Librarians’ Information Literacy Annual Conference (LILAC). Limerick, Ireland, March 30, 2010.

1. Instructional Design for the Active:
Employing interactive technologies
and active learning exercises to
enhance library instruction
Anthony Holderied
Instructional Services Librarian
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

2.  Student Response Systems (Clickers)
 Interactive Whiteboards (SMARTboard)
 Wireless Slates/Document Cameras
Interactive Technologies

3.  Active Learning is a pedagogical approach
derived from Constructivism
 Can be referred to as problem-based
learning, experiential learning, discovery
learning, or cooperative learning
 Emphasis on students’ involvement in their
own learning process (learner centered)
 Accommodates a variety of learning styles
What is Active Learning?

4. Popularized by Bonwell and Eison (1991)
AL strategies share common characteristics:
5. Move beyond passive learning (multi-direction)
6. More emphasis placed on development of skill
7. Higher order thinking – Analyzing, Synthesizing,
and Evaluation
8. Students are involved in activities like reading,
discussion, writing, and hands-on
9. Exploration of affective learning
Characteristics of Active Learning

5. What about clickers?
Also referred to as…
 Student Response
System
 Audience Response
System
 Personal Response
System

6. 3 Key Active Learning Characteristics
 Actively engage students during the entire
class period (anonymous participation)
 Gauge level of understanding for the
content being presented
 Provide prompt feedback to student
responses and questions
Active learning with clickers

7. ENG 1060 Research Experiment
 Aimed to determine any increase in learning
outcomes
 Seven classes using clickers vs. eight classes using
traditional teaching methods
 Learning outcomes gauged by pre-test/post-test
 Affective learning outcomes via open-ended/likert
 Results showed differences in both cognitive and
affective learning
Clickers in our classroom…

8. Learning Objectives
ACRL Information Literacy Standards:
-1.2.b, 1.2.d
-2.1.d, 2.2.b, 2.2.d, 2.4.c, 2.5
-3.7, 3.7.a, 3.7.b, 3.7.c
Which essentially means…
Clickers in our classroom…

9. Learning Objectives (cont.)
We wanted our students to be able to:
 Create effective search strategies
 Use basic database functions
 Properly identify citations
 Revise searches (narrow,broaden)
 Manage extracted information
Clickers in our classroom…

10. Session Design
c Paper-based pre-test
t Question relating to background/experience
g Keywords, Boolean Operators, Truncation
n Organization of academic information (choose databases)
a Question relating to item 3/discuss
g Database search demonstration (10 min.)
d Parts of a citation
i Question relating to item 6/discuss
g Managing citations
n Paper-based post-test
Clickers in our classroom…

11. Test Results Traditional (117) Clicker (117)
Pre-test Score 63.33 mean 67.26 mean
Post-test Score 77.94 mean 85.89 mean
Differential 14.61 mean 18.63 mean
Overall 4.02 mean
Results of Pre-test/Post-test

12. Test Results Traditional (117) Clickers (117)
How much did you enjoy
today’s session?
3.62 mean 3.79 mean
How engaged did you feel
during today’s session?
3.68 mean 3.82 mean
Did you prefer using clickers
over traditional classroom
4.15 mean
lecture?
Have you used clickers in
class at UNCP before?
Yes = 37, No = 80
Not at all = 1 Very much so = 5
Affective Learning Questions

13. Compilation from three separate sources:
3.Keep slides short for easier legibility
4.Keep number of answer options to five
5.Do not make questions overly complex
6.Keep response options simple
7.Allow sufficient time for answering
8.Allow time for discussion between ?’s
9.Encourage active discussion w/ students
10.Save questions for key points
11.Position questions through periodic intervals
Best practices using clickers

14. Compilation from three separate sources:
3.Include an ‘answer now’ prompt on slides
4.Use a ‘correct answer’ indicator
5.Use a countdown timer
6.Test the system in a proposed location
7.Allow time to get set up
8.Rehearse presentation to avoid snags
9.Provide clear instructions to the audience
10.Do not ‘overuse’ clicker system
Best practices (cont.)

15. Good clicker questions should:
 Address a specific learning goal, skill, or
reinforce a specific belief about learning
 Assess students background, knowledge or
beliefs
 Make students aware of others’ views
 Locate misconceptions and confusion
 Distinguish between related ideas
 Show connections between ideas
 Explore or apply ideas in a new context
Good clicker questions

16. What works best:
 Session design must be planned out thoroughly
 Technology issues WILL ARISE (just be prepared)
 Give brief instruction on use of clickers
 Questions should address key concepts (boolean)
Final impression of clickers

17. “An interactive whiteboard is a touch-
sensitive screen that works in conjunction
with a computer and a projector. The first
interactive whiteboard was manufactured
by SMART Technologies Inc. in 1991. “
What are Interactive
Whiteboards?

18. Observations:
 Whiteboards appeal to both intrinsically
and extrinsically motivated students
 Many learning styles can be addressed
(visual, kinesthetic, hearing-impaired,
visually-impaired)
 Increases retention – students are more
focused on learning in the moment, and
not note taking
What the research says

19.  Manipulating text and images
 Taking notes in digital ink
 Viewing websites as a class
 Creating digital lesson activities
 Showing and editing notes over videos
 Using built-in presentation tools
 Showcase student presentation
 Archive lessons with screen recording
 Student-led teaching
Active Learning Activities
with Whiteboards…

20.  Primarily used with freshmen
 Used to promote engagement and
understanding of “The Five W’s”
WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY
SMARTBoards in our classroom

21. Who? http://web.mit.edu/humancostiraq/

22. What?

23. Where? http://www.martinlutherking.org/

24. Why?

25.  Students brainstorm Other uses…
lists of keywords
 Students demonstrate
and annotate
database searches
 Students put citation
parts in order
 Record an instruction
session on-screen for
later viewing

26.  Raised overall enthusiasm for content
 Promotes interaction and allows multi-
directional communication
 Allows students to participate in peer
teaching
 Can accomodate multiple learning styles
 The existing research confirms
whiteboards are a good gauge of
measuring affective learning, but little
evidence to support cognitive learning
General Findings…

27. Wireless Slates and Document Cameras
Finally…

28. Management 3090
 Familiarize students with differences
between trade/scholarly
 Promote in-class participation
 Stimulate group interaction
Use in the classroom

29. Session Design
 Lecture/discussion using doc camera
 Class activity using wireless slates
 Demonstration of business databases
 Individual hands-on searching
Use in the classroom

38. Assessment
Five question survey
 Characteristics (92%)
 Audience (67%)
 Citation information (50%)
 Appropriate database (83%)
 Confidence (All but one)
Use in the classroom (cont.)

39. Questions about…
Active learning?
Technologies?
Thank you!