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How Faculty Can Become Involved in UMUC's Student Clubs - DE Oracle
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An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
How Faculty Can Become Involved in UMUC's Student Clubs
Shelley Hintz
Coordinator of Student Engagement
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: May-June 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Facilitating-student-communities
UMUC offers many student clubs that meet online through WebTycho.
These clubs allow students the opportunity to communicate with each
other outside their regular classes, to learn more about the field of their
major, and to share their work and interests with peers. In addition,
these clubs offer students a chance to learn more about their faculty as
well as interact with them.
Currently, all of the clubs are discipline-specific. The Learning Coaches
within the Department of Academic Success (DAS) help coordinate and
monitor the clubs. A faculty facilitator helps to provide relevant content,
and some clubs have student facilitators that encourage discussion. Most of the clubs were created
within the academic departments as a method to further enhance the students’ experience at UMUC.
The DAS also likes to hear what clubs the students would be interested in creating. Our newest club,
the Art Club was formed when a group of students asked a professor about opportunities students had
outside the classroom to critique each other’s works. If you hear of ideas students have for new clubs,
please pass them on to the DAS.
While the clubs are primarily geared towards the students, we do welcome faculty participation. Contact
with faculty outside of the classroom often provides a rewarding experience for our students. It gives
students the opportunity to learn about other experiences and careers that they aspire to. Faculty can
become involved in the student clubs through a variety of ways. Here are some ways faculty members
can participate in the clubs:
Guest Speakers: Club facilitators often ask faculty to become guest speakers within the club for
one-two weeks. The guest speaker has a conference in the club to post information. During that time,
students can ask questions for the speaker to answer. Guest speakers can discuss their path to their
current career, their graduate school process, or a topic of their expertise.
Faculty Interviews: Club members take turns selecting one of their professors to interview. The
student comes up with the questions, records the interview, and then posts the information for other
students to read in either a conference or an online newsletter.
Meet the Faculty Conference: Some of the clubs have a conference where faculty who are rostered in
the club can introduce themselves. Students can then ask the faculty questions informally about their
interests, experiences, etc. This is a great way for students to learn anout thier professors outside of
the classroom.
Resources for Students: Faculty members who are part of professional and research organizations
within the field are encouraged to post information within the clubs. If enough students are interested,
a faculty member may be able to facilitate a UMUC group for the organization. In addition, faculty
members can post any resources that may be helpful for students. Resources can include tips on
How Faculty Can Become Involved in UMUC's Student Clubs - DE Oracle
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researching graduate schools, information on careers in a field, networking suggestions or student
success help for classes. For example, in the Psychology Club one member of our faculty posted a
PowerPoint Presentation on how to create a curriculum vitae.
Student Opportunities: As professionals and scholars in the field, many of our faculty members have
access to information on career opportunities for students. The opportunities can include internships at
an organization/company that the faculty member is a part of, research assistantships with a faculty
member, or an event that is looking for amateur works. The student clubs regularly post such
information, so that students can enhance their learning experience. If you are not a member of a club,
you can contact the Learning Coaches in the DAS who can post the information for you.
If you are interested in learning more about the clubs or participating in one, please send a message to
the club e-mail address or to the author, Shelley Hintz at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
See the Department of Academic Success (http://www.umuc.edu/students/support/studentlife/clubs.cfm) for a
current list of student clubs and their contact information.
Communicating with students outside of the classroom can be a rewarding experience for both students
and faculty!
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PHAT999 - An Online Student Community - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
PHAT999 - An Online Student Community
Linda Ruggles
Collegiate Faculty and History Course Chair
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: March-April 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Facilitating-student-communities
When I received my first graduate degree, part of the ritual included a welcome to the "community of
scholars." That phrase struck me then and has remained with me since as the greatest award and
recognition of my work by others. To know there are others with whom you can discuss, disagree, and
come to consensus with, encourages exploration of ideas in many senses – or as Goethe put it: "To
know someone here or there with whom you can feel there is understanding, in spite of distances or
thoughts expressed, can make of this earth a garden." (as quoted in Palloff and Pratt, p. 21).
Communities are, by definition, places where we meet with others who have common interests. While
"place" is often referred to a physical location, it is just as often referred to as a "location of the mind".
In academic circles, communities of students and scholars have long been an integral part of the
education process. They have served as compliments to the classroom where ideas were tried out,
taken to wherever the research, and discussions led. This was clearly evident inside the walls of many
European universities during the 14th – 16th centuries. Although, the tradition harks at least as far
back as Socrates in ancient Athens. Certainly Socrates paid a steep price for his insistence upon
following the evidence where it led, but he stood for the idea of academic freedom. (For additional
information on academic freedom, see Hofstadter).
Academics have recognized the possibilities offered by virtual communities and a number of listservs
were created during the 1990s for the exchange of ideas, information, and debate. Of particular note
was the creation of H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online (http://www.h-net.org/) , where
scholars and teachers from around the world meet in various discussion groups. As an instructor with
UMUC's Asian Division, I found this network to be my lifeline to others who taught, researched, and
wrote about the same historical periods as I did – a virtual location based on ideas and shared
interests.
