Transforming from the podium instructor to the

roving lecturer

Pedagogical Use of Tablet Devices in Bibliographic Instruction

William WorfordNovember 3, 2011

Library InstructiLibrary InstructioonnThe tools used to administer bibliographic instruction in higher academia have changed significantly over the past 30 years.

Library InstructiLibrary InstructioonnThese Instruments of execution include(d):

•In-person interviews•Class lectures•Multimedia projectionCelluloid Film Audio/VideoComputer classroom lecture

iPad And The Tablet iPad And The Tablet RevRevoolutionlution

• Tablet Mobile devices such as Apple Computers’ iPad are becoming the latest hot commodity in academic instruction

iPad And The Tablet iPad And The Tablet RevRevoolutionlution

• Academic institutions across the globe are purchasing these devices in conjunction with laptops without serious strategic factors being considered.

• Conventional Wisdom is being set aside for “The “Wow” Factor! or the contingency that a unilateral use eventually will be found for a diamond of a device in instruction.

Conventional Wisdom Conventional Wisdom Vs. The “WVs. The “Woow” Factor! w” Factor!

Conventional Wisdom•Buy a laptop if …•Serious typing and storage is a priority.•Buy a tablet if …•Portability and browsing the web is a top priority.

iPad Wow Factor !•Arguably portable •Jaw dropping Entertainment Appeal•Instant functionality•Long Battery life

CCoonventional Wisdomnventional WisdomConventional Wisdom

•Net books became popular for their economically cheaper price. However, due to their limited specs and battery power life, the net book has come and gone.•Usage of various internet mediums has caused a decline in the use of net books because of a combination of cheaper, more powerful laptops, and content providers making their website more compatible with such mobile computer devices as as the iPad.

CCoonventional Wisdomnventional Wisdom

Higher Education and Emerging Technologies: Student Usage, Preferences, and Lessons for Library Services

The “WThe “Woow” Factor! w” Factor!

The “WThe “Woow” Factor! w” Factor!

• The Wow factor I am refereeing to is a popular culture mystique that seems to have followed owning an iPad (or tablet pc) because of the instant entertainment and productivity apps that one has access to with this device.

The “WThe “Woow” Factor!w” Factor!• Some technical reviewers initially dismissed

the iPad for example, as large a version of one of Apple computers’ success stories, the iPod Touch. However, such comments did not curb the excitement of the device’s potential.

• As Ben Furfie explained in the March 2010 issue of Engineering & Technology,

“ the last time there was this much excitement about a tablet it had some commandments written on it”

- Engineering & Technology March, 2010

CCoonventional nventional InstructionInstruction

• Studies have been conducted at various universities including: the University of Maryland, Notre Dame, Seton College, and others examining the iPad closely within the past year.

• Some professors have easily conformed the iPad into their daily teaching curriculum. Still others feel as Caitlin Corning, a history professor at George Fox University does

- it’s been hard to meld iPads into the curriculum because only a small subset of her students has the device.

- Chronicle of Higher Education, September, 2010

CCoonventional nventional InstructionInstruction

• Recently, Drs. Greg Vonnahme and Andrew Goodliffe of the University of Alabama’s Department of Political Science recently looked at the impact of iPads on a student-centered activity designed to teach strategic thinking.

CCoonventional nventional InstructionInstruction

• Dr. Vonnahme used the Airsketch app (with the Pogo stylus) to control, view, and present slides from his iPad during a lecture, giving him more flexibility in the classroom.

• Besides controlling his desktop to write on the slides, while speaking, moving, and interacting with the students (fig.1) . Plus he was able to edit and augment slides in real-time during the course of his lecture.

Airsketch

CCoonventional nventional InstructionInstruction

fig. 1 Airsketch

- iPads in A&S, August 2011

CCoonventional nventional InstructionInstruction

In another example of conventional instruction use of the iPad, Dr. Andrew Goodliffe of the University of Alabama explains how the iPad has transformed his teaching.

