Several instruments previously validated for use in school library research were tested for their... more Several instruments previously validated for use in school library research were tested for their appropriateness in the context of public libraries’ summer reading programs for youth. The researchers were also interested in whether the connection between perceived competence in one’s own information skills and perceived competence in one’s own reading skills, as found in school library research, might also exist for participants in public library summer reading programs. In addition, a separate research question explored whether youth participants connected the summer reading program to increased confidence and improvement in their reading abilities. Findings suggest that reliable measures that can be used in the context of both school and public libraries may be beneficial for future collaboration and coordination in youth programming both in and out of school. Findings also suggest that summer reading programs foster self-perceptions of improved reading ability.
In this chapter, we present lessons learned from 10 years' instructional experience with active l... more In this chapter, we present lessons learned from 10 years' instructional experience with active learning through our classes at Syracuse University. As reflective practitioners of active learning, we have refined our instruction over the years, in the process conceptually extending and augmenting extant theories of experiential learning and related approaches. Our model is built around four principles: client-centered work in natural settings, task design that is attentive to the motivational properties of the active learning stimulus, learning as social participation, and community service learning. Learning through prototyping, with its emphasis on design and the making of artifacts, functions as a background to the extended model and informs each of its principles. We then present a brief history of the Center for Active Learning and the Community and Information Technology Institute, both of which, in slightly different ways, implement our active learning method.
The youth center was located in the city’s economically derelict south side. The center itself wa... more The youth center was located in the city’s economically derelict south side. The center itself was precariously funded, barely hanging on to its faux-modern building in a seedy-looking lot on a tree-lined side street. Its director, however, was an energetic woman with ideas on the center’s potential role in the neighborhood. She wanted to develop the center as a place where children from the neighborhood could come to learn basic computer skills — word processing, designing World Wide Web pages, online information search skills. This was good for character building and for discipline, she felt. Such skills would prepare “her kids” for jobs in the real world.
The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion (IJIDI), 2019
This article describes the Targeting Autism program, funded by multiple grants from the Institute... more This article describes the Targeting Autism program, funded by multiple grants from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). This program was created to provide free training to the librarians of the State of Illinois on providing quality services and programs to patrons with autism. The State Library of Illinois leads the project, in partnership with Dominican University and Syracuse University and in collaboration with dozens of autism- related organizations. The Targeting Autism program has included a variety of educational opportunities—in-person annual forums, group workshops, follow-up individualized coaching, Webinars, blogs, and an online self-paced, in-depth training program for individuals or groups through Project ENABLE (Expanding Non-discriminatory Access to Librarians Everywhere) to librarians in Illinois and beyond. The program is a model for the development of similar programs both nationally and internationally.
New technologies and developments in media are transforming the way that individuals, groups and ... more New technologies and developments in media are transforming the way that individuals, groups and societies communicate, learn, work and govern. This new socio-technical reality requires participants to possess not only skills and abilities related to the use of technological tools, but also knowledge regarding the norms and practices of appropriate usage. To be 'digitally literate' in this way encompasses issues of cognitive authority, safety and privacy, creative, ethical, and responsible use and reuse of digital media, among other topics. A lack of digital literacy increasingly implicates one's full potential of being a competent student, an empowered employee or an engaged citizen. Digital literacy is often considered a school-based competency, but it is introduced and developed in informal learning contexts such as libraries, museums, social groups, affinity spaces online, not to mention the home environment. This article recognizes and connects the ways and places we might conceptualize and realize an expanded view of digital literacy that fits today's changing reality.
This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today... more This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today's pervasive technologies and unprecedented information access. Curiosity is defined in this paper in a way which incorporates the concomitant constructs of interest and engagement. A theoretical model for curiosity, interest and engagement in new media technology-pervasive learning environments is advanced, taking into consideration personal, situational and contextual factors as influencing variables. While the path associated with curiosity, interest, and engagement during learning and research has remained essentially the same, how individuals tackle research and information-seeking tasks and factors which sustain such efforts have changed. Learning modalities for promoting this theoretical model are discussed leading to a series of recommendations for future research. This article offers a multi-lens perspective on curiosity and suggests a multi-method research agenda for validating such a perspective.
