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Using Wikis in Library Instruction. Kenneth Orenic - Dominican University. “Most instructors have stood in front of a class only to wonder if their only purpose on that day was to serve as a sedative for the majority of the class.” – Payne, et al (2006). Collaborative Learning.
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Using Wikis in Library Instruction Kenneth Orenic - Dominican University
“Most instructors have stood in front of a class only to wonder if their only purpose on that day was to serve as a sedative for the majority of the class.” – Payne, et al (2006)
Collaborative Learning Collaborative learning can make any topic interesting by actively involving students Group work is one example of collaborative learning practice. CL can provide: an opportunity to practice a safe environment (safety in numbers) increased communication and improved social skills and it breaks up time
Collaborative Learning Benefits of collaborative learning as discussed in the literature: Encourages collective approaches Enhances information retention ability to analyze, formulate and solve problems Improves teamwork skills critical thinking skills group processing social skills • Increases • insight on and interest in a particular topic • individual accountability • Promotes • better comprehension • active processing • positive interdependence • Stimulates deeper understanding
Shared Workspace or Groupware One aspect of Collaborative Learning is the use of group work. Groupware provides a platform for CL. Students’ attitudes toward using a shared workspace Helps support team work Facilitates and encourages sharing of resources Easy and continuous access Easy to update and share updates Limits repetition of information Reduces number of paper copies Facilitates monitoring of group or individual progress Resources available even if student doesn’t show up - Nicol, Littlejohn and Grierson (2005)
Wikis as Groupware Pages can be easily updated in real time PBWiki: WYSIWYG editing available Pages can be edited collectively Links to other websites, files, images and "widgets" can be easily added Track history of changes View recent changes Revert content to an earlier iteration Alert users to any changes to the wiki Search content by keyword Access to wiki can be set to public or private
Background English 102 includes Information Literacy Foundation Requirement (ILFR). Librarians are paired with English 102 sections Teach at least 2 sessions, often more Prepare students for Annotated Bibliography Assignment Assessed by instructor and librarian Successful implementation but… …Students have consistent difficulty with annotations Created opportunity for practice
Using Wikis in English 102 So we gave it a shot… Designed some simple assignments to acclimate students to wiki use Focused on creating short group activities to provide students an opportunity to practice Reinforced learning with examples, mini lectures, review, and demonstrations
Using Wikis in Library Instruction Using the Book Catalog Answering Specific Questions Using a Database Brainstorming for Topics and Search Terms Writing Annotations Using The CRAP Test
Locating Answers to Specific Questions: Using Academic Search Premier
Brainstorming Exercise Students were grouped by topic, in this case Education, and asked to brainstorm for ways to narrow down the topic In later iterations students were asked to then create search strategies for the brainstormed topics using Or, And, truncation, phrases and nesting.
Brainstorming Evaluating Sources Sample article provided CRAP criteria Groups of 3-4 students Designate a scribe Asked to read aloud later
The Resulting Annotation: This article discusses homelessness in later life. It was written in order to find out the causes of homelessness in elderly in selected urban areas of the United States, England and Australia. It was also written in order to prevent it from happening. It was written for society so that people can be informed.
More Directions, More Options Groups chose an article to evaluate based on a previous exercise. Mixed results.
The Outcome • Favorable response by students, faculty and librarians • Overall quality of assignment have improved • Student engagement in library workshops has increased