No More MOOCs

Jack, Gordon

Levinson, M. (2014, March 4). No More MOOCs: Pay Attention to Beyonce. Edutopia. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/no-moocs-learn-from-beyonce-matt-levinson?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&clReload=7844bd28

Summary

In this article, Levinson makes the analogy between changes in the music industry with changes in education.  Just as listeners are buying singles rather than a whole album, Levinson recommends that educators allow students to assemble pieces of information themselves instead of taking an entire course.  He states the weak completion rates of online MOOCs as evidence that today’s student doesn’t want an “album” of curriculum.  Instead, more and more learners are gravitating to YouTube to select the “singles” of content they are most interested in.

The article suggests that educators take note of this phenomenon and crowdsource their course content.  “When the learning experience is constructed for students to find problems, generate questions and devise solutions to authentic challenges,” Levinson writes, “then the need surfaces for students to seek information.”  Levinson quotes Dr. Mark David Milliron who suggests that educators “turn students loose” on a topic and let them gather all the material they can from any source they can and then share the resources they used.  From there, the teacher can “create customized playlists for units of study.”

Evaluation

I don’t quite buy Levinson’s music analogy to education.  Some of the best music on an album isn’t always the hit singles, just as some of the most important information isn’t the kind students will easily find.  Also, sometimes a song needs to be heard in the context of the entire album to appreciate its value, just as parts of class only become significant in light of the other information presented in the course.  Still, I appreciate his suggestions for making learning more meaningful to students by engaging them with compelling topics and questions and allowing students’ curiosity to drive their information seeking behavior.  I think this is a great way to hook kids, present a variety of content, and make learning more relevant.  From there, the teacher needs to help organize this information to give it some coherence and meaning.

Library Website Redesign Process

Jack, Gordon

Becker, D., & Yannotta, L. (2013). Modeling a Library Website Redesign Process: Developing a User-Centered Website Through Usability Testing. Information Technology & Libraries, 32(1), 6-22.  Retrieved from: http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofm&AN=89093592&site=ehost-live

Summary

Most library users begin their information search using search engines rather than library websites.  In an attempt to drive more users to their Hunter College Library site, Becker and Yannotta redesigned their website with the following goals in mind:  

1. Users should be able to locate high-level information within three clicks
2. Eliminate library jargon from navigational system using concise language
3. Improve readability of site
4. Design a visually appealing site
5. Create a site that was easily changeable and expandable
6. Market the libraries services and resources through the site

The authors describe their redesign process and place emphasis on the importance of small, iterative user focus groups to provide feedback.  In the study, the authors observed users “thinking aloud” as they performed the following tasks on their site:

1. Find a book using online library catalog
2. Find library hours
3. Get help from a librarian using QuestionPoint
4. Find a journal article
5. Find a reference article
6. Find journals by title
7. Find circulation policies
8. Find books on reserve
9. Find magazines by title
10. Find the library staff contact information
11. Find contact information for the branch libraries

By following user feedback, the authors were able to redesign the library website to increase users ability to successfully complete all areas listed above.

Evaluation

I found this article helpful in describing a process for library website redesign.  As we try to make our sites adhere to the Virtual Learning Commons template, it is important to beta test these changes with our users to ensure they help them find the information they need.  Simplicity, both in language and in design, seems critical here.  Excessive graphics, while visually appealing, may slow down page download times.  Library terminology (e.g. “LibGuides” instead of “Research Guides”) also seem to make it harder for users to find information quickly and easily. 

Enacting Equity and Social Justice in Our Libraries

Keith, E.K.

IL

 Martin, R., McCann, H., Morales, M., & Williams, S. (2013). White Screen/White Noise: Racism and the Internet. Urban Library Journal, 19(1), 1-12. Retrieved from: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=7&sid=4b873570-1fef-4067-881d-aaa130e04897%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=llf&AN=93739851

Summary:

This article examines the power of the Internet to spread information and issues of racism and censorship. Several significant examples illustrate the problem of the perpetuation of racist attitudes, speech, and imagery on the internet. The article also explores the librarian’s role to counteract racist messages and how critical race consciousness can improve library services in person and online. 

One significant example that was most compelling explained a problem that I personally had while trying to research teen interest magazines for Latina and African American girls to purchase for my library. The problem I had was that on school computers, any time I entered either of the above-mentioned terms for a search with “girl” or “teen,” the filter blocked access. The article references the same process as an experiment conducted by a teacher with her students to demonstrate how the Internet perpetuates the hypersexualization of Latina and African American girls across media formats. 

Another example was the posting of photographs by a white supremacist group intended to malign Trayvon Martin’s character and reputation after his murder. The photographs were then re-posted by major news outlets. The failure to check facts or question sources demonstrates the casual reinforcement of racial stereotypes that is a click away.