At UMUC students can earn a BA or BS, entirely online, in a number of disciplines. Our students come
to UMUC from every continent, except for Antarctica, as well as onboard ships to earn their degrees.
Well before UMUC arrived at this point, the discipline chair of the history department, Bud Burkhard,
decided the history department needed to create a space where the students could meet virtually. His
belief was that if the students were to attended a traditional school they would have access to any
number of clubs and programs. He wanted to encourage this in the online meduim as well. Dr.
Burkhard arranged for space on one of UMUC's online servers in order to develop a virtual meeting
space that was to later to become known as PHAT999 (derived from PAT with an H added – UMUC's
online history club that also encompasses our chapter of PAT (Alpha Epsilon Chi).
Currently, PHAT 999 is open to all students who declare a major or minor in History. The purpose is to
provide our students with the opportunity to interact with each other on a variety of levels including
personal, academic, and professional. Guest speakers are invited to discuss topics such as teacher
certification, career opportunities, and graduate study possibilities. This year's guest speakers are
alumni attending graduate school who discuss the application process and survival skills. In the spring
PHAT999 - An Online Student Community - DE Oracle
we will hold an online conference with faculty members who practice history in other venues outside
traditional academicia.
In the PHAT999 classroom there are "special topics" conferences that are designed to help our students
consider possibilities for life beyond their studies at UMUC as well as study groups for discussions on a
wide range of topics from what to do with a degree in history, to what graduate school to attend, as
well as teacher certification requirements in various states. Recently, a conference was organized for a
PAT group who collaborated online and then attended the conference in Philadelphia where they
presented their work. When a student graduates, they are invited to remain a part of PHAT999. A
number of them have remained involved by supporting our current students.
A community is only formed when those for whom it is intended participate and bring it to life. Below
are a few comments from participants of PHAT999 discussing how the 'online community' has impacted
them.
"Communities provide moral support and a sort of safety net for students during their careers.
Even when a student "hovers" in PHAT but never posts, the fact that the community is
available gives a psychological boost. At the beginning of my career, online communities
provided book discussions that lead to references for papers, and people that provide actual
help (proofreading) with papers, especially with annoying endnotes (which I now love). And
now I have a vast network to bounce professional ideas off of. "
"I think that community becomes even MORE important when you are taking online classes
and do not always have an immediate support group…PHAT999 has been a God send in
providing a community where I can discuss various subjects within history, like the Ancient
History study group. It's also very important to me to have the areas which discuss what to do
with a history degree and the class announcements which keep us all up to date with the
department happenings. The biggest drawback to all this is that many of my contacts live
around the world and the odds are not good that I will ever meet them."
"To the extent that community provides access to advice, options, opportunities, and
information, it contributes to success. In my wanderings through the various PHAT
conferences and discussion groups I find strong evidence for the fact that for some individuals,
the PHAT 'community' that has emerged is critical to their success."
"PHAT999 has certainly become a part of my experience at UMUC, and a very positive one. It
provided a vehicle for gaining information on events, opportunities, and upcoming classes that
have certainly enriched my sojourn toward a second degree and made things a lot more fun
than they might otherwise have been… In a very important way, PHAT999 has contributed to
my academic life and success by cushioning me when I needed that cushioning and contact
with others. It has provided a channel or place where I can locate information that is helpful in
leading me to a solution but not necessarily the solution itself."
Resources
Allen, I. Elaine and Jeff Seaman. Growing by Degrees: Online Education in the United States, 2005.
Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2005. Retrieved 2 December 2005 from URL http://www.sloan-c.org/
(http://www.sloan-c.org/)
Hofstadter, Richard. Academic Freedom in the Age of the College. With a new introduction by Roger L.
Geiger. New York: Columbia University Press, 1955; New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1996.
Palloff, Rena M. and Keith Pratt. Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for
the Online Classroom. Higher and Adult Education Series. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.
PHAT999 - An Online Student Community - DE Oracle
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About the Author(s)
Linda Ruggles, Adjunct Associate Professor of History, holds degrees in Music Performance (Windham College) and
History (George Mason University) and is currently ABD with Capella University for a PhD in Education. Her research areas
and publications include Puritans and their use of music, the controversy over the proposed Enola Gay exhibit at the
Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, and the Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention of 1848. She has taught with UMUC
since 1993, the first 5 years in the Asian Division on Okinawa, Japan. In addition, she is the Faculty Advisor of UMUC's
chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society (UMUC's chapter, Alpha Epsilon Chi, won the Best Chapter
Award for schools with 23,000 or more enrollments for 2006!) and has served as History Course Chair since 2004. In 2006,
she was awarded the Teaching Recognition Award.
