DawgGirlsDiane GornellDana TurnerJessie GriffinBeth Clark

It is a common problem in Media Centers that kids don’t know how to find materials.

Diane has observed this problem in the Media Center where she works as Media Clerk.

We wanted to design a lesson around teaching 3rd- 5th graders how to use the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) to find materials in the Media Center.

We designed three units :(1) decoding a Destiny record, (2) utilizing the Visual Search option, and (3) utilizing the Basic and Power Search options.

We implemented Unit 3 with a small group of 5 th graders. We designed lessons that would allow students the

opportunity to practice using the OPAC system and to then take that information and locate the materials in the media center.

Problem Statement The current information literacy lessons on using the OPAC are

not adequately preparing students to successfully and independently find materials in the Media Center.

Needs Analysis Students are not knowledgeable in decoding the information as

shown in the OPAC Many students ask for help without checking the OPAC first

Rationale for the Need of Instruction The Media Specialist and Media Clerk will keep a running record

during a set time period of all student requests for help and query students whether they consulted the OPAC before they asked for help.

The student survey showed that 65 percent of students are uncomfortable using the OPAC either because they don't know how to use it, they don't understand the information they find, or even when they can decode the information they don't know how to locate the materials in the library.

Given a subject, keyword, title, or author, students will be able to

effectively use the search options available in the OPAC system to

independently find material in the Media Center.

The learner analysis is based on third, fourth, and fifth grade students at A+ Elementary School.

At the beginning of the year, all students are given orientations to the OPAC and the physical layout of the center.

Students exhibit an inability to use the OPAC to find Media materials.

A student survey indicates they are uncomfortable using the OPAC and uncomfortable finding the physical material if they find the OPAC record.

Before beginning the lessons, students will need to be competent in using the mouse (move, point, click) and the keyboard (using a minimum of one or two fingers) to type in search terms.

A+ Elementary School is a PK-5 school with 300 students. It has both a computer lab with enough stations for a class and a Media Center with four lookup stations. Because of the number of stations in the Media Center, the field trial will have to be conducted in the Computer Lab. Also, because the Media Center does not have the capability for computer projection onto a screen, the instruction must take place in the computer lab as well. The small group evaluation can be conducted in the Media Center.

Unit 2: The Visual Search Category SWBAT generate a collection of materials using

the icons found in visual search option of Destiny

Unit 3: The Basic Search Category SWBAT generate a collection of materials using the Basic Search option of

Destiny

Unit 1: Decoding a destiny record

SWBAT demonstrate decoding skills for each

element in a single Destiny reconrd

SWBAT independently generate a collection of local media center materials using

the correct options of the Destiny Catalog

SW choose to use the destiny catalog to locate media center materials.

A

Prerequisite Skills: using the mouse and keyboard on a

computer and mastery of skills in Unit 1 and Unit 2

Lesson 1: Using the author

search. Given the name of an author,

SWBAT demonstrate the Author

Search procedure

resulting in a list of book titles written by a specific

author

Lesson 2: The Title Search

Given a list of titles SWBAT demonstrate

the Title Search

procedure resulting in information

on the author, call number and availability of specific book titles.

Lesson 4: Using the Subject Search Option: Given the list of specific subjects SWBAT demonstratethe Subject search procedures resulting in a list of book titles

SWBAT demonstrate, independently, finding the physical location within the

media center of their generated collection of media center

materials.

Lesson 3: the

Keyword Search Option: Given a list of

specific keywords SWBAT

demonstrate the

Keyword search

procedures resulting in a list of

book titles.

Unit 3: The Basic Search Category SWBAT generate a collection of materials using the Basic Search

Option of Destiny.

Four Lessons: Unit 3Author, Title, Subject, and Keyword searches

Design: Scavenger Hunt 1)Students are given a list for each

search category 2)They search OPAC system and generate a list of books 3)They locate the books in the media center

Authors Titles

AR?Yes/NoReading level

Checked off by teacher

Cannon, Janelle

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Pre/Post Tests Students did well

on both Problems locating

because no column for call number

Observed problems with physically locating books

Students appeared bored at times

Student Survey Subject/Keyword

lessons most useful

1. Before today’s lesson, I didn’t know about searching by a Keyword:

Yes Sometimes No

2. Before today’s lesson, I was confident using the Keyword Search:

Yes Somewhat No

3. The lesson and practice exercises helped me to understand how to better use the Keyword searches.

Yes Somewhat No