Course Materials: Email Archives
Start at the Course Home Page. Explore the Course Materials section to read the Syllabus, explore the Calendar, Requirements and Checklist, or access the Course Guide. When you're ready to begin, work your way through the sections of the course shown on the left.
Questions? Contact Annette Lamb.
Class Email Archives
If you didn't get the email below, it means that you need to check the SPAM in your email server. I sent this email using the email you gave me or your IUPUI address. Contact me and we can re-check our connection to be sure you get these messages.
Update: Final Note
I enjoyed having you in e-class this semester. For those of you not graduating, I hope to e-see you in another class in the future.
You should have received an email with your final grade or a note with requests for more information. If you didn't get this, let me know.
FINAL WORDS
I hope you've enjoyed this course. Course development and teaching are my favorite part of being a university professor. As you develop materials, consider an open-access approach. As librarians and educators, it's important to share our experiences and resources with others. For the past 20+ years, I've been sharing my instructional materials online. I'm hoping that the work I invest will be enjoyed by my graduate students as well as others who might wader onto my website. It's feels good to know that others can benefit through my work. Remember, you can come back and visit these online materials at any point in the future.
EVALUATION
Be sure to complete the online course evaluation.
Go to https://soic.iupui.edu/app/course-eval/index.php
Update: April 30
Only a couple days left!
DUE
Instruction 2 assignment is due Friday May 2.
There's no reply requirement for Instruction 2.
Friday May 2 is also "Procrastinator's Last Day." In other words, if you have anything to turn in for a grade, you need to get it in by Friday! If you run into trouble with this due date, please email me ASAP to make other arrangements.
INSTRUCTION 2 IDEAS
I DO NOT need to see your ENTIRE instructional experience. Instead, please provide a representative clip or series of clips that reflect the experience. All I need is 5-10 minutes total.
PASEO 6 DEBRIEFING
You're done with Paseo assignments!
I know it's the end of the semester, but take some time to explore the work of your peers. Conducting interviews is a great way for an instructor to collect ideas and information about teaching. It's also a wonderful way to find out what's happening right now in libraries. However it's also important to think about the future. What type of teaching environment do you envision in the future? How will you work your way toward that future?
When I started teaching, microcomputers were just being introduced. Instructors are ALWAYS learning new things. My teaching moved from paper and pencil to microcomputers, to laptops, to the web, and beyond over the past few decades!
Many of you chose to do "your own thing" for this assignment. It was fun to reflect on earlier topics and the end of the course.
EVALUATION
Be sure to complete the online course evaluation.
Go to https://soic.iupui.edu/app/course-eval/index.php
Update: Apri 28
We're almost done!
DUE
Paseo 6 reply is due Monday April 28.
Instruction 2 assignment is due Friday May 2.
There's no reply requirement for Instruction 2.
Friday May 2 is also "Procrastinator's Last Day." In other words, if you have anything to turn in for a grade, you need to get it in by Friday!
EVALUATION
Be sure to complete the online course evaluation.
Go to https://soic.iupui.edu/app/course-eval/index.php
Update: April 21
It’s time to start thinking about spring gardening. Or in my case, friends with spring gardens and our local farmer’s market!
READ
No more readings. Whee!
DUE
Paseo 6 posting is due Monday April 21.
Paseo 6 reply is due Monday April 28.
Instruction 2 assignment is due Friday May 2.
There's no reply requirement for Instruction 2.
INSTRUCTION 1 DEBRIEFING
Overall everyone did a great job with designing an instructional experience. We had a wide range of approaches. Remember that the key to quality instruction is matching learning needs with clearly stated objectives and assessments. Learning materials need to be motivating, informational, example-rich, and engaging.
A few students are still having trouble with objectives. Remember that an objective should NOT focus on instruction. Instead, it should stress what you want your learners to be able to do AFTER instruction. If you come back a few months later, what do you expect the learner to be able to do?
Most students are focusing on traditional information literacy skills such as database searching or study skills. However, keep in mind that there are many other applications of instructional design in libraries. If you get the chance, check out Carrie Watson’s instructional materials aimed at her library quilting project.
Update: April 14
It’s beautiful out here in Utah. I hope you’re having a wonderful Spring!
READINGS
Most of the issues discussed this week will deal with concerns associated with electronic materials for children and young adults. If you're accustomed to working with adults, it's important to think of the unique needs of children and young adults related to electronic materials.
Issues such as plagiarism must be explored within the context of copyright, citing sources, and understanding the writing process. Topics such as filtering and acceptable use must be addressed while discussing intellectual freedom, the right to read, and teaching children and young adults to be responsible users of electronic technology.
