When Assignment Timing Doesn’t Line Up: Creating Instruction Activities for First-Year Students Alex Deeke, Jennifer Saulnier and Teagan Eastman

Introduction Alex Deeke 2nd year Research and Information Services Graduate Assistant Jen Saulnier 2nd year Undergraduate Library Graduate Assistant Teagan Eastman 2nd year Undergraduate Library Graduate Assistant

Background Part of a course-integrated instruction program at the Undergraduate Library Composition I classes taught: RHET Writing and Research CMN 101- Public Speaking CMN 111/112 - Oral and Written Communication ESL 112/115 - Academic Writing Overwhelmingly first-year students

Observations Student engagement depends on timing of the library instruction session in relation to course assignments Engagement improves when students are already beginning to work on research assignment Noticeable increase in student engagement from 2014/15 to 2015/16 due to the addition of activity built around using Google Provides additional relevance to instruction session

First-Year Student Information Seeking Behavior Lack of formalized information instruction in high school Difficulty applying high school habits to college research needs Highly confident in information-seeking habits “Good enough”

First-Year Student Information Seeking Behavior Highly dependent on the Internet Heavily reliant on Google Unfamiliar with concept of the Deep Web Select sources based on information need rather than evaluate for credibility What information seeking habits have you observed?

Constructivist Learning Theory Google/Web/Search Engines are primary starting and ending point for student research How many of you visit Google first when you’re looking for information? Use Google to build upon student knowledge and experience to start conversations about academic research and evaluation Not as an example of a poor source, but as a gateway to discussion Relevancy We accept the culture they live in

Timing of Class Assignments When students do not have a research assignment at time of library instruction session, they are not engaged Relevance / Practicality Motivation / Confidence

Timing of Class Assignments Stage Four: Formulation Kuhlthau, Carol. "Information Search Process."

Connection to Framework Authority is constructed and contextual Elements of credibility Asking critical questions Research as inquiry Maintain an open mind and a critical stance Information Creation as a Process Knowing how information is created

Google vs. Database Search Activity Group activity Students evaluate sources from both Google and databases Critical thinking skills Link: *Activity adapted from the Undergraduate Library

Discussion What has your experience been with students’ search strategies? Does anyone have activities similar to this? How did they work? Questions? Comments?

Wrap-Up First-year students have a wealth of information seeking experience Underdeveloped evaluation skills Library instruction sessions lack relevancy for students when course assignments are not timed with the session Flexible library instruction activities that tie into students’ prior knowledge or information seeking behavior increases student learning

References Colon-Aguirre, M. and R.A. Fleming-May. “‘You Just Type In What You Are Looking For’: Undergraduates’ Use of Library Resourcesvs. Wikipedia.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 38.6 (2012): Connaway, L.S., T. J. Dickey, and M.L. Radford. “‘If It Is Too Inconvenient I’m Not Going After It’: Convenience as a Critical Factor In Information-Seeking Behaviors.” Library and Information Science Research 33.3 (2011): Daland, Hilde Terese. "Just in Case, Just in Time, or Just Don't Bother..? Assessment of One-shot Library Instruction with Follow-up Workshops." Liber Quarterly: The Journal Of European Research Libraries 24.3 (2015): Detlor, B., A. Serenko, and H. Julien. “Student Perceptions of Information Literacy Instruction: The Importance of Active Learning.” Education for Information 29 (2012): Kuhlthau, Carol Collier. Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, McDonough, Beth. “Beyond Tools and Skills.” In Not Just Where to Click: Teaching Students How to Think About Information, edited by Troy A. Swanson and Heather Jagman, Chicago: ACRL, 2015.

References Nicholas, D., P. Williams, P. Huntington, M. Fieldhouse, B. Gunter, R. Withey, and C. Tenopir. “The Google Generation: The Information Behavior of the Research of the Future.” ASLIB Proceedings 60.4 (2008): Nichols, J., and M. Mellinger. “Portals For Undergraduate Subject Searching: Are They Worth It?” Libraries and the Academy, 7.4 (2007): Rempel, Jennifer and Danielle M. Cossarini. "Communicating The Relevance Of The Library In The Age Of Google: Improving Undergraduate Research Skills And Information Literacy Through New Models Of Library Instruction." Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in High Education 5.1 (2013): Olson, Whiney M. and Anne R. Diekema. “‘I Just Wikipedia It’: Information-Seeking Behavior of First-Year Writing Students.” Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 49 (2012): Varlejs, Jana, Eileen Stec, and Hannah Kwon. "Factors Affecting Students' Information Literacy as They Transition from High School to College." School Library Research 17 (2014): 1-23.