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Evolution of a library research methods course for biology students
Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57 ± 62
Short communication
Evolution of a library research methods course for biology students Jill Newby* Stewart Library, Weber State University, 2901 University Circle, Ogden, UT 84408-2901, USA
Abstract A library research methods course developed in the early 1980s by a zoology professor at Weber State University has evolved over time due to the involvement of librarians, changes in approaches to teaching and learning, and the use of computers and networked information. A look at the changes in this course provides a picture of changes in library instruction more generally over the past 2 decades. D 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Library research methods; Biology students; Library instructions
1. Introduction Many published surveys and histories of the state of library instruction in the past 2 decades have focused on trends in BI programs, their administration, and the types and specific methods of instruction used in libraries (Chadley & Gavryck, 1989; Hardesty & Tucker, 1989; Mensching, 1989; Salony, 1995; Shirato & Badics, 1997). These reviews provide a history of changes in library instruction brought about by the adoption of the latest teaching and learning pedagogies, personal computers, CD-ROM technology, and the World Wide Web, among other factors. This article takes a different approach by outlining the history of a particular library research course. By focusing on the changes over time in one library instruction class, one can see this same evolution and change in library instruction concepts and methodologies that have occurred in the past 20 years. The Stewart Library has a history of providing credit courses in library instruction for students at Weber State University (WSU), an undergraduate teaching institution in Ogden, * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-801-626-6231. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Newby). 0734-3310/00/$ ± see front matter D 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 7 3 4 - 3 3 1 0 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 2 4 - 0
58
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
UT. In the early 1980s, WSU librarians began offering a course in library research methods and, in the late 1980s, developed a new course on the ``Electronic Library.'' This has evolved over time into two Internet courses. In 1986, a WSU librarian began co-teaching a course in library research methods in biology with a faculty member from the Zoology Department. This course is the focus of this article. The three main facets of the course, as it has evolved, are: 1. Library research basics: organization of the library, types of materials available, information access, and research strategies. 2. The biological literature: history, types of publications, distinguishing between primary and secondary articles, trends in scientific journal publishing. 3. Putting it all together in the form of a synthesis paper: writing styles used in scientific papers, choosing a paper topic, writing an outline and introduction, formatting citations, editing, and making oral presentations. The course is taught once a year and is aimed at upper-division life sciences students in zoology, botany, and microbiology. The synthesis paper is the primary assessment of student learning, along with weekly assignments and in-class group exercises. Since the beginning of this course, the first topic on the syllabus has been ``literature problems for biologists,'' which explores challenges to biologists in being able to negotiate and manage the thousands of papers published annually. Unfortunately, this problem has not gone away for biologists. The blossoming of Web-based information has only increased their difficulties and created an even greater need for effective strategies to locate pertinent information. 2. Development of the course Dr. Carl Marti, a professor in the WSU Zoology Department, first offered the library research methods course in the fall of 1981. It was entitled ``Biological Literature.'' The course description read ``Methodology of library research including the use of standard sources, indexes, and abstracts for scientific reports (Weber State College Bulletin, 1979).'' According to Marti, the rationale for developing the course was that life science students did not know how to find information in the library. The initial emphasis was on using Biological Abstracts, Zoological Abstracts, and Biological and Agricultural Index to find periodical literature. Over the years, the focus of the course has evolved to finding and synthesizing information in order to write a research paper. In the 1983±1984 academic year, the name of the course changed to ``Library Research Methods in Biology'' to reflect the library research component of the course. During that time, Judy Batemen, then a librarian at the Stewart Library, contacted Marti about becoming involved in teaching the course. In the 1986 winter quarter, Batemen began team-teaching the course with Marti, and it was cross-listed as a library science course. Since 1986, four other librarians have team-taught the course. As part of the team-teaching approach, the zoology professor provided lectures and assignments on the structure of the biological literature, choosing a paper topic, and the publication process. The librarian provided instruction and
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
59
assignments on the library catalog, periodical indexes and abstracts, reference sources, government publications, and search strategies. Topics, such as choosing a paper topic and revising papers, were co-taught. Grading of assignments and research papers were divided between the zoology professor and the librarian. Carl Marti ended his involvement with the course in 1995 due to increased teaching and professional responsibilities. Since that time, only the author (the science librarian) has taught the course. Guest speakers from the life sciences departments are invited to meet with the class to talk about their experiences in finding and managing information and getting published.
