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Course Outline - LIBR
250
Fall 2002
David V.
Loertscher
This course will be conducted using a semi-constructivist
model. That is, the professor will serve as a guide on the
side rather than a sage on the stage. Students will
participate at every phase of the course in designing,
creating, modifying, carrying out, and evaluating the
direction of the course. Three engaging problems will be
completed by each students. These modules will build the
student's theory base, compare that theory to practices, and
allow the student to create quality educational
experiences.
Assignments
Due Dates for Fall 2002:
Module 1: Dec. 15 (reflection, Sept. 20) (Reading Plan, Sept. 20)
Module 2: Nov 1
Module 3: Dec 15
Final Log with all attached to davidl@wahoo.sjsu.edu, May
15
 Collaboration
and Information Literacy,
Module 1:
Building a Theory Base
Background and introduction: In today's world,
librarians of all types are serving as the human interface
between information technology and users. This is quite a
different role than in previous generations since it asks
that the librarian step beyond the mere storage and
retrieval functions of the library. In the older model, a
teacher or a professor might come into the library for
assistance with a class and find the librarian willing to
help find materials of use to the teacher and then hand
these materials over, thus completing the entire role
responsibility. "I have helped you find materials - it is
now your responsibility to use them."
The assumption of this module is that the responsibility
of the librarian goes far beyond just storage and retrieval.
Consider the following stages of interface with teaching and
learning:
Stage One:
• the librarian inquiries what types of
materials/information resources would be helpful to a
teacher/client.
• Help a teacher/client locate materials or for the
learn to use
• Be helpful to teacher/client and learners as they
use the materials.
Stage Two:
• The librarian realizes that much
frustration could be avoided using information technology
if better planning were done with the teacher/client.
• The librarian and teacher/client plan together
before the instructional experience begins.
• Given time, better materials and better activities
for using those materials are designed.
• The teacher/client and the librarian work together
as the materials and information technologies are used by
the learners.
Stage Three:
• The Librarians and the teacher/client
form a partnership - an instructional design team.
• Together, as colleagues, they plan, execute, and
evaluate an instructional sequence (a unit of
instruction, a learning module, an inservice training
program, a training modular, an entire course of
instruction)
• The librarian takes responsibility along with
theteacher/clientto help learners master content
(science, social studies, sales training, course content)
and process (information literacy; the research
process)
The basic assumption of this module is that you will
reject stage one services as an outmoded professional task
and seriously explore stage two and three roles as the
central focus of a librarian involved in the educational
process. It assumes and active role rather than a passive
one.
Stop!
Reflection Point
Due: September 20
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Do three interviews of practicing librarians in the type of library in which you expect to work. Ask them about the three roles described briefly above. Where do they feel they are on the continuum? At the beginning of this module and without any further investigation, what is your reaction to the three suggested stages? Email Dr. White (dwhite@wahoo.sjsu.edu) with this reflection on September 20 ( not before, not after) (put "reflection - your name" in the subject line
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Quest for this Module: You are interviewing for a
professional position as a school library media specialists,
a bibliographic instruction librarian in an academic
library, a director of professional development in a
commercial firm). In the first round interviews, a panel
will expect you to make a 5-minute presentation outlining
your philosophy of the librarian's role in the instructional
process. They reserve the right to question you about your
philosophy and how you arrived at your views.
You realize, that to prepare in depth for such an
interview, your understanding of theory must be more than
just superficial. You must have a strong theoretical
framework on which to draw when approaching an instructional
problem.
You realize that a strong theory background will
enable you to be a diagnostician of an educational problem
or challenge and without hesitation, will have solid
recommendations built upon your knowledge.
Thus, you need to build your knowledge asking: What is
happening today in the world of education in four critical
topical areas?
Topic 1. Educational Theory and Practice
• What's hot in educational theory
today?
• What does brain research and cognitive theory have
to contribute to teaching and learning?
• What is restructuring in education (K-12
arena)?
• What is standards-based education (K-12 arena)
• What is differentiated instruction? (K-12
arena)
• What is the difference between behaviorist
theories and costructivist theories?
• How can these theories be translated into
practice?
• What is inquiry-based or project-based
learning?
• What are teaching and learning styles?
• What are multiple intelligences?
