July 19, 2011, 8:06 pm
By Brian Mathews
At ALA 2011 Steven Bell turned me on to the book Academically Adrift. He wrote a thoughtful piece on it back in January— I’m a little slow getting a response out.
The gist of it boils down to the notion that students don’t appear to be learning much (academically speaking) during their time away at college—and hence there is some question about the value (and investment) of a college degree.
This is largely based on findings reporting that when students were tested before and after their college years there was little progress in standardized scores, suggesting that the college experience (which of course encompasses more than just courses) does little to advance intellectual development.
Bell points out that there is a lot of finger pointing and I tend to point mine at the K-12 system, which doesn’t prepare people (myself included) for college. However, while watching…
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December 6, 2010, 4:05 pm
By Brian Mathews
I’ve had this sketch on my whiteboard for most of the fall term.
What I am really interested in is the evolution of a patron’s relationship to their library over the course of time.
In theory – as they accumulate different blocks of experience using our services their sophistication and commitment should increase. So perhaps during their first visit they use it as a study space, then the next time they use a computer, and then next they browse the popular fiction section.
I put this concept into a pyramid to create a better visual. Just ignore the degree of spacing, this is meant more to illustrate progression rather then to accurately chart user behavior:
Ok, so you start with the easiest and most primitive level of service: study space. This could be a cubical or something more designer. This is the greatest entry point because it is accommodating and requires…
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July 19, 2011, 8:06 pm
Instructionally Adrift? Are instructors letting their students down?
By Brian Mathews
At ALA 2011 Steven Bell turned me on to the book Academically Adrift. He wrote a thoughtful piece on it back in January— I’m a little slow getting a response out.
The gist of it boils down to the notion that students don’t appear to be learning much (academically speaking) during their time away at college—and hence there is some question about the value (and investment) of a college degree.
This is largely based on findings reporting that when students were tested before and after their college years there was little progress in standardized scores, suggesting that the college experience (which of course encompasses more than just courses) does little to advance intellectual development.
Bell points out that there is a lot of finger pointing and I tend to point mine at the K-12 system, which doesn’t prepare people (myself included) for college. However, while watching…
Read More