Get active - notes from a conference presentation

My second day at the WILU conference began with an extraordinary presentation by Amy Fyn entitled "Let's Get Active! Using Active Learning Techniques in a One-Shot Library Instruction Session". Immediately I knew that I would love this session as a beach ball went flying by my head. Part of me did not want to catch the ball because I was afraid that I might get the answer wrong in front of my library colleagues, but the other side of me was delighted and definitely engaged with Amy's instructional techniques!

Amy infused methodology with her message into a fun and thought provoking session. I was so pleased that she offered actual tips and examples that could be utilized within a classroom setting.

She stated that generally there is a perception of learning and where / how it is supposed to happen. But if you change the activity or the venue, your audience will be forced to sit up and pay attention. It will stand out. She gave the example of field trips in grade school, which are typically more memorable than the day to day activities of a classroom. She proved her point as one audience member recounted in detail her experiences on a field trip some twenty years ago, including what she wore and ate that day and who she was sitting with!

Amy echoed Fu Zhuo's sentiments on making connection through instruction. If you start by estabilishing what the students already know, you can build upon this knowledge throughout your session. This technique is called scaffolding and can be very benefical when the instructor is given a limited opportunity to present their materials.

Throughout her session she demonstrated many active learning techniques including the beach ball marked with library questions and a thumball with ice breakers, both of which succeed in forcing the participant to look up (or risk getting hit) instead of down at their materials. She utilized a slow moving telephone where participants passed along a message. The slow moving telephone could be used to demonstrate the concept of primary / secondary sources; paraphrasing and plagarism. Learners in this session participated in a think-group-share. The individuals were broken into groups based on which playing card suit they had in front of them. My ultimate favourite learning technique that she used was "Be My Google" where the room is becomes the Internet and is involved in a discussion on relevancy.

Her blog is http://activelibrarians.wordpress.com; join her conversation.