Library Tools for Teaching Kate Peterson, University Libraries Shannon Klug, Writing Studies

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Library Tools for TeachingKate Peterson,
University LibrariesShannon Klug, Writing
Studies

• September 2, 2009

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Agenda

• Research skills of Undergraduates
• Tools for Teaching
• Assignment Calculator
• UThink blogs

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Is research Harder or Easier today?
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Undergraduate Students

• Start with Google and Wikipedia
• Little discipline knowledge
• Never used an academic library (may not have had
  librarian or library training in high school)
• No knowledge of scholars or how scholarly
  communication works

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Library Tools for Teaching

• Unravel the Libraries (FYW) series of workshops
• http//www.lib.umn.edu/research/instruction/module
  s/unravel.html
• CourseLib-page of library resources for your
  class
• http//www.lib.umn.edu/libdata/courses.phtml
• Chat with a Librarian (24/7)
• Click on Chat in upper left corner of Library
  website
• E-reserves
• http//www.lib.umn.edu/services/reserves

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E-reserves

• Can be used for a variety of materials
• When licensed resources are linked inside
  e-reserve course pages, instructors no longer
  need to include them in traditional course packs
• Not paying royalties on licensed articles saves
  students money!
• Statistics show that students use e-reserves
  heavily
• Submit PDFs or clean, single-sided paper copies
• Library will evaluate non-licensed documents for
  fair use

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Peer Research Consultants (Pilot)

• Partnership with the Multicultural Center for
  Academic Excellence  and the SMART Learning
  Commons
• PRCs have completed WRIT 1301
• Extensive training in information literacy,
  tutoring and cultural competencies
• Hired three students for Fall

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Peer Research Consultants (Pilot)

• Available for one-on-one appointments and
  drop-ins in early October
• SMART Learning Commons and MCAE
• PRC can help with research
• Selecting and narrowing a topic
• Finding Books and articles
• Finding scholarly articles
• Evaluating sources
• Basic citation creation

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Questions?
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Assignment Calculator

• Debuted in 2002
• Created in partnership with Center for Writing
  and Center for Teaching and Learning
• Goal Break down research and writing process for
  students into deadlines (get email reminders)
• New beta version in 2009 https//tools.lib.umn.ed
  u/ac/

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Assignment Calculator-New Features

• Customize assignments for your class
• Research Paper
• Poster
• Media/Video
• Add, delete, edit steps
• Add course specific readings, etc. to a step
• Move assignment online (where students live)
• Students can sign up to get email reminders

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Assignment Calculator
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Assignment Calculator

• Change the dates
• Edit/add/delete steps
• Get URL for your assignment
• Post in WebVista/Moodle
• Email to students
• Put in syllabi
• Hand out in class

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Assignment Calculator

• Demo https//tools.lib.umn.edu/ac/

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Questions?
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Uthink Blogs
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Reasons to use a blog in your class

• Takes learning and engagement with classmates
  outside of the classroom
• Asynchronous
• Participatory / student centric
• Encourages collaboration
• Easy to share multi-media (links, images, video,
  etc.)
• Learn how to write for a public forum

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UThink Upgrade

• UThink blogs are hosted by University Libraries
• http//blog.lib.umn.edu/
• Upgraded to MT 4.25 on June 15, 2009
• UThink now has a whole bunch of new features
  (including tagging, page creation, custom fields,
  etc.)
• Example of new template
• http//blog.lib.umn.edu/frans005/myblog/

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Things to consider

• Will you have one blog for the class or will
  students have individual blogs?
• How will you measure/encourage participation?
• Privacy and anonymity
• Will you moderate comments?
• What will you do with the blog after the semester
  ends?
• Can be labor intensive
• What will you do with incorrect content /
  information?

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Questions?
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Contact Us

• Kate Peterson
• katep_at_umn.edu, 626-3746
• Shannon Klug
• klugx004_at_umn.edu, 625-9236