scholarly journals Making It Work: Developing a Student-Centered Assessment Model for a Large-Scale Information Literacy Program

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Gammons ◽  
Lindsay Inge Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Freshman Composition ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Composition Instruction ◽  
General Education Courses ◽  
The University

Information literacy instruction presents a difficult balance between quantity and quality, particularly for large-scale general education courses. This paper discusses the overhaul of the freshman composition instruction program at the University of Maryland Libraries, focusing on the transition from survey assessments to a student-centered and mixedmethods approach using qualitative reflections, rubrics, and the evaluation of student artifacts.

scholarly journals From Quest to Conquer: Traversing General Education at a Diverse Alaskan University to Integrate and Assess Transferable Information Literacy Skills in Foundational Courses

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Bjartmarsdóttir ◽  
Deborah L. Mole
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Faculty Teaching ◽  
University Of Alaska Anchorage ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Professional Degrees

The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is an open enrollment university that offers vocational, academic, and professional degrees in a northern region. UAA serves a culturally and demographically diverse population. Given this diversity, students display varying levels of information literacy (IL) competencies. Library Professors Anna Bjartmarsdóttir and Deborah Mole partner with faculty teaching composition and communication courses to create increasingly sophisticated and transferable IL learning opportunities. Strategies include: assessing students’ IL competencies; creating engaging activities; integrating IL throughout the semester; developing reflection opportunities to reinforce IL skills. UAA librarians, partnered with faculty, integrate and scaffold IL activities in foundational GE courses to develop increasingly sophisticated, transferable IL skills and knowledge practices. From team-based learning application exercises to workshops for teaching assistants, students learn how creativity partnered with initiative has helped to integrate transferable IL skill education at this diverse arctic university.

The Practice and Innovation of General Education at University of Maryland: A Case Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Lin ◽  
Qian Meng ◽  
Xuan Weng
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
The World ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
The University

Abstract Universities in the U. S. have adopted new curriculum to meet changes in the world. But how bold is the change, and how expanded is the reform vary by institutions. In this article, we look at the new curriculum for general education at the University of Maryland as a case study. We will first conduct a review of literature, which provides readers with an overview of the evolvement of general education and how it leads to the current types of reforms. We then present the reform at the University of Maryland, highlighting some key changes such as the addition of the I-Series courses, to illustrate the depth and breadth in reform in general education, and finally we reflect on the innovation and challenges of the reform.

Students at the center in emerging academic models: embedded information literacy and distance services in the University of Wisconsin System Flex degree

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 12-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin M. Woodward
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competency Based Education ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
The University

Purpose – As a model of competency-based education (CBE), the University of Wisconsin (UW) System Flex options present a unique case study of challenges and opportunities for embedding student-centered library services and information literacy. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we describe strategies for engaging with the evolving Flex curriculum, the needs of an unknown student body and the role of new student support staff. The author notes the relevance of examining the library’s role in Flex at this time, given the potential for growth nationally in CBE. Findings – The challenges the author faced initially were closely tied with opportunities that once examined, formed the basis of the embedded library model for competency-based education. Further, the author found opportunities to articulate their role in Flex on their campus and share with other institutions. Originality/value – This case study is based on the author’s experiences embedding Information Literacy and Distance Services in the Flex option at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Strategies for Teaching Evolution in a High-Enrollment Introductory Paleontology Course for Non-Science Majors

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 77-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia H. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Science Majors ◽  
Student Attendance ◽  
Teaching Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Teaching Evaluations ◽  
The University

The high-enrollment introductory paleontology course, “Prehistoric Life,” taught at the University of North Carolina Wilmington fulfills general-education life-science credit. Most students enter the course with little knowledge of evolution (90% are non-science majors). Some assume evolution and religion are incompatible, and as non-science students, they have little incentive to learn about topics perceived to threaten their faith. Nevertheless, such students need to be prepared to make informed decisions on public-policy issues related to teaching evolution. Five principal strategies have been effective in teaching evolution to such students: 1) creating a student-centered classroom in which active/ collaborative learning engages student interest and prevents them from tuning out a threatening topic; 2) building a foundation for evolution by fostering understanding of the fossil record and geologic time; 3) in discussing evolution, focusing not only on the evidence for and mechanisms of evolution, but also clarifying the nature of science and differentiating it from religion, reinforcing that science and religion need not conflict; 4) giving students the opportunity to respond in writing to one of the position statements on evolution available from professional societies; this approach helps students formulate their own views, reassures them that their religious beliefs are respected, and fends off potential hostility during class; and 5) cultivating evolutionary thinking throughout the course (e.g., discuss evidence for evolutionary transitions and role of natural selection in evolution of various groups). These strategies have been successful in fostering student learning about evolution as indicated by teaching evaluations, student attendance, and comments in student reflection papers on evolution.

