A comparison of the WISC information and arithmetic subtests with a multiple choice procedure using kindergarten,first-, and second-grade children

Fifty-nine children in kindergarten, first, and second grade were given the WISC information and arithmetic subtest. Approximately three weeks later, the subjects were presented with the same questions, and four multiple choice answers were shown and read to them. The number of correct responses on each subtest for each presentation method was recorded. The multiple choice method of presentation response yielded significantly higher scaled scores than did the standard WISC presentation with the free response mode of testing.     

Flipping one-shot library instruction: using Canvas and Pecha Kucha for peer teaching

Objective

This study sought to determine whether a flipped classroom that facilitated peer learning would improve undergraduate health sciences students'' abilities to find, evaluate, and use appropriate evidence for research assignments.

Methods

Students completed online modules in a learning management system, with librarians facilitating subsequent student-directed, in-person sessions. Mixed methods assessment was used to evaluate program outcomes.

Results

Students learned information literacy concepts but did not consistently apply them in research assignments. Faculty interviews revealed strengthened partnerships between librarians and teaching faculty.

Conclusion

This pedagogy shows promise for implementing and evaluating a successful flipped information literacy program.Keywords (Medical Subject Headings) Information Literacy, Educational Technology, Education, Distance/Methods, Teaching/Methods, Evidence-Based Practice/Education, Learning, Group Processes, Program Development, Humans, Libraries, Medical/EducationIn the short term, health sciences students utilize the information resources that librarians highlight during instruction. In the years after graduation, students demonstrate low levels of information literacy skills [1–3]. These low levels of retention likely result from the limited amount of time dedicated to guided practice during library sessions, which has been shown to be critical to learning [4]. In addition, few undergraduate curricula feature scaffolded instruction on evidence-based practice, where guidance of student learning is deployed progressively to promote stronger understanding of concepts. This raises the concern that many students may be unprepared for the rigors and expectations of graduate-level research. Consequently, health sciences librarians and educators have tested numerous methods for improving the effectiveness of information literacy and evidence-based practice instruction [5–7].Higher education has also seen a rise in the use of instructional technologies, such as increased use of video tutorials, web-conferencing tools, and learning management systems (LMSs). Such tools can enhance the effectiveness of face-to-face teaching by delivering time-of-need instruction that is available for future reference during the entire semester [8–11]. LMSs, such as Canvas or Blackboard, provide a virtual space where students take ownership of the learning process and create meaningful learning experiences for themselves and their peer learners [12]. Educators increasingly use these technologies to enable a flipped classroom model of instruction, in which the lecture and homework are reversed [13–15]. In older teaching models, a lecture occurs in the classroom, followed by exercises and applications of the information by students as homework. In the flipped model, students get the lecture-type information at home, then do exercises and applications in the classroom. This model allows instructors to move away from the traditional one-time lecture-based instruction and to incorporate active learning, which leads to better student performance for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate students [16–18]. The flipped classroom model also accommodates the needs of diverse populations of learners by integrating peer learning and assessment [19, 20]. In contrast, traditional lecture-based approaches to information literacy have been shown to have limited effectiveness for promoting skill development and retention, and often rely on shallow, quantitative assessments to measure student learning [21]. Integrating library instruction strategically into the curriculum and using the flipped classroom model creates opportunities to use a greater variety of assessment tools at various points throughout the semester in order to conduct more meaningful assessment of student learning.Flipped classroom models have not been widely studied for health sciences students. This study aimed to determine whether a flipped classroom approach for upper-level undergraduate students in the health sciences would improve their abilities to find, evaluate, and utilize appropriate evidence for research assignments.