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CATs in the Classroom: Classroom Assessment Techniques - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
CATs in the Classroom: Classroom Assessment Techniques
Linda Smelser
Instructional Support Specialist
Non UMUC
Published: May-June 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross (1993), compiled the sourcebook,
Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers
(http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1555425003.html) , that describes
methods and techniques for use as models for evaluating two fundamental
questions: "What are your students learning?" and "How effectively are you
teaching?" From the time they wrote their first handbook in 1988, classroom
assessment techniques (CATs) have been widely used in all levels of education and
training. Recently, I attended a CATs presentation facilitated by Drs. Jean Runyon
and Tom Gorecki of the College of Southern Maryland, which I found insightful and practical. Further
research on CATs led me to Northwest Missouri State University, University of North Carolina and other
schools who promote the use of CATs for both online and face-to-face environments. This article
discusses the benefits of CATs for both online and face-to-face teaching tools as quick and easy
methods for providing immediate feedback for student learning that allow instructors to make changes
on the fly.
"Classroom Assessment is a simple method faculty can use to collect feedback, early and
often, on how well their students are learning what they are being taught."
The reason CATs work so well online as well as face-to-face, is that the assessment techniques are
simple to conduct, formative in nature, and easily tailored to the concerns of the instructor. CATs
effectively evaluate three critical areas in a just-in-time format:
Course-related knowledge and skills involving prior knowledge, recall and understanding, critical
thinking, and problem solving skills.
1.
Student attitudes and self-awareness, specifically awareness of values, attitudes, and the learning
process.
2.
Reactions to instruction methods such as student reactions to instructors/instructing, class activities,
assignments, and materials.
3.
"College instructors use feedback gleaned through Classroom Assessment to inform
adjustments in their teaching."
The benefits for faculty are that CATs provide feedback from students while the learning is in process.
Using CATs takes away the element of surprise for both the student and the instructor by closely
monitoring and modifying the teaching/learning process within the classroom. Instructors can assess
the status of student learning in less time than waiting for formal assessment results such as tests,
papers, and end-of-class evaluations. With just-in-time feedback, faculty can make immediate changes
in their teaching as needed. Faculty can also share the feedback with students to help them improve
their learning and study strategies.
"The purpose of classroom assessment is to provide faculty and students with information
CATs in the Classroom: Classroom Assessment Techniques - DE Oracle
and insights needed to improve teaching effectiveness and learning quality."
Students benefit from the reflective nature of CATs which assists them in being more self-directed
learners and monitors of their own learning. When instructors acknowledge student feedback and use
the information toward improvements, students appreciate the instructor's show of concern about their
learning process. According to Angelo (2001), students are favorable toward CATs, rating teachers who
use these methods and techniques as more effective. They also feel that CATs help them to better
understand the learning process as well as the course content.
"Faculty also share feedback with students, using it to help them improve their learning
strategies and study habits in order to become more independent, successful learners...."
Henderson (2001), in his article Classroom Assessment Techniques in Asynchronous Learning
Networks, explains that using a CATs technique called Minute Papers helped him to understand how to
change the online format of his course to accommodate students' negative feedback. The Minute
Papers consisted of two questions:
1. What is the one thing that helped you learn the most in this week's activities?
2. What is the one thing in this course that is helpful to your learning?
Henderson used this opportunity as a learning lesson with his students by changing the teaching
process and posting the results of the CATs assessment. He found that this process promoted more
open and deeper discussion from his students.
"Classroom Assessment is one method of inquiry within the framework of Classroom
Research, a broader approach to improving teaching and learning."
In their article, Seven Principles for Good Practices in Undergraduate Education, Chickering and
Gamson (1987) explain that it is primarily the faculty and student's responsibility to improve the
educational environment. With the emphasis on feedback between student and instructor, the CATs
assessment method effectively meets these seven principles:
1. Encourages contacts between students and faculty;
2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students;
3. Uses active learning techniques;
4. Gives prompt feedback;
5. Emphasizes time on task;
6. Communicates high expectations;
7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.
Classroom Assessment Technique Examples
The six assessment technique examples, presented by Drs. Runyon and Gorecki during the CATs
presentation, are described below. Students who participate in CATs exercises in face-to-face classes
generally hand in their written answers during class. For online classes, there are a variety of ways to
facilitate these exercises. If the instructor wants to make the feedback private, students can either
send an email to the instructor or respond to a non-graded section in the Assignment Folder in
WebTycho called CATs. For a more open forum, the instructor can open a conference section for
students to review each other’s feedback.
Name How It's Done How to Use
One-Minute
Paper
A quick way to collect written feedback on student learning by asking
what they liked most, least, and for solutions.
i.e. "What do you like best about the course so far?" "What do you like
least?" "What is one specific, small change I could make that would help
Review before next class
meeting and use to clarify,
correct, or elaborate.
CATs in the Classroom: Classroom Assessment Techniques - DE Oracle
you learn more effectively in the course?"
Muddiest Point Similar to One-Minute Paper but only ask students to describe what they
didn't understand.
i.e. "What is the muddiest point in Chapter 7? In other words, what is
unclear about digital media, specifically desktop video and digital
sound?"
