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Evidence Based Librarianship and Information Literacy

Evidence Based Librarianship and Information Literacy. An experience at the University of Parma Monica Vezzosi, Maria Letizia Sora, Fabrizia Bevilacqua. A path to evidence-based practice. Bibliographic instruction activity at the University of Parma 2001-2004.

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Evidence Based Librarianship and Information Literacy

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  1. Evidence Based Librarianship and Information Literacy An experience at the University of Parma Monica Vezzosi, Maria Letizia Sora, Fabrizia Bevilacqua

  2. A path to evidence-based practice Bibliographic instruction activity at the University of Parma 2001-2004

  3. A path to evidence-based practice Bibliographic instruction activity at the University of Parma 2001-2004 Unsatisfactory learning outcomes

  4. A path to evidence-based practice Bibliographic instruction activity at the University of Parma 2001-2004 Unsatisfactory learning outcomes New approach to teaching bringing together Enquiry Practice Reflection Sharing

  5. IL at the University of Parma2001-2004 Seminar “From the Library to the Net” Start 2001 15 hours class activity Two credits Teachers: librarians IT Laboratory

  6. Online catalogues E-journals Databases Searching the Web Citation rules Tool based approach Lecture with some hands-on activities One teacher each research tool Contents and methods

  7. Students became able to access online research tools use them during hands-on activity Students did not become able to manage an actual research process connect different sources of information evaluate their search strategy Learning outcomes

  8. Phase One Spring 2004 Outcomes analysis of the Bibliographic instruction activity being carried out at the University of Parma Research project

  9. Research project

  10. Research project

  11. Research project

  12. Research project

  13. Prototype Seminar Action research project 25 students Environmental sciences (2. year) Analysis of students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes during and after the learning activity Qualitative approach

  14. Prototype Seminar Action research project Seminar embedded into the Ecology course Active learning, co-operative learning, and problem-based learning. Research group task focusing the whole activity on the research process Contents presented in relation to students’ group task

  15. Outcomes At the end of the prototype Seminar students appeared able to • access online search tools, and also to connect and use them in a flexible way • to manage an actual research process and to assess their own work • the team work stimulated students to engage themselves in their task • students appeared encouraged to apply critical thinking skills to retrieved information.

  16. The New Seminar Decision to export approach and techniques in standard situations and to analyse learning outcomes Goals: • To verify if teaching methods based on team work and focusing on the research process could be successfully adopted in standard situations. • To found the assessment of the teaching activity on more rigorous and measurable evaluation criteria

  17. PHARMACY IL seminar inserted in curriculum as an optional activity attributing two credits. The teaching librarian is in charge of organising and delivering the Seminar She is entrusted of assessing students’ learning. COMMUNICATION STUDIES Digital Publishing teacher interested in embedding IL Seminar into her course Learning plan requires students to work in groups and to carry out a piece of research on a pre-defined topic related to Digital publishing Two different standard situations

  18. PHARMACY IL seminar inserted in curriculum as an optional activity attributing two credits. The teaching librarian is in charge of organising and delivering the Seminar She is entrusted of assessing students’ learning. COMMUNICATION STUDIES Digital Publishing teacher interested in embedding IL Seminar into her course Learning plan requires students to work in groups and to carry out a piece of research on a pre-defined topic related to Digital publishing Two different standard situations

  19. Founding principles 1- Focus on the research process 2- Motivate students 3- Few contents and learning material 4- Involve students in revision and contextualisation of their learning.

  20. Pharmacy Know-item search OPACs and e- journals Subject search Databases (PubMed, Current Contents,ScienceDirect) The Web Search engines, subject directories Communication Studies Know-item search OPACs and e- journals Subject search Databases (LISA, Emerald, ScienceDirect) The Web Search engines, subject directories Contents

  21. Pharmacy 2 groups of students: 21-33 16 hours class activity Final presentation Team tasks annotated list of information resources 5-6 people each doping and sport; relation between cancer and diet therapy; nutrition disorders and adolescents; children and obesity Communication Studies One group: 69 students 8 hours class activity (three parallel classes) Two students’ presentations Team tasks 1. Presentation: each group presents the class the contents learned during class activity 2. Presentation: each group presents their piece of research on Digital publishing issues 20-25 people each Metadata; Preservation of digital content; Economical issue about digital publishing Organisation

  22. Pharmacy 2 groups of students: 21-33 16 hours class activity Final presentation Team tasks annotated list of information resources 5-6 people each doping and sport; relation between cancer and diet therapy; nutrition disorders and adolescents; children and obesity Communication Studies One group: 69 students 8 hours class activity (three parallel classes) Two students’ presentations Team tasks 1. Presentation: each group presents the class the contents learned during class activity 2. Presentation: each group presents their piece of research on Digital publishing issues 20-25 people each Metadata; Preservation of digital content; Economics issues about digital publishing Organisation

  23. Assessment methods • Pre/Post test 17 multiple answers questions on issues treated during the seminar • Students’ group tasks • Open ended questionnaire

  24. Findings

  25. Performance and improvement

  26. Group tasks Pharmacy: • Most groups offered a good performance • Choice of valuable and pertaining resources • Adoption of advanced search techniques • Critical account of their findings • Two groups offered a lower level performance • Focusing only on contents • Showing a partial understanding of the research task

  27. Group task Communication study • good presentation related to the contents of the class activities • less valuable works on the subjects related to Digital publishing • each group adopted mainly one research tool • some groups only adopted “quick and easy” research tools • resources not completely pertaining • difficulty in identifying authoritative papers

  28. Open ended questionnaire Both groups are satisfied on • The practical approach to learning: hands-on activity • The contents of the learning materials

  29. Open ended questionnaire Pharmacy students • Were enthusiastic on the team work • Highly appreciated the revising activity • Were aware of the importance of being information literate • Linked information competence to their future professional life • Showed a positive and proactive attitude towards learning

  30. Open ended questionnaire Communication students • Showed appreciation for the seminar as a whole • Were quite critical on some aspects • Excessive workload • Number of credits • Team work was considered sometimes tiring and frustrating • The inadequate equiment at the Faculty of Humanities, which hindered their team working • The need to download the learning material

  31. Discussion • Both groups of students have improved their knowledge and skills. • The research process is still the most critical aspect in students’ learning: there is a need to focus even more on this aspect • The annotated list of resource is more suitable as a learning task than the actual piece of research • The revising activity made by students is valuable but cannot replace teacher’s lessons

  32. Discussion • The pre-post test is suitable both to measure students’ performance and to tailor learning contents before the activity starts • The comparative analysis of students’ team tasks provides evidence of the level of competence in the research process • The open ended questionnaire provides information on students’ experience of the whole activity in a limited amount of time

  33. Conclusions EBL is the right approach to ground teaching practice on research-derived evidence Co-operation among teaching librarians is a powerful tool for improvement of teaching practice, organisational development, and professional growth

  34. THANKS!! Monica Vezzosi Maria Letizia Sora Fabrizia Bevilacqua

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