• What role is government playing in standards and
testing? (K-12 arena)
• What role do national societies play in quality
higher education? (higher education arena)
• Is anyone in the corporate world interested in
quality education and training? (corporate world
arena)
Topic 2. Curriculum and Accountability (academic
institutions and training)
• Who decides who will learn what?
• Who writes curriculum (in academic institutions)
and content to master (training)?
• Who really follows written curriculum, or do
teachers do what they please as soon as the door is
closed?
• Who decides what is the best way to teach math,
social studies, science, etc.? In training institutions,
who prescribes how skills are to be taught?
• What are the best strategies for teaching and
learning what is to be learned?
• How do we know when a student learns what is to be
learned? (testing, assessment)
Topic 3. Collaboration
• Behaviorist Teaching - What is it and
what is the role of the librarian/instructional designer
in course and lesson design?
• Constructivist Teaching (also known as
Resource-based Learning, Project-based Learning) - What
is it and what is the role of the librarian/instructional
designer in helping students construct and solve their
own engaging problems?
• What is collaboration in the educational
setting?
• What roles do librarians (information
specialists/technology specialists) perform as they
collaborate with teachers (K-18 settings) (public
libraries - in home schooling and staff development)
(special libraries/industry - in training)
• What collaborative strategies are likely to
produce excellence in teaching and learning no matter the
teaching style of the teacher?
• What are the signs that collaborative activities
are being successful?
• How must organizations change to facilitate the
role of collaboration?
Topic 4. Information Literacy
• What is Information Literacy?
• What models exist and how do they compare?
• How do models of information literacy compare
across the disciplines?
• How do I build my own mental model of information
literacy?
• Can information literacy be taught? How?
• Is the teaching of information literacy having an
impact on what learners know and do?
• What findings from research illuminate practice?
Instructions for completing Engaging Problem
#1:
1. Create four concept maps. For each of the four topics above, create a concept map of what you already know about each of the four topics(before you do a lot of reading).
2. Rate yourself on the following rubric for each
topic:
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Topics
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Rate yourself on the following
scale:
Low Expertise 1 2 3 4 5 High
Expertise
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Topic 1: Educational Theory and Practice
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 2. Curriculum
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 3. Collaboration
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 4. Information Literacy
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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2a. Decide on your reading plan and communicate that plan to Dr. White. Use the four maps and the rubric to decide which of the four topics you need to do the most reading to build your own expertise. Communicate your plan to your instructor via an email message. (send your plan to Dr. Brenda White at bwhite@wahoo.sjsu.edu by Sept. 20. (put "reading plan - your name" in the subject line) Your message might be something like: "Here are my four concept maps and expertise ratings for each of the four topical areas: -------- (describe briefly why you rated yourself as you did) I have decided to concentrate my theoretical study for the class in the following areas: (give a list)."
3. Read, take brief notes/abstracts. For each of
the four topics above. The instructor suggests that you keep
your notes in a word processor and then you will create an
appendix for your module one project to email directly to
the instructor. Be sure that for everything you read you use
a correct bibliographic citation using any style manual with
which you are comfortable. Hint: You can annotate chapters
from the textbooks, articles from this website, and articles
you find in the professional literature. Hint: Use as a
guide the ratio 50/10 in your reading project - 50 minutes
of reading/thinking about your reading - 10 minutes
recording.
Resources for:
School library
media specialists
Academic librarians
Special librarians (and training)
Public librarians
4. Create a final concept map and rubric. Do a final concept map for each of the four topical area and complete a final rubric:
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Topics
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Rate yourself on the following
scale:
Low Expertise 1 2 3 4 5 High
Expertise
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Topic 1: Educational Theory and Practice
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 2. Curriculum
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 3. Collaboration
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 4. Information Literacy
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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5. Reflect. Write a one page essay/chart/graphic
showing what you know now about your topical area. Rate your
own theoretical knowledge on the following rubric
6. Create a list of points for a PowerPoint Slide. Create a list of
points you would use in a PowerPoing slide you will cover in
your 5-minute presentation to the interview committee. Bring
this to the third class period to use for a class
activity.
