Geospatial Literacy:Developing an Innovative and

Student-Centered Approach Through Blended Learning地理空間訊息素養：

以混合學習模式開發創新和以學生為本的課程

J. Trzeciak

The 10th Annual Library Leadership InstitutePreserving our Past: Creating our FutureHong Kong. 16-20 March 2012.

Outline

• The opportunity that presented itself

• The organization of a solution

• A display of the modules

• Feedback and future directions

The Opportunity

• Growing demand for geospatial literacy

• ~40% of library instruction at McMaster University is geospatial

• Geospatial instruction in the library is led by support staff

• Students value the skills but dislike the current instructional approach

The Challenge• The current system of instruction and support faces a

number of challenges:

• instruction is resource-based and focused on how to use particular tools and reference sources;

• students want research support that is available all the time and when they need it not in one-hour blocks when it fits the instructor and library schedule;

• students may receive similar face to face instruction several times in different courses; and,

• Students have different levels of geospatial literacy and would benefit from training more specific to their needs.

Literature

• McMaster not unique in this regard

• Truth Be Told: How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age (2010,Head/Eisenberg)

• “Students relied on librarians infrequently, if ever, whether they were conducting research for course work or for personal use.”

• Recommendation: “Re-thinking resource-focused librarian training. “

Gord Beck, Andrew Colgoni, Karen Nicholson, Margaret Rutten,

& John Maclachlan

Adm

inistratio

n

Ped

agog

y

LibraryStaff Instruction

Technical

Ass

essm

ent

ProjectTeam

Carolyn Eyles,Lisa Leoni, John

Maclachlan, Michael Mercier, &

Walter Peace

Jim Bell,Evelyn Chan,

Reg Woodruffe & Tracey Butler

Jeff Trzeciak & Library

Leadership Team

CLL Team

Andrew Colgoni,

Kathy Ball,Jeff Trzeciak

&iSci Students

The Modules

Julianne BaggSusan Vajoczki

The Modules

• 3 courses

• 1st year environmental science342 students

• 1st year human social geography471 students

• 1st year human cultural geography314 students

Implementation• Required to complete a module relate quiz if not

completed student received:• a grade of zero on the lab OR• A grade deduction

• Assignments related to the modules are time-based meaning students who did not properly look at the modules are at a large disadvantage

Module

Module Screenshot JOHN WHAT IMAGE DO YOU WANT HEREModule Screenshot JOHN WHAT IMAGE DO YOU WANT HERE

The Feedback• Students prefer ‘just in time delivery’ and 24-7

access

• Students like that the modules provide them control over their learning

• More than 90% of students in environmental science completed the quiz

• Anecdotally most students seemed to enjoy the method of learning

The Feedback• Modules are long

• Some students don’t comply

• Technical concerns after modules completed• Font size• Audio quality

• Labour and cost intensive to produce

• Content can be dry for the students

Instructor/Admin. Perspective• Instructor quotes:

• “The geospatial literacy modules allow for students to be fully prepared with upcoming lab material.  We have seen outstanding comprehension and completion of geospatial skills because of these modules.”

• “With the students coming to the labs with background knowledge from the geospatial literacy modules they are allowed more time to work with the material and develop higher-level questions”

• Librarians can focus on upper level courses and graduate face-to-face instruction

Next Steps

• Significant update in Summer 2012• Anticipate annual modest revisions in subsequent

years• Develop additional modules for students

• Informational literacy (currently being piloted)• Media literacy• Numeracy literacy

• Provide community access to modules• High school students• alumni

• Campus-wide availability

Assessment• Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)

multi-year project

• Student satisfaction• Student learning• Instructor satisfaction• Financial feasibility• Alignment with Universal Instructional Design

Principles

We wish to extend our sincere thanks to:

•all the students who participated in helping us to

better understand their needs and preferences;

•faculty who took the risk and made the commitment

to join us on this journey to make teaching and

learning even more successful; and,

•all the staff who worked on this project.

Acknowledgements

ExerciseDiscuss among yourselves how instruction is handled at each of your institutions.

How might you use technology to improve the quality and availability of your instruction program?

How might you involve faculty and others in the development of an online program?

How might you involve students?

How might multiple libraries work together on collaborative projects related to online learning?

http://cll.mcmaster.ca/articulate/blended_learning/Social%20Sciences%20Inquiry/player.html

http://cll.mcmaster.ca/articulate/blended_learning/Geospatial%20Literacy%20Modules/player.html