Same as One-Minute Paper. If
many had the same problem,
try another approach.
One-sentence
Summary
Used to succinctly summarize knowledge about a given topic. Students
summarize knowledge of a topic by constructing a single sentence that
answers the questions "Who does what to whom, when, where, how,
and why?"
i.e. "In a long grammatically correct sentence summarize what you
know about computer viruses. Answer the question, "Who does what to
whom, when, where, how, and why?""
Review before next class
meeting and use to clarify,
correct, or elaborate where
students did not answer
correctly.
Directed
Paraphrase
Assessment technique designed to assess a student's ability to
comprehend and transfer concepts.
i.e. "Compose two are three paragraphs describing in layman's terms
how a computer's operating system works. Explain the operating system
so that a first-time computer buyer could understand its importance and
how it works."
Sort the paraphrases and pick
several to read or post at next
class, illustrating range, depth
of understanding, and
creativity.
KWL (Know,
Want to Know,
Learned)
Designed to provide insight into what students already know about a
topic, what they want to know, and then what they've learned.
i.e. "Construct a three-column chart, using MS Word. In column 1 (titled
What I Know), list what you know about computer hardware as it relates
to buying a personal computer. In column 2 (titled Want to Know), list
what you want to know about computer hardware and buying a personal
computer. Upon completion of this learning module, list what you've
learned."
Can be used in combination
with how One-sentence
Summary and Directed
Paraphrase are used.
Application Card Creates an opportunity for students to identify at least one real world
application for what they have learned.
i.e. "The purpose of this group activity is to summarize the material
presented about e-commerce (pgs 319-327). Each classmate will have
an opportunity to pass along a fact or assumption about e-commerce
(suggested length of post 2 or 3 sentences). Follow these steps: (This
exercise can either be conducted in the conference or study group area.)
Go to the study group area. Enter the "Pass It Along" forum.
The first student to read the message will post a sentence that
states a fact or application of e-commerce.
A second classmate will read the sentence posted by the first
student. Then post a different fact about e-commerce.
A third classmate will read the sentences posted by the first and
second student. Then post a different fact about e-commerce.
The process continues until all students have posted a fact or
assumption. Each statement must be unique!
The instructor will summarize
the findings after the last
individual has posted his/her
statement.
Classroom assessment techniques are effective tools for getting quickly to the heart of the classroom
teaching/learning process. At the CATs presentation by Drs. Runyon and Gorecki, they explained how
the use of these techniques in their face-to-face and online courses resulted in greater student
involvement, communication, and understanding of the learning process and course materials. Angelo
(2001) suggests that when you begin using CATs, "start small to limit risk-taking and time invested…
and to share ideas and outcomes with colleagues."
The CATs exercises were adapted in part from the article Classroom Assessment Techniques (Haugen,
1999) and from the CATs presentation by Drs. Jean Runyon and Tom Gorecki. These and other
assessments are described in greater detail in articles found in the references and resources lists
CATs in the Classroom: Classroom Assessment Techniques - DE Oracle
below.
References:
Angelo, T.A. (1991). Ten easy pieces: Assessing higher learning in four dimensions. In Classroom
research: Early lessons from success. New directions in teaching and learning. (Refers to quotes in bold
font.)
Angelo, T.A. (2001). Classroom Assessment: Guidelines for Success. Essays on Teaching Excellence.
Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://teaching.uchicago.edu/pod/angelo.html
(http://teaching.uchicago.edu/pod/angelo.html)
Chickering, W. & Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.
AAHE Bulletin. Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://www.csuhayward.edu/wasc/pdfs
/End%20Note.pdf (http://www.csuhayward.edu/wasc/pdfs/End%20Note.pdf)
Haugen, L. (1999). What are CATs? Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Retrieved March
30, 2007, from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/cat.html (http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching
/cat.html)
Henderson, T. (2001). Classroom Assessment Techniques in Asynchronous Learning Networks. The
Technology Source. Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://technologysource.org/article
/classroom_assessment_techniques_in_
asynchronous_learning_networks/ (http://technologysource.org/article
/classroom_assessment_techniques_in_asynchronous_learning_networks/)
Resources:
Book: Classroom Assessment Techniques http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle
/productCd-1555425003.html (http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1555425003.html)
CATs Presentation at Westminster College by Drs. Jean Runyon and Tom Gorecki,
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/ftc/index.cfm?parent=658&detail=668&content=2175
(http://www.westminstercollege.edu/ftc/index.cfm?parent=658&detail=668&content=2175)
Classroom Assessment Technique Examples from Honolulu Community College
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip
/assess-2.htm (http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-2.htm)
CATs Examples from SIU Edwardsville http://www.siue.edu/~deder/assess/catmain.html
(http://www.siue.edu/~deder/assess/catmain.html)
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How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions - Part II_ Guidelines for Writing Questions that Achieve Critical Thinking - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions - Part II: Guidelines for
Writing Questions that Achieve Critical Thinking
Ron Benson
Adjunct Faculty
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: November-December 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-communication
Part I | Part II | Part
III
Part II of How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions explains how to use the competencies of
Bloom's taxonomy and case studies to develop discussion questions that promote critical thinking.