In other words, it's important not to view issues in isolation. Instead, consider all of the perspectives along with the unique needs of young people.
Read Management Issues at http://eduscapes.com/electronic/18.htm
DUE
Post Spark 6 Reply. It’s due Monday April 14.
Work on Spark 7. It’s due Monday April 21.
PROJECT 3 - WEBQUEST
It's time for your third project. It won't be due for a while, but it's a good idea to get started early so you have some time to think and explore.
A WebQuest is an inquiry-based approach to information exploration or learning. It should be child centered. In other words, it should be written FOR the child and/or young adult audience, NOT for the teacher or adult. However, you may want to create an "adult" section at the end that contains notes or resources for the teacher, parent, or other adult.
You may wonder about the relationship between a Pathfinder and a WebQuest. A pathfinder can easily become the "RESOURCES" section of a WebQuest. A WebQuest provides the CONTEXT for an inquiry-based activity involving a motivating scenario and/or task, steps or processes to address the problem, web-based resources, guidance and ideas for young people, and an evaluation or reflection.
Although WebQuest began in education with topics such as social issues, literature-web resources connections, and history/science topics, they DO NOT need to be education-centered.
Those of you interested in public library work might want to do something that relates to a library promotion or activity for children or young adults. You can "tweak" the requirements to fit your needs. For example, rather than "evaluation" you might have "things to consider" or "reflective questions". Public library WebQuests sometimes focus on topics such as career exploration, finding a job, or other work or leisure activities such as gardening or cooking. Also think about WebQuests related to nonprofits or clubs such as a 4H project, gaming, sports, science fair, art fair, or nature project.
Update: April 7
Welcome to Spring. The semester is flying.
READ
Let's explore partnerships and programs. Librarians don't work in isolation. Cooperation, collaboration, and partnerships are essential. Increasingly, librarians are embedding themselves in university and k-12 classrooms and the community. How will you connect with your community of learners?
Read Partnerships and Programs at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/14.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Instruction 1 assignment is due Monday April 7.
Instruction 1 reply is due Monday April 14.
Paseo 6 posting is due Monday April 21.
PASEO DEBRIEFING
It looks like everyone has a great handle on developing and adapting lessons. In the "real world," time for planning is limited. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel. There are lots of great teaching materials available on the Internet that can easily be adapted to fit your needs. You all did a great job developing efficient, efficient, and appealing learning experiences!
MY SUMMER AND FALL 2014 COURSES
I hope to e-see you in another course this summer or fall.
I’ll be teaching S401 Computer-based Information Tools in both Summer and Fall semesters. If you haven’t taken it yet, please enroll immediately. New students are required to take it their first semester.
If we get enough students to request the course, I’ll also be teaching S672 Seminar in Literature for Youth in the Fall. Email Rachel Applegate if you’d like to see this course offered in the Fall.
Summer and Fall 2014
S571 Materials for Youth
Instructor: Annette Lamb
http://eduscapes.com/materials (will be available May 1)
Summer is a time for enjoying a good book in a hammock with a glass of lemonade. From whimsical picture books to serious works for young adults, Materials for Youth explores the broad spectrum of books, magazines, and media available for children and young adults. This three-hour course focuses on the evaluation and use of materials for children and young adults including books, magazine, and media. Come join the summer fun!
Fall 2014
S557 Marketing for Libraries
Instructor: Annette Lamb
http://eduscapes.com/marketing
(This course was previously offered under the S604 number)
Marketing is much more than creating attractive displays and updating your Facebook status, it's about meeting the needs of individuals and groups. If library users aren't aware of your resources and services, they're unlikely to visit your physical or virtual library. If they've had a bad experience in the past, they may be sharing this negativity with their friends and colleagues. Marketing is about understanding the needs and interests of current and potential users, reaching those individuals with quality resources and services, and evaluating the experience so adjustments can be made to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal.
This three-credit hour graduate course focuses on the application of marketing concepts, techniques, and technologies for all library types. Emphasis is on matching library customers with services through information, education, persuasion, and partnerships. Topics include planning, audience analysis, needs assessment, market analysis, goal-setting, message design, public relations, publicity, promotion, advocacy, assessment and evaluation, internal and external communication, and change theory.
What do people want and need from a library? What services can your library provide? How can services be connected with the needs of current and potential library users? Regardless of whether you're interested in academic, school, public, and/or other special library settings, this course will expand your thinking about the essential role of marketing.
Join me for this 100% online course in Fall 2014 for the most important and practical elective of your graduate program.
Update: March 31
I hope you're enjoying some spring weather.
