Snapshot impressions #6 -- first class of the Winter 2013 term

First class of the term. The challenge? to introduce the students to a variety of sources that are relevant to thei assignment AND to play nice with the librarian! Okay, I will admit it; that's not so hard. On one hand, I have lots of sources of the assignment. On the other hand, the team of librarians here are great, being both welcoming and supportive of my teaching style. This session was an opportunity to show the students how the sources in the library and archives work together within the research process. The friendly, neighbourhood librarian and I set to demonstrate just that practice.

The first part of the session addressed the benefits and challenges of secondary sources, ending with the most familiar source -- the book. This allowed me to pick up on the discussion of how a book's content is found. I took the students on a journey, deconstructing a specific book which was related to their assignment for which the archives has most of the original research and copies of the drafted manuscripts. The students were given time to explore the documents and answer a set of questions, comparing the collection to the book and thinking about the publication as a finished "product". [To see the exercise in more detail, look here: http://archivallessons.blogspot.ca/2013/02/deconstruction-zone-getting-to-bottom.html] