Enriching the Academic Experience: the Library and Experiential Learning at Middle Tennessee State University
William Black, Christy Groves and Amy York, Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University adopted its experiential learning program as part of the 2006 academic accreditation process. Experiential learning (EXL) merges classroom teaching with the work environment to enhance the overall educational experience. Through EXL, students, faculty and external organizations collaborate to strengthen learning.
The James E. Walker Library has taken a proactive program approach to EXL @ MTSU, through the creation of partnerships with instructional faculty and student groups. Through these partnerships, members of the library faculty have been engaged in a number of entrepreneurial activities to enhance student education and involve the library more directly in the university’s mission to develop educated men and women.
We propose to talk about some of the library’s entrepreneurial partnerships that enhance learning through experience. These programs include initiatives such as the Student Art Partnership which offers the Library as a learning site for art installations that raise student awareness, the Printing Press Project which brings the library’s locally crafted 18th century reproduction printing press into university and county K-12 classrooms, and the Assessment Project which utilizes skills of Management & Marketing and Anthropology students to evaluate library effectiveness across campus.
We will discuss a representative sample of EXL partnerships at MTSU, describe the activities and outcomes, and assess how, by thinking entrepreneurially, the programs have strengthened the library’s relationship with students and brought the library more fully into the educational process.
William Black is a Professor & the Administrative Services Librarian
Christy Groves is an Assistant Professor & the Coordinator of User Services
Amy York is an Assistant Professor & the Distance Education Librarian
Enriching the Academic Experience: the Library and Experiential Learning at Middle Tennessee State University
1. Enriching the Academic Experience
The Library and Experiential Learning
William Black
Christy Groves
Amy York
Middle Tennessee State University
INSPIRATION, INNOVATION, CELEBRATION
an entrepreneurial conference for librarians
June 3 & 4, 2009
2. Introduction and Overview
Define EXL
EXL @ MTSU
EXL experiences @ MTSU Walker Library
EXL formal class
EXL as a new role for libraries
3. Several EXL Definitions
Internships
Cooperative Education
Undergraduate Research
Study Abroad
Service Learning
Leadership Development
Student Teaching
4. EXL @ MTSU
“that learning process that takes place beyond the traditional classroom
and that enhances the personal and intellectual growth of the student. This
education can occur in a wide variety of settings, but it usually takes on a
‘learn-by-doing’ aspect that engages the student directly in the
subject, work or service involved.”
-- Experiential Education in the College of Arts and Sciences, Northeastern
University, 1997.
5. EXL @ MTSU
Develop an experience-based knowledge & apply theories to practical problems
Create connections between experience and discipline
Cultivate good citizenship through contributions to community
Develop as individuals -- understand needs of others, cultural awareness, and
appreciation of differences
Develop & demonstrate managerial & leadership & research skills
American Democracy Project, McNair Scholars
6. MTSU EXL Requirements
18 hours of EXL classes
At least one external activity – a research project requiring interaction external
to the department or university
Internal service component – leadership role in campus sponsored charitable
activity, volunteer with campus office, or campus leader
Completion of an E-Portfolio (a Web site created by the student showing
learning outcomes during the EXL Scholars Program experience)
Participation in assessment activities
7. EXL Benefits to Faculty
Participating in the EXL Program at MTSU can provide valuable opportunities to:
Keep abreast of changing needs in industry
Interact with professionals in the field
Become familiar with employers
Evaluate classroom instruction in relation to students’ preparation for employment
Explore new possibilities for working relationships
Explore new possibilities for public service
8. EXL Experiences @ Walker Library
Library as Partner: Revisioning the Library
Marketing students and survey
Anthropology students and focus groups
Art students and paper projects
Library as Leader
Spring 2009 EXL 2010: Revisioning Walker Library
Library as Lab
Anthropology and Garbology
Printing Press Project
10. Revisioning the Walker Library
Assessing the Library’s Role
Evaluating Performance
Structuring the Partnership
Goals
Outcomes
11. Revisioning the Walker Library
Focus Questions
What Activities can be stopped?
How could continuing activities use less resources?
What changes could be made to improve efficiency?
What new services/activities could be provided to faculty and students to
improve the library’s relevance to the campus?
What relationships with other campus units should be established or
expanded in order to improve library’s relevance to the campus?
12. Marketing Initiative
Purpose
Explore why students come to the library
Determine how often they would come if certain
changes were made
Discover ways that could student use of the
library
Methodology
Paper & pencil survey handed out and
completed in classes
(869 responses)
Restricted choice questions
Margin of error = +/- 3.3%
Data entered into computer & compiled
13. Marketing Initiative
Results
Students primarily come to the library to
a) use computers
b) meet with study groups
c) do research for a class
Students would come more often or stay longer if the library had
a) more computers
b) increased open seating, more comfortable seating
c) the ability to reserve meeting rooms
d) longer hours, particularly 24 hour access during exams
e) the ability to bring food & drink into the building
15. Anthropology Project
Three overriding questions:
How do students conduct research for class assignments?
Do students use the library during the research process and
What are student perceptions of the library?