Untangling Constructs of Characteristics of Effective Teaching at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Tunis)

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 232-248
Author(s):  
Aymen Hawani ◽  
Anis ben Chikha ◽  
Ghazwa ben Maaouia
Keyword(s):  
Physical Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teaching Effectiveness ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Teaching Program ◽  
Axial Coding ◽  
General Education Courses ◽  
The University ◽  
Descriptive Survey

This study explored the characteristics of effective teaching, as observed by students at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education (Ksar Saïd) at the University of Manouba, Tunisia. The study employed a descriptive survey method, and analyzed the data quantitatively. The respondents (n=199) were registered for general education courses, and a preconstructed interview schedule was used. The 69 characteristics of effective teaching were ascertained by the qualitative method through axial coding of general themes, in order to make recommendations for the Effective Teaching Program. The major findings are that the three important elements of effective teaching as perceived by students are academic qualifications, attitudes, and skills. It is important to mention that there are characteristics of effective teaching reveals attitudes and skills. Specific recommendations for the Effective Teaching Program are given in the paper, to strengthen teaching effectiveness.

ePortfolio and Educational Change in Higher Education in the Netherlands

2011 ◽  
pp. 2061-2068
Author(s):  
M. W. ("Wijnand") Aalderink ◽  
M. H.C.H. ("Marij") Veugelers
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Low Countries ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Change In Higher Education ◽  
The University

This chapter describes the important role that the concept of ePortfolio plays in new pedagogical paradigms in The Netherlands. ePortfolio can be seen both as a consequence of and a stimulus for the movement towards student-centered, competence-based learning in Dutch higher education. The authors present lessons learned in ePortfolio implementation, derived from experience from the past five years in the Low Countries, both in local institutional projects and in large-scale national projects. They then describe the cases of their own universities, being Windesheim University for Professional Education and the University of Amsterdam. The chapter ends with conclusions and future developments in the field of ePortfolio in The Netherlands.

scholarly journals Preserving and vouchering butterflies and moths for large-scale museum-based molecular research

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soowon Cho ◽  
Samantha W. Epstein ◽  
Kim Mitter ◽  
Chris A. Hamilton ◽  
David Plotkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
University Of Maryland ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Wing Patterns ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
The University ◽  
Specimen Identification

Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) comprise significant portions of the world’s natural history collections, but a standardized tissue preservation protocol for molecular research is largely lacking. Lepidoptera have traditionally been spread on mounting boards to display wing patterns and colors, which are often important for species identification. Many molecular phylogenetic studies have used legs from pinned specimens as the primary source for DNA in order to preserve a morphological voucher, but the amount of available tissue is often limited. Preserving an entire specimen in a cryogenic freezer is ideal for DNA preservation, but without an easily accessible voucher it can make specimen identification, verification, and morphological work difficult. Here we present a procedure that creates accessible and easily visualized “wing vouchers” of individual Lepidoptera specimens, and preserves the remainder of the insect in a cryogenic freezer for molecular research. Wings are preserved in protective holders so that both dorsal and ventral patterns and colors can be easily viewed without further damage. Our wing vouchering system has been implemented at the University of Maryland (AToL Lep Collection) and the University of Florida (Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center of Lepidoptera and Biodiversity), which are among two of the largest Lepidoptera molecular collections in the world.

scholarly journals Transforming theory into practice: Creating student-centered instructional activities rooted in the Framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Meghan Kowalski ◽  
Catherine Meals ◽  
Faith Rusk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
District Of Columbia ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
Reference Librarians ◽  
The University

During summer 2019, the four reference librarians at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), an HBCU in the nation’s capital, met weekly to review and discuss each part of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. With our student population in mind, we had two goals: establishing a team-wide shared analysis of each frame and developing a collection of student-centered active learning activities, rooted in the Framework’s concepts, that could be mixed and matched during one-shot and embedded library instruction. Prior to this project, the librarians were using a limited group of library instruction activities that were not necessarily related to the Framework. During the project, the librarians found the Framework to be highly theoretical, making it challenging to identify concrete learning activities. However, by deeply engaging with the Framework, it was possible to create student-centered instructional activities that were rooted in the theory, and we were able to expand our repertoire of activities used in library instruction. We were also able to provide faculty with firm examples of how library instruction engages their students in information literacy and lifelong learning.

ABOUT INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STUDIUM FUNDAMENTALE (STUDIUM GENERALE) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES ZITTAU / GÖRLITZ

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter Schneider ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Applied Sciences ◽  
General Education ◽  
Intercultural Education ◽  
Universities And Colleges ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teaching ◽  
University Of Applied Sciences ◽  
General Education Courses ◽  
The University ◽  
Education Courses

The article presents the interdisciplinary and general education courses in Studium fundamentale. In doing so, a way of the university for more interdisciplinary teaching offers for listeners of all faculties is described. It describes a way of integrating intercultural education into bachelor's programs (engineering, social sciences, natural sciences and economics). A number of sources provide further information on the state of general education at universities and colleges in Saxony.

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