Introduction
My teaching philosophy is that the primary goal of higher education is to develop critical thinking skills.
My personal experience is that discussions among class colleagues are crucial to the critical thinking
development.
According to Conceico (2005), critical thinking skills are effectively taught in an online mode. In a
phenomenological study, Conceico recorded the following faculty reaction. "There's a tremendous
gratification in [online teaching] because of how well I get to know the [learners], and I believe the
opportunities I have to assess their application of the knowledge and skills that we're talking about
during the semester…. I feel like I can have a greater impact on each individual [learner]."
Bloom's taxonomy provides a useful framework of critical thinking competencies that can be used for
developing and evaluating discussion questions.
Bloom's Competencies and Manager Responsibilities
Bloom's taxonomy provides a source of ideas and a check list to develop questions. I have extended
Bloom's taxonomy to include desired managerial responsibilities, which assist in preparing management
courses. In the first column of Table 1 (#table1) , is a list of Bloom's competencies acquired from an
adapted version of Bloom's Taxonomy from the Learning Skills Program of the University of Victoria
(2005). In the second column of the table is a list of typical management situations that help to
develop questions that correlate directly to management responsibilities. Column three lists example
discussion questions that provide students with the opportunity to learn the competencies that are
necessary in the field of management.
Using Bloom's Taxonomy
I find that the critical thinking competencies are mainly focused in the last four rows of Table 1:
Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation (Bissell & Lemons, 2006). The Bloom's taxonomy table
(Learning Skills Program, 2005) contains a list of verbs that I found particularly helpful in composing
discussion questions that address the higher order competencies. By developing questions in this way,
I concluded that effective discussion questions are often not questions at all, but rather imperative
statements, such as: apply this; explain; integrate, recommend; etc. The Revised Bloom's
How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions - Part II: Guidelines for Writing Questions that Achieve Critical Thinking - DE Oracle
Taxonomy from The Quarterly Review of Distance Education (Chyng, 2003; Krathwohl, 2002) is
another good resource that offers perspectives on developing competency related discussion questions.
Case Studies
Case studies work exceptionally well with discussion questions when addressing Bloom competencies.
Cases or vignettes can vary from a few sentences describing a unique situation to a 30-page
description of an entire organization or industry. Following is a vignette that requires responses that
cover a range of Bloom competencies. Note that the question for the case study is within the course
context and it is not involve a repeat of particular course content. The question is intended to
encourage critical thinking in an area related to student interest.
Case Study:
Consider a situation where the CEO of
a company requests an Enterprise
Resource Planning implementation
and the Information Technology (IT)
manager thinks the present systems
are just fine. The IT manager starts
a project mostly to placate the CEO.
Discussion Question:
Offer advice to the person who is put
in charge of the project that reports
to the IT manager.
A question that works particularly well with case studies is, "Describe any lessons you personally
learned from this case? Anything particularly hit home? Was there anything in the case that you think
needs to be emphasized or communicated, or that is commonly done poorly?" This obvious requires
reflective thought. It is meaningful to students personally. And it always generates further discussion.
Ineffective Discussion Questions
Effective questions should provide opportunity for discussion. If they do not, don't use them. For
example, inappropriate questions for discussion would be factual type questions that leads to only one
answer and for which responses are binary, (yes/no, true/false). The only discussion might be whether
an answer is right or wrong and discussions of this sort tend to negate the collegial environment
needed for successful discussions. Questions that do not enhance learning and are merely busywork
are also inappropriate. An example might be a question that asks for information which requires little
more than a retyping of another document. In an online educational environment, one has the
documentation to determine which questions are ineffective and to continually improve them.
Question Development/Review Criteria
In summary, developing or reviewing effective discussion questions can be achieved with a simple set
of criteria. Questions should 1) be open-ended enough so everyone can answer differently based on
their backgrounds, knowledge or perspective—no one correct answer; 2) be challenging enough to
separate those who are more knowledgeable or capable; 3) be challenging enough to require a search
for information; and 4) be congruent with learning objectives for the course and the learning unit.
Table 1:
Bloom's Competencies and Manager Responsibilities
Competency Typical Management
Situation
Possible Discussion Questions
Knowledge Understand basic job tasks Literature contains many references on
critical success factors relevant to
particular situations.
How to Develop Effective Discussion Questions - Part II: Guidelines for Writing Questions that Achieve Critical Thinking - DE Oracle
Search periodicals on UMUC's library
using phrases such as "critical success
factors" and note some of the topic
areas.
Limit your search to topics of interest
from the list provided.
Provide a list of several critical success
factors and a citation(s) in APA
format.