This paper begins by describing the changing needs in the education of today's information techno... more This paper begins by describing the changing needs in the education of today's information technology (IT) professional. It presents a theoretical framework for using an experiential learning approach in the context of professional education in IT and information management and describes an instructional model that augments the principles of experiential learning with principles drawn from task motivation, Total Quality Management (TQM), and service learning. The paper concludes with an example of the application of and benefits from the model-a successfully implemented IT professional education program which centers on experiential learning activities that provide technology-related services to the not-for-profit community. The program highlighted is the Center for Active Learning (CAL) at Syracuse University (New York). Program objectives, CAL's core functions, Project CORE (COmputer REuse), other CAL projects, and participation in CAL are described. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/MES)
At no time in history has the ability to locate, organize, evaluate, manage and use information, ... more At no time in history has the ability to locate, organize, evaluate, manage and use information, skills collectively referred to as information literacy, been more important to today's learners. Classroom and technology teachers and library media specialists are challenged to find effective, innovative techniques for teaching research and information skills, especially to young children. This paper summarizes the research conducted for a United States Department of Education Phase I SBIR award. The project utilized digital video, database, and information technologies, to design a proof-of-concept prototype for a comprehensive Web-based tool, S.O.S, for improving instruction in this critical area. Educators identify relevant situation-specific variables (S.) and desired instructional outcomes (0.). Suggested instructional strategies (S.) are subsequently generated. These strategies are linked to a database of real-world video and multimedia examples. S.O.S. will be responsive to advancing technology and include system feedback mechanisms as well as direct user input for continuous formative evaluation and improvement. By integrating sound pedagogical principles with real-world practice presented in video and multimedia demonstrations, the project will make a valuable contribution to the quality of information literacy skills instruction. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Research that identifies factors that facilitate information processing and enhance performance w... more Research that identifies factors that facilitate information processing and enhance performance without reducing group confidence and decision satisfaction may influence future development of groupwork systems. This paper contains a review of the literature on cognitive and motivational issues in both group decision-making and learning contexts due to their dual focus on task and process satisfaction and examines the concept of closure as a possible contributor to group member satisfaction. Next, The Cognitive Closure Model of Decision Satisfaction is presented and described. This model provides a framework for research that explores the relationships among need for closure, extent of information processing, and subjective certainty (cognitive closure), as contributing factors to decision satisfaction in group contexts. Improvement of current systems that facilitate group work used in business settings offers potential for the future development of such systems for educational applications. (Contains 37 references.) (JLB) *
This article reports the results of the second phase of a three-phase study on the impact of the ... more This article reports the results of the second phase of a three-phase study on the impact of the New York State's school libraries' services and resources on student achievement and motivation. A representative sample of more than 1,600 classroom teachers, students, and school library media specialists (SMLSs) from 47 schools throughout New York State participated in the second phase, the in-depth survey. The survey was divided into three sections: Likert-type multiple-choice item, Likert-type rating item, and critical incident item. Results reveal that (1) all groups perceive greater emphasis on skills for finding information than on skills for using or evaluating information; (2) elementary students perceive the SLMS as more autonomy supportive than middle or high school students; (3) students are largely unaware of librarian-teacher collaboration; (4) 69 percent of students visit their school library at least once a week, and most to do research; (5) students perceive "maintaining a neat and orderly collection" and "maintaining a quiet study environment" as the two most important services provided by the LMS; and (6) there is a lack of library services to students with disabilities. Additional findings are reported.
Several instruments previously validated for use in school library research were tested for their... more Several instruments previously validated for use in school library research were tested for their appropriateness in the context of public libraries’ summer reading programs for youth. The researchers were also interested in whether the connection between perceived competence in one’s own information skills and perceived competence in one’s own reading skills, as found in school library research, might also exist for participants in public library summer reading programs. In addition, a separate research question explored whether youth participants connected the summer reading program to increased confidence and improvement in their reading abilities. Findings suggest that reliable measures that can be used in the context of both school and public libraries may be beneficial for future collaboration and coordination in youth programming both in and out of school. Findings also suggest that summer reading programs foster self-perceptions of improved reading ability.
In this chapter, we present lessons learned from 10 years' instructional experience with active l... more In this chapter, we present lessons learned from 10 years' instructional experience with active learning through our classes at Syracuse University. As reflective practitioners of active learning, we have refined our instruction over the years, in the process conceptually extending and augmenting extant theories of experiential learning and related approaches. Our model is built around four principles: client-centered work in natural settings, task design that is attentive to the motivational properties of the active learning stimulus, learning as social participation, and community service learning. Learning through prototyping, with its emphasis on design and the making of artifacts, functions as a background to the extended model and informs each of its principles. We then present a brief history of the Center for Active Learning and the Community and Information Technology Institute, both of which, in slightly different ways, implement our active learning method.
The youth center was located in the city’s economically derelict south side. The center itself wa... more The youth center was located in the city’s economically derelict south side. The center itself was precariously funded, barely hanging on to its faux-modern building in a seedy-looking lot on a tree-lined side street. Its director, however, was an energetic woman with ideas on the center’s potential role in the neighborhood. She wanted to develop the center as a place where children from the neighborhood could come to learn basic computer skills — word processing, designing World Wide Web pages, online information search skills. This was good for character building and for discipline, she felt. Such skills would prepare “her kids” for jobs in the real world.
The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion (IJIDI), 2019
This article describes the Targeting Autism program, funded by multiple grants from the Institute... more This article describes the Targeting Autism program, funded by multiple grants from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). This program was created to provide free training to the librarians of the State of Illinois on providing quality services and programs to patrons with autism. The State Library of Illinois leads the project, in partnership with Dominican University and Syracuse University and in collaboration with dozens of autism- related organizations. The Targeting Autism program has included a variety of educational opportunities—in-person annual forums, group workshops, follow-up individualized coaching, Webinars, blogs, and an online self-paced, in-depth training program for individuals or groups through Project ENABLE (Expanding Non-discriminatory Access to Librarians Everywhere) to librarians in Illinois and beyond. The program is a model for the development of similar programs both nationally and internationally.
