The Librarians Role as Information Technology Educator

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The Librarians Role asInformation Technology
Educator
University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• or How I Learned to stop worrying and master the
  ancient arts of patience serenity while
  teaching fourth-year medical students how to use
  EXCEL.

Justin Robertson, Education CoordinatorBaugh
Biomedical LibraryUniversity of South Alabama,
Mobile, AL
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
DISCLAIMER WARNING!
This presentation contains several
unauthorized graphics used for educational
purposes only.
Furthermore it is quite likely that somewhere
withinthese contents the Patriot Act has been
willfully ignored.
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
WHAT IS THE LIBRARIANS PRIMARY ROLE?
Archivist?
Preservationist?
Bibliographer?
Indexer?
ALL IMPORTANT ROLES TO BE SURE
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
BUT THE LIBRARIANS PRIMARY ROLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN
THAT OF TEACHER. REGARDLESS OF DEPARTMENT OR JOB
DESCRIPTION, LIBRARIANS IDEALLY WORK TOWARD A
COMMON GOAL
Educating their patrons on how to find, utilize,
and in some cases even evaluate, information.
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
THE TOOLS HAVE CHANGED
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
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BUT THE GOAL REMAINS THE SAME
Showing your patron how to access the INFORMATION
they need!
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
Following this basic principle USA Biomedical
Librarians created a for-credit, elective class
for 4th Year Medical Students. The class was
designed to
Teach basic research methodology
Teach basic computer knowledge skills (hardware
software)
Introduce career-related hardware and software
(pdas, medical practice software etc.)
Introduce advanced, tangentially-related computer
skills (eg. html, web page design and graphics)
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• Originally taught as an elective in the Family
  Practice department

• Faculty member who taught it left USA

• Biomedical Library requested to assume
  responsibility for the class

• Class designation changed from FMP479 to
• BBL 479

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• First Task Create a Syllabus
• Involved all library faculty
• Reviewed former syllabus
• New syllabus created by an ad hoc committee
• Final result new syllabus combination of old and
  new material

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• SYALLABUS
• Computer Hardware
• Windows Overview
• Microsoft Word (2 sessions)
• The Internet (2 sessions)
• Graphics
• PowerPoint
• Excel (2 sessions)
• Online Medical References (2 sessions)
• Medical Office Software
• Handheld Computing
• Continuing Medical Education (CME)
• Creating Web Pages/Basic HTML

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• DETAILS
• Each librarian responsible for at least one
  session teacher matched with material according
  to expertise and interest
• Team teaching (2 librarians per session)
• Meet four times a week morning lecture
  afternoon hands-on lab time 17 sessions total
• Librarians must keep office hours on days they
  teach
• Assignments with each class
• Pass/Fail but a credited COM course

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• STRUCTURE
• How to bring some cohesiveness to a
  multi-subject, team taught class
• Start with most basic concepts work up
• Assignments grow in complexity accordingly
• Have later assignments rely upon skills learned
  in previous classes (example incorporating
  graphics into web pages)
• This dynamic, organic design (hopefully) provides
  overall structure to class

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• ASESSMENT BEFORE
• Survey given during first class to assess
  students varying degrees of expertise (RESULTS
  really varying degrees of expertise!)
• ASESSMENT DURING
• Students given questionnaire after each session
  for evaluation of instructors, class materials
  etc.
• ASESSMENT AFTER
• Survey identical to the first one given to
  students again assess perceived overall
  knowledge gained
• Final evaluation of class by students

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• CLASS DEVELOPMENT
• Individual session form content left up to each
  instructor
• Sessions designed to best suit material at hand
  (lecture, live demonstrations etc.)
• Each individual session first road-tested in
  front of other instructors
• Final sessions generally incorporated input from
  all library faculty

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• CLASS WEB PAGE
• It seemed fitting to have a dynamic, multi-tiered
  website devoted to a class on technology
• Site designed to serve as a resource for after
  as well as during the class
• Contents include session presentations (ppt)
  class notes and handouts online tutorials
  assignments links to other relevant sites
• Web Address http//southmed.usouthal.edu/library/
  ref/fmp479/index.html

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
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Links to Individual Session Pages
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Library
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
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Related Links
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
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As Education Coordinator I was pretty confident
that all our hard work had ensured that the class
would run smoothly.
What, Me Worry?
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library
Lesson Learned the planning was essential, but
there were many instances where we had to be
flexible as situations arose that we didnt (or
couldnt) have anticipated.
In preparing for battle I have always found that
plans are useless, but planning is
indispensable.
Dwight Ike Eisenhower
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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• FOR EXAMPLE
• Some subjects just did not warrant entire class
  sessions (computer hardware Windows could
  easily have been condensed to one session)
• At least one of the two-day sessions could have
  been taught in one (Microsoft Word)
• Some materials would have benefited from longer
  (or more) sessions
• Students varying degrees of interest could help
  guide future class planning (MORE HTML!)

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University of South AlabamaBaugh Biomedical
Library

• CONCLUSIONS
• Judging from exit evaluation and comments class
  was successful overall
• All students agreed they had gained at least some
  new technological know-how
• In order to keep class vital constant revision
  and updating a must
• Great opportunity to teach information technology
  techniques and tools within a library context
  rewarding to extend subject matter beyond
  material traditionally covered in BI classes
• Ultimately hard work but gratifying experience