Online Instruction Made Easy: Getting Started with The Guide on the Side

Come learn about a great new tool for easily creating effective and engaging online tutorials built around the theory of active learning. The Guide on the Side was created by librarians at the University of Arizona and released as an open source download in 2012. We hope to soon have it installed for all to use at the UVM Libraries

The heart and living room of campus: A mixed-methods comparison of two informal learning spaces at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Universities are designing informal learning spaces as open, collaborative environments; while there is a need for collaborative spaces, the majority of students in both spaces are working independently. This article compares the usage and design features of informal learning spaces within the main library and union of a “university.” Frequently referred to as the “heart” or “living room,” this architectural study employs mixed-method, explanatory sequential design. Quantitative data was collected through unobtrusive observations and random-sample surveys, followed by qualitative data collection via focus groups. Students visit the library more frequently and stay for longer periods of time than the union. Certain design features found to be more desired than others included standard-height tables and chairs that are comfortable; areas with natural lighting; and large, individual tables to spread out users’ belongings. Overall, it was found that the “heart” and “living room” of campus are serving their intended purposes. It is important for designers to remember that a variety of users have different needs and preferences that are served by a variety of spaces. This study builds on the limited literature regarding informal learning spaces and is the first to compare a university campus’s library to their union. Results will help shape the future of informal learning space design and guide future research in this field

Spiritual Well-Being and Its Relationship to Resilience in Young People: A Mixed Methods Case Study

Questions have arisen recently about the role of spiritual well-being in strengthening resilience of youth. To explore this association, this case study focused on the relationships and connectedness of young people who attend one religious organization as a means of enhancing their spiritual well-being. In line with the purposes of an instrumental case study, different sources of data (quantitative and qualitative) were collected on the phenomenon of interest—spiritual well-being. A theoretical purposive sample of 65 people participated in the study. A mixed methods research approach guided this case study, which incorporated both single- and multicase study techniques. Through an abductive analysis process, spiritual well-being and resilience were shown to be interrelated and ecologically bound. This mixed methods case study presents one possible explanation for the often observed yet poorly understood relationship between spiritual well-being and positive youth outcomes, such as resilience

Where Science Intersects Pop Culture: An Informal Science Education Outreach Program

Attracting a general audience to STEM topics can be a challenge, and developing engaging and interactive instruction is important for educators in all fields. While many chemical educators have successfully used pop-culture themes to introduce their students to scientific concepts, these encounters are largely limited to formal classroom environments. Inspired by the successes of community science programs such as Science Café and Nerd Nite, science educators from two Nebraska campuses sought to broaden the exposure of their pop-culture themed class lectures, and created the SciPop Talks! program. Now entering its fifth year, this informal educational outreach program has become a model of faculty/librarian partnerships and successful campus outreach. In this article, we discuss the program’s formation, outline its strengths and challenges, and stress the importance of using interactivity to engage with learners. We report on findings from a survey of our attendees, which revealed surprising differences along gender lines. By sharing the motivations, strategies, operational specifics, outcomes, and future goals, we hope that scientists, science educators, outreach coordinators, and librarians will be inspired to launch their own SciPop Talks! programs

Writing Instructors’ Intentional Integration of the Information Literacy Framework

This article presents an exploratory study that examines how 11 first-year writing instructors’ conceptualizations of information literacy evolved over the course of their participation in an inquiry group co-developed and co-facilitated by the Libraries’ teaching faculty and the Director of Composition & Rhetoric at a public university in the United States. The authors developed a coding schema to identify the presence of information literacy-related themes and practices in pre- and post-program course syllabi and in reflective pieces submitted by instructors. The findings revealed that instructors’ use and applications of the ACRL Framework increased after the program, showing greater personal engagement as evidenced by more preferential application of frames most relevant to their learning goals. Moreover, instructors integrated those frames more fully into their instructional practices. The authors’ analysis of instructor-created artifacts provides a unique lens into disciplinary instructors’ conceptualizations of and approaches to information literacy while examining the impact of one path for collaboration and scalability of information literacy integration within a curriculum

Creating a Student Success Center: Transitioning Graduate Students into an Online Community of Learners through a Collaborative Approach

Community building and socialization are key to success in graduate education, particularly as students are facing two new realities at the start of their academic careers: shifting identity into becoming graduate students 2 and scholars, and developing online learning competency. As a way to address these challenges, the EDAD Student Success Center was created in Fall 2016 to increase interactions with faculty and peers as a way to develop a community of learners. This collaborative project included interest and effort from departmental faculty and staff, colleagues from the UNL Libraries, and current graduate students representing the EDAD Graduate Student Association (GSA). As a result, student users described the benefits of the Student Success Center as critical to their success as graduate students. By reducing feelings of isolation, we were able to provide a comprehensive site that helps students feel membership in a learning community and to have access to tools that assist in fostering their educational success. The EDAD Student Success Center was recognized with the 2017 OLC Effective Practice Award. In addition, the presenters have published findings from this collaboration in the May 22, 2017 edition of the EDUCAUSE Review

Collection Development Policy, Digital Commons Institutional Repository, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries, November 13, 2019

Purpose of the UNL Digital Commons Institutional Repository The UNL institutional repository (IR) comprises services that result in the stewardship and global online dissemination of content created and selected by UNL authors and affiliates. With the aim of contributing to the broader world of scholarship and facilitating discovery, the repository reflects the intellectual life of the institution.1 The IR drives a significant level of Web traffic to UNL. As such, the IR may serve as a promotional and marketing tool for authors, programs, and the university as a whole. Purpose of the Collection Development Policy This collection development policy is intended to provide guidance for content selection that anticipates and meets the needs of the communities of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It directly relates to the library\u27s vision statement and defines the scope and standards that guide the services that generate the collection

Re-centering Teaching and Learning: Toward Communities of Practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) presents important opportunities that can transform learning, but many academic librarians at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln (UNL) struggle to find a scholarly center when their teaching roles are frequently that of external collaborator. Challenges such as access to student data, meaningful evaluations of instruction, limited opportunities for funding and professional development, and uncertainty over how to negotiate for these have contributed to librarians remaining on the periphery of SoTL work. Hoping to overcome some of these hurdles, UNL librarians are developing a community of practice (CoP) around teaching and learning. In the summer of 2016, UNL librarians began developing new collaborative structures and practices to increase and encourage library-wide professional development, and this case study captures and reflects upon these attempts. This discussion has three goals: (1) to present the emerging efforts in the UNL Libraries to develop a more intentional CoP around teaching and learning, (2) to outline three recent, multidisciplinary SoTL projects in which librarians played critical roles, and (3) to reflect on how this CoP is inspiring librarians to be more systematic in approaches to teaching, in analyzing these efforts, and in sharing these outcomes and findings broadly