READ
Let's explore evaluation. You'll use formative evaluation techniques to identify problems in your instruction that need to be corrected or revised. From typos to problems with timing, formative evaluation is essential to ensure that your materials are effective, efficient, and appealing.
Read Evaluation at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/13.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Paseo 5 reply is due Monday March 31.
Instruction 1 assignment is due Monday April 7
Instruction 1 reply is due Monday April 14.
INSTRUCTION 1
Be sure to read the guidelines for Instruction 1 carefully. I'm happy to help if you have questions.
Update: March 24
Welcome back from break. I hope you had a chance for a little relaxation. Our weather has been beautiful!
READ
Let's explore technologies for instruction. Audience response systems, audio and video tools, blogging tools, presentation tools, and resources for mobile devices are all parts of today's instruction. Think about your audience and their access to technology. What are they most likely to embrace and use?
Read Technologies at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/12.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Paseo 5 posting is due Monday March 24.
Paseo 5 reply is due Monday March 31.
Instruction 1 assignment is due Monday April 7.
SUGGESTION
Although they’re not due for a few weeks, you should be thinking about Instruction 1 and Instruction 2 assignments now! These are worth 20 point each, so a total of 40% of your grade.
Update: Spring Break
It's Spring Break!
No new readings and nothing is due. Whee!
I know most of you won't get to enjoy any time off during Spring Break. However, at least stop for a few minutes to take a breathe before jumping into the rest of the semester.
I’ll be catching up on work this week, so I’ll be around if you need me.
FUTURE
Paseo 5 posting is due Monday March 24.
Paseo 5 reply is due Monday March 31.
PASEO 4 DEBRIEFING
I know many of you weren't confidence in completing this assignment, but you did a great job.
The key to quality instruction is simply matching the learning objective with the assessment and instructional activities. It may seem simple, but you'd be surprised how many instructors forget that what you want students to learn needs to match what you teach and what you test.
Quality objectives will help guide your instruction. Wishy-washy phrases like "appreciate the importance of citations" or "know about note-taking" aren't helpful. Break down your lesson into pieces focusing on specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions. You may need multiple objectives within a single lesson.
Before students can "appreciate" citations, they need to be able to "identify reasons why researchers use citations" and "create a citation containing the required elements". These specific skills will lead you to quality instruction and effective assessments.
Also, be sure you include the ABCDs. A few of you skipped a couple elements. Keep in mind that the conditions need to be connected to demonstrating the skill rather than teaching. You might provide students with a database to search or a web evaluation checklist as a condition of the objective.
It’s important to try the assessment yourself. Apply the rubric or checklist to your work. Is it possible to complete the assessment without reaching the objective? If so, you need to revisit your assessment.
I’m sure that some of you are thinking that I’m being way too picky about this objective-assessment-activity match. However, this is the KEY to instruction. If you don’t know what performance you expect from students or how to evaluate it, you can’t design effective instruction and your students will fail to perform.
Update: March 10
Developing instructional materials can be lots of fun. I hope you’re enjoying the course so far!
A couple people reported a problem with the Instructional Strategies video from last week. I thought I had it fixed. If you try it and have a problem, please let me know.
READ
Let's explore instructional methods. We're entering the fun part of instructional design. As an instructor or presenter, it's your job to creating engaging environments for learning. From powerful presentations to stimulating case studies and fun games, think of meaningful methods of presenting content and actively involving learners.
Remember, the key to producing effective materials is the use of examples and non-examples. For instance, library users need to know what are (as well as what aren’t) effective approaches to searching a databases.
Read Instructional Methods at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/11.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Paseo 4 reply is due Monday March 10.
Paseo 5 posting is due Monday March 24.
Paseo 5 reply is due Monday March 31.
Update: March 3
The semester seems to be flying. I hope you're having a great time learning!
READ
Let's explore instructional strategy. This is the fun part of teaching and learning. Whether you're teaching a 20 minute lesson or all-day workshop, you need to think about your strategy for gaining and maintaining the interest of learners, providing quality information to reach diverse thinkers, getting students involved and participating in the content, and ending with activities that reflect on the experience and get learners to think about real-world applications of what they've learned.
Why reinvent the wheel? There are many sources for existing lesson plans, tutorials, and teaching resources. When you use or adapt materials found online, be sure to provide credit for the original sources. This is a good time to go back to the Information & Instruction page from earlier in the semester and explore existing materials. Go to http://eduscapes.com/instruction/2.htm
In this section of the course, I've tried to provide two examples: one related to libraries and another related to health/medical topics. This way you can see how the strategies can be applied in different disciplines.
