach more students.

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Both approaches have advantages and
disadvantages
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Personnel Expansion Advantages

• Retention of a successful pedagogical approach
• Possible enrichment of the program by including
  more faculty with new ideas.

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Personnel 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?

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Technology 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.

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Technology 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.

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A Technological Approach

• Computer-based tutorials
• Computer-based learning exercises on Blackboard
  that are linked to the tutorials and other online
  resources.

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Computer-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.

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The 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.

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A Sample Blackboard Exercise Screen
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More Sample Exercise Questions
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Answering Questions An Online Tutorial Screen
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Answering QuestionsQuick Tips Sheets
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Using 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.

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The 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?