Enriching the Academic Experience

INSPIRATION, INNOVATION, CELEBRATION an entrepreneurial conference for librarians

June 3 & 4, 2009

Enriching the Academic ExperienceThe Library and Experiential Learning

William BlackChristy Groves

Amy York

Middle Tennessee State University

Introduction and Overview

Define EXL

EXL @ MTSU

EXL experiences @ MTSU Walker Library

EXL formal class

EXL as a new role for libraries

Several EXL Definitions

Internships

Cooperative Education

Undergraduate Research

Study Abroad

Service Learning

Leadership Development

Student Teaching

EXL @ MTSU

“that learning process that takes place beyond the traditional classroom and that enhances the personal and intellectual growth of the student. This education can occur in a wide variety of settings, but it usually takes on a ‘learn-by-doing’ aspect that engages the student directly in the subject,

work or service involved.”

-- Experiential Education in the College of Arts and Sciences, Northeastern University, 1997.

EXL @ MTSU

Develop an experience-based knowledge & apply theories to practical problems

Create connections between experience and discipline

Cultivate good citizenship through contributions to community

Develop as individuals -- understand needs of others, cultural awareness, and appreciation of differences

Develop & demonstrate managerial & leadership & research skills

American Democracy Project, McNair Scholars

MTSU EXL Requirements

18 hours of EXL classes

At least one external activity – a research project requiring interaction external to the department or university

Internal service component – leadership role in campus sponsored charitable activity, volunteer with campus office, or campus leader

Completion of an E-Portfolio (a Web site created by the student showing learning outcomes during the EXL Scholars Program experience)

Participation in assessment activities

Participating in the EXL Program at MTSU can provide valuable opportunities to:

Keep abreast of changing needs in industry

Interact with professionals in the field

Become familiar with employers

Evaluate classroom instruction in relation to students’ preparation for employment

Explore new possibilities for working relationships

Explore new possibilities for public service

EXL Benefits to Faculty

EXL Experiences @ Walker Library Library as Partner: Revisioning the Library

Marketing students and survey Anthropology students and focus groups Art students and paper projects

Library as Leader Spring 2009 EXL 2010: Revisioning Walker Library

Library as Lab Anthropology and Garbology Printing Press Project

Library as Partner

Revisioning the Walker Library

Assessing the Library’s Role

Evaluating Performance

Structuring the Partnership

Goals

Outcomes

Revisioning the Walker Library

Focus Questions

What Activities can be stopped?

How could continuing activities use less resources?

What changes could be made to improve efficiency?

What new services/activities could be provided to faculty and students to improve the library’s relevance to the campus?

What relationships with other campus units should be established or expanded in order to improve library’s relevance to the campus?

Marketing Initiative

Purpose Explore why students come to the library Determine how often they would come if certain

changes were made Discover ways that could student use of the

library

Methodology Paper & pencil survey handed out and

completed in classes (869 responses)

Restricted choice questions Margin of error = +/- 3.3% Data entered into computer & compiled


Results

Students primarily come to the library to a) use computers b) meet with study groupsc) do research for a class

Students would come more often or stay longer if the library had a) more computersb) increased open seating, more comfortable seatingc) the ability to reserve meeting roomsd) longer hours, particularly 24 hour access during examse) the ability to bring food & drink into the building


What we learned:

Collaboration has value

Population counts

Anthropology Project Three overriding questions:

How do students conduct research for class assignments?

Do students use the library during the research process and

What are student perceptions of the library?

Focus Group Discussion Issues:How students conduct research

Who students consult about research

If and how students use the MTSU library

Student awareness of library resources and services

Student satisfaction with library resources and services

Anthropology Project

Methodology

Student researchers solicited participants

The Library provided food for Summer focus groups

Researchers took notes and transcribed audio sessions

Discussion questions developed as a group with anthropology instructor


Research Outputs

Written field reports

Oral presentation

Typed transcripts

Summary of findings by instructor

a


Assessment

Review of focus group transcripts

Assignment of identifiers

Identification of common themes


We learned about why students use the library: Use computers, study alone or with a group, do research

for a class, find books and articles

How they do research: Internet (Google, Wikipedia, Amazon), book and article

research, database preferences

Who they contact Classmates, friends in major, students who have taken

same class, instructor, reference desk, Jesus


Application of Research Results

Question Tent – Fall 2008

More laptops and increased laptop checkout period

Circulation limits increased

Food and drink policy changed


Drawbacks of Partnership – Library

Diminished control

Reliance on inexperienced researchers

Increased visibility = increased accountability


LESSONS

Clear research questions

Preliminary education

Deeper discussion about project goals

Realistic timeline

Increased involvement

Anthropology Project information from K. West & S. MangrumWalker Library, MTSU

•Pros

Art Studen

Amy

Spring 2008 – Paper Rewind

Library as Leader

EXL 2010: Service Learning Practicum Revisioning The Walker Library

What is it?A class in the library where you do a project, learn skills, get practical experience

