It's Academic

Newspapers, Magazines, & Journals… Oh my!

October 22, 2020

In my last blog post, I shared a tutorial I was creating for a PSY 101 course to complete. Since this was the first time I created a tutorial for students I’ve been really scrutinizing the student’s answers to see if I can determine any way to improve any future tutorials I created.

One of the sections in my tutorial was focused on introducing the concept of popular and scholarly sources. There’s a YouTube video from the John M. Pfau Library at Cal State San Bernardino that I often use to introduce this concept: https://youtu.be/f-17MbjEws4. One of the questions I asked was, “Put the following sources in the order they would be produced after an event occurs: Books, Journal articles, social media posts, magazine articles, newspaper articles”. I expected this question would garner a high percentage of correct responses, however my expectations were wrong!

A high percentage of student got the opposite ends of the spectrum correct: placing social media posts first and then books last. However, there seemed to be almost no rhyme or reason to how they ranked the 3 types of articles. Thinking more about this result I thought about how frequently I ask students in synchronous classrooms if they have ever subscribed to or seen print newspapers or magazines. I’m always somewhat surprised at how few can answer yes to this question.

I can’t decide what to do with this realization. Do I spend more time trying to explain the difference between these types of publications if students don’t have any idea of what they are or what they look like. Or do I spend more time hammering home how to evaluate your article, no matter what publication it comes from? I’m leaning towards the second option. If a student can make a case for why an article from the New York Times is a credible and relevant source for their research do I really care if they know the New York Times is a newspaper?

I also see value in them understanding the purpose of each type of source which you cannot use as a criteria for evaluating if you don’t know what type of source something is.

I’m torn. Has anyone else been grappling with this concept? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Working with Faculty on Extracurricular Projects

October 16, 2020

by Brendan Johnson

Engaging with faculty to develop and incorporate projects in conjunction with the library is a great way to engage with students. Librarians can use these projects as opportunities to help students work on valuable information literacy skills in an interactive, student-driven activity that is closely aligned with the work they’re doing in class.

However, the process of recruiting faculty and developing the project is not always easy and there are several things to keep in mind as you begin these conversations:

At the beginning of the project, be sure to set clear goals and objectives for the students to achieve. This will help you explain the value of the project to faculty, as well as the students, and it will help you stay on task as the project inevitably evolves and changes as students begin working on it.
Start communication with faculty early. Most projects, even relatively small ones like a book display, will take a lot of coordination between the library and the instructor. At the very least, you should contact them the semester before you would like the project to take place so faculty can see how it fits into their syllabi.
One of the reasons you want to start early with faculty is to allow them to build in enough time for you to visit (or virtually visit) the class to explain the project. For many projects, you will have to essentially embed yourself in the class, requiring multiple visits or meetings outside of class time to lay out the details and provide students with instructions. This will take a big chunk of class time so coordinating the schedule with faculty is important.
Allow your project to be scalable. While some instructors may be happy to incorporate the project into the course as a required assignment, others may be more willing to offer it as extra credit. Depending on how it is offered to students, you may get a full class worth or simply a handful. Allowing your project to be flexible regarding the number of participants ensures that students can still develop their necessary skills while also ensuring the project meets its core objectives.
When you do meet with students about your project, be sure to be very throughout in describing the project, especially if there are unique tools or submission requirements. Even relatively simple or common tools, such as GSuite, may require some familiarization on the part of the student. Including activities and incremental assignments to help students become familiar with the appropriate tools and techniques will provide students with specific instructions on how they can complete the project.
If working on this project with students and faculty remotely, students will be even more difficult to communicate with. Be understanding that not everyone may be able to attend specific meetings. Consider creating multiple office hour times for students to meet with you or record and share your Zoom meetings. At the same time, they must understand that they are still responsible for putting in the work. If it is an extra credit project outside of the class, set strict expectations for participation in meetings and require students to attend one of your sessions or view the recordings to remain active in the project.
Do not forget to include a way to share your project when it is done! Whether it is through an article, a student research presentation, or simply a social media post, you and the students created something that is worth sharing and showing off to others. It may also create opportunities for collaborations with other students and faculty on future projects!

C&CS “Is the Framework a teaching tool?” now available

October 16, 2020

tags: academic libraries, ACRL, connect and communicate series, framework, professional development

by CRD of PaLA

Thank you to Jen and Rachel for presenting and sharing their research, and to Amy for moderating.

Virtual Professional Development for Real Professionals

October 5, 2020

by Darren G. Poley

Villanova University’s Falvey Memorial Library is pleased to announce Falvey Forum 2020 on Wednesday, October 21^st and Thursday October 22^nd from 11 am to 3 pm.

This two day, six session FULLY VIRTUAL event will provide new and exciting information on research methods, tools, and pedagogies for researchers of all levels.

Registration is free and open to all!

Please visit the conference homepage for more details and to register for individual sessions: https://library.villanova.edu/research/teaching-and-learning/workshops/falvey-forum-2020

Virtual Conference Workshops

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21:

11:00-12:00 Citation Wrangling — Presenter: Sarah Hughes

Serious research projects call for no-nonsense tools for taming citations. Learn how to use Zotero to save, organize, and share references.