“ In small class settings such as upper-level undergraduate classes, the ability to be able to pass around the iPad, as you would a photo or a scientific paper, is a major plus. “ A large number of photos and published papers of his own are stored on his iPad. With this convenience, Dr . Goodliffe says that he is now able to instantly show his students these papers and photos much like in the same vain as a roundtable talk. However, on a larger scale.

iPads in A&S, August 2011

BibliBiblioographic graphic InstructionInstruction

• With Library Instruction we see another computer added to the equation.

• However, in this case, the difference comes down to certain factors:

Interchangeable interaction between personal and general instruction

The Human X Factor

Interaction: Staying between the Interaction: Staying between the PPoodium and the Students dium and the Students

• After an Bibliographic Instructional session direct interaction among students is an absolute.

• Often simple or detailed questions are asked throughout and shared by all students in the classroom.

• Among the normal courses of action is for the librarian to go back to podium with the computer and answer question in sequence

• However, with a combination of a search engine such as Mozilla’ Firefox or Apple’s Safari and a streaming app like Splashtop’s White Board

• Multitasking becomes a more agile reality with limits only express through the human variable

White BoardSafari

Interaction between personal and general Interaction between personal and general instruction: Between the podium and the Students instruction: Between the podium and the Students • Example of accessing discovery interface Scout

• Example of Annotation of a website in “real time”

Interaction between personal and general Interaction between personal and general instruction: Between the podium and the Students instruction: Between the podium and the Students

• Example of accessing discovery interface Scout

Interaction between personal and general Interaction between personal and general instruction: Between the podium and the Students instruction: Between the podium and the Students

• Example of annotation and highlight in Whiterboard

Interaction between personal and general Interaction between personal and general instruction: Between the podium and the Students instruction: Between the podium and the Students

• Example of a Spotlight view in Whiteboard

Interaction between personal and general Interaction between personal and general instruction: Between the podium and the Students instruction: Between the podium and the Students

Human X Human X •So what should be learned from this presentation?

Information specialist strive to teach students reusable techniques to do effective research through various technological toolsCompanies like Apple create quality products for you to primarily enjoy. It is up to the user and app developers to make products that are adaptable to their needs.

Human X Human X •These factors all boil down to several considerations : Can the human being use the iPad in a manner that is universally accessible to their environment?Will the human be able to enjoy using such tools which in turn sparks sustainable usage in the field?Is the human open-minded to change?

The Path The Path What is important to conclude from this presentation is that, given the considerations previously mentioned, the goals of librarians remain the same:

Promoting the use of a library’s resourcesHelping students or patrons develop renewable skills that will help them in finding the information they want.

The Path The Path • The purpose of these tablet like devices

such as the iPad is to serve as a teaching aide

• This will hopefully lead to a path of least resistance in regard to: access, retention and distribution of knowledge

NNootestesBonnici, Laurie. Interview with William Worford. School of Library

Information Studies, The University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, October 13, 2001.

Furfie, Ben. Is the iPad a game changer?. Engineering & Technology 6 March 2010; 34-35. (accessed October 14, 2011)

Goodliffe, Andrew. “How the iPad transformed my teaching” last modified October 19, 2011, http://www.as.ua.edu/ipad/dr-

andrew-goodliffe-how-the-ipad-transformed-my-teaching/.

Kaya, Travis. "Classroom iPad Programs Get a Mixed Response." Chronicle of Higher Education 57, no. 6 (October 2010): A8. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 29, 2011).

NNootestesLinda Turney, et al. Higher Education and Emerging Technologies:

Student Usage, Preferences, and Lessons for Library Services. Reference & User Services 50, no. 4 Summer 2011 : 380-391. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 12, 2011).

Ritter, Emily. “Strategic Interaction: The Impact of Mobile Technology (iPads) on Learning,” last modified October 24, 2011, http://www.as.ua.edu/ipad/strategic-interaction-the-impact-of-mobile-technology-ipads-on-learning/. (accessed October 24, 2011).

Smith, Fisher and Nancy Brown. Interview with William Worford. Personal interview. Apple Store Birmingham, October 11, 2011.