Todd Puccio said:
"When a student goes to a university for an education, learning how to do research is part of what they are there for. There usually isn't a course for it. It is part of the indirect learning a student must go through."
My youngest son struggled during his first semester at the University of Utah, so he enrolled in an Ed Psych "how to succeed in college" course in the second semester. In one component of the course an instruction librarian from the University's Marriott Library taught the students how to use the library. I don't know who this instruction librarian was, but I think he was a miracle worker. Prior to this class my son relied on me to help him find resources for papers. After this class my son never once asked for help, and would occasionally use phrases like "boolean searching" in casual conversation. :-)
Too bad classes like this one aren't required in a student's first semester. It's a shame that colleges and universities force students to learn this through "indirect learning".
Bernie Sloan
--- On Fri, 4/23/10, Todd Puccio <puccio_at_NOVA.EDU> wrote:
From: Todd Puccio <puccio_at_NOVA.EDU>
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] After MARC...MODS?
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Date: Friday, April 23, 2010, 11:45 AM
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jim Weinheimer said:
"Students have tremendous problems with this as they progress in their
studies at university...once they are confronted with the task of finding
information for a class paper...they discover they are helpless and don't
know anything at all. They don't know where to begin; they don't know how to
end; they don't know anything except to type different words into a box and
it's not working...This is when they come to the reference librarian for
help."
I don't know about that last sentence. I'd bet that a relatively small
percentage of students working on papers actually approach a reference
librarian for help finding resources when they run into problems. I bet most
just keep plugging away, typing different words into a box until they find
something that's "good enough" for them.
Bernie Sloan
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes, and this is why Librarians are considered Faculty at major
universities.
They are part of the educational and teaching process.
University Librarians are not the same as food court counter clerks at the
student union serving up books and information on a plastic tray.
When a student goes to a university for an education, learning how to do
research is part of what they are there for.
There usually isn't a course for it. It is part of the indirect learning a
student must go through.
"Learning how to learn." Gathering the skills that will earn them the
"Rights and Responsibilities" that their degree confers upon them.
Students that use "good enough" resources and not seek the expertise and
instruction of a librarian will have research that withers and dies. This
will separate the excellent students from others.
It is the same in life & work. We all must learn how and who we must consult
to gain the knowledge, information and expertise that we lack.
--
Todd Puccio
Director of Technical Services / Librarian
Nova Southeastern University
Health Professions Division Library
puccio_at_nsu.nova.edu
Received on Fri Apr 23 2010 - 12:16:29 EDT