Read Instructional Strategy at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/10.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
TEACHING vs LEARNING
We need to step back from our assignments for a minute that think about the difference between teaching and learning. The most common problem that new instructors have is thinking about "what they are going to teach" rather than thinking about "what approaches and strategies will help students learn". It’s a small but significant difference. A good teacher is constantly thinking from the perspective of the learner.
Instructional materials need to be developed from the perspective of the learner. Put yourself in the place of a person hearing the words “Boolean logic” for the first time or a user seeing the database login screen for the first time. It’s harder than you think. What scaffolds would be most useful in helping “you” learn the skill?
What EXACTLY do you want your user to be able to do when they finish your video tutorial or complete your worksheet? It’s not the worksheet itself, but the thinking required of students to complete the worksheet that is of interest to you as an instructional designer.
Pick instructional methods, strategies, and approaches that best fit what you want users to be able to do when they are finished. What scaffolding provides the best framework to assist the learner in building the skill? What do people actually do and think when they conduct a search? Break the process down into very small pieces. A scaffold should provide enough information that it supports new users without providing so much help that users aren’t really doing it on their own.
DUE
Paseo 4 posting is due Monday March 3.
Paseo 4 reply is due Monday March 10.
Paseo 5 posting is due Monday March 24.
PASEO 3 DEBRIEFING
I enjoyed grading your blogs. What a wonderful variety of topics and models. The blog format works well for an assignment for people of all ages. It's particularly fun when small groups are formed and peers comment on the inquiry of others during the process. Since this was a quick assignment, we didn't have the time to add this "interactive" feature.
A number of people talked about the value of a recursive model. I agree! Real-world inquiry isn't linear. Sometimes you need to go back and revise your questions or revisit resources during the process. Students need to be aware of the ups and downs of the process.
I know that you could do much the same thing with a word processor. This type of traditional journaling can be useful, but I really wanted you to experience the power of the blogging technology. It's easy to add images, audio, and even video to an online blog. The addition of the online commenting feature can be very powerful.
A few people chose the instructional analysis option. Analyzing your audience, writing instructional goals, and creating an instructional analysis are all essential parts of instructional design that are often overlooked. The more detailed you get in identifying skills and subordinate skills or procedures in a process, the better you'll be able to provide specific, focused instruction for your learners.
Update: February 24
It's feeling like Spring here in Utah, but I have a feeling winter isn't over yet!
READ
Let's explore instructional theory. What is instruction and how can librarians be effective facilitators of learning? Good instructors are facilitators of student thinking. They use specific strategies to encourage their learners to formulate questions, interpret information, organize ideas, and reflect on their thinking. Your job is to be a catalyst, connector, coach, caregiver, and communicator in this process.
There are many theories of instruction. Although there's no perfect approach, there are "best practices" you can apply to make your instruction more effective. Select those approaches that match with your professional situation, learning environment, and teaching style. Keep in mind that teaching and learning are connected. The key to quality instruction is understanding the needs of each student and providing the types of examples and opportunities to practice that learners need.
The more skilled library users become, the more flexibility you can provide for these learners. For instance in this graduate course, I assume that you come to this class with a wide range of skills and experiences. As such, I provide a variety of readings to matching individual interests. I know that professionals like authentic learning experiences with lots of examples. Some of you may enjoy watching the video, while others learn better from reading the course materials or exploring the supplemental readings. I also allow flexibility by providing options in class assignments.
One of the most important things a teacher can do in a classroom or workshop situation is provide scaffolds for learning. A handout containing step-by-step instructions for using an electronic database, a website evaluation checklist, or a graphic organizer for note-taking can be extremely valuable for learners. Again, each student is different. Some students like to take notes on paper while others prefer to use online tools. Give students options and opportunities that meet the wide range of needs in your class.
Read Instructional Theory at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/9.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Paseo 3 reply is due Monday February 24.
Paseo 4 posting is due Monday March 3.
Paseo 4 reply is due Monday March 10.
Update: February 17
It’s finally warming up here in Utah. I hope it’s great where you are!
READ
Let's explore objectives and assessment. The key to effective instruction is matching objectives with assessments. In other words, what do you want your learners to be able to do or talk about after instruction AND how will they show you they have accomplished this objective? Assessments don't need to be formal. They may involve observing learners as they work their way through a database search or listening as they discuss their thoughts on a book. You might use a checklist for these types of observations of their performance.
It's important to think about objectives and assessments from the student point of view. What will they learn and how will they demonstrate their learning. NOT... what will you teach and what will you test. Remember, instruction isn't about the teacher. It's about the learner!
Read Objectives and Assessment at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/8.htm
Be sure to watch the video on the class page.
DUE
Paseo 3 posting is due Monday February 17.
Paseo 3 reply is due Monday February 24.
