Using multiple technologies
to promote lifelong learning
to engineering students &
faculty
Kathryn Kennedy
Engineering Outreach Librarian
University of Florida Libraries
katkenn@uflib.ufl.edu
352.273.2866
Overview
•
Lifelong learning (LL) & why I’m interested
•
My depts & their needs
•
Technologies used
•
Successes & roadblocks
•
Projects for the future
LL & why I’m interested
•
What is lifelong learning?
· Learning beyond traditional schooling
· Professional development
· Personal development
•
ABET Vision Statement
· “ABET is responsible for…encourag[ing] the highest
quality…education through accreditation so that each graduate
possesses the skills necessary for lifelong learning and
productive contribution to society, the economy, employers,
and the profession.”
LL & why I’m interested (cont.)
Professional Development
Formal
Career Development:
Ex. Dreamweaver training
for creating website @
work
Tan et al (2005)
Personal Development
Nonformal
Development
for one’s own
self
Ex. Learning
violin or
prepping for
interview
Informal
Development for
a social context
Ex. Learning IM
to stay in touch
LL & why I’m interested (cont.)
•
The way I see it:
· Keeping people in the know by using multiple technologies
· Enabling people to help themselves
· Making it fun and/or interactive
•
PhD in educational technology
•
Concentrate more on how technologies can help people
learn effectively throughout their lifetime
My depts & their needs
Nuclear & Radiological Engineering Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
(NRE)
(MAE)
11 faculty, 4 postdocs
53 faculty
197 students
1682 students
79 graduates
225 graduates
118 undergraduates
1232 undergraduates
Biomedical Engineering (BME)
16 faculty, 11 postdocs
79 graduate students
Masters Distance Program (EDGE)
Six departments
CCE, CISE, MSE, ECE, EES, & MAE
41 faculty
191 students
45 courses
327 enrollments
My depts & their needs (cont.)
•
Academic year 2005-2006 – faculty focus
·
·
·
·
•
ABET accreditation 2006 looming…
Concentrate on graduate students
One-shot library course & integrated into course using WebCT
EDGE
Academic year 2006-2007 – student focus
· Non-threatening, comfortable environment
· Worthwhile & useful information
· Collaborative space
Technologies used
•
•
•
•
•
WebCT on-campus
WebCT off-campus
Technical Writing Blog
Instruction on Web 2.0 technologies
Game
WebCT on-campus
•
•
•
Professional Orientation class – Prep students for future
One-hour lecture/demo to 200 students
Quiz as learning assessment in WebCT
WebCT off-campus
•
•
•
EDGE – currently working in the field
Faculty unwilling to integrate me
Made library portal in the EDGE WebCT template
Technical Writing Blog
•
•
Then: extra credit for students
Now: a wealth of information for current and
future students
All text, including
comments is
searchable
TA provided
examples of past
projects
Labels are used
to tag posts
http://enc3254uf.blogspot.com/
Technical Writing Blog (cont.)
If I need to use the information provided on this website later
on in life when I'm out in the real world and need to write a
document, will I be able to access it?
Instruction Web 2.0:
RSS Feeds & Feed Aggregators
•
Teach faculty and
students how to
stay up with
latest
news/articles
•
Teach them how
to create their
own feeds on
websites
Instruction Web 2.0:
Blogs, Wikis & Tagging
•
Blogs – Journal club
•
Wiki – Lab mgmt
•
Tags/Labels
Instruction Web 2.0:
Google Services
•
How Google
services can
benefit them
•
i.e. Google
Documents/
Google Groups/
Google Talk/
Gmail for
collaborative
projects
Interactive Fiction (IF) Game
•
•
Makes learning fun
Learning keyword searching, for
catalog and databases
Roadblocks & Successes
Communication/Marketing
Positive communication
Diffusion of technologies
Make change comfortable
Constant change in
curriculum
Involvement with faculty
increases
Ideas for the future
•
Keep up with Literature & Technologies…
•
Keep up with the departments – always changing and
doing dynamic projects
•
Get blog & wiki software that the library hosts on their
servers
•
Survey
References
ABET Vision Statement.
http://www.abet.org/Linked%20DocumentsUPDATE/White%20Papers/Vision.pdf
Tan & Morris. (2005). Undergraduate college students,
laptop computers, and lifelong learning. Journal of
General Education, 54 (4).
Any questions?
Kathryn Kennedy
Engineering Outreach Librarian
University of Florida Libraries
katkenn@uflib.ufl.edu
352.273.2866