Teaching information retrieval in universities.

1. When Google
doesn‘t cut it anymore
Information literacy in the undergraduate chemistry classroom
Anja Brunner, PhD

2. AGENDA
Insights from faculty and
librarians
How students deal with
information: a mismatch
Bridging the disconnect
1
2
3

3. Called up faculty and librarians at
undergraduate institutions in the US
Spoke with 138 contacts
• 19 librarians
• 119 faculty, lecturers, lab instructors
in chemistry departments
Open discussion about needs in the
undergraduate classroom
Insights from you

4. Which information system is used and when is it introduced?
SciFinder
Web of Science
Google Scholar
Other
105
40
66
2
46%
27%Lower division
curriculum
Upper division
curriculum
Uncertain
or other
27%

5. Taking a closer look…
Lower division
• Cursory introduction to library
resources
• Workshop lead by librarian
• Instruction is often repeated in
upper division courses
• Exception: students involved in
research
Upper division
• Instruction is time-consuming
and difficult. Thus, taught only
to declared majors.
• Need-based instruction (usually
to support individual research
projects)
Uncertain or other
• Part of general curriculum or
introduction to library
• Expect students to have those
skills for upper division class but
they often do not

6. What we learned
• More can be done to teach
information retrieval
• Information retrieval should be
incorporated earlier in the curriculum
• Teaching chemistry information
systems is difficult and time-
consuming
• Even after instruction, students still
resort to “old habits”
• Instruction most successful with
students doing research
So we asked
• What are these “old habits”?
• What do students actually need to learn
about information retrieval?
• What can be done to bring information
retrieval earlier into the classroom?
• How can we mimic the “research
student” situation?

7. How students deal with information
“Most are savvy searchers. They find incredible things on the Internet. However,
they tend to be superficial or even impatient with their findings. If they can’t find
an answer within the first 20 hits, they stop.”
– Dr. Gregory O’Neil, Western Washington University

8. Want direct answers
3
Assume a search engine
understands them
4
Information is easy to find
2
Expect information immediacy
1
Do not “dig” deeper
Source relevance is secondary
Do not expect or know how to process
multiple and discordant answers
Not versed in building search strategies

9. A mismatchfor the structure of
scientific information
• Poor results
• Frustration
• Student learning outcomes not
achieved
Why do we think students can
process a list of references?
Guide their transformation from students to scientists

10. Not versed in building search strategiesAssume a search engine
understands them
4
Give them a search engine that understands them
Teach them how to build search strategies
both
OR
OR
Ask Reaxys
Bridging the disconnect

11. • Interprets natural language
• Automatically recognizes
search intention (reactions)
• Delivers results directly
Enable quick searches and
barrier-free use for novices

12. Transparency of Ask Reaxys supports learning
How did Ask Reaxys
interpret search terms?
How and in what
context did Ask Reaxys
retrieve results?

13. Querylets help break down a research question and find relevant search
terms and synonyms
“Assigned to identify an unknown antimicrobial compound isolated from a natural product. Experimental
results indicate that the substance has 30 carbon atoms and an optical rotation of 75-85°.”
1 2
3
1
2
3
4
4

14. Want direct answers Do not expect or know how to process
multiple and discordant answers
3
Give them real-world data
Give them opportunities to make sense of
data variability
Excerpted data
Bridging the disconnect

15. Oleanolic acid is one result from our last search
Within the Substance
record, the Hit data
from our search is a
click away.

16. 60 optical rotation
measurements with
experimental details
and references
Tabulated data allows students to explore empirical measurements and
understand the influence of experimental conditions

17. Information is easy to find Source relevance is secondary
2
Show them how to assess the relevance
of a source document
Grant them a ”glance” into the content of a source
Document records
Bridging the disconnect

18. Assess relevance in context of
the literature landscape

19. Look at specific content
and explore more

20. Show them how to make novel connections
Deep indexing
Expect information immediacy
1
Do not “dig” deeper
Bridging the disconnect

21. Find new search terms to expand or optimize search
View relevance to other conceptual frameworks

22. Technology & Engineering1
Biomedicine & Pharmacology2
Geosciences & Environment3
Life Sciences & Medicine4
Chemistry
Drug entities
Species & Geography
5 See chemistry across
disciplinary boundaries

23. Assignments drive students to information systems by creating a compelling need.
• Context is king. Whichever information tool you use, build it into assignments
• Clear expectations. Be explicit about what students should do and learn
• Teach how to USE information. “Finding” is the duty of the information system
But none of this works without you

24. Visit
www.elsevier.com/solutions/reaxys/chemistry-education
Interested in more?