Wake up! Using Audience Response Systems to Engage Students in Library Instruction

Wake up!

Using audience response systems to engage students

in information literacy instruction

Image credit: Nanagyei on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanagyei/

Ilka DatigClaire RuswickMary Baldwin College

Before Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne worked…

25%

25%

25%

25%1. On a farm, shoveling cow manure

2. In a slaughterhouse

3. As a gravedigger

4. Running a pinball machine business

Which of the following is true about your library and clickers:

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25%

25%

25%

1. We own clickers and use them regularly

2. We own clickers, but we don’t use them

3. We’re thinking about purchasing some

4. Never heard of clickers before

I have never been confused about citing my sources

correctly

0%

0%

0%1. True

2. False

3. Not sure yet

It is most important to me to learn…

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%1. How to find good information

2. How to be faster and more efficient in finding information

3. How to use sources ethically and not plagiarize

4. How to differentiate between sources I can trust from those I can’t

5. All of the above

You have an article citation and want to see if Grafton Library has the full-

text. Where do you go?

33%

33%

33%

1. Library catalog

2. Google

3. Print & Online Journal List

A journal specific to a profession which is published for practitioners in an applied field

is known as a ___ publication.

0%

0%

0%

1. Scholarly

2. Trade

3. Popular

I am most likely to believe information if it comes from…

17%

17%

17%

17%

17%

17%

1. The T.V.

2. Newspapers

3. The Internet

4. My friends/family

5. All of the above

6. None of the above

Should social networking sites be banned?

50%

50%

1. Good

2. Bad

How many books does Grafton own with the subject heading: Shakespeare,

William, 1564-1616 ?

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25%

25%

25%

1. 91

2. 47

3. 154

4. 108

Grafton owns full text of the Journal of Real Estate Literature from 1998 to the

present in which database?

33%

33%

33%1. Factiva

2. Mergent

3. Business Source Complete

You’re doing research on women artists in west Africa. Which search

query would work the best?

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33%

33%

1. Women artists AND west africa

2. Women artists OR west africa

3. Women AND art* AND west africa

Score Team One: Death Penalty

1 2 3 4 5

20% 20% 20%20%20%

Mean =

1. One (lowest)2. Two3. Three4. Four 5. Five (highest)

Developing the Questions

• Use existing course materials– Syllabi– Quizzes– Assignments

• Look for ideas online or in library literature

• One-shot vs long-term instruction

Building Student Interest

• Clicker Names– Know your students

• Incentives– No prize too small!

• Competitions

Fun!

• “Yes, the clickers were much more fun than raising your hand.”

• “Very helpful and absolutely

interesting. I love that they were named after characters from pop culture literature!”

Do they work?

Class Environment

• “It allowed our class to talk and explain our decision making.”

• “I liked them. They kept me from daydreaming.”

• “The clickers were very helpful because they allowed me to pay attention in class”

Do they work?

Anonymous Participation

• “The clickers were very useful because it meant that all students were able to state their opinion without judgment.”

• “Nobody was put on the spot with giving an open answer.”

• “They were fun and helpful because I interacted with the class and the teachers even though no one knew what I individually answered”

Do they work?

Retaining Knowledge

• “They’re cool. It's like a mini-exam prep everyday. “

• I really enjoyed them! I thought they were a fun way to learn. Many times you take a test and never review your answers, or forget what you put. The clickers caused you to review immediately and learn from mistakes.

Do they work?

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/02/26/the-learning-pyramid/

Do they work?

Do’s & Don’tsfor the Engaging Clicker

Classroom

• Encourage peer learning whenever possible

• Avoid dead air– Countdowns– Hints– Jokes!

• Over-explain• Under-explain• Be afraid of

competitive instincts

DON’TDO

Further Reading:

Bruff, Derek. (2009). Teaching with Classroom Response

Systems. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Audience Response Systems:• TurningPoint/ TurningPoint Anywhere

• polleverywhere.com

• Smart Response

• Q Wizdom

Any questions?

• Ilka Datig, idatig@mbc.edu• Claire Ruswick, cruswick@mbc.edu