Paseo 4 posting due Monday March 3.
PASEO 3 HELP
A couple people have asked about creating a blog for Paseo 3. If you choose the blog option, you must create a blog, not a Word document. Here are some easy to use tools for creating a blog:
Blogger - http://www.blogger.com
Wordpress - http://wordpress.com/
Weebly - http://www.weebly.com/
Although our Paseo assignment is much different, you can get a sense for how you could use a blog for a personal inquiry by looking as the following examples:
http://virtualinquiry.com/course/archivesblogs.html
PASEO 2 DEBRIEFING
From elementary children to adult learners, the class had a wide range of experiences with the instructional observation assignment.
A few of you misunderstood my question about the value of observation. This assignment was intended to help you learn about the process of instruction from watching how the teacher and students interact in a learning situation. Observation involves taking yourself out of the equation and focusing what's happening in the instructional environment. As an outside observer, you can see things you'd miss if you're "thinking like one of the students" or "thinking like the teacher". As an observer, you'll notice when student attention is waning and the teacher needs to interject with a real-world example or ask an engaging question.
By observing the interactions of the teaching techniques with the elements of active participation, you can begin to think about how how you would improve the instruction by applying an instructional design model. Considering the information standards, the needs of learners, and the instructional goal are all an important part of improving instruction regardless of whether the instruction is face-to-face or virtual.
A few people lost points because they didn’t state a specific instructional goal. Keep in mind that both goals and objectives should be specific, measurable and focused on what the learner should be able to do or talk about at the conclusion of the experience.
Update: February 10
Happy Valentine's Week!
READ
Let's explore learning theory and audience analysis. Understanding the learner's perspective is essential in good teaching practice. Instruction isn't about what you want to teach or you "guess" or "assume" students need. It's about what learners really need to learn based on evidence you've collected about past or current students. This is particularly true in a public or special library setting where library users aren’t required to participant. They want to know that their time at your workshop will be well spent. If you know your audience well, they’ll be excited about joining your class.
Librarians must be able to applying learning theory to create instructional experiences that take into account individual differences in learning. This is particularly important when dealing with children and young adult in various stages of development. Think about differences in reading level and maturity.
Read Learning Theory at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/6.htm
Read Audience Analysis at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/7.htm
Be sure to watch the video on both pages.
DUE
Paseo 2 reply is due Monday February 10.
Paseo 3 posting is due Monday February 17.
Paseo 3 reply is due Monday February 24.
HELP
Remember, I'm available to answer questions or clarify assignments. Just email me if you need more. :-)
Update: February 3
It really feels like winter in the mountains. A beautiful blanket of snow is covering our mountain today. I've got some soup in the crockpot.
READ
This is a big week for online readings. Please work your way careful through the page. It's chuck-full of important information.
Let's explore task analysis and information inquiry. When people come to the library, they're often on a quest for information. Whether they're looking for an answer to a simple question or conducting an in-depth investigation, they need inquiry skills to be successful. While many people are successful developing and following their own process for inquiry, others benefit from using a more formal approach to information inquiry. Researchers like Carol Kuhlthau have spent their career observing how library users react during the inquiry process. It's important that librarians are aware of this process and the uncertainty, confusion, and frustrations experienced by patrons of all ages.
As we think about the information inquiry skills necessary for youth and adults to be successful, begin developing a list of topics you might explore with library clients. From distinguishing fact from opinion to locating evidence and developing research questions, there are many pieces to the information literacy pie.
As topics become instructional goals, you'll need to conduct an instructional analysis to determine the best approach to developing instruction. Is your topic more conducive to a procedural approach or a hierarchical approach? What's the best way to organize concepts and build skills? You need to carefully analyze the task and think about the sequencing of content.
It's easy to get confused about the difference between a concept map that shows relationships among information and a flowchart that shows step in a process with an instructional analysis. If you’re unsure about the difference between a concept map and an instructional analysis, consider going back and re-reading the course materials. This difference is VERY important!
An instructional analysis focuses on the knowledge and skills a learner must possess to be able to accomplish a task or solve a problem. If the instructional goal is running, a child must be able to crawl then walk before they can run. If the instructional goal is that a learner can tell the difference between a deciduous and conifer tree, there are many sub-skills that lead up to this skill. An entry skill is that they can "define and identify a tree". Then, they need to be able to" identify trees with needles and trees with leaves". They need to "identify examples like pine trees and oak trees". They need to "define the words deciduous and conifer". These are all skills that lead up to distinguishing a deciduous tree from a conifer tree. It’s not enough to create a concept map showing the relationship among words like tree, pine, and leaf.
