Blending Projects to Create a College Transition Program

1. Mixing It Up:Using a Blend of Projects to Create a College Transition Program Ken Burhanna Mary Lee Jensen Barbara Schloman Ken Burhanna Mary Lee Jensen Barbara Schloman ALAO 2006 Akron, OH

2. Indicate your library’s involvement with high school outreach • Our library doesn’t currently do this, but I am interested in learning more. • Our library has occasional high school visits, but no “formal” program. • Our library has a “formal” program in place for high school outreach.

3. Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education (ILILE) • Kent State federally funded project to: • Foster collaboration among K-12 teachers and library media specialists • Advance information literacy in the K-12 curriculum • Partners: • College of Education, School of Library & Information Science, and University Libraries

4. Informed Transitions www.library.kent.edu/highschool

5. Informed Transitions • Important questions: 1. Do students have an assignment? 2. Any other specific objectives? 3. What is the size of the group? 4. Will students need borrowing privileges?

6. Informed Transitions • Early Results: • Over 700 high school students have visited • Students representing 17 different high schools • Positive librarian & teacher feedback • Positive student feedback

7. Informed Transitions High school seniors or college freshmen?

8. Transitioning to College -- T2C www.transitioning2college.org

9. T2C – The beginning • Used Pathways to Academic Libraries videos at Bowling Green State University as model for project. • Videos and web site developed with input from Ohio academic librarians and school library media specialists (LSTA grant). • Designed to be used by high school juniors and seniors and first year college students.

10. T2C – Five 3-5 minute videos • Welcome to Academic Libraries • Talking to Databases • Tips for Research Success • Getting Help When you Need It • College: What to Expect

11. T2C – Student Perspective

12. T2C – Supporting materials for videos

13. Glossary -- Definitions of common terms used in academia

14. T2C – Including links to additional information

15. T2C – Lesson Plans

16. T2C – Compare College Libraries

17. T2C -- Compare College Libraries

18. T2C – Additional Resources

19. T2C -- Feedback

20. TRAILS www.trails-9.org

21. TRAILS: Objectives • Standards-based • Both class and individual outcomes • Privacy assured • Web availability with no cost • Easy to administer

22. TRAILS: Development • Based on 9th grade Ohio Academic Content Standards and AASL Information Power standards and indicators for 9th-12th grade • Core competencies classified into 5 information literacy categories • Items written and tested with assistance of school librarians

23. TRAILS: Steps to Using • Create an account; verify request • Sign in and go to My Account Options • Create a session • Administer to the students • Close the session • View reports

24. TRAILS: Available Assessments A pre- and post- test assessment for: • General: 30 items; covers all 5 categories • By Category: 10 items • Develop topic • Identify potential sources • Develop, use, and revise search strategies • Evaluate sources and information • Recognize how to use information responsibly, ethically, and legally

25. TRAILS: Sample Items

26. TRAILS: Administration Details

27. TRAILS: View Class Report

28. TRAILS: View Student Report

29. TRAILS: Use to Date • Over 1,700 accounts created • Includes middle schools, high schools, postsecondary schools • From all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands and…

30. From over 20 countries

31. TRAILS: Possible Use for Academic Librarians • Use with incoming freshmen as an immediate measure of competency levels • Introduce to pre-service teacher education classes • Use 10-item category assessment as quick diagnostic prior to instructional session

32. Blending Our Projects With Yours • Recommend resources on the Transitioning to College (T2C) web site to high school groups who can’t schedule/afford visits. • Have students do some of the exercises on T2C site (for example, develop a search strategy or an LC tutorial) prior to visiting your library.

33. Blending Projects (contd.) • Use the Welcome to Academic Libraries video as an introductory piece with visiting groups. Then mention how your library is different or the same. • Have teachers/librarians administer TRAILS as a pre- and post-test in association with the students’ library visit.

34. Blending Projects (contd.) • Use Informed Transitions, TRAILS or T2C as conversation starters with your local high school community.

35. Action Points for Getting Started • Identify programs on your campus that target high school students and make a connection. • Reach out to local school library media specialists to assess their needs.

36. Action Points: continued • Identify your top feeder high schools. • Consider developing a program whereby local high school classes can visit your library.

37. Action Points: continued • Develop a one-page handout about college information literacy expectations for new students that you can share with teachers and librarians. • Consider offering borrowing privileges to local high school students.

38. Action Points: continued • Investigate the K-12 educational terrain by learning about the organizations supporting SLMS in Ohio and nationally: AASL, OELMA, INFOhio, regional and county library groups. • Finally, consider your first-year students in light of what you’ve learned about high school to college transitions.

39. Questions? Presentation available at: www.library.kent.edu/alao2006