Comments on: There Is A Difference Between Information And Learning http://acrlog.org/2005/10/18/33/ Blogging by and for academic and research librarians Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: steven bell http://acrlog.org/2005/10/18/33/comment-page-1/#comment-51 steven bell Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:34:37 +0000 http://acrlblog.org/?p=33#comment-51 Ellysa - I couldn't agree with you more and I wrote about this exact issue previously. Take a look at my "Infodiet" article that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Ed - Feb. 20, 2004. Steven Ellysa – I couldn’t agree with you more and I wrote about this exact issue previously. Take a look at my “Infodiet” article that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Ed – Feb. 20, 2004.
Steven

]]> By: Ellysa Stern Cahoy http://acrlog.org/2005/10/18/33/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Ellysa Stern Cahoy Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:27:58 +0000 http://acrlblog.org/?p=33#comment-49 It's true that we do need to continue to make the distinction between supplying information and teaching students lifelong learning skills. However, we also cannot ignore the fact that instruction and reference librarians must become more involved with with helping create and assess interfaces that inherently teach the user how to search for and connect with library resources without the benefit of formal library instruction. We want all of our students to be information literate, but we also want them to navigate our (mostly) arcane, unintuitive library search interfaces (or we want to get classroom time to teach them how to do so.) Focusing on streamlining and simplifying search interfaces will only strengthen the impact of traditional library instruction, and would hopefully make it even more likely that students would return to use our resources again and again. It’s true that we do need to continue to make the distinction between supplying information and teaching students lifelong learning skills. However, we also cannot ignore the fact that instruction and reference librarians must become more involved with with helping create and assess interfaces that inherently teach the user how to search for and connect with library resources without the benefit of formal library instruction.

We want all of our students to be information literate, but we also want them to navigate our (mostly) arcane, unintuitive library search interfaces (or we want to get classroom time to teach them how to do so.) Focusing on streamlining and simplifying search interfaces will only strengthen the impact of traditional library instruction, and would hopefully make it even more likely that students would return to use our resources again and again.

]]> By: Ed Merwin, Jr. http://acrlog.org/2005/10/18/33/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Ed Merwin, Jr. Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:49:41 +0000 http://acrlblog.org/?p=33#comment-47 Frankly I agree that the "Home Depot" approach to research by students in academic libraries, is on the increase. This concept goes hand in glove with the general idea of "instant gratification". Students wonder why they should make use of ILL, when electronic material (Google, and otherwise) is available at the touch of a keyboard. Unless a professor specifically requires that a book, or books, be used, some students will concentrate only on the electronic word. With all of this in mind, I have begun, along with the usual tools, mentioning: information literacy competencies, critical thinking skills, and plaegerism avoidance. Frankly I agree that the “Home Depot” approach to research by students in academic libraries, is on the increase. This concept goes hand in glove with the general idea of “instant gratification”. Students wonder why they should make use of ILL, when electronic material (Google, and otherwise) is available at the touch of a keyboard. Unless a professor specifically requires that a book, or books, be used, some students will concentrate only on the electronic word. With all of this in mind, I have begun, along with the usual tools, mentioning: information literacy competencies, critical thinking skills, and plaegerism avoidance.

]]> By: Barbara Fister http://acrlog.org/2005/10/18/33/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Barbara Fister Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:14:20 +0000 http://acrlblog.org/?p=33#comment-46 Oddly enough, I don't think students want a "Home Depot" approach at all. They do (as do I) want libraries that are pleasant, not unduly difficult to use, and enticing. They want a collection of books that isn't largely outdated or poorly maintained and easy access to the journal articles that our databases tell them have been published. But the students I deal with are not at all averse to libraries, and they aren't relying entirely on Google. I'm not entirely sure why we persist in this cartoon version of our students. I'm sitting our reference desk as I type this and it's a very busy place. (And for what it's worth, the last two questions I dealt with had to do with finding books. No, reading books is not an extinct activity.) Oddly enough, I don’t think students want a “Home Depot” approach at all. They do (as do I) want libraries that are pleasant, not unduly difficult to use, and enticing. They want a collection of books that isn’t largely outdated or poorly maintained and easy access to the journal articles that our databases tell them have been published. But the students I deal with are not at all averse to libraries, and they aren’t relying entirely on Google.

I’m not entirely sure why we persist in this cartoon version of our students. I’m sitting our reference desk as I type this and it’s a very busy place. (And for what it’s worth, the last two questions I dealt with had to do with finding books. No, reading books is not an extinct activity.)

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