New technologies and developments in media are transforming the way that individuals, groups and ... more New technologies and developments in media are transforming the way that individuals, groups and societies communicate, learn, work and govern. This new socio-technical reality requires participants to possess not only skills and abilities related to the use of technological tools, but also knowledge regarding the norms and practices of appropriate usage. To be 'digitally literate' in this way encompasses issues of cognitive authority, safety and privacy, creative, ethical, and responsible use and reuse of digital media, among other topics. A lack of digital literacy increasingly implicates one's full potential of being a competent student, an empowered employee or an engaged citizen. Digital literacy is often considered a school-based competency, but it is introduced and developed in informal learning contexts such as libraries, museums, social groups, affinity spaces online, not to mention the home environment. This article recognizes and connects the ways and places we might conceptualize and realize an expanded view of digital literacy that fits today's changing reality.
This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today... more This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today's pervasive technologies and unprecedented information access. Curiosity is defined in this paper in a way which incorporates the concomitant constructs of interest and engagement. A theoretical model for curiosity, interest and engagement in new media technology-pervasive learning environments is advanced, taking into consideration personal, situational and contextual factors as influencing variables. While the path associated with curiosity, interest, and engagement during learning and research has remained essentially the same, how individuals tackle research and information-seeking tasks and factors which sustain such efforts have changed. Learning modalities for promoting this theoretical model are discussed leading to a series of recommendations for future research. This article offers a multi-lens perspective on curiosity and suggests a multi-method research agenda for validating such a perspective.
This paper begins by describing the changing needs in the education of today's information techno... more This paper begins by describing the changing needs in the education of today's information technology (IT) professional. It presents a theoretical framework for using an experiential learning approach in the context of professional education in IT and information management and describes an instructional model that augments the principles of experiential learning with principles drawn from task motivation, Total Quality Management (TQM), and service learning. The paper concludes with an example of the application of and benefits from the model-a successfully implemented IT professional education program which centers on experiential learning activities that provide technology-related services to the not-for-profit community. The program highlighted is the Center for Active Learning (CAL) at Syracuse University (New York). Program objectives, CAL's core functions, Project CORE (COmputer REuse), other CAL projects, and participation in CAL are described. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/MES)
At no time in history has the ability to locate, organize, evaluate, manage and use information, ... more At no time in history has the ability to locate, organize, evaluate, manage and use information, skills collectively referred to as information literacy, been more important to today's learners. Classroom and technology teachers and library media specialists are challenged to find effective, innovative techniques for teaching research and information skills, especially to young children. This paper summarizes the research conducted for a United States Department of Education Phase I SBIR award. The project utilized digital video, database, and information technologies, to design a proof-of-concept prototype for a comprehensive Web-based tool, S.O.S, for improving instruction in this critical area. Educators identify relevant situation-specific variables (S.) and desired instructional outcomes (0.). Suggested instructional strategies (S.) are subsequently generated. These strategies are linked to a database of real-world video and multimedia examples. S.O.S. will be responsive to advancing technology and include system feedback mechanisms as well as direct user input for continuous formative evaluation and improvement. By integrating sound pedagogical principles with real-world practice presented in video and multimedia demonstrations, the project will make a valuable contribution to the quality of information literacy skills instruction. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
Research that identifies factors that facilitate information processing and enhance performance w... more Research that identifies factors that facilitate information processing and enhance performance without reducing group confidence and decision satisfaction may influence future development of groupwork systems. This paper contains a review of the literature on cognitive and motivational issues in both group decision-making and learning contexts due to their dual focus on task and process satisfaction and examines the concept of closure as a possible contributor to group member satisfaction. Next, The Cognitive Closure Model of Decision Satisfaction is presented and described. This model provides a framework for research that explores the relationships among need for closure, extent of information processing, and subjective certainty (cognitive closure), as contributing factors to decision satisfaction in group contexts. Improvement of current systems that facilitate group work used in business settings offers potential for the future development of such systems for educational applications. (Contains 37 references.) (JLB) *
This article reports the results of the second phase of a three-phase study on the impact of the ... more This article reports the results of the second phase of a three-phase study on the impact of the New York State's school libraries' services and resources on student achievement and motivation. A representative sample of more than 1,600 classroom teachers, students, and school library media specialists (SMLSs) from 47 schools throughout New York State participated in the second phase, the in-depth survey. The survey was divided into three sections: Likert-type multiple-choice item, Likert-type rating item, and critical incident item. Results reveal that (1) all groups perceive greater emphasis on skills for finding information than on skills for using or evaluating information; (2) elementary students perceive the SLMS as more autonomy supportive than middle or high school students; (3) students are largely unaware of librarian-teacher collaboration; (4) 69 percent of students visit their school library at least once a week, and most to do research; (5) students perceive "maintaining a neat and orderly collection" and "maintaining a quiet study environment" as the two most important services provided by the LMS; and (6) there is a lack of library services to students with disabilities. Additional findings are reported.
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