Focus Group Discussion Issues:
How students conduct research
Who students consult about research
If and how students use the MTSU library
Student awareness of library resources and services
Student satisfaction with library resources and services
16. Anthropology Project
Methodology
Student researchers solicited participants
The Library provided food for Summer focus groups
Researchers took notes and transcribed audio sessions
Discussion questions developed as a group with anthropology instructor
17. Anthropology Project
Research Outputs
Written field reports
Oral presentation
Typed transcripts
Summary of findings by instructor
18. a
Anthropology Project
Assessment
Review of focus group transcripts
Assignment of identifiers
Identification of common themes
19. Anthropology Project
We learned about why students use the library:
Use computers, study alone or with a group, do research
for a class, find books and articles
How they do research:
Internet (Google, Wikipedia, Amazon), book and article
research, database preferences
Who they contact
Classmates, friends in major, students who have taken
same class, instructor, reference desk, Jesus
20. Anthropology Project
Application of Research Results
Question Tent – Fall 2008
More laptops and increased laptop checkout period
Circulation limits increased
Food and drink policy changed
21. Anthropology Project
Drawbacks of Partnership – Library
Diminished control
Reliance on inexperienced researchers
Increased visibility = increased accountability
22. Anthropology Project
LESSONS
Clear research questions
Preliminary education
Deeper discussion about project goals
Realistic timeline
Increased involvement
Anthropology Project information from K. West & S. Mangrum
Walker Library, MTSU
27. EXL 2010: Service Learning Practicum
Revisioning The Walker Library
What is it?
A class in the library where you do a project, learn skills, get practical experience
Why take a course in the Library?
Earn 1 hour class credit
Get research and analysis skills
Flexible class schedule
Class meets on campus and online
Work with other students and individually
What will I be doing?
Review what services the Walker Library currently offers
Review library services offered at other institutions
Lead research projects to assess library services and facilities
Recommend practical changes to services offered to the MTSU community
28. EXL 2010: Revisioning the Walker Library
Spring 2009
PLAN A: Student Advisory Board
Class credit = participation
Brainstorming new services; helping with events; administering
surveys
Regular meetings
ENROLLMENT = 5 students 4 students 3 students
PLAN B: single research project and discussion questions
Meet online (in D2L)
Students work independently and together online
Answer “reflection” questions about library usage/preferences (e.g.,
noise levels, food and drink policy, personal study habits and
library)
29. EXL 2010 Research Project
Space Utilization Study*
Methods:
10 days of observation: M-F and M-F
4 times per day (except Friday): 10 am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm
Record occupation of open seating, computers, and group study rooms
Library is divided into zones for observations
Goals:
Determine most popular seating choices: carrels, tables, or soft chairs
Identify most popular “zones” in the library
Determine peak computer and group study usage times
Student participation:
Help design study parameters and observation sheets
Record observations
Analyze data
* Modeled after Xia, Jingfeng (2005). Visualizing occupancy of library study space with GIS maps.
New Library World 106: 5/6. pp. 219-233.
31. Anthropology and Garbology
A Material Culture Investigation of the James E.
Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State
University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee by
Owenby and Cavlovic
In this paper we will explore the material culture left behind by
people using the James E. Walker Library on the Middle
Tennessee State University campus. We will do this by
examining the trash left behind by students and faculty in the
library study rooms, student break rooms, faculty break
room, and the Starbucks in the library. We will reveal our
expectations, methodologies, what we found, and
interpretations of these findings. We will also include a critique
of our methodologies and recommendations for future projects
of this genre.
32. Printing Press Project
The journey of reading
begins with the act of
printing
Back to the future
Collaboration
Construction Partners
Funding Partners
33. Support
MTSU Foundation
Local Donor
Private Foundation
Friends of the Press
34. PROJECT GOALS
Enhance the educational
experience
Serve as a cultural resource
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Partnerships with county middle
and high schools
Community workshops
Visiting artist program
37. Pros:
Free work
Part of larger academic community
Library takes active role in learning
Students have active role in library services
Sets up new role for libraries
Cons:
Results may be less than perfect
Can be a lot of work for librarians
Are you ready to accept student ideas? And follow up?
Grades
38.
Cultivating Partnerships
Create list of library needs
Tap your friends in academic departments
Contact EXL or Service Learning Office
Get to know the curriculum (senior capstone project?)
Go to student exhibits, scholars day, senior showcases
Use web 2.0 to invite feedback/projects (blogs, twitter, facebook, wikis)
Exhibit some radical (or moderate) trust
39. Mystery Pillows
Class assignment
Pillows highly used by students
Students created this on their own
Several pillows disappeared....
40. Keys to the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Expect success
Be willing to try
Find a nucleus of support
Dedicate to the task
Learn from others
Snatch success from failure
Culture of experimentation
41. Other Examples
Marketing/advertising
CSU San Marcos: library marketing plan1
Texas A&M: advertise e-books2
Illinois Wesleyan: promote reference services3
Database instruction (English students)
Hampton University: created database guides4
Eastern Washington University: Refworks workshops5
Ergonomics
Cornell University: library signage and workstation design6
42. ENDNOTES
References
1. Meulemans, Yvonne Nalani and Ann Manning Fiegen. (2006). Using business student
consultants to benchmark and develop a library marketing plan. Journal of Business
and Finance Librarianship. 11(3), 19-31.
2. McGeachin, Robert B. and Diana Ramirez. (2005). Collaborating with students to
develop an advertising campaign. College & Undergraduate Libraries. 12(1), 139-152.
3. Duke, Lynda M., Jean B. MacDonald, and Carrie S. Trimble. (2009). Collaboration
between marketing students and the library: an experiential learning project to
promote reference services. College and Research Libraries. 70(2), 110-121.
4. Rhodes, Naomi J. and Judith M. Davis. (2001). Using service learning to get positive
reactions in the library. Computers in Libraries. 21(1), 32-35.
5. Meyer, Nadean J. and Ielleen R. Miller. (2008). The library as a service-learning
partner: a win-win collaboration with students and faculty. College & Undergraduate
Libraries. 15(4), 399-413.
6. Library ergonomics. Cornell University Ergonomics Web. Retrieved May
28, 2009, from http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHProjects/Library/libraryprojects.html.
7. Katula, Richard and Elizabeth Threnhauser.. (1999). Experiential education in the
undergraduate curriculum. Communication Education. 48, 238-255.