Why take a course in the Library?Earn 1 hour class creditGet research and analysis skillsFlexible class scheduleClass meets on campus and onlineWork with other students and individually

What will I be doing?Review what services the Walker Library currently offersReview library services offered at other institutionsLead research projects to assess library services and facilitiesRecommend practical changes to services offered to the MTSU community

EXL 2010: Revisioning the Walker LibrarySpring 2009

PLAN A: Student Advisory Board Class credit = participation Brainstorming new services; helping with events; administering

surveys Regular meetings

ENROLLMENT = 5 students 4 students 3 students

PLAN B: single research project and discussion questions Meet online (in D2L) Students work independently and together online Answer “reflection” questions about library usage/preferences (e.g.,

noise levels, food and drink policy, personal study habits and library)

EXL 2010 Research ProjectSpace Utilization Study*

Methods: 10 days of observation: M-F and M-F 4 times per day (except Friday): 10 am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm Record occupation of open seating, computers, and group study rooms Library is divided into zones for observations

Goals: Determine most popular seating choices: carrels, tables, or soft chairs Identify most popular “zones” in the library Determine peak computer and group study usage times

Student participation: Help design study parameters and observation sheets Record observations Analyze data

* Modeled after Xia, Jingfeng (2005). Visualizing occupancy of library study space with GIS maps. New Library World 106: 5/6. pp. 219-233.

Library as Lab

Anthropology and GarbologyA Material Culture Investigation of the James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee by Owenby and Cavlovic

In this paper we will explore the material culture left behind by people using the James E. Walker Library on the Middle Tennessee State University campus. We will do this by examining the trash left behind by students and faculty in the library study rooms, student break rooms, faculty break room, and the Starbucks in the library. We will reveal our expectations, methodologies, what we found, and interpretations of these findings. We will also include a critique of our methodologies and recommendations for future projects of this genre.

Printing Press Project

The journey of readingbegins with the act of printing

Back to the future Collaboration Construction Partners Funding Partners

Support

MTSU Foundation Local Donor Private Foundation Friends of the Press

PROJECT GOALS

Enhance the educational experience

Serve as a cultural resource

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Partnerships with county middle and high schools

Community workshops Visiting artist program

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES

County Schools

MTSU Classes

Community Outreach

EXL and Libraries

Pros:Free workPart of larger academic communityLibrary takes active role in learningStudents have active role in library servicesSets up new role for libraries

Cons:Results may be less than perfectCan be a lot of work for librariansAre you ready to accept student ideas? And follow up?Grades

Cultivating Partnerships

Create list of library needsTap your friends in academic departmentsContact EXL or Service Learning OfficeGet to know the curriculum (senior capstone project?)Go to student exhibits, scholars day, senior showcasesUse web 2.0 to invite feedback/projects (blogs, twitter, facebook, wikis)Exhibit some radical (or moderate) trust

Mystery Pillows

Class assignment Pillows highly used by students Students created this on their own Several pillows disappeared....

Keys to the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Expect success

Be willing to try

Find a nucleus of support

Dedicate to the task

Learn from others

Snatch success from failure

Culture of experimentation

Other Examples

Marketing/advertising CSU San Marcos: library marketing plan1

Texas A&M: advertise e-books2

Illinois Wesleyan: promote reference services3

Database instruction (English students) Hampton University: created database guides4

Eastern Washington University: Refworks workshops5

Ergonomics Cornell University: library signage and workstation design6

ENDNOTES

References

1. Meulemans, Yvonne Nalani and Ann Manning Fiegen. (2006). Using business student consultants to benchmark and develop a library marketing plan. Journal of Business and Finance Librarianship. 11(3), 19-31.

2. McGeachin, Robert B. and Diana Ramirez. (2005). Collaborating with students to develop an advertising campaign. College & Undergraduate Libraries. 12(1), 139-152.

3. Duke, Lynda M., Jean B. MacDonald, and Carrie S. Trimble. (2009). Collaboration between marketing students and the library: an experiential learning project to promote reference services. College and Research Libraries. 70(2), 110-121.

4. Rhodes, Naomi J. and Judith M. Davis. (2001). Using service learning to get positive reactions in the library. Computers in Libraries. 21(1), 32-35.

5. Meyer, Nadean J. and Ielleen R. Miller. (2008). The library as a service-learning partner: a win-win collaboration with students and faculty. College & Undergraduate Libraries. 15(4), 399-413.

6. Library ergonomics. Cornell University Ergonomics Web. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHProjects/Library/libraryprojects.html.

7. Katula, Richard and Elizabeth Threnhauser.. (1999). Experiential education in the undergraduate curriculum. Communication Education. 48, 238-255.