With our rapidly increasing and instantaneous access to information, it can be difficult to help people slice through the “data smog” and become fluent with information while critically assessing its value and purpose. This webinar introduces a variety of technical resources and research tools, and provides tips to help make learning more meaningful, engaging, and relevant, with the ultimate goal of providing learners with opportunities to create something new and exciting. The end goal is to help learners enrich their lives by constructing a personal learning environment, online or face-to-face, that is conducive to information discovery, sharing, and lifelong learning.

1. Enhancing Learning & Participation:
Critical Thinking Strategies & Practice

2. http://www.slideshare.net/chadmairn
Google Site available at:
https://sites.google.com/site/cil2012enhancedlearning
Note: Let me know if you want editing rights
@cmairn

3. Virtual Petting Zoo/Discussion
anymeeting.com/chadmairn
Want to
hangout?
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4. Agenda
Demonstrate some critical thinking activities that work.
Provide tips to help make learning more
meaningful, engaging, and relevant, with the ultimate
goal of providing learners with opportunities to create
something new and exciting.
Learn how to provide more visibility to library
resources
Learn to collaborate within new social media spaces.
Brainstorm ideas for future Critical Thinking activities.

5. Information fluency is the intersection of information literacy,
computer literacy and critical thinking.

6. An information literate individual …
Determines the extent of information needed.
Accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently.
Evaluates information and its sources critically.
Incorporates selected information into one’s knowledge base.
Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Understands the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the
use of information, and access and use information ethically and
legally.
Source: ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

7. A computer literate individual …
Develops some technological skills while practicing the fine art of
being “information literate”, but “computer literacy” is primarily rote
learning of software and hardware. This is NOT a static skill, however.
“Fluency with technology" focuses on understanding the underlying
concepts of technology and applying problem-solving and critical
thinking to using technology.
Source: ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

8. Critical Thinking defined by St. Petersburg College
The active and systemic process of
communication, problem
solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, an
d reflection, both individually and in
community, to foster
understanding, support sound decision-
making, and guide action.
Source: http://www.spcollege.edu/criticalthinking/faq/teaching.htm

9. So, I think information fluency is …
communicating, problem
solving, evaluating, analyzing,
synthesizing, and reflecting
on the entire process.
… having the ability to think critically while being able to apply
this thinking across a variety of “literacies” (e.g., information,
technological, cultural, scientific etc.) in order to “foster
understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide
action” in the classroom and beyond!

10. Transliteracy
The ability to read, write and interact across
a range of platforms, tools and media from
signing and orality through handwriting, print,
TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.
Source: http://goo.gl/WUwbn

11. Some strategies/practices that can help encourage
information fluency/critical thinking.

12. Allow the user to do the work
and follow up with them.

13. “The trick is not in
knowing the
single solution.
It’s having lots of
different options
and solutions to
turn to.”
Source: Wired Magazine April ,2012, page 22

14. diy.org

15. diy.org

19. http://www.civilization5.com/
http://game.nypl.org

20. Game Development Workshops
Visit http://goo.gl/dQrnd for a list of game engines!

21. Pre/post testing using TRAILS

22. Activity: Submit TRAILS
assessment
http://goo.gl/8MplG

23. Using Diigo to highlight and annotate articles

24. Article Analysis (i.e., “intervention”)
Assignment Instructions
Read "Government Should Regulate the Internet" article.
Answer the 10 questions. You may want to consider these
questions first and take notes while reading the article.
I will schedule a chat/video session to share ideas and to
discuss the issues.
It may help to organize your thoughts using the "Elements of
Thought and Standards Model”.
FYI: I will refer to this critical thinking rubric and to this general
reading rubric primarily when grading this assignment.
Note: The VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in
Undergraduate Education) rubrics are from the Association
of American Colleges and Universities.

25. Questions to consider …
1. What is the main argument of this article?
2. Can you distinguish between verifiable facts and the author’s
values?
3. How do you interpret the author’s conclusion[s] and is there an
alternative conclusion[s]?
4. Is there a problem with the author’s main thesis? Please explain.
5. Can you recognize any logical inconsistencies?
6. While reading the article did you assume anything that you
shouldn’t?
7. Did you have difficulties reading this article if you disagreed with the
author’s premise?
8. Are the author’s assumptions valid?
9. Can you detect any biases (stated and/or unstated)?
10. What did you learn from this process?

26. "Elements of Thought and Standards Model”

27. Here are some student quotes regarding what they learned
from the process.
"I learned that finding resources for research projects is a task which requires attention to detail,
rational thinking, and good judgement skills. The internet is full of information; some valid
information, some not so valid. I found that sometimes opinions are stated as facts, and
sometimes that facts can be misrepresented as opinions if citations are not present. I also learned
that while research a topic, if I find a source of information, it never hurts to also research a little
bit about the source in order to conclude if it's a valid source of information or not.”
"I think it was very interesting to tear down his article and evaluate it for biases, premises, validity,
thesis, inconsistency, facts vs. opinion, etc. I usually do this subconsiously when I read or watch
the news, but not to the extent that I did here when I really wrote it all out. It is so helpful to do this
so that you can identify the view of the author, and then find a differing opinion, and compare the
two, because the truth usually falls somewhere in the middle.”
"To dissect an article a little more thoroughly and to examine credibility and an author's intentions
when writing the article a little more closely.”
"I have read the entire article four times now, and I don’t necessarily find a problem with the author’s
thesis, however, find that there could be easily be more than just one.”
“I learned to be more critically aware of information that I read and to carefully evaluate sources.”