Comprehension Summarize a problem situation Find a source that describes how to
effectively create PowerPoint (or other
vendor) presentations, and summarize
the main points.
Application React to environmental
situations or changes
Describe any lessons you personally
learned from the International Air
case?
Anything in particular hit home?
Was there anything in the case that
you think needs to be emphasized or
communicated, or that is commonly
done poorly?
Analysis Determine root causes of
problem situations
Why did the International Air "make"
option fail, while the "buy" option
succeeded?
Synthesis Derive problem solutions Compose a job description and
requirements for a Chief Technology
Officer.
Evaluation Report results or progress.
Develop performance
measures/techniques
How do you know if sufficient planning
has been done?
How much planning is enough
planning?
Can you over plan? If so, what are the
symptoms and problems?
How do you know if the plan has not
had sufficient thought? Intuition?
About the Author(s)
Dr. Benson is a UMUC adjunct faculty in the graduate school TMAN program. His professional experience includes twenty
years of face-to-face teaching of Operations Management and Information Technology courses, and administrative positions
of Department Chair, MBA Coordinator and Business School Dean. Online experience includes seven sections of doctoral level
courses and seven sections in the masters level Technology Management program at the University of Maryland University
College. In 1990-1992, the author participated in a research project funded by IBM concerning designing courses for an
Advanced Technology Classroom at Western Connecticut State University which involved guided discussions and content
visualization.
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University of Maryland University College Undergraduate Schedule of Classes 2007 1-Spring
No full textUniversity of Maryland University College School of Undergraduate Studies Spring 2007 Schedule of Classes. Howard Community College-UMUC Alliance makes 10 see p.3. Plan your degree from start to finish see p.7. www.umuc.edu
Information Literacy Skills Critical to Student Success: Developing Assessments to Promote Positive Student Outcomes - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Information Literacy Skills Critical to Student Success: Developing
Assessments to Promote Positive Student Outcomes
Debora McLaughlin
Assistant Director, Science
School of Undergraduate Studies
Published: January-February 2007
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
How do we help our students to become information-literate,
life-long learners? A life-long learner is an individual who can
recognize when information is needed and has the ability to
locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.
One approach to achieving these skills is to ensure that
assignments and projects for our students are designed with
the Information Literacy Competency Standards for
Higher Education (http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards
/informationliteracycompetency.htm#ildef) in mind. According to the
standards, a student who has developed the essential
information literacy skills is able to:
Determine the nature and extent of the information needed
Acquire needed information effectively and efficiently
Evaluate information and its sources critically
Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and
use information ethically and legally
In Fall 2006, UMUC librarian Robert Miller and Rick Martin, UMUC-Asia Academic Director for Science,
collaborated to bring a workshop on information literacy to stateside faculty. Professor Martin originally
conceived of the workshop for his faculty in Asia. Using Professor Martins' workshop as a model, Barb
Mann, UMUC's Instruction and Information Literacy Librarian, developed an excellent, subject-specific
workshop tailored to the stateside faculty needs. The workshop was moderated by Professor Martin and
Mr. Miller and included 26 stateside faculty.
Early in the workshop, Professor Martin asked the participants to identify certain skills that are
challenge for students. In completing this task, participants highlighted that a major problem they saw
with students was critical thinking, but there were also concerns about limited capacities for
information synthesis and integration, errors in logic flow, and trouble with recognition of appropriate
resources.
For the remainder of the workshop, the participants were asked to create information literacy-rich
science assignments. The participants were able obtain assistance with developing such assignments by
contacting the librarians directly (http://www.umuc.edu/library/help/ask.shtml) or by using the Tutorial for
Developing and Evaluating Assignments (http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutorials/information_literacy/toc.html) .
A particularly gnawing agitation for the participants is the inability of students to recognize appropriate
Information Literacy Skills Critical to Student Success: Developing Assessments to Promote Positive Student Outcomes - DE Oracle
resources for research papers and projects. A tendency for students to place undue emphasis on
"free-web" Internet resources was a principal concern. To rectify this shortcoming, the ILS has
developed a criteria for resource evaluation (http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/evaluate.shtml) that both
faculty and students have at their disposal and are encouraged to use.
Using the evaluative questions, each participant completed an assignment related to evaluation of a
web resource by answering the series of questions for a selected, course-related web site. It was
acknowledged that web sites could successfully pass the criteria, but a degree of critical thinking was
still necessary to determine how, and whether, to integrate the information. For example, it was noted
that the content of federal web sites is subject to the political climate of the presidential
administration. A second major concern was the failure of students to determine whether an
information source is appropriate or adequate to meet the needs of the assignment. To surmount the
tendency for students to incorporate content from inappropriate journals, magazines, news articles,
and other print resources, ILS has developed an excellent tool for students (http://www.umuc.edu
/library/guides/identify.shtml) to learn to access, identify, and assess (to some degree) scholarly and
peer-reviewed resources.
