1. Using games in Library workshops
Adam Edwards and Vanessa Hill 24th June 2013
What’s the name of the game?
2. Knowing me, knowing you
• Who are we?
• Issues
• Ideas
• Solutions
• Design students
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajourneyroundmyskull/4788590225/
3. SOS
• Not embedded
• Inconsistent provision
• Repetitive
• Bad timing
• Lack of information skills
• Teaching methods…….
4. Librarians and teaching
• Too generic
• Tools based
• Didactic
• Uninspiring
• Too much
• Fear http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicchi/4079403111/
5. Björn Again
• Less is more
• Cloning
• Discussion
• Learning by doing
• Learners, not the taught
• Games
http://advedupsyfall09.wikispaces.com/Sara+Woodard
6. The name of the game
• Fun
• Quick
• Simple
• Easy
• Need or objective
Adapted from Susan Boyle, Lilac 2011
7. I have a dream
Move from
“ …lifting and transporting textual substance from
one location, the library, to another, their
teacher’s briefcases.”
To
“…searching, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing,
selecting, rejecting…”
Kleine 1987
15. Take a chance on me
Marks Attendees Non-attendees
Commonest mark 65% 50%
Highest mark 90% 75%
Lowest mark 40% 40%
Bibliography
commonest mark
7/10 5/10
Evaluation criteria Attendees Non-attendees
Current 89% 59%
Relevant 76% 59%
Academic authority 67% 41%
Easy to read 24% 45%
16. On and on and on
•Roll-out framework
•Develop activities
•Improve attendance
•Revalidation
17. The winner takes it all
• Successful collaboration
• Changes have worked
• Teaching is more fun
• Impact…
...Library training gets you better marks!
19. When all is said and done
• Boyle, S. (2011) Using games to enhance information literacy
sessions, Presented at LILAC 2011.
http://www.slideshare.net/infolit_group/boyle-using-games-to-
enchance-information-literacy
• Kleine, M. (1987), What is it we do when we write articles like this
one-Or how can we get students to join us?, Writing Instructor 6,
151.
• Markless, S., (2010), Teaching information literacy in HE: What?
Where? How?, presented at King’s College London, 9/12/10.
[Notes taken at the event.]
http://bit.ly/OurGames
Editor's Notes
Intros and what we are going to coverLooking at the broader issues surrounding provision of information literacy trainingHow we have been inspired to change the way we teach and address the problemsWhat we have done and how we are developing our provisionHow we have adapted what we do for our product design students
AE and VH identified a number of issues regarding provision of user education:Not embeddedworkshopstraditionally provided at request of academic staff on ad hoc basiswhich leads to inconsistent provisioncomplex module structureNo central coordination of skills within the SchoolInconsistent provision: rarely see all first year students Repetitive: Impossible to develop progressive programme of information literacy training, so end up repeating what we’ve already covered for 2nd and 3rd yearsBad timing: Insufficient timeWrong time, so not relevant to studentsLack of information skills:Students know how to use technology, but lack ability to find, evaluate and use the information foundTeaching methods: tradition of monotonous demos and death by powerpoint(More next slide)
Is teaching a Librarian’s Waterloo?Teaching skills: librarians not taught to teachToo genericTools basedDidactic: follow instructions correctlyToo muchUninspiring: bore students/death by PowerpointFear of not knowing: Librarians fear teaching subjects they are unfamiliar with, so over complicate. What we need to remember is that we are teaching information skills and not the subject
Inspired by ‘Teaching information literacy in HE workshop’. Attended at CILIP.Dec 2010.We teach 3-5 times too muchWhen planning sessions we need to consider what will make the biggest difference given time limit/use online guidesWe try to clone our expertiseWe can’t distil our own experience into a one hour session. We don’t need to show students how to search databases, but we do need to show them how to appreciate the value of academic resources, search effectively, evaluate the information found and how to use it ethicallyDiscussion is powerful:Find out how the students already find info, what they already know, what they wantLearn/discover together (peer learning): don’t plan searches/demos in advanceWe can learn a lot about student’s understanding from the questions they askLearning by doing is empowering:Encourage active participation through a variety of activities eg. trying things out, getting feedback, solving problems, peer discussion, reflecting on mistakes etcUninvolved students are less likely to learnNo demos: Interaction and explorationStudents should be learners, not the taught:Our role to support and facilitateDisciplinary context is a key influence on student learning ie. one method does not fit all….devised different sessions for PDE studentsGames:Inspiration from LILAC 2011- Susan Boyle (UCD) Using games in HE.