7. Bring the following to class #4 (in paper
form) and then submit the following project to your
instructor electronically (via attachment)
Title page
• Project log (a one-page diagram/summary of how you
worked through this project as a whole)
• Topic One section: Educational Theory and Practice
• Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the bottom of the page for Topic 1
• Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final expertise for Topic 1
• Topic 1 one-page comparative
essay/chart/graphic showing what you now know
• Topic Two section: Curriculum and
Accountability (academic institutions and training)
• Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the bottom of the page for Topic 1
• Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final expertise for Topic 1
• Topic 1 one-page comparative
essay/chart/graphic showing what you now know
• Topic Three section: Collaboration
• Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the bottom of the page for Topic 1
• Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final expertise for Topic 1
• Topic 1 one-page comparative
essay/chart/graphic showing what you now know
• Topic Four section: Information Literacy
• Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the bottom of the page for Topic 1
• Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final expertise for Topic 1
• Topic 1 one-page comparative
essay/chart/graphic showing what you now know
• A copy of your group's information literacy
model (done in class #1)
• A copy of your own information literacy model (drawn between class #3 and #4)
• A copy of a collaboration form that you would use
with a client (either behaviorist or constructivist) (we
will do this class #3)
• A one-page diagnostician strategy map (done in
class #3)
•Appendicies or your reading notes (do include
full citations.but the notes need not be extensive (these
are for you, not for the instructor so you are not
evaluated on your notes. The instruictor looks for what
you have read and how much you have read and whether the
amount you read justifies your own rating on the various
rubrics)
Please remember that the above is a guideline and
you may feel free to design a product that is more
meaningful to you in your quest to become competent in
the four major topical areas. But clear your project with
your instructor the first month of class.
The
Second Engaging Problem:
Theory vs. Practice:
A Web Quest
The Problem:
You have been asked to make a state-of-the-art
presentation at a national conference of librarians on the
topic: Collaborative Planning and Information Litereracy in
the 21st century. You have promised to speak for 45 minutes
reviewing for the audience advances in collaborative and
Information literacy theory as it is translated into actual
practice in modern educational institutions (or training
programs). Upon reflection, you decide that this
presentation would be better done as a group project. So you
and your group get together and divide up the work and a
couple of weeks before the presentation, you put your
findings together into a coherant presentation.
Your task is to prepare the presentation in groups of
four. You will be divided into groups the second class
period. You should identify yourself with persons who have
similar professional goals - elementary, middle school, or
high school librarians; public librarians; academic
librarians; special librarians.
Tools to use:
Choose or make up an evaluation form you like to
evaluate web quests or other educational
activities/units/professional development modules/etc.
Here are two examples:
Map of an Instructional Unit/Project/Experience
(evaluation form.htm) - Created by
David Loertscher.
Rubric (b62.pdf) for evaluating Web
Quests by Bernie Dodge, revised for the San Diego
Schools
If you want a further introduction to web quests,
Bernie Dodge has a good introduction with examples of
various types at: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html
He also has created a WebQuest about WebQuests for
elementary and middle school teachers at: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestwebquest.html
2nd class period Map and evaluate the following
webquest and inquiry:
Prison:
Punishment or Party? A Webquest
JourneyNorth
Homework before class #2
• Spend two hours looking at information
literacy sites for contrasting approaches to information
literacy:
Library
Research at Cornell: A Hypertext guide
TILT:
Texas Information Literacy Tutorial
Noodle Tools - a
must info lit site (K-12)
Other sites listed in Information Literacy
(Loertscher/Woolls)
• Spend one hour mapping the following units of
instruction using the evaluation form listed above:
Hello
Dolly: A WebQuest
Any two other WebQuests from Bernie Dodge's Page
(click under examples for Quests from K- Adult at:
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html
Balance of Engaging Problem - Discover good sources
for sample units of instruction, short courses, employee
training, professional development modules, etc.
Sources for School Librarians:
• web site: The Gateway to Educational Mateials
(GEM) at http://www.thegateway.org
is a portal created by the National Library of Education
in Washington D.C. and it links to educational resources
Kindergarted through higher education.
• Web site: Discovery School at http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/
boast hundreds of lesson plans for K-12. This site is
sponsored by the Discovery Channel. Check out the puzzle
maker. Cool.
• Web site
(b31.html) Federal curriculum resources gathered by the
U.S. Dept. of Education for the K-12 schools of the
country. Check under "FREE(Federal Resources for
Educational Excellence)"
• Web
site (b32.html) Blue Web'n from PacBell offers K-12
educators scads of units of instruction
• Web
site: Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - zillions
of lesson plans and helps.
• Do a search on "big six" information
literacy in Yahoo and marvel.
• Web
site: The Educator's Guide to Internet Resources.
