"When you reach a dead end, what do you do?"
Redefining Assignments Using Survey Results
Katie Gibson, Arianne Hartsell-Gundy, Masha Misco, Eric Resnis
ALAO Annual Conference: October 30, 2009
The Faculty Learning Community for Improving Student Research Literacy

6th year
53 faculty members have participated
various departments and campuses
year long FLC 
CELT/Libraries partnership
Goals of the FLC
Share and discuss research and information needs within participant courses
Develop and/or improve research assignments within participant courses
Share and discuss ideas and new perspectives on improving information literacy in the curriculum
Explore and investigate methods of accessing and using information ethically
Foster collaboration between faculty and librarians 
Engage students as active participants in an contributors to the learning environment
Develop new approaches for weaving technology and information competencies into the clasroom

Faculty Learning Community Structure
Opening Retreat (Community Norms/IL Basics)
5 to 6 meetings per semester
"Content" depends on community
Major project for each member during the year
The FLC
The Survey
Designed for students in courses of FLC members
Designed by the faculty members
Questions that gagued perceptions on research habits, resource use, library use, library services

Survey Administration
10 minutes at beginning of class
Voluntary (no faculty in room)
Human Subjects
375 completed Spring 09
The Survey
Demographics
Gender: 59% female; 39% male; 2% unknown
E-Scholar: 55% didn't know; 34% no; 6% yes; 5% unknown
Number of Papers Written: 45% have written more than 15 papers
General Trends
Students overwhelmingly preferred online resources.
Student didn't see research as a process. They were much more interested in describing the tools they used.
Trends by GPA
Students with lower GPA tended to see library research as busy work.
Students with midrange GPA use Google first.
Students with higher GPA use Google less, use library databases more, and are more inclined to ask a librarian for help.
How Prepared Are Students?
Where are they looking?
Do students see IL skills as transferable?
Selection of Open-Ended Answers
"I get it either on Google or Wikipedia, take the info I want, rephrase it, and use it."

"I used Ebscohost some in high school and other similar programs, but I don't think I have access to them anymore."

"I usually start with Google -- just as a jumping off point. I avoid Wikipedia altogether. Depending on what my assignment is -- I'll go to online newspapers and magazines mostly."

"I search online journals, go to the library to search through books and not use Google."

"Bad research experience would be when I cannot find relevant material, or worse, when I can find it, but do not have access to it."

"Bad [research experience] -- knowing the information is out there and just not knowing how to find it."
Survey Results
THE 601 Background
Graduate Research Methods Course
Taken during first semester of program
Small class size: 5-10
Some are practitioners rather than researchers
THE 601 Changes to Class
Students assigned "The Craft of Research"
Library resources page on Blackboard
Librarian involved with three different class periods
Students required to meet one-on-one with librarian at least once
THE601 Survey Results
Professor was surprised that so many students taking survey didn't understand that research was a process

Professor wanted the graduate students to start to feel like "real" academics doing "real" research
THE 601 Feedback
Several Students met with librarian more than once
Better discussion during class periods about research projects
Very positive evaluations: "The instructor did a wonderful job!"
THE 601
FLC 09-10
Survey utilized right away
Some using as pre/post test
Survey Results
Student Mix Similar
"Less" use of Wikipedia
More difficulty finding library resources
More "faith"
Future Plans
Immediate Redesign
Project to inform faculty
Departmental Integration
Reverse Feedback
the future
PHL 375 Background
Original Assignment: Examine moral and ethical issues related to a particular case

Scaffolding:
1) Choose a case, summarize, ID ethical issue
2) Sketch out your own views
3) What do the philosophers say?
4) Find outside research
5)Rough Draft/Peer Review of Final Paper
6) Turn in Final Paper

PHL375 Revised Assignment
Student choose case study from current events
Formulate research questions
Library instruction session
Free writing exercise
ID philosophical issues
Search for information
Summarize research found and why it was chosen
Paper draft
Final version of paper
PHL375 Implementation
No library instruction session
Embedded librarian
Course Libguide
Research Consultation
PHL 375
HST 367 Background
Undergraduate History Class
Focus on 1960s era
Final project: Documentary or Oral History

Survey Results for HST 367
HST 367 Librarian Involvement
History librarian embedded via Blackboard
Students must make 2 appointments before final project
One in-class librarian session


Final Project
Choice between documentary or oral history
Annotated bibliography major component
Internet sources must be thoroughly evaluated
Assessment based on sources utilized, their usefulness, and quality
HST 367