Read Task Analysis & Information Inquiry at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/5.htm
Be sure to watch the video.
DUE
Paseo 2 posting is due Monday February 3.
Paseo 2 reply is due Monday February 10.
Paseo 3 posting is due Monday February 17.
GRADES
Your grade and comments for Paseo 1 have been posted in Canvas.
Be sure to check the Syllabus for the points associated with letter grades at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/syllabus.htm
The range is a little higher than some other courses.
PASEO 1 DEBRIEFING
It looks like everyone had a great time exploring instructional materials. It was interesting to see the differences in evaluation checklists. Some of you focused more on the informational or presentation aspects while others stressed the instructional components.
Although you were only required to evaluate a few materials, you'll want to revisit the Information & Instruction page at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/2.htm as we move through the course. It has lots of links to materials that you can use as examples and models in creating your own instruction.
MORE IDEAS
A new e-book is available through ebrary at IUPUI on the topic of information literacy and librarians as facilitators of learning. If you're interested, go to The Road to Information Literacy: Librarians as Facilitators of Learning at http://site.ebrary.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/lib/iupui/docDetail.action?docID=10606459
Update: January 27
I hope you're getting a winter warmup where ever you are. It's been beautiful here in Utah with temperatures around 50. Perfect for winter hiking.
READ
Let's explore standards, needs, and goals. If you're interested in working at the K-12 or university level, you need to consider national standards as you develop programs. Regardless of your library interest area, it's important to conduct a needs assessment and analysis to help you build effective instructional goals.
Read Standards, Needs, and Goals at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/4.htm
Be sure to watch the video.
DUE
Paseo 1 REPLY is due Monday January 27.
Paseo 2 posting is due Monday February 3.
Paseo 2 reply is due Monday February 10.
GRADING
Your assignments are looking great so far! Thanks for your efforts.
I wait until the replies are in before beginning to grade each Paseo. I'll be using the evaluation criteria in the assignment when examining your assignment. Your grade and comments will be posted sometime late next week.
Update: January 21
It's beautiful here in Utah. The 40s and 50s are perfect for winter hiking. I hope it's “winter warm" where you live!
Before jumping into this week's assignment, please read the Call for Proposals for the DLIS conference. You might want to consider this professional opportunity.
https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/anlamb/General/dliscall2014.docx
INTRODUCTIONS
It was fun reading your introductions. We have a wide variety of interests and experiences in the class. We're going to have some great discussions this semester. Don't worry if you don't have experience teaching or presenting to a group, you'll be fine.
READ
Creating quality instruction involves much more than building a PowerPoint presentation. Let's explore options and models for instructional design.
Read Instructional Design at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/3.htm
Be sure to watch the video.
DUE
The university is closed on Monday.
Paseo 1 POSTING is due Tuesday January 21.
Paseo 1 REPLY is due Monday January 27.
PASEO 1
Remember, you only need to complete ONE of the three Paseo options for the first assignment. Before posting PASEO 1, be sure you've addressed each step in the Paseo of your choice. Also, review the Evaluation Criteria listed at the bottom of the assignment to see how points will be awarded for each required element. Keep in mind that this assignment is worth 10 points so be sure your assignment is complete.
Update: Let's Go!
It's time for the first day of classes tomorrow!
Be sure to go to the Introduce Yourself area and introduce yourself to get the class rolling. It's also a way for me to be sure you're not lost in cyberspace.
READINGS
Let's start with an overview of information and instruction.
Read Overview at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/1.htm
Be sure to watch the Vimeo Video also found on the Overview page at http://vimeo.com/53727776
At the bottom of each page, you'll find Resources. You don't need to read these, however they can be useful if you're looking for articles to cite in your assignments.
Read Information and Instruction at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/2.htm
Again, be sure to watch the Vimeo Video for this page at https://vimeo.com/53727844/
I've woven links to lots of sample instructional materials on this page. You don't need to visit all of these pages. However they may be useful in gaining ideas for your own instructional materials. They may also be helpful as you evaluate instructional materials for your assignments.
ASSIGNMENTS
The course gets going very fast because I want to provide you with time at the end of the semester to complete your two instructional projects.
Your first assignment is to Introduce Yourself.
Next, it's time to dive into the PASEO assignments.
Your POSTING for Paseo 1 is due on Tuesday January 21. Post it in the Oncourse forum.
You can find the guidelines for the assignments on the CourseGuide page at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/courseguide.htm#paseo1
Remember that you only need to complete ONE of the three options 1.1, 1.2, OR 1.3. Not all three.
Your REPLY for Paseo 1 is due on Monday January 27. It's worth one point of the 10 points for Paseo 1.
