Faculty Partnerships in Critical Thinking: Using Interactive Learning, Intensive Writing and Computer technology to teac

1. Faculty Partnerships in Critical Thinking:Using Interactive Learning, Intensive Writing and Computer technology to teach about Inequality

2. The purpose of this poster session is to document and share ongoing curriculum transformation efforts to integrate global perpectives. All projects identified have involved partnerships with Librarians. • The survey instrument is designed to study research process issues and to find out whether anxiety levels witnessed on the part of undergraduate students studying international issues, stem from lack of empathy or from lack of research process understanding.

3. What Happens to Those Students You Send Off to the Library? • Example of Partnership • Perspectives of what the library world assumes of teaching faculty • Librarian’s desire dialogue, invite feedback and collaboration with Teaching Faculty

4. Library Curriculum-Integrated Instruction • Librarian Role is increasingly being directed towards teaching: • Information Literacy • Evaluation Methods • Curriculum Planning • Co-Teaching

5. Library Curriculum-Integrated Instruction • Librarian Role is increasingly being directed towards teaching: • Information Literacy • Evaluation Methods • Curriculum Planning • Co-Teaching

6. Class Web Page • http://www.albany.edu/~llp • http://www.albany.edu/~dlafonde/wsres2.htm • Linda Pershing, Professor of Women’s Studies and Course Innovator llp@cnsvax.albany.edu • Deborah LaFond, Bibliographer for Women’s Studies • Project Renaissance

7. Teaching Team • Professor of Women’s Studies • Graduate Assistants • 3 Undergraduate discussion leaders • Computer Specialist • Writing Center Tutors • University Librarian

8. “Racism, Sexism, Classism and Heterosexism” • 50 Undergraduates • Human Diversity Campus Requirement • Women’s Studies Primary Responsibility • Context of Writing at SUNY-Albany • Innovative Technology Grant Funded • Grant provided computer and funding for Teaching Assistants

10. High Comfort, Low Evidence

11. Does Travel Increase Empathy? 61% of the students in the class travelled outside their country of origin Reasons for Travel

12. Does Travel Increase Empathy? 61% of the students in the class travelled outside their country of origin Reasons for Travel

14. Research Confidence Results • 83% of respondents stated they were comfortable doing research for their term papers. Only 3% stated discomfort. 14% indicated comfort “sometimes.” • 86.5% indicated they understood the purpose of the research process. When asked to articulate the purpose in writing, only 10% responded.

15. Database and BI Literacy • Only 35% of the students marked that they had used at least one of the 15 “global issues” library databases on the survey. • 97% of the students indicated use of library, 50% indicated regular use. • 80% found the Librarians to be very helpful at the reference desk. • Only 18% of the students had taken a BI course (at least one) offered in the library.

16. Required BI Course? • When asked if students would register for a 2 credit course on “How to research and write term papers? • 37% said they “would like to see” • 34.3% said “No”, 25.7% said “maybe”, 2.85% “Never” • When asked if they would like a course like this to be required? • 45% said “Yes”, 51% said “NO”, 4% said “Maybe”

17. Survey Results • When asked “Is Doing Research outside your country of origin more difficult?” • 50% responded No, 50% responded Yes • Written comments suggest that the empathy in this group was very high. • Students felt very confident about the research process and doing research despite the low response rate to database use and enrollment Library Instruction Classes offered in the library.

18. Confidence in Ability to Do Research • 83% of students responded that they felt comfortable doing research for term papers. • 86.5% stated they felt they understood the purpose of the research process. However, when asked to articulate the purpose in writing, only 10% responded. • Only 35% indicated use of one of the 15 databases. 65% left the query blank.

19. 82% survey response rate 40% of students enrolled for an elective, 37.5% enrolled to fullfil a requirement for graduation, 12.5% interest in course, 10% enrolled as a major requirement for the 3 crosslisted courses; Africana Studies, Women’s Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies 91% of students responded that the “race,class, sex” emphasis provided a useful beginning point for studying cultures other than their own as well as their own. Survey Data

20. “Do You Now Have More Empathy Toward People Living Beyond Your Country of Origin?”

21. “Did Course Cause You to Consider the Impact of Ethnocentrism on Peoples and Cultures?”

22. “Did Course Cause You to Consider the Impact of Ethnocentrism on Peoples and Cultures?”

24. Do You Now Feel More Confident Doing International/Global Research?”

25. “Higher Confidence in Using Electronic Resources?”

26. “Do You Feel More Confident to Research International/Global Issues?”