Created by Intel with scads of lesson plans, tutorials,
web design stuff, etc.
• Web
site: Module Maker by Jamie McKenzie teaches teachers
and library media specialists how to plan together. Can
you use this Module for both behaviorist and
constructivist units?
• Web
site: The Resource Station - Internet Lesson Plans
from Classroom Connect
• Web
site: Lesson Plans from Classroom Connect.
• Web
site: Math TracStar
• Web
site: Math Forum: Arithmetic Lesson Plan Sites
• Web
site: Good News Bears (A Web-based Interactive Stock
Market)
• Web
site: Teachers.Net Lesson Exchange - LESSON PLANS
-...
• web
site: TEACHERS HELPING TEACHERS - a commercial site
with lesson plans.
Sources for Academic Librarians:
• Gradowski, Gail, Sloranne Snavely, and
Paula Dempsey. Designs for Active Learning: A
Sourcebook for Information Eduction. Chicago:
Association of College and Research Libraries, 1998.
(available from ALA). A recent collection of sample units
and ideas for teaching information literacy.
• Library
Research at Cornell: A Hypertext guide and TILT:
Texas Information Literacy Tutorial - already
explored examples of information literacy courses/modules
mounted on the web for students. Please find others.
• web site: The Gateway to Educational Mateials
(GEM) at http://www.thegateway.org
is a portal created by the National Library of Education
in Washington D.C. and it links to educational resources
Kindergarted through higher education.
Special Librarians/ Entreprenurial
Enterprizes:
• Check out expositions held all over the
country such as Siebold Conferences where insturction in
new technologies combined with fairs/demos exist. One
such event in San Francisco costs $2,000 to have a pass
to attend everything or you can buy a half-day training
for a measly $450.
• Ask employees and officers of various large
corporations and professions about their inservice
training, short courses, orientations. There is much now
going on the web, but these are often internal classes
requiring password access.
• There are corporations who consult with large
corporations to create and provide continuing education
courses (Arthur Anderson, Inc.?).
Public Librarians
• Look for examples of staff training for
paraprofessionals
• What about examples of seminars or sessions
conducted for home schoolers?
• Orientation classes for adults on such topics
as use of the Internet or perhaps a tax or investment
seminar. You might stray into programming if any age - if
that programming's objective is educational rather than
pur entertainment.
Looking for Patterns
No matter what you have decided to present to
the class, that presentation should look across examples
you have found in the real world for such things as:
• Style of teaching being done (behaviorist,
constructivist)
• Use of information resources and technology on
beyond texts or manuals (i.e., potential for the library
to contribute those things)
• Likelyhood that a librarian might make some
kind of intervention to increase the likelyhood that the
instructional activity would be more effective.
• Is there any information literacy designed as a
part of the units/couses,? If so, what elements of
information literacy models are covered in the suggested
activities, or is every recommended library activity
involved only in the location of information?
• Considering what the literature you have been
reading describes as "quality" education, do you see this
reflected in published lesson plans, course ourtlines,
student projects, etc.?
• Have you discovered any absolutely outstanding
examples of pedagogy and/or information literacy
examples, that we should know as a class?
Building Your Case
• You may have assigned each other
areas of expertise each member will concentrate on.
(initial brainstorming session)
• You may have made some kind of outline of
characteristics each of you are looking for as you
examine your units/courses. (the evaluation form given
earlier may be the only tool you need to use for
this)
• You will probably need some sort of synthesis
session with the members of your team either on the web
or in person. Each person might report to the group on
patterns found and as patterns across individuals start
to emerge, the content of the presentation will begin to
emerge. You will meet together in the fourth class period
to finalize your plans.
• Decide the format of your presentation and
assign responsibilities during our in-class group
planning period.
Presentations
• Be ready to make your presentations at
class #3 (at the concludion of your group meeting).
• Rather than trying to build the full 45-min.
presentation required in the engaging problem, list
the points that would be covered in that presentation
- that is, you should develop the content of the
PowerPoint Slides without actually doing the siides.
• You will be given 30 minutes at the beginning
of class #3 to finalize your list of points. If each of
the members comes with their own list of points drawn
from their area of expertise, you should be able to
coalesce the lists in the 30 min. It would be helpful if
the day before the 3rd class, each of you emailed your
own list of points to the rest of your group.