3. Pedagogy When librarian Judy Batemen became involved in teaching the course in 1986, the syllabus was organized into modules. Examples of modules included ``Literature Problems for Biologists,'' ``Journals and Other Periodical Literature,'' and ``Scientific Writing and Biological Literature.'' Marti commented that there were more writing activities with this approach, as each module included a writing assignment. The types of writing activitiesÐ such as a topic selection statement, developing an outline, and writing several drafts of the paperÐalso reflect the strong interest and activities of the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program at WSU, which began around 1986.1 In 1993, the librarian who team-taught the course introduced short oral reports into the syllabus because of his involvement with the campus-wide Speaking Across the Curriculum committee. The course description from the 1987 ± 1988 college catalog reads, ``A practical introduction to the kinds of biological materials in academic libraries and how to find, use, and interpret information in these sources (Weber State College Catalog, 1987).'' This change in the course description reflects the expanding goals of the course from not only being able to use standard biological reference materials, but also being able to evaluate and synthesize information. At the same time, there was a growing interest in the concepts of information literacy in the library community. These concepts are embodied in a 1989 report from the American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, which emphasizes the importance of life-long learning in the lives of individuals, in business, and in citizenship in the Information Age. Life-long learning involves being able to find, evaluate, organize, and use information effectively to address a problem or issue (American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989). Active learning activities, which have been used in the course in the past decade, reflect the popularity of this teaching technique in library instruction since the early 1990s (Williams & Cox, 1992; Allen, 1995). An example of a successful active learning activity used in the course is to divide the students into small groups and have them evaluate a search engine according to a set of criteria developed by the class and present this 1
For a literature review and involvement of libraries in the Writing Across the Curriculum movement in the 1980s, see Sheridan (1992).
60
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
information in tabular form to compare and differentiate search engines. Other activities include pairing students to brainstorm their synthesis paper topic, and also to read and critique each other's first draft. 4. New technologies and the Internet An online library catalog became available in the library by 1986. However, the card catalog system was still being taught as part of the course until 1995, by which time most of the library's holdings had been added to the online catalog, and the card catalog was no longer located in the Reference area. Before CD-ROM databases were available at WSU, online searching protocols and strategies were taught by the librarian, using Dialog and the online library catalog to demonstrate searching capabilities. The librarian provided Dialog searches for those students who had difficulty finding sufficient citations through the print indexes. Between 1993 and 1997, a number of CD-ROMS and online databases of interest to life sciences students became available in the library. These included the Wilson databases, ERIC, GPO, MEDLINE, CINAHL and CARL UnCover, INFOTRAC, Wildlife Review, BasicBIOSIS, and Current Contents. As a result, an increasing emphasis was placed on searching online databases instead of using the print indexes and abstracts. However, Biological Abstracts, which was available only in print in the library, was still being taught. Because of the access to end-user databases, mediated searches through Dialog were no longer performed for students in the course. In 1994, the library added a classroom equipped with 26 state-of-the-art, networked computer workstations, an ELMO projection unit, and video and compact disk equipment. The computer classroom greatly enhanced the ability of librarians to demonstrate online information, and for students to get hands-on experience in searching online databases and using the World Wide Web. By 1997, the library had added a second computer classroom to keep up with the demand for library instruction sessions and other campus courses in an electronic environment. The development of Mosaic as a graphical interface to the World Wide Web in 1993 opened up the world of networked information to the general public. Before 1995, when the World Wide Web was first introduced into the course, students were taught the use of telnet to search the online catalog, the Wilson databases, and CARL Uncover. In 1995, the librarian would spend one class session on the Internet. By 1996, the Internet became a module at the end of the course. Netscape basics were taught and there was an assignment on using subject directories, such as Yahoo, and search engines to find electronic journals and Web sites. In 1997, the course curriculum was substantially revised to place greater emphasis on research strategies, online searching, and web resources. Four class periods were spent on online database searching, and this was done earlier in the quarter so students would be able to start their research papers earlier in the term. The Internet followed the online searching module, and three class periods were spent on the Internet as opposed to one class period the year before, reflecting the increasing use and availability of the Internet on campus and in the library. Topics included Internet basics, using search engines, evaluating information, and citing Internet documents. In winter of 1998, the
