Little and oftenExploring the potential of information

literacy mini lessons

Leah Emary, Clare McCluskey, Victoria Watt

LILAC, Sheffield Hallam University24 April 2014

Background

• Little and often = bite size• Bite size sessions and learning objects are

used at other HE institutions• Born of pragmatism• But is there theory behind it?

Interleaving vs Massing

• Kornell and Bjork 2008– ABC, ABC, ABC vs AAA, BBB, CCC

• Spacing (Roediger 2012)• Long 2013• Pashler 2007

Length on its own is not the keyrather

Responsiveness and diversity of what we offer

Lecture by nist6dhCC BY-SA 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Tutorial attendance

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 (so far)

32 35 53

NSS – Question 16

2011 2012 2013

Lower primary

62 72 96

Upper primary

64 71 86

“We have noticed a big improvement in the use of resources in this module.

Appropriate and wide-ranging.”

Image Sources• Phone Call by Lobna

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lobnapics/265931206/• Dunkin’ Donuts Sign – Latham New York by MJBarnes

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33445721@N04/8984938659/• Michael Falling Off a Cliff by Nailz1000

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nailz1000/3228696928/• Empty Theatre Red Seats by Eric Broder Van Dyke

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbvd/4324724233• Hand Grab by Sandor Weisz

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37961843@N00/393009070

Cepeda, N. et al., 2006. Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), pp.354–380.Kornell, N. & Bjork, R., 2008. Learning Concepts and Categories: Is Spacing the “Enemy of Induction”? Psychological Science, 19(6), pp.585–593.Landauer, T. & Bjork, R., 1978. Optimum rehearsal patterns and name learning. In Practical Aspects of Memory. London: Academic Press.Long, M., 2011. The psychology of education, London : Routledge, 2011.McCluskey, C., 2013. Mapping and evaluating the information landscape. In J. Secker & E. Coonan, eds. Rethinking Information Literacy: A Practical Framework for Supporting Learning. London: Facet, pp. 41–53.Pashler, H. et al., 2007. Enhancing learning and retarding forgetting: Choices and consequences. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), pp.187–193. Available at: http://www.pashler.com/Articles/Pashler.Rohrer.Cepeda.Carpenter_2007.pdf.Rhem, J., Deep/Surface Approaches To Learning In Higher Education: A Research Update. Essays on Teaching Excellence. Available at: http://teaching.uchicago.edu/oldsite/pod/09-10/Rhem.html [Accessed April 2, 2014].Roediger, H. et al., 2012. Applications of cognitive science to education. In S. Della Salla, ed. Neuroscience in Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

https://www.zotero.org/groups/bite_sized_information_literacy_bibliography