Games should be:FunQuick -10 minsSimple - easy to prepareEasy to grasp and play- no complicated rulesMeet a specific need or objective
To put all this in context……Wider programme of activity that we were engaged in at the timeSchool plan: easier to approach staff if our contribution is part a school planeasier to get appropriate time(We have integrated info lit training and academic writing and other skills in to the wider employability skills framework devised by EIS)Structure: avoid overlap and duplication by identifying specific programmes rather than modulesvery little overlap nowAgreed menu of sessions:Smallteam met and considered all the things we teachIdentified key elements (on slide)Created a game/activity for each elementMix and match elementsCoordinate content with LDU to avoid duplicationMappingMapped these against CBI employability skills framework eg. finding and evaluating information = problem solvingPlagiarism and search strategy = communications and literacyFinding info for projects = self-management
Small team met and considered all the things we teachIdentified key elementsCreated game/activity for each elementMix and match elementsCoordinate content with LDU to avoid duplicationThinking about resources game in an academic context ( 3 x versions TAR, Sources and Scenario)Keywords: using image to get students thinking about keywords (specific, alternative, related) and then using real exampleThe real thing: relate learning to a projectSearching (hands on)Evaluation using sample search results (website, newspaper article, trade journal, academic journal) and Criteria game for 3rd years.PDE students: have taken interactivity much further eg. taking items from special collections into their studio (think about how they can use them), letting them discover art and design collections themselves at HE (mini project) etc.Now rolling out, so developing alternatives for 2nd and 3rd years and PGs
What do you see in the picture etcHandouts available.
Have a go:Thinking about resourcesPDE evaluation gameDewey….computing oriented
We use the same games with design studentsHowever work closely with 1st year tutor to introduce students to the LibraryIn 1st session we divide students into groups, give each group a box with items in it eg. items from samples library, ephemera collection, range of journals, trend/forecasting resources etc.10 mins to explore items and consider how they might be useful = feedbackWe also briefly cover search tips including keywords and evaluation Evaluation and searching skills very important as design students rely heavily on non-traditional/non-academic resources eg. internet, so need to be able to distinguish good from badNo catalogue or databases at this stage
Second session:Brief tour of the library esp. art and design facilitiesIntro to the Materials Room and the Special CollectionsStudents divided into groups and given a mini project eg. 2d-3d, Origami in design, unusual and inspirational objects, things that transform into something else.Brief:Produce a series of sketch notes to record the information they find on topicGive a 2 minute pitch on the key points of their discoveryFocus on design inspiration and informationExplain where objects/items found and how they might be usefulShow examples of what found
Third session:Thinking about resourceskeywords based on real projectsearching for material for projectStreamliningEvaluationGroup work, no demos, self explorationPresentations very visual-lots of images
Those who attended average 65%, rather than 50 % for non attendees ie. 15% higherAttendees 7/10 for bibliography, rather than 5/10 ie. 20% difference
We’ve rolled out framework to 2nd years, and next year to 3rd yearsDevelop activities so appropriate for level and not repetitiousHave developed further versions of the games for 2nd and 3rd years and PGs.Improve attendance: any ideas…..problem is not just oursRevalidation and new courses in our school an opportunity to embedd our teaching further
Successful collaboration is getting things moving plus team teachingChanges to methods have worked: survey shows that we have made an impact, plus many colleagues have used and adapted our workshops for their studentsTeaching is more fun for students and for usBut we can now say......Library training gets you better marks