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
61
Internet section had expanded to five class sessions. A class session was also devoted on the future of scientific literature and electronic publications. In 1997±1998, WSU faculty prepared to move to a semester-based system beginning with the fall 1998 semester. At that time, many changes were made in departmental programs and the curriculum of individual courses. The library research methods course became a 2 credithour course, taught once a week for 1 h and 50 min. The title of the course was changed to ``Information Resources in the Life Sciences,'' and the course description read, ``A practical introduction to the literature and information resources of the life sciences. Students will expand their research skills and be able to develop effective research strategies to find and synthesize information available in academic libraries and beyond (Weber State University Catalog, 1998).'' The changes to the course title and description reflect the world of networked information, with the library serving as a base for exploration of resources located locally and through the Internet. For the 1999 spring semester, the instructor incorporated the use of the Internet into the very first day of class to explore the course syllabus on the Web and the resources on the Library's home page (The Syllabus and Course Schedule). As much time was spent on searching the Internet as was spent on online database searching, after the basic search strategies and search techniques had been presented. Students also learned how to make a simple web page to use as an illustration for their oral presentations. 5. Conclusion From this historical description, it can be seen that the emphasis of the course has evolved from simply presenting the biological literature as well as its secondary and tertiary sources, to a more conceptual approach focused on evaluating, interpreting, and synthesizing the biological literature. The current curriculum actively involves students in developing strategies to locate pertinent information from the myriad of sources of biological information available today. As the Internet is increasingly used to find, distribute, and present information, it will be interesting to monitor future changes in the course, such as the use of multimedia in students' papers and the possibility of providing the course online. References Allen, E. E. (1995). Active learning and teaching: improving postsecondary library instruction. Reference Librarian 51 / 52, 89 ± 103. American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989). Final Report. Chicago, IL: American Library Association ED315 074. Chadley, O. A., & Gavryck, J. (1989). Bibliographic instruction trends in research libraries: survey of 72 ARL libraries for data on BI programs from 1983 to 1988. Research Strategies 7 (Summer), 106 ± 113. Hardesty, L. L., & Tucker, J. M. (1989). An uncertain crusade: the history of library use instruction in a changing educational environment. In J. Richardson Jr. & J. Y. Davis (Eds.), Academic Librarianship, Past, Present and Future: A Festschrift in Honor of David Kaser (pp. 97 ± 111). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Mensching, T. B. (1989). Trends in bibliographic instruction in the 1980's: a comparison of data from two surveys. Research Strategies 7 (Winter), 4 ± 13.
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J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
Salony, M. F. (1995). The history of bibliographic instruction: changing trends from book to the electronic world. Reference Librarian 51 ± 52, 31 ± 51. Sheridan, J. (1992). WAC and libraries: a look at the literature. Journal of the Academy of Librarianship 18 (May), 90 ± 94. Shirato, L., & Badics, J. (1997). Library instruction in the 1990s: a comparison with trends in two earlier LOEX surveys. Research Strategies 15, 223 ± 237. The syllabus and course schedule are available at http://library.weber.edu/libsr/sci/3340. The WSU Stewart Library's web site is at http://library.weber.edu. Weber State Coll. Bull., 79 ± 81 (1979) 208, Weber State College, Ogden, UT. Weber State College Catalog, 1987 ± 1988. (p. 149). Ogden, UT: Weber State College. Weber State University Catalog, 1998 ± 1999 (p. 40). Ogden, UT: Weber State University. Williams, K. A., & Cox, J. (1992). Active learning in action. RQ 31 (Spring), 326 ± 331.