Many workshop participants found this latter skill to be rather difficult to instill and proposed that UMUC
faculty create a mechanism to facilitate student attainment of science-specific, resource-assessment
skills. A mechanism along the lines of the Science Learning Center in Course Content was
recommended. Dr. Warner, academic director of Science and Biology, however, advised that such an
enterprise requires the engagement of course development personnel and suggested that we might
work to develop this teaching tool first in the departmental 999 classrooms.
The information literacy criteria listed at the outset of this article are general skill sets that identify
students who achieve the status of information-literate. To specifically address student acquisition of
science and technology-related skills, a recent (June 2006) task force composed of the American
Library Association (ALA) (http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/aboutacrl.htm) and Association of College and
Research Libraries (ACRL) (http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/infolitscitech.htm) , and the Science and
Technology committee (STS) built upon the general information literacy standards and drafted 25
performance indicators (http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/infolitscitech.htm) to be achieved by science
students. Science-specific outcomes include assignments related to forming hypotheses,
experimentation, use of data to formulate testable questions, creation of data tracking mechanisms,
application of understanding of the structure of a scientific paper, utilization of computer and other
technologies to study interactions of phenomena, and use of a variety of methods and emerging
technologies to keep current in the field.
Ultimately, well-designed assignments should provide the foundation for developing information literate
students and life-long learners. These students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in (1) effective
and efficient use of information and library resources, (2) selection of the best resources to meet the
need, (3) critical evaluation of synthesized selected resources, and (4) appropriate citation of
sources. The outcome is an empowered student and contributing citizen who is capable of deciding
whether to modify initial queries and/or seek additional sources. Equipped with these skills, the
information literate student comes to understand that information literacy is an ongoing process and an
important component of lifelong learning.
About the Author(s)
Debra McLaughlin, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Assistant Academic Director for Sciences and Biology. She is a
neuroscientist. Before joining UMUC, she was an assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University and an adjunct
faculty member at UMUC.
Information Literacy Skills Critical to Student Success: Developing Assessments to Promote Positive Student Outcomes - DE Oracle
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Join club: Promoting information literacy in online student academic organizations
No full textAt the University of Maryland University College, a primarily distance-learning school, online academic clubs help create a sense of community among geographically dispersed students. In the clubs, students network with each other and with faculty while exploring recent developments, career opportunities, and graduate school options in the students? chosen field of study. As a librarian actively participating in the online clubs, I am able to foster information literacy skills, raise the library?s visibility, and achieve other goals. I describe a seminar I led, ?Publishing Opportunities for Undergraduates,? and other ways in which I?ve established and maintain a library presence in the clubs. The same outreach activities I conduct in online clubs can be pursued in traditional, face-to-face student organizations.Robert Miller
Join the club
Promoting information literacy in online student academic organizations
How does a school foster a sense of
community among distance learners
scattered across the globe?
The University of Maryland University College (UMUC), headquartered in the United
States and having divisions in Europe and
Asia, serves more than 90,000 students worldwide
in facetoface
and online classes.
To create communities among students
with shared interests, UMUC has established
online academic clubs in disciplines ranging
from accounting to communications to history.
Students can participate in the Global
Business and Public Policy Forum, as well as
the Women in Business Club. English, marketing,
and human resources students also
have clubs in which they can network with
their peers and professors, learn about career
opportunities, discuss recent developments
in their field, and attend virtual seminars
hosted by fellow students, faculty, and visiting
experts. Each online club is managed by
a faculty advisor who works with a learning
coach from the university’s Department of
Academic Success.
Library liaison activities in student
clubs
When I began work as information and library
services’ liaison to the undergraduate
sciences department, I was charged with the
task of promoting library services, facultylibrarian
collaboration, and information literacy
goals to our science instructors. The ultimate
aim of our library’s liaison program is to work
with faculty to help our students succeed.
At my first meeting with the sciences
faculty, I spoke with the learning coach
who oversees the department’s three student
clubs: environmental management, psychology,
and behavioral sciences. Because the
clubs are always on the lookout for guests
who can conduct an online seminar relevant
to the students’ interests, the learning coach
invited me to pay a virtual visit and host a
libraryrelated
seminar in each of the science
department clubs.
The project was appealing. Here was
an opportunity to create a library presence
and to promote information literacy among
students (and faculty) who participate in the
clubs. There was also an added benefi t. How often do students come in contact with an
academic librarian when a grade is not on
the line, when a paper is not due? Free of
classroom pressures, online student clubs are friendly forums in which students exchange
information on a subject they love and, more
often than not, have chosen as a career.
Student club seminar: Publishing
opportunities for undergraduates
Because of the special atmosphere in student
clubs—their sense of a community connected
to, but distinct from, the classroom—I wanted
to present a seminar that would go beyond
the usual topics covered in classbased
library
instruction, such as choosing a database,
Boolean searching, etc. So for my fi rst visit,
to the environmental management club, I
presented the online asynchronous seminar,
“Publishing Opportunities for UndergraduRobert
Miller is reference and instruction librarian,
information and library services at the University of
Maryland University College Student and Faculty
Services Center, e-mail: [email protected]
© 2007 Robert Miller
December 2007 713 C&RL News
ates,” a topic rich in information literacy goals
and one with decided extracurricular appeal: by publishing a paper, students could look
forward to an outstanding bullet point on
their résumés or graduate school applications.