VIDEOS
Be sure to watch the Vimeo videos on the entry page to each section. They'll provide an overview to each section of the course. For more in-depth information, you'll need to read the page and associated links.
YOUR JOB IN THIS COURSE
You have three tasks:
1 - Follow the course calendar and complete your assignments on time. As a matter of fact, getting things in early is a good idea.
Read my class email updates for a review of what's happening. If you think you may have missed one, just check the class archives which is also the entry page for our Oncourse materials at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/archives.htm
2 - Let me know if you run into trouble. Don't fret and worry about your problem. Instead, email me and let's discuss it. If you're not sure about a topic for an assignment or have trouble with a due date, just let me know. I'm flexible and happy to help.
3 - Have fun. Learning is about opening a new world of information, skills, and understandings. Many assignments encourage you to explore resources and brainstorm ideas. Don't think of the class discussions as painful homework. Think of them as a chance to interact with your colleagues about issues and ideas important to our profession.
MY JOB
My job is to help you successfully complete this course and expand your skills in high tech learning. I "live" on the Internet, so I'm happy to hold personal email discussions whenever you feel the need to talk. Feel free to email any time. I'll get back to you ASAP.
Enjoy the course... You'll hear from me again next week.
Update: Get Set!
Classes start soon, so you can get started any time. Here are a few more ideas to get you rolling.
From now on, my emails will focus on an overview of required readings and assignments. Although I know these emails can get long, please read them. They will really help direct your activities. If you don't "get it" after reading these descriptions and exploring the materials, please email me. I'm happy to answer your questions!
READING
I designed the website so it works well on the iPad. Be sure to hold your iPad sideways (landscape) for the best reading.
COURSE GUIDE
http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/courseguide.htm
The Course Guide will help you work through the course materials. It links to the course readings and provides the guidelines for all the requirements.
At first, people are overwhelmed by all of the links. You don't need to read everything... it's not possible. Instead read my course pages, then IF you want additional information you can read, skim, or explore the other resources.
Keep in mind that the course reading assignments can be found in two places: the Calendar and the Course Guide pages.
It's a good idea to get ahead in this course in case you get busy in another course.
PASEO ACTIVITIES
As you work your way down the Course Guide you'll notice PASEO activities. The class contains six Paseo activities (60 points) and two Instructional Experiences (40 points).
"Paseo" is defined as a leisurely walk or a gathering place where people can enjoy the journey as much as the destination. The "paseo activities" provide flexible opportunities for you to explore instructional strategies and try out new ideas. Choices allow students with diverse background and professional interests to apply theories to meaningful, practical assignments.
Rather than simply reading the materials on each class page, be sure to TRY IT! Throughout the course readings, you'll find short activities that will help you apply the ideas you're learning. These activities aren't graded and don't need to be turned in, however they are important for your learning. They're the types of activities we would be doing in a face-to-face class. Instead, it's your job to work your way through these activities independently.
GET SET...
So.. how do you get started? If I were you, I'd read the syllabus and requirement page first.
Then, print out the course checklist and review the course calendar.
Next, go to the Course Guide to get a feel for how the course materials are organized and read the details of the course assignments.
Finally, take a deep breath and relax. This is going to be fun! Once you get a handle on the materials, you can start rolling!
LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
Go to Oncourse and find the Introduce Yourself area in the Forums. Tell us a little about yourself.
In addition to introducing yourself, let's share experiences with instruction. Are you a "life-long learner"? How do you learn best? Do you have formal or informal teaching experience? Do you have experience as a presenter? How comfortable are you working with library users individually, in small groups, or in large groups? Do you envision teaching as a small or large role in your future as a professional library or information professional?
SUPPORT
Some of you may need lots of support during the semester. However, many of you will be very independent. I'll send regular updates. But as long as I see you posting things on the forums, I won't bug you individually.
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. Unlike a face-to-face class where I can see the concern in your eyes, in an online class it's up to you to take the initiative. I'm always here for you by email.
I look forward to having you in e-class. Be sure to email me if you have questions. I'm online all the time, so I can normally get right back to you with an answer.
I'll send one more email out as classes begin, then leave you alone to work for the week. I look forward to reading your introduction!
Update: Get Ready!
I think I have everything ready to go with our Information Inquiry and Instructional Strategies course. I'm REALLY excited and hope you enjoy the course materials as much as I enjoyed building the online materials.
GET READY...
I thought I'd send a quick overview of the course for people who would like to get a little head start. This is my second class email. If you're not sure whether you're getting the email messages, go to the email archives at http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/archives.htm
100% ONLINE
There are NO face-to-face or virtual meetings in this course. It's your responsibility to follow the course Calendar and CourseGuide. Then, complete and post the required assignments in Oncourse.