Short communication
Evolution of a library research methods course for biology students Jill Newby* Stewart Library, Weber State University, 2901 University Circle, Ogden, UT 84408-2901, USA
Abstract A library research methods course developed in the early 1980s by a zoology professor at Weber State University has evolved over time due to the involvement of librarians, changes in approaches to teaching and learning, and the use of computers and networked information. A look at the changes in this course provides a picture of changes in library instruction more generally over the past 2 decades. D 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Library research methods; Biology students; Library instructions
1. Introduction Many published surveys and histories of the state of library instruction in the past 2 decades have focused on trends in BI programs, their administration, and the types and specific methods of instruction used in libraries (Chadley & Gavryck, 1989; Hardesty & Tucker, 1989; Mensching, 1989; Salony, 1995; Shirato & Badics, 1997). These reviews provide a history of changes in library instruction brought about by the adoption of the latest teaching and learning pedagogies, personal computers, CD-ROM technology, and the World Wide Web, among other factors. This article takes a different approach by outlining the history of a particular library research course. By focusing on the changes over time in one library instruction class, one can see this same evolution and change in library instruction concepts and methodologies that have occurred in the past 20 years. The Stewart Library has a history of providing credit courses in library instruction for students at Weber State University (WSU), an undergraduate teaching institution in Ogden, * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-801-626-6231. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Newby). 0734-3310/00/$ ± see front matter D 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 7 3 4 - 3 3 1 0 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 2 4 - 0
58
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
UT. In the early 1980s, WSU librarians began offering a course in library research methods and, in the late 1980s, developed a new course on the ``Electronic Library.'' This has evolved over time into two Internet courses. In 1986, a WSU librarian began co-teaching a course in library research methods in biology with a faculty member from the Zoology Department. This course is the focus of this article. The three main facets of the course, as it has evolved, are: 1. Library research basics: organization of the library, types of materials available, information access, and research strategies. 2. The biological literature: history, types of publications, distinguishing between primary and secondary articles, trends in scientific journal publishing. 3. Putting it all together in the form of a synthesis paper: writing styles used in scientific papers, choosing a paper topic, writing an outline and introduction, formatting citations, editing, and making oral presentations. The course is taught once a year and is aimed at upper-division life sciences students in zoology, botany, and microbiology. The synthesis paper is the primary assessment of student learning, along with weekly assignments and in-class group exercises. Since the beginning of this course, the first topic on the syllabus has been ``literature problems for biologists,'' which explores challenges to biologists in being able to negotiate and manage the thousands of papers published annually. Unfortunately, this problem has not gone away for biologists. The blossoming of Web-based information has only increased their difficulties and created an even greater need for effective strategies to locate pertinent information. 2. Development of the course Dr. Carl Marti, a professor in the WSU Zoology Department, first offered the library research methods course in the fall of 1981. It was entitled ``Biological Literature.'' The course description read ``Methodology of library research including the use of standard sources, indexes, and abstracts for scientific reports (Weber State College Bulletin, 1979).'' According to Marti, the rationale for developing the course was that life science students did not know how to find information in the library. The initial emphasis was on using Biological Abstracts, Zoological Abstracts, and Biological and Agricultural Index to find periodical literature. Over the years, the focus of the course has evolved to finding and synthesizing information in order to write a research paper. In the 1983±1984 academic year, the name of the course changed to ``Library Research Methods in Biology'' to reflect the library research component of the course. During that time, Judy Batemen, then a librarian at the Stewart Library, contacted Marti about becoming involved in teaching the course. In the 1986 winter quarter, Batemen began team-teaching the course with Marti, and it was cross-listed as a library science course. Since 1986, four other librarians have team-taught the course. As part of the team-teaching approach, the zoology professor provided lectures and assignments on the structure of the biological literature, choosing a paper topic, and the publication process. The librarian provided instruction and
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
59
assignments on the library catalog, periodical indexes and abstracts, reference sources, government publications, and search strategies. Topics, such as choosing a paper topic and revising papers, were co-taught. Grading of assignments and research papers were divided between the zoology professor and the librarian. Carl Marti ended his involvement with the course in 1995 due to increased teaching and professional responsibilities. Since that time, only the author (the science librarian) has taught the course. Guest speakers from the life sciences departments are invited to meet with the class to talk about their experiences in finding and managing information and getting published.