Lack of moderation of posted comments is another significant example of hate speech that is perpetuated on the Internet. Several more examples are given to show the use of the Internet as a tool of oppression to clearly explain this problem from the perspective of the user.

For librarians, there are contributing problems. The article notes a lack of open discourse about racism in LIS programs with a preference for use of less controversial terms, multiculturalism and diversity. In addition, many programs lack courses that directly address issues of racism, oppression, and privilege. 

This article explores in detail the courses of action that librarians can take to preserve the free access to information and to protect and educate young people who are vulnerable to overt and subtle racist messages on the Internet. The authors focus on solutions, recognizing the power of the Internet and Web 2.0 tools for learning. They also reiterate that learning in any environment cannot be separated from cultural norms, so it is the responsibility of the librarian to directly challenge those norms that are oppressive. Here is a list of their suggestions for librarians.

• ·         Acquire and teach digital literacy, along with the new skills that separate it from traditional information literacy

• ·         Use critical race consciousness as another tool to evaluate online resources

• ·         Become more aware of exclusive language and subtle racist messages on the Internet through anti-racist training

• ·         Use and promote the Internet with users as a tool for equity and social justice (for example, http://www.communitychangeinc.org/content/civil-rights-movement-oral-histories-personal-accounts).

• ·         Make collection decisions around needs of users

• ·         Teach users (especially young people) to critically evaluate web resources past superficial checklist levels

§  A domain that ends in .org does not necessarily mean it is reliable

§  Recognize bias and how it influences the understanding of information, both positively and negatively

§  Search engine rankings indicate nothing about the reliability of a website or its relevance to a search

I highly recommend reading this article for librarians who serve young people of color and have a deep concern for enacting equity and social justice in their libraries.

Optimizing Our Teaching: Hybrid Mode of Instruction

Usova, T. (2011). Optimizing our teaching: Hybrid mode of instruction. Partnership: The Canadian Journal Of Library & Information Practice & Research, 6(2), 1-12. Retrieved from: http://libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=72397754&site=ehost-live

Tatiana Usova's article discusses the importance of blended learning experiences and uses the

Bibliothèque Saint-Jean, University of Alberta as an example of implementation. Usova describes how hybrid teaching positively affects education and includes detailed steps to create and implement a hybrid course in a library.

Applying Constructivism in Instructivist Learning Cultures

Porcaro, D. (2011). Applying constructivism in instructivist learning cultures. Multicultural Education & Technology Journal, 5(1), 39-54. Retrieved from: http://library.calstate.edu/sanjose/metasearch/record?group=2014-02-24-002388&resultSet=046983&startRecord=2

In this paper, David Porcaro discusses the value of constructivist teaching techniques. He uses literary reviews to support his idea that constructivist strategies are more effective in the classroom and are able to help strengthen the student-teacher relationship. Porcaro also uses evidence from other educational theory scholars to describe the differences between constructivist and instructivist teaching. He includes information about how to handle difficulties with implementing new techniques and how cultural differences may impact the transitional process. The most beneficial aspects of this article are the table that outlines the major differences and the concept map that provides a "framework for introducing innovative pedagogies" (Porcaro p. 45). 

Kindles in Classrooms

Anusasananan, Chalida

IL

Rudd, L. L. (2013, March). The Kindle goes to high school. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar13/vol70/num06/The-Kindle-Goes-to-High-School.aspx

Rudd discusses the implementation of 75 Kindles among 16 teachers at a high school in Ohio. Some of the benefits included reluctant readers reading entire books for the first time and not feeling embarrassed about reading books with a low lexile number or larger font size because of the privacy the Kindle offers. Additionally, teachers downloaded articles on Kindles to save having to make millions of copies. The students still had trouble with the Kindles as they were used to touch technology. Teachers also complained about the amount of time it took to download materials and the money required to purchase high-interest texts for students. Yet, overall, teachers believed they were able to reach students who were adept to 21st technology.

As the recipient of 8 Kindles for the school library, I found this article helpful.

Ravitch and the Common Core

Anusasananan, Chalida

CA

Strauss, V. (2014, January 18). Everything you need to know about the Common 
     Core--Ravitch. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from 
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/18/      everything-you-need-to-know-about-common-core-ravitch/ 

Diane Ravitch contextualizes the origins of the Common Core standards and discusses her major objections to them which include: 1) they were not created by educators but rather the testing industry, 2) they were not field-tested to see if the standards widened the achievement gap; in fact, only 30% of students pass and 3) they are not malleable; there is no way for educators to adjust the standards and no revision committee.  Ravitch is well-versed in education and this speech is even a turn from her book The Death and Life of the Great American School System (2011).  

While the Common Core is the reality now in public schools, Ravitch reminds us how they are flawed and gives us fodder for thought in this testing-crazed world.  For librarians, her speech is a push for us to offer and advocated for authentic research opportunities and real learning experiences to young people.