Thesis writing as method acting

Undergrads and scholarly writing, insights from Pegasus Librarian

5 reasons to use Blackboard’s online quizzes

Read @Academic Tech

Alternatives to physical clickers in the classroom

Have a large class and want a tool to help you engage students and receive instant feedback about how students understand concepts you’re teaching? Already tried Clicker technology? Here’s an alternative. Get all the benefits of teaching with Clickers but use something more software based. @ETC blog

Good for what? Considering context in building learning objects

Context is key in guiding considerations on the creation of sequential tutorials. @Information Wants to be Free

Information literacy & improving user experience – is there a conflict?

Discovery services – the one-box search – may allow librarians to focus less on teaching tools and more on teaching concepts and processes. @Musings on Librarianship

Tips and trends in social media

ACRL Instruction Section’s tips and trends in social media with great list of references on the subject. @ACRL

Our new model for Freshman instruction and how it went

Learn from the success of Portland State’s integration of information literacy instruction into first-year general ed classes. Meredith Farkas breaks it down. @InformationWantstoBeFree

15+ great Chrome extensions for teachers

Read @EducationalTech+MobileLearning

2013 ACRL recorded panel: …enhancing learning through mapping, rubrics, and portfolios

Audio of panel, slides also available here Via Char Booth @Info-mational

“Four quick flips: activities for the information literacy classroom”

Read article @CRLn

Revisiting your learning management system

Three reasons for selecting WordPress as an alternate to proprietary learning management systems. Read @ProfHacker

Three applications for planning classes

3 tools combined — Scrivener, Evernote and Workflowy — eases some of the trepidation of organizing materials in a coherent way. Read @ProfHacker

“Using instructional design principles to develop effective information literacy instruction: the ADDIE model”

Many academic librarians conduct instructional activities, but few possess more than a passing knowledge of pedagogical theory. One way librarians may overcome the pedagogical theory knowledge gap in designing effective library instruction is through… Read article @CRLn

6 tips for successful mobile video assignments in the classroom

It’s no surprise instructors are looking for ways to integrate mobile video into their courses. Video offers opportunities to engage students with assignments that synthesize research, communication skills and writing… Read on @ProfHacker

The short game and the long game

In library instruction its easy to concentrate on tools or how to do things… But they are just tools. If we only spend time on them we’re giving students skills for the present, but compromising their future. Tools change… Read on @Information Tyrannosaur

“Rethinking reference and instruction with tablets”

This (chapter fr. Library Technology Reports) gives a quick overview of tablets and their popularity, then considers the role they are playing in the evolution of reference and instructional services in the academic library… Read on Related: Preparing for iPad implementation & Integrating tablets into library services

April 2013: ocTEL – open course in technology enhanced learning

Starting in April 2013 this (free) online course is initially aimed primarily at people teaching at Higher Education level who want to better understand and explore how to use technology to enhance teaching and learning. Read more/register
Updated course info @ALT

Just-for-me training

Even when we get the timing right, infrequent use of a tool on which people were trained will lead to forgetting. Creating screencast videos to reinforce learning and having users create – with relatively easy to learn software like Jing – an individualized video of their own that they can fall back on weeks, months, or even years afterward will help to ensure long-lasting learning. Read more @Technology in Practice

Easy timelines with Timeline JS

Use timelines for teaching? Looking for a student project (for your info lit course?) that would involve learning the use of a web-based tool? Try this. It’s versatile, simple to use, and it’s free. Read more @ProfHacker

Flipping out: pre-flip planning

When our residency librarian decided to lead a group of instruction librarians to test the “flipped classroom” in library instruction, I welcomed the opportunity to discover how “flipping” might transform my classes. Read on… @ACRLog Related: The Flipped Classroom