3. Pedagogy When librarian Judy Batemen became involved in teaching the course in 1986, the syllabus was organized into modules. Examples of modules included ``Literature Problems for Biologists,'' ``Journals and Other Periodical Literature,'' and ``Scientific Writing and Biological Literature.'' Marti commented that there were more writing activities with this approach, as each module included a writing assignment. The types of writing activitiesÐ such as a topic selection statement, developing an outline, and writing several drafts of the paperÐalso reflect the strong interest and activities of the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program at WSU, which began around 1986.1 In 1993, the librarian who team-taught the course introduced short oral reports into the syllabus because of his involvement with the campus-wide Speaking Across the Curriculum committee. The course description from the 1987 ± 1988 college catalog reads, ``A practical introduction to the kinds of biological materials in academic libraries and how to find, use, and interpret information in these sources (Weber State College Catalog, 1987).'' This change in the course description reflects the expanding goals of the course from not only being able to use standard biological reference materials, but also being able to evaluate and synthesize information. At the same time, there was a growing interest in the concepts of information literacy in the library community. These concepts are embodied in a 1989 report from the American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, which emphasizes the importance of life-long learning in the lives of individuals, in business, and in citizenship in the Information Age. Life-long learning involves being able to find, evaluate, organize, and use information effectively to address a problem or issue (American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989). Active learning activities, which have been used in the course in the past decade, reflect the popularity of this teaching technique in library instruction since the early 1990s (Williams & Cox, 1992; Allen, 1995). An example of a successful active learning activity used in the course is to divide the students into small groups and have them evaluate a search engine according to a set of criteria developed by the class and present this 1
For a literature review and involvement of libraries in the Writing Across the Curriculum movement in the 1980s, see Sheridan (1992).
60
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
information in tabular form to compare and differentiate search engines. Other activities include pairing students to brainstorm their synthesis paper topic, and also to read and critique each other's first draft. 4. New technologies and the Internet An online library catalog became available in the library by 1986. However, the card catalog system was still being taught as part of the course until 1995, by which time most of the library's holdings had been added to the online catalog, and the card catalog was no longer located in the Reference area. Before CD-ROM databases were available at WSU, online searching protocols and strategies were taught by the librarian, using Dialog and the online library catalog to demonstrate searching capabilities. The librarian provided Dialog searches for those students who had difficulty finding sufficient citations through the print indexes. Between 1993 and 1997, a number of CD-ROMS and online databases of interest to life sciences students became available in the library. These included the Wilson databases, ERIC, GPO, MEDLINE, CINAHL and CARL UnCover, INFOTRAC, Wildlife Review, BasicBIOSIS, and Current Contents. As a result, an increasing emphasis was placed on searching online databases instead of using the print indexes and abstracts. However, Biological Abstracts, which was available only in print in the library, was still being taught. Because of the access to end-user databases, mediated searches through Dialog were no longer performed for students in the course. In 1994, the library added a classroom equipped with 26 state-of-the-art, networked computer workstations, an ELMO projection unit, and video and compact disk equipment. The computer classroom greatly enhanced the ability of librarians to demonstrate online information, and for students to get hands-on experience in searching online databases and using the World Wide Web. By 1997, the library had added a second computer classroom to keep up with the demand for library instruction sessions and other campus courses in an electronic environment. The development of Mosaic as a graphical interface to the World Wide Web in 1993 opened up the world of networked information to the general public. Before 1995, when the World Wide Web was first introduced into the course, students were taught the use of telnet to search the online catalog, the Wilson databases, and CARL Uncover. In 1995, the librarian would spend one class session on the Internet. By 1996, the Internet became a module at the end of the course. Netscape basics were taught and there was an assignment on