27. High Comfort, Low Evidence

28. High comfort

29. High Comfort, Low Evidence

30. Interactive Learning

31. Interactive Learning Goals • Teach cooperative, interactive skills • Peer Learning • Increased Student Involvement and Discussion • Course is Intellectually Engaging • Develop Critical Thinking Skills Analytical Tools

32. Developing Alternative Interpretive Frameworks through Interactive Learning Methods • Writing Assignments • Faculty Partnerships • Interactive computer technologies • E-mail Discussions • Internet Searching • Evaluation of Sources • Group Presentations

33. Pedagogical Questions • Why Don’t “We” Know More about Global Issues? • Global Focus Groups

34. Questions arising out of broad geographical topics assigned • How do women get implicated in ethnic conflicts?

35. Instructor Methodology • Instructor Shares personal investment in the course • Answers “Why should we trust you?” • Models de-centering of authority • Provides Working Definitions of Critical Thinking to students

36. learn to negotiate differences, build bridges how to resolve conflicts Build multiple literacies (multi-media, social, cultural, ecoliteracy Analyze and criticize emerging technoculture how to use new technologies to decrease inequality, build values of social connectedness and interpersonal communication Instructor Pedagogy, cont’d

37. Partnerships and Empowerment of Students Writing Instruction during class time Internet Inclusion E-mail Discussions Peer Learning Class Presentations Critical Thinking Class Size, too large Faculty Assumptions about research process created unrealistic expectations, created Resistance Not planning class time for Library Instruction What Worked? What Didn’t?

38. Global Issues and Library Collections • Findings from survey reveal that: Materials which look specifically at Racism, Sexism, Classism and Heterosexism in global contexts are not easily found by undergraduates in the library.

39. Student Anxiety Witnessed in the Library

40. How to Curb the 4-P’s! Panic, Pain, Paralysis, Plagiarism • Sharing Research Process Methods • Who’s responsibility is it to share Research Process Methods and Evaluation Techniques?

41. How can Library Faculty and Teaching Faculty Partner in the Critical Thinking/Research Process? • Understanding Research Process Assumptions

42. Faculty Assumptions about the Undergraduate Research Process • Assignments are not complex and do not require advanced research skills. • Librarian’s can teach skills in one meeting. • Students already have library skills. • It is not necessary to partner with Librarians before assignments are given. • Assignments match cognitive level of student

43. Undergraduate “Coping Behavior” • Generally are Literal Minded, dualistic, Want Received Knowledge (Right Answers) • Library Faculty goal is to empower confident Information Seeking Behavior and expertise in building search strategies

44. Relying upon long process of acculturation, in-depth knowledge of the discipline, awareness of important scholars working in particular areas participation in informal scholarly communication networks a view of research as a non-sequential, non-linear process with a large degree of ambiguity and serendipity. Is relatively independent and has developed own personal information seeking strategies Faculty Research Behavior “Expert Model”

45. Graduate Research Behavior • “How can I be sure that my contribution is original?” • Self-Motivated • “Constructed Knowers” • Can describe and formulate search strategies

46. Exposed to certain disciplines for the first time Intense need to “fix” this problematic assignment as quickly and easily as possible Cognitive Development , ambiguity and non-linearity threatened Rely on Encyclopedias, textbooks, reserve materials, lectures and now, the World Wide Web Do not have the benefit of scholarly network Have experience but may or may not know how to value it within academic framework. Undergraduate Novice Model

47. Earning trust of students by asking honest questions and creating a supportive environment. Teaching arguments, the difference between analysis and descriptive essays Students are accountable for their work thereby empowered Professor raises questions like “Is it appropriate for white person’s to teach this class?” Keys to Success

48. diversity of students validation of student expression, variety of expression group feedback on each other’s writing students must re-write their essays several drafts undergraduate discussion leaders students feel accountable for their work Keys to Success, cont’d

49. Recommendations • Define and Discuss What Plagiarism is with students. • Library Faculty and Teaching Faculty investigate broader research topics in the library before assigning them to students • Share Internet evaluation techniques developed by Librarians with colleagues • Partner with Librarians in the Research Process

50. Creating Campus Environments for Critical Thinking at SUNY Albany • Project Renaissance • Library Handouts, Web Pages, Reference Desk, Instruction • “Seeing Women Transnationally” Video and Discussion Series • Grant Funded Projects/Campus Networks • Internationalizing the Curriculum workshops and Institutes • Institute for Research on Women