This document discusses challenges in bridging the gap between how students learn and use technology versus how faculty understand and utilize technology in education. It notes common myths about students as skilled online searchers and effective multi-taskers. While students use technology frequently, they may lack transferable skills and a conceptual understanding of how tools fit into existing knowledge. The document outlines digital divides by demographics and challenges faced by faculty who are not highly trained in educational technology. It proposes strategies like workshops, safe learning spaces, and partnerships to help faculty integrate technology effectively and build students' critical thinking.

1. 2.0 Learning and 1.8 Users:
Bridging the Gap
RUDY LEON & COLLEEN HARRIS

2. Myths
 Skilled online searchers
 Facile with new gizmos
 Always connected
 Effective multi-taskers
 Require constant stimulation
 Must be entertained
 Learn by doing

3. MythBusting
 They do use the stuff
 But in a canned dummy box way
 They don’t have the map – they don’t realize they are
using the stuff
 This means they don’t get transferable skills
 Ramifications for our new services- they don’t fit into student’s
understandings of what they already know

4. Digital Divide
 Stats
 61.8% ownsership
 99% of U.S. schools
 Fault lines
 Race: 65% v 45%
 Class:
 83% (75k+)
 62% (25k-35k)
 31% (<15k)
 Persistent effects

5. Challenges - Faculty
 What Faculty Know (or
don’t)
 Chicken burrito
 Beliefs about students
 They’ll figure it out
 Equipment
 Teaching faculty to fish

6. Challenges – Faculty II
 Faculty not highly trained in teaching
 Hostile to the implication
 Tech training is also Ed Tech training
 Who does it?
 How do we discuss tech as teaching when pedagogy so fraught?

7. Getting Faculty On Board
 Owning our own expertise
 Competitive processes for course development
 Getting out there, making connections
 Faculty attend class instruction
 Leveraging reaccreditation processes

8. Campus – IT
 What They Do
 Scarce Resources
 Kittens and Beer
 Multiple models: Who
trains? Why? Why
librarians?

9. Learning Spaces
 Safe Learning Spaces
 How-to strategies for
engaging
students/faculty
 Workshops
 Making equipment
available
 Actionable assignments
 Partnerships

10. Moving Forward– Learning Spaces
 Safe learning spaces– not just the classroom
 Tech is fun, Libraries are for learning
 Is the tail wagging the dog?
 Critical thinking, mental maps
 “Ripped from the headlines”
 “movie night”
 game night

11. Building the Bridge
 The Myths  Actionables
 Skilled online searchers  Make our services meet our
 Facile with new gizmos fears
 Always connected  Gadgets support learning
 Effective multi-taskers  We decide what must be
 Require constant stimulation  Space and structure for play
 Must be entertained  More skepticism
 Learn by doing

12. Questions/Comments
Colleen S. Harris Rudy Leon
Reference & Instruction Librarian Learning Commons Librarian
Univ. of Tennessee at Chattanooga Univ. of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Colleen-Harris@utc.edu rudyleon@illinois.edu
(warmaiden in 2.0-Land) Rudibrarian most places in 2.0-land)