The Oncourse and online materials are ready for anyone who is ready to get started.
ONCOURSE
We'll be using the university's Oncourse system to share assignments and ideas. Go to http://oncourse.iu.edu and enter your login and password to enter the system. Inside Oncourse you'll find the following elements for our course:
1) The SYLLABUS shows our course website and archives the course emails. Check this area regularly to be sure you didn't miss a course communication.
2) The ROSTER shows the class list. You may wish to update your personal profile.
3) The GRADEBOOK is a place where you can track your progress. I will be posting grades and comments in this area.
4) The FORUM area contains discussion threads for posting assignments and replying to the work of your classmates.
5) The MESSAGES area is a place to read and compose email.
6) The CHAT area can be used by anyone who would like a "real time" conversation with the instructor or a classmate.
COURSE MATERIALS
Below I've provided a list of the most important course materials.
Course Website - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/
Oncourse can be slow. I suggest that unless you are reading or posting assignments, you go directly to the course website and by-pass Oncourse. The navigation bar on the left side of the page provides links to the course materials and the 16 course readings.
Syllabus - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/syllabus.htm
Be sure to review the syllabus including the course description, objectives, and grading scale.
I have a STRICT grading scale. Please review it. However if you follow the directions, you can get all the points.
Calendar - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/calendar.htm
The calendar is probably the most important page of the course website. It provides a quick review of readings and due dates.
Requirements - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/requirements.htm
The requirements page provides useful background information as well as suggestions for proceeding through the course.
Checklist - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/checklist.htm
The checklist is a quick-reference to course requirements.
Email Archives - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/archives.htm
The email archives reviews course announcements and email updates.
Course Guide - http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/courseguide.htm
The course guide takes you step-by-step through the readings and requirements of the course. It provides detailed information about the course assignments and the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignments.
TEXT
There's NOT a required print text.
We have a variety interests represented in our class. For further reading, I suggest these OPTIONAL titles that are geared to particular library types:
Callison, Daniel & Preddy, Leslie. (2006) The Blue Book. LMS Associates. This book is focused on the needs of school librarians.
Dick, Walt, Carey, Lou, and Carey, James O. (2011). The Systematic Design of Instruction. Seventh Edition. Pearson. This book is intended for people who plan to be instructional designers as an integral part of their library work.
Farmer, Lesley S.J. (2011). Instructional Design for Library and Information Professionals. Neal-Schuman. This book is focused specifically on instruction design for librarians.
Gilton, Donna L. (2012). Lifelong Learning in Public Libraries. Scarecrow Press. This book is focused on the need of public libraries.
Grassian, E. & Kaplowitz, J. (2009). Information Literary Instruction: Theory and Practice. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman. This book is focused specifically on information literacy instruction.
Kuhlthau, Carol, Maniotes, Leslie K., and Caspari, Ann K. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. This book is focused on the needs of school librarians.
Please email me if you get lost or confused. It's my pleasure (as well as my job) to help! :-)
Preliminary Update
Happy Holidays!
Welcome to Information Inquiry & Instructional Strategies!
It's a while before classes begin, but I thought I'd touch base and say hello.
I'll be sending out regular class email messages using this e-mail address. If you'd prefer getting the updates at another address, just let me know.
Over the next week I'll be sending 2-3 messages to get the class rolling. Then, I'll send a weekly message during the semester.
GET STARTED
There are NO face-to-face or virtual meetings. However we'll all get started working together online as a class around Monday January 13.
If you're feeling exciting, anxious, enthusiastic, or any other emotions about this course, you're normal. Online courses are a wonderful way to learn, but it takes a little time to get comfortable.
I'll provide lots of guidance along the way. If you've got questions, I'm only an email away and always happy to help.
COURSE TEXTBOOK
No textbook is required. You can find optional resources in the course syllabus if you're looking for ideas to supplement the online course materials.
For the syllabus, go to http://eduscapes.com/instruction/course/syllabus.htm
COURSE MATERIALS
The course materials are now ready in both Oncourse and the Web.
I suggest that when doing the course readings you bypass Oncourse and go directly to the website at http://eduscapes.com/instruction
ONCOURSE DISCUSSIONS
We'll be using ONCOURSE for class discussions and posting course assignments.
It's ready to go.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
I've been a librarian, technology coordinator, and college professor. I enjoy teaching online courses from my home in the mountains of southern Utah. If you'd like to learn more about me, go to http://eduscapes.com/lamb or follow our latest adventures on Facebook.
FINALLY
Instruction has become an important activity for all library types. It's going to be an exciting semester!