Boolean searching outcomes

It's been a while since I've posted but that doesn't mean I haven't been working. It just means I haven't had a whole lot of reliable Internet access and I keep forgetting to update here.

I've been working on organizing information for the tutorial on Boolean searching. Naturally, the first step of this was to come up with some measurable objectives. I'm in a quandry on this one because I really feel like the ACRL outcome, I.1.e. "Identifies key concepts and terms that describe the information need" should be included, because students must have those key concepts and terms in order to do a successful Boolean search. However, it seems like focusing on the skills they need for that outcome/objective is really beyond the scope of this particular tutorial. I fear that adding that piece into this tutorial will make it too long. Perhaps there should be a short tutorial on identifying keywords and concepts for searching first.

The main objective/outcome for this tutorial will tie in to ACRL standard 2.2.d "Constructs a search strategy using appropriate commands for the information retrieval system selected (e.g. Boolean operators, truncation, and proximity for search engines, internal organizers such as indexes for books)".

Measurable objective for this tutorial: Upon completing this tutorial, students will be able to use Boolean operators (and, or, not) to refine a search.

Standards

I've been working on identifying standards to build measurable objectives around but haven't had access to Internet to post things. One of the joys of being on sabbatical is being able to do your work anywhere and the beauty of Yosemite National Parks makes a wonderful backdrop for reading in! Notes from the past couple of days follow.

Today I reviewed the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. I identified several general standards, performance indicators, and outcomes which may end up being useful to build outcomes for the tutorials around. The standards themselves, of which there are only five, are fairly broad. The performance indicators break these standards down into smaller chunks and the outcomes are the most useful.

There are several performance indicators and outcomes under standard one, “The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.” Performance indicator 1 (1.1) gets to the base of research, stating “The information literate student defines and articulates the need for information.” The specific outcomes for this indicator which will be useful are 1.1.d., “Defines or modifies the information need to achieve a manageable focus" and 1.1.e., "Identifies key concepts and terms that describe the information need". These are core since students must be able to do this to proceed with any research.

I've also identified the following performance indicators and outcomes under standard one:

• 1.2. "The information literate student identifies a variety of types and formats of potential sources for information."
• 1.2.c. "Identifies the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of formats (e.g. multimedia, database, website, data set, audio/visual, book.)

Standard Two states "The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently", which again is at the core of teaching successful research skills. Of particular value are the following performance indicators and outcomes under standard two:

• 2.2. "The information literate student constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies."
• 2.2.b. "Identifies keywords, synonyms and related terms for the information needed."
• 2.2.c. "Selects controlled vocabulary specific to the discipline or information retrieval source."
• 2.2.d. "Constructs a search strategy using appropriate commands for the information retrieval system selected (e.g. Boolean operators, truncation, and proximity for search engines; internal organizers such as indexes for books."
• 2.2.e. "Implements the search strategy in various information retrievalsystems using different user interfaces and search engines, with different command languages, protocols, and search parameters."
• 2.3. "The information literate student retrieves information online or in person using a variety of methods."
• 2.3.b. "Uses various classification schemes and other systems (e.g. call number systems or indexes) to locate information resources within the library or to identify specific sitesfor physical exploration."
• 2.5. "The information literate student extracts, records, andmanages the information and its sources."
• 2.5.c. "Differentiates between the types of sources cited and understands the elements and correct syntax of a citation for a wide range of resources."

Standard Three states, "The information literate student evaluates information and itssources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system." The relevant points under this standard are as follows:

• 3.2. "The information literate student articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources."
• 3.2.a. "Examines and compares information from various sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias."

I also read the following article, which I found rather disappointing. They dealt a lot with their methodology while I was hoping for a lot more on their conclusions and ideas for what to make sure to include in tutorials.

Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley, et al. "If You Build It, Will They Learn? Assessing Online Information Literacy." College & Research Libraries 67.5 (2006): 429-45.

Research begins

Amidst getting our air conditioning running again, I've been reviewing my sabbatical timeline and looking at beginnings. Turns out that one of the books I thought I'd ordered, I hadn't so I popped onto Amazon to order Essentials of Adobe Captivate 3. While there, I discovered that there is a brand new (as in July 2008) book, Adobe Captivate 3: The Definitive Guide, out so I ordered both books to be sent to me ASAP.

I also printed out a number of articles to review, on instructional design with regards to online tutorials. Also to be reviewed are the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education, which are now printed out and ready for notes and highlighting. Obviously, I'm going to be doing a lot of reading over the next few days.

The Journey Begins

Leaving work yesterday felt a little strange, knowing I wouldn't be back for a while. It felt very final as I turned off my computer, pushed in my chair, shut off the light and closed the door. I purposely left without saying goodbye to anyone, merely enabling the Out of Office memo on my email and changing my voicemail message. I left a message on the whiteboard next to my office that said I was on sabbatical and would return July 1, 2009. Right now, that seems a very long ways away.

Today, I am in the midst of downloading Captivate onto my laptop computer. I had wanted to do this previously but Adobe was having issues and wouldn't allow any downloads without purchase until July 1, due to a glitch in the trial periods. In any case, I am now getting my laptop prepared so that I can do the bulk of my project on it.

One of the things I think is so fantastic about being on sabbatical is that you can work on your project wherever you may be. We'll be taking advantage of that flexibility and exploring a lot of national parks this summer, starting in a week or so. I figure I can get work done both while we're driving and once we stop each night. I'm a little paranoid about losing work done while on the road so I'll be backing things up on multiple drives, just in case.

Okay, it looks like Captivate finished downloading. Now to get it installed and working.