using subject directories, such as Yahoo, and search engines to find electronic journals and Web sites. In 1997, the course curriculum was substantially revised to place greater emphasis on research strategies, online searching, and web resources. Four class periods were spent on online database searching, and this was done earlier in the quarter so students would be able to start their research papers earlier in the term. The Internet followed the online searching module, and three class periods were spent on the Internet as opposed to one class period the year before, reflecting the increasing use and availability of the Internet on campus and in the library. Topics included Internet basics, using search engines, evaluating information, and citing Internet documents. In winter of 1998, the
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
61
Internet section had expanded to five class sessions. A class session was also devoted on the future of scientific literature and electronic publications. In 1997±1998, WSU faculty prepared to move to a semester-based system beginning with the fall 1998 semester. At that time, many changes were made in departmental programs and the curriculum of individual courses. The library research methods course became a 2 credithour course, taught once a week for 1 h and 50 min. The title of the course was changed to ``Information Resources in the Life Sciences,'' and the course description read, ``A practical introduction to the literature and information resources of the life sciences. Students will expand their research skills and be able to develop effective research strategies to find and synthesize information available in academic libraries and beyond (Weber State University Catalog, 1998).'' The changes to the course title and description reflect the world of networked information, with the library serving as a base for exploration of resources located locally and through the Internet. For the 1999 spring semester, the instructor incorporated the use of the Internet into the very first day of class to explore the course syllabus on the Web and the resources on the Library's home page (The Syllabus and Course Schedule). As much time was spent on searching the Internet as was spent on online database searching, after the basic search strategies and search techniques had been presented. Students also learned how to make a simple web page to use as an illustration for their oral presentations. 5. Conclusion From this historical description, it can be seen that the emphasis of the course has evolved from simply presenting the biological literature as well as its secondary and tertiary sources, to a more conceptual approach focused on evaluating, interpreting, and synthesizing the biological literature. The current curriculum actively involves students in developing strategies to locate pertinent information from the myriad of sources of biological information available today. As the Internet is increasingly used to find, distribute, and present information, it will be interesting to monitor future changes in the course, such as the use of multimedia in students' papers and the possibility of providing the course online. References Allen, E. E. (1995). Active learning and teaching: improving postsecondary library instruction. Reference Librarian 51 / 52, 89 ± 103. American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989). Final Report. Chicago, IL: American Library Association ED315 074. Chadley, O. A., & Gavryck, J. (1989). Bibliographic instruction trends in research libraries: survey of 72 ARL libraries for data on BI programs from 1983 to 1988. Research Strategies 7 (Summer), 106 ± 113. Hardesty, L. L., & Tucker, J. M. (1989). An uncertain crusade: the history of library use instruction in a changing educational environment. In J. Richardson Jr. & J. Y. Davis (Eds.), Academic Librarianship, Past, Present and Future: A Festschrift in Honor of David Kaser (pp. 97 ± 111). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Mensching, T. B. (1989). Trends in bibliographic instruction in the 1980's: a comparison of data from two surveys. Research Strategies 7 (Winter), 4 ± 13.
62
J. Newby / Research Strategies 17 (2000) 57±62
Salony, M. F. (1995). The history of bibliographic instruction: changing trends from book to the electronic world. Reference Librarian 51 ± 52, 31 ± 51. Sheridan, J. (1992). WAC and libraries: a look at the literature. Journal of the Academy of Librarianship 18 (May), 90 ± 94. Shirato, L., & Badics, J. (1997). Library instruction in the 1990s: a comparison with trends in two earlier LOEX surveys. Research Strategies 15, 223 ± 237. The syllabus and course schedule are available at http://library.weber.edu/libsr/sci/3340. The WSU Stewart Library's web site is at http://library.weber.edu. Weber State Coll. Bull., 79 ± 81 (1979) 208, Weber State College, Ogden, UT. Weber State College Catalog, 1987 ± 1988. (p. 149). Ogden, UT: Weber State College. Weber State University Catalog, 1998 ± 1999 (p. 40). Ogden, UT: Weber State University. Williams, K. A., & Cox, J. (1992). Active learning in action. RQ 31 (Spring), 326 ± 331.