12:15-1:30 Data Visualization with Tableau — Presenter: Erica Hayes

This session will provide a gentle introduction to how to use Tableau Desktop Public, a free software that allows individuals to publish interactive data visualizations and graphs on the web.

1:45-3:00 Copyright and Publishing 101 — Presenter: Sarah Wipperman

Academia is full of copyright and publishing questions that are often difficult to answer: Can I use this image in my work? What can I do with my work once it’s published? What does that agreement I signed actually say? Can I post my work on a certain website?

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22:

11:00-12:00 Beyond the Archive — Presenter: Beaudry Allen

The archive is not a passive, neutral institution, but an active ever-evolving site where social power and memory is negotiated, challenged, and confirmed. This session will explore the history of diversity and social justice on Villanova’s campus through material from the University Archives and illustrate how archival practices and bias shape memory. It’s is also an opportunity to learn how to do research in an archive.

12:15-1:30 Storytelling and GIS — Presenter: Erica Hayes

While maps have been around for centuries, the digital age has given them new meaning. GIS software offers users the potential to visualize, analyze, and tell spatial stories. In this session, you will learn more about ArcGIS Online and Esri Story Maps, a web mapping application that allows you to combine GIS maps, text, images, and video to tell your own geographic story.

1:45- 3:00 Sharing Your Work: Academic Social Networking Sites and Beyond — Presenters: Sarah Wipperman & Dr. Janice Bially Mattern

Social media sites like Twitter and other online platforms make sharing your work, networking, and raising your visibility easier than ever. But which sites and platforms are most effective? Is it worth the effort? Where should you start? Join Scholarly Communications Librarian, Sarah Wipperman, and Director of Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship, Dr. Janice Bially Mattern, to learn the techniques and social norms of using these platforms to increase your visibility.

But Wait, There’s More…

The Digital Scholarship and Scholarly Communication programs at Falvey Memorial Library provide a number of services and offerings to support research, teaching, and other scholarly activities. The Digital Scholarship Program helps faculty, students, and staff interested in applying digital methods and tools to their research and teaching. For more information contact Villanova’s Digital Scholarship Librarian, Erica Hayes. Scholarly communication supports faculty in the creation, publication, dissemination, and reuse of scholarly works and the management of scholarly identity. For more information contact Villanova’s Scholarly Communications Librarian, Sarah Wipperman.

Digital Research & Scholarly Publishing: Demos & Discussions

Throughout the Fall semester, Falvey Memorial Library’s Digital Scholarship and Scholarly Communication Librarians are hosting community conversations on digital scholarship tools as well as scholarly research and publishing topics every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. These informal virtual meetups are designed to facilitate collaborative learning and connection across all disciplines and departments at Villanova University. View the schedule and more information.

All are welcome!

C&CS Presents: “Is the Framework a teaching tool? How its language can help (and hinder) undergraduates’ learning,” October 15 at 1 pm

September 28, 2020

by CRD of PaLA

C&CS Presents:

Is the Framework a teaching tool? How its language can help (and hinder) undergraduate’s learning with Rachel Hamelers and Jennifer Jarson

Thursday, October 15 at 1 pm EST

Register Here

While the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education is a useful tool for librarians to consider in developing and delivering instruction, do students understand it the way we do? Rachel and Jen investigated how students at a liberal arts institution interpreted the language of the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

They wondered if we should use the language of the Framework in teaching undergraduates. Could introducing the language of the frames explicitly in the classroom–in addition to using them as the implicit foundation of our teaching–resonate with undergraduates, or is the language too full of librarian jargon? While the literature suggests many librarians find pedagogical value in the Framework, research also indicates concerns about the Framework’s comprehensibility and accessibility for faculty and students. Join this session to learn about their research, survey of the literature, and teaching experience. We will explore how the language of the Framework can be a pedagogical resource for librarians working with undergraduates: What language do students find confusing and challenging? What language connects? How can librarians implicitly and explicitly talk about this with students? What strategies can librarians use to share the language of the frames with undergraduates?

Rachel Hamelers serves as the Teaching and Learning Librarian and the Math and Science subject specialist at Muhlenberg College, Trexler Library. She teaches classes based on Science Communication in the Media and Communication department and the Public Health program. Rachel received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and her graduate degree from the City University of New York, Queens College. Rachel’s research interests include science communication and information literacy instruction. She is active in the Science and Technology section of the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Jennifer Jarson has been the Head Librarian at Penn State University, Lehigh Valley campus since 2017. Previously, she worked at Muhlenberg College as the Information Literacy and Assessment Librarian, Social Sciences Subject Specialist, and Head of Public Outreach and Information Literacy Services. She received her BA from Swarthmore College and her MLIS from Rutgers University. Her research interests include information literacy teaching and learning, undergraduate research, and peer-to-peer learning. She is a member of the ACRLog blog team.

All C&CS Sessions are recorded and made available via the CRD website following the presentation.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, Governor.

Support is also provided by the College and Research Division of the Pennsylvania Library Association: https://crdpala.org/.