The seminar covered:
• undergraduate journals that publish
student research
• types of articles students can publish
– research studies
– literature reviews
– newstype
feature articles
• working with a faculty mentor
• guides to science writing
• alternative means of communicating
ideas in science
– conferences
– poster sessions
– blogs
As part of the seminar, students were
encouraged to present ideas for articles
(perhaps they had written an “A” paper that
could be worked up for publication) and ask
questions. If I was stumped by a question involving
subject content or requiring indepth
knowledge of scientific publishing, the club’s
faculty advisor was there to help.
I tailored the publishing seminar as much
as possible for the environmental management
club. For example, the undergraduate
journals I presented publish environmental
articles, and I gave links to examples for
the students to review. With the structure of
the seminar in place, it was only a matter of
adapting it for presentation in the Psychology
and the Behavioral Sciences clubs. Students
came away from each seminar with achievable
ideas for publishing their work in venues
that welcome undergraduate writers.
A library presence in student clubs
Presenting the seminars established a library
presence in each club. To maintain that presence
and continue promoting information literacy skills, I post brief, bloglike
entries
at the rate of about three per month in each
club. Each entry contains links to helpful Web
sites or articles in our library databases. Here
are some examples:
• Psychology Club. I summarized a magazine
article I had read about the positive
psychology movement, along with a link to
the fulltext
of the article. I showed students
how a popular article can be a springboard
to scholarly sources, as magazines frequently
quote experts whose published research can
then be found in library databases.
• Behavioral Sciences Club. In a faculty
member’s presentation on sociology and
popular culture, I joined in the discussion to
mention a documentary film I had seen about
heavy metal music. The filmmaker holds a
master’s degree in cultural anthropology, so
I showed students how to find the fulltext
of his thesis (which, by the way, is not about
heavy metal) in ProQuest’s Dissertations and
Theses database.
• Environmental Management Club. I
alerted students to Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) library closings, providing links
to material from various perspectives on the
issue: from EPA itself, ALA, and Public Employees
for Environmental Responsibility.
• Career information useful for all clubs. I
designed a quick guide, and tailored it to each
club, on using the database ReferenceUSA
to identify potential employers in a student’s
geographical area.
When I begin a new discussion thread
about an article or book I have read, a
news item I have seen, and so on, my posts
can serve as conversation starters. I also
join threads that other club members have
begun, pointing out information sources
students can use to inform the discussion.
Sources may be scholarly (the fulltext
of a
research study in PsycINFO, for example) or
popular (Consumer Reports information on
energyefficient
appliances). I always try to
model information literacy skills by linking
to authoritative Web sites and demonstrating
how library databases can satisfy all sorts of
information needs, not just those generated
by a research paper.
When recommending an article in a library
database, I will usually cite it in APA (American
Psychological Association) style, just to
keep examples of properly formatted citations
C&RL News December 2007 714
fresh in the students’ minds. And to underline
the library’s presence and availability, I sign
my posts with my job title and a link to the
library homepage.
Benefits of library participation
Since becoming active in student clubs, I have
had the pleasure of being referred to more
than once by students and faculty as “our
librarian.” Club members think of me when
they have various research needs. An alumna
creating a psychology club seminar on curriculum
vitaes asked me to help compile a
list of Web sites and books on the topic. An
environmental management professor presenting
a club seminar on nanotechnology
asked what library resources were available,
so I created a brief research guide. And when the behavioral sciences department applied
for membership in an international honor
society, they asked me to participate in the
site visit, giving the society’s representative a
tour of our virtual library to affirm the wealth
of resources we offer our online students.
Playing an active role in online student
academic clubs helps me, as a librarian,
achieve the following goals:
• promoting information literacy skills in
a context that students enjoy, a relaxed atmosphere
apart from the pressures of classroom
performance;
• learning about students’ needs and
what academic and career issues concern them the most;
• gaining subject knowledge by following
club discussions that are rich in disciplinespecifi
c content;
• building the university’s online community
by joining in conversation with and meeting
information needs of students and faculty;
• increasing the library’s visibility; and
• showing students an aspect of library
services they might not have imagined before,
a librarian “out from behind the reference
desk” engaged in subjects that are vital to
the students’ chosen career.
Of course, many of the contributions I
have made in online clubs can be duplicated
in a traditional environment. Students in a
facetoface
academic club will benefi t from
a presentation on publishing opportunities
or on any of aspect of library services that
would further the goals of the student organization.
Certainly, a club’s student leaders and
faculty advisor will appreciate a librarian’s
help in conducting an informationrelated
activity or two.
Join the club!
December 2007 715 C&RL New