29. CRAAP Test F.I.N.D.S Model
Currency Focus
Relevancy Investigate
Accuracy Note
Authority Develop
Purpose Score

30. Help?
• Schedule a one-on-one CLUE (College Library
User Education) session
• Visit a writing studio in the library!
• Ask-a-Librarian virtual reference service.
• Social Media.

31. Widely Share Your Library Resources!

32. Help enhance online
content with
authoritative library
resources.
This will bring more
visibility to your library
and people will trust
the information
presented.

34. Edit Wikipedia articles and include
library resources.

35. Find out what is trending on Twitter and
support/enhance it with authoritative resources.
The U.S. Congressional Twitter Directory, http://goo.gl/s1sVZ
New Congressional Committee
Must Put National Interest First.
http://bit.ly/qUrYJr)

36. Using Twitter for class conversations
Extra credit: Ask students to use Twitter.
http://twitter.com/cmairn/my-students
DM @cmairn

37. Collaboration

38. Slideshare Zipcast
Source: http://goo.gl/7sMdV

39. Many people
don’t need
librarians to
help them
search. They
need help
making sense
of what they
find.

40. After 3
minutes of
no activity
this
window
displays on
our
website.

41. Skype Screen sharing
Join.me

42. Free Learning Management Systems (LMS)
http://coursekit.com/
http://www.joinopenclass.com
http://moodle.org/

43. Embedded Librarianship within an LMS

44. Course e-reserves within an LMS

45. Faculty can easily link to resources!

46. Popular Research Tools
Library toolbar/Chrome extension
Facebook Search App.

47. Education For All

48. 3-D Critical Thinking Project

51. Assignment Idea
• Find an article that has at least
1 fact and 1 opinion.
• Conduct some research that
supports your argument.
• Any questions unanswered? If
you could ask the author any
question regarding the article
what would it be?
• If the article is
online, consider posting a
comment.

53. Assignment Idea
Create your own
infographics!

56. Some other activity ideas
Ask students to write a book review or catalog a subject via GoodReads,
LibraryThing, WorldCat etc.
Ask students to become Wikipedians and either write an entry on something
that interests them and/or add to or correct an existing Wikipedia article.
Documenting your sources will build credibility!
Create a slideshow "movie" and document it using MLA or APA. Use free,
online software like Google's Picassa 3, iMovie, Window's MovieMaker,
Voicethread, or MemoriesonWeb to create a slideshow "movie" that
conveys a powerful message, constructs an argument, or teaches an
educational lesson.
More information can be found at:
http://www.spcollege.edu/SPG/WSPCL/librarians/mairn/lis2004/alternative
_activity_ideas.html

57. Fine tune the course-long pre-writing project to completely incorporate
computer literacy. (Course of Record)
Utilize Google Plus Hangouts, Skype, Join.me, and other web conferencing
technologies.
Provide more library visibility in Course Management Systems.
Explore Open Content.
Ask students to create/publish their own course e-textbook using Apple's
iBooks Author. http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/

58. Course-long Pre-Writing Project
Tapping into one’s interests
Reading for discovery/reflection
Asking questions/What do you already know?
Research proposal: title, thesis, abstract, outline
Discuss topic with fellow students (peer review)
Gathering information (books, articles, web sites etc.)
Evaluating information (relevance, reliability, logic/claims)
Take notes to avoid plagiarism and build credibility/citing sources
Understand difference between cause and coincidence
Assess scientific/political biases.
Refining thesis/Group ideas
How to organize (use an outline)
Check outline for unity and coherence
Discuss topic with fellow students (peer review)
Support ideas with evidence
Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
Revision/presenting ideas
Peer review
Explain and reflect upon one’s research process
Create an e-Textbook!

59. VALUE Rubrics - http://www.aacu.org/value/abouttherubrics.cfm

60. Select Web Tools to Help Enhance Learning
• Mag.ma: Create video bundles.
• Google Docs, Typewith.me: collaborate on projects.
• Web Applications Index: 1,000’s of ideas!
• Enable Wikipedia layers (Google Maps, Layar)
• uStream.TV Everywhere: http://www.ustream.tv/everywhere
• Jing, Screencast-o-matic: screenshots, videos made easy.
• Slideshare ZipCast,SlideRocket: present via the Web.
• Cover.it.live: live backchannel during lectures.
• WolframAlpha: Computational Knowledge Engine
Source: http://goo.gl/GkUt6

62. Please consider
sharing your
ideas or your
successes.
https://voicethread.com/share/1447074/

63. Let’s
Hangout!
gplus.to/chadmairn