Git Along Li’l Dogies

Jim KinnieUniversity of Rhode Island Libraries

Kerry CaparcoCross Mills Public Library

A Collaborative Approach to Library Instruction for First-Year Writing

Students

LOEX Annual Conference, May 2, 2009

Git Along Li’l Dogies

URI Libraries and Writing Blazing our Trail Pre-activity Pilot Pre-activity Surveys

Programmatic WRT instruction since 1977-1978

URI101 – Library tour and catalog

WRT100s – Database instruction

Writing & the Library

Writing & the Library

104 Writing to Inform and ExplainWriting emphasizing the sharing of

information. Varieties and strategies of expository writing for differing audiences and situations. Genres may include reports, proposals, letters, reviews, Web sites, academic essays.

Writing & the Library

105 Forms of College WritingPractice in writing papers frequently

assigned in introductory and general education courses across the curriculum. May include summaries, syntheses, annotations, reaction papers, text analysis, documented thesis-support papers. Emphasizes disciplinary conventions.

Writing & the Library

106 Introduction to Research Writing

Introduction to working with sources and the research process. Guided help in conducting interviews, observations, and database searches. All assignments contribute to a major research report.

All sections come to the library

~ 60 sections per semester

Guided demonstrations & student practice

Writing & the Library

Goals: Students will learn how to retrieve

citations to credible articles published in journals and magazines.

Students will learn how to access those articles through URI Libraries.

Writing & the Library

Blazing our Trail

2006 – Head of Instruction Services Fulfilling goals of URI Libraries Plan

for Information Literacy Plan under revision

Understand periodical types Understand subject & other access points Use aggregator database

College Writing Program

Standardized Syllabi for WRT100s WRT instructors – TAs to full Professors Identified ‘research’ assignment(s) Affected session scheduling

Blazing our Trail

Library

Standardized Library WRT instruction ID Concepts to be covered Timing of session elements Library instructors - GSLIS students to

Full Professors

Blazing our Trail

WRT / Library regular meetings

Purposeful instead of generic DB instruction

Tie library instruction to assignments Fit too much into 50 minute session

Blazing our Trail

Students come to the library with an assignment in mind

Create a research question Begin discussion of pre/post activities

2007 – Department of Writing and Rhetoric

Blazing our Trail

Library instructors introduced concept mapping in sessions (Outcomes)

LIB120 Concept Mapping lesson Adapt it for WRT pre-activity

Students come to library prepared Save time in session

Blazing our Trail

Pre-activity Pilot

Pilot program – aim for Spring 2008 PRISM Scholar

GSLIS students IMLS grant Scholarly project

Brainstorm meeting Summer ‘07

Pre-activity Pilot

Concept Mapping project Tutorial Worksheet Assessment Survey

Pre-activity Pilot

Pre-pilot in Fall 2007

Director chose six + 6 instructors for gut reaction

Subject - marijuana

Pre-activity Pilot

Pilot pre-activity Spring 2008 Some changes Smoking not marijuana Suggested lesson plan

2008 Update of WRT session goals and outcomes

Pre-activity Pilot

Spring 2008 – All sections divided by WRT Chair

Half complete pre-activity & come to the library with a research question

Half create a research question during the session

Pre-activity Pilot

We predicted that students doing the pre-activity would have well-thought out Research Questions and retrieve better resources than those who didn’t

Pre-activity Survey

All students evaluated effectiveness of their Research Questions

2-sided worksheet & survey Worksheet – same as RQ pre-activity Survey – successful?

Pre-activity Survey

I was able to identify key concepts and keywords from my Research Question

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SA A N D SD

TestControl

93.1%

92.5%

SA or A

Pre-activity Survey

I was able to broaden or narrow my search for information by using synonyms and other related terms

88.4%

88.6%

SA or A

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SA A N D SD

TestControl

Pre-activity Survey

Using my search terms and synonyms, I was able to find sources I think will help answer my Research Question

90.6%

87.6%

SA or A

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SA A N D SD

TestControl

Pre-activity Survey

Organizational Tool for Research Question

Self Evaluation – almost all felt confident leaving session (~90%)

Able to find key concepts and appropriate sources

Pre-activity Survey of WRT InstructorsMy students successfully used the concept

mapping pre-activity to focus on a manageable aspect of their topic for their assignment.

33.33%

50.00%

16.67%

StronglyAgree

Agree Neither A norD

Pre-activity Survey of WRT InstructorsMy students wrote research questions that met the

requirements of the assignment(s)

37.50%

58.33%

4.17%

StronglyAgree

Agree Neither A norD

Pre-activity Survey of WRT InstructorsStudent assignments reflected the influence of the

concept mapping pre-activity

26.09%

34.78%30.43%

8.70%

StronglyAgree

Agree Neither Anor D

Disagree

Pre-activity Evaluation

Fall 2008 Mandated but spotty

Spring 2009 Plenary session – promoted pre-activity Mandatory – approximately 80%

participation

Conclusion

Collaboration between the Library and Writing Department an evolutionary process

Both have stake in student learning

Post-activity / return trips to library

Git Along Li’l Dogies

Jim KinnieUniversity of Rhode Island Libraries

Kerry CaparcoCross Mills Public Library

A Collaborative Approach to Library Instruction for First-Year Writing

Students

LOEX Annual Conference, May 2, 2009www.rdmenzies.com/images/blogs/roundup.jpg