Final Point:
• In true constructivist fashion,
the instructor encourages any group to create any
presentation/summation that solves the engaging problem
demonstrating what is the difference between the theories
touted so strongly in the literature and practice as it
seems to be developing in actual
units/modules/courses/web quests, etc.
It's Not Over Yet:
To further extend the possibilities of the
jigsaw technique, you can expect that in class we will do
something to extend and build on the expertise that each
individual and group have developed. We will plan this
extension during class #2 to culminate at class #3 when
we will seek to solve our engaging problem together as a
class.
What is due to the Instructor? The product will be constructed during class three. No individual attachment to the instructor is required.
The
Third Engaging Problem:
Do It
(Due May 15.)
Be sure you have your project approved via email to
the instructor
before you spend a lot of time on it.
Option One: Work with an actual
teacher (client)
You have just been given an opportunity to partner with a teacher/professor/business partner in creating, executing, and evaluating an educational unit/ learning experience. This opportunity will allow you to use the world of information and technology to enhance the learning experience. You will also have the opportunity to incorporate the strategies of information literacy into the experience. You have promised your partner that the experience together will be so remarkably superior to what that person could have done alone, that this experience will be a trend setter - a model of what a creative partnership can accomplish in terms of student learning.
Instructions:
• Bribe one or several partners into
working with you on this project.
• Create with your partner(s) your own engaging
problem for a quality educational experience. You should
design and carry out (if possible) your project. The
project plan must be complete including objectives,
activities, materials, information literacy module,
technologies to be used, and evaluative strategies.
• Design an information literacy component of
each unit. This can be done in two ways - either as one
component of the experience, or using the information
literacy model as the total process model for the
learning experience.
• Do your work and keep a log of the process.
• As a report of the work, create a
project/portfolio of the experience that does two
things:
a. shows the project
b. contains a log of the process
c. reflects upon the project and the process
• Be sure that your project could be shown to a
prospective employer as an example of what you know and
are able to do.
• Note: The instructor prefers that you either
design your project using Blackboard.com or as a
WebQuest, but you can obtain permission to use some other
medium.
Option Two: Work with a partner
in the class
• Create a collaborative team of not more
than three collaborative partners.
• Create together an educational experience for a
target audience such as a LibraryQuest (webquest using
all types of resources), a staff training workshop, a
termpaper workshop, a professional inservice workshop, a
unit of instruction, a home school independent learning
quest, etc. The project plan must be complete including
objectives, activities, materials, information literacy
module, technologies to be used, and evaluative
strategies.
• Design an information literacy component of
each unit. This can be done in two ways - either as one
component of the experience, or using the information
literacy model as the total process model for the
learning experience.
• Do your work and keep a log of the process.
• As a report of the work, create a
project/portfolio of the experience that does two
things:
a. shows the project
b. contains a log of the process
c. reflects upon the project and the process
• Be sure that your project could be shown to a
prospective employer as an example of what you know and
are able to do.
• Note: The instructor prefers that you either
design your project using Blackboard.com or as a
WebQuest, but you can obtain permission to use some other
medium.
Helpful Timeline for All the Modules
| Timeline |
Module One
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Module Two
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Module Three
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Between class 1-2
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·• Reflection point due Sept. 20;
• Draw your concept maps for each of the four topics and rate your expertise;
• Reading Plan to Dr. White due Sept. 20;
• Get a copy of your group’s info lit. model into your files;
• Start reading and taking notes.
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• Map and evaluate the two web quests – Prison and JourneyNorth.
• Spend two hours looking at info lit. sites
• Map Hello Dolly web quest and two others.
• Discover good sources for sample units, short courses, prof. dev. etc.
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• Be thinking about a partner |
| Between class 2-3 |
• Read and take notes;
• Create a list of points for a PowerPoint slide to bring to class #3;
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• Build your case with your group in prep. For class three. You will have a group meeting at the beginning of class for final prep.
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• Schedule planning time with your partner and begin planning.
• Get approval of your topic from Dr. White.
• Keep a log.
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| Between class 3-4 |
• Read and take notes;
• Prepare your Module one to bring to class #4 in paper form;
• Draw your own info lit model and include it in your module one for class;
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· Nothing
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• Do the bulk of the planning with your partner.
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After class 4
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• Assemble your module one for your final log.
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• Prepare BRIEF description of this module for your log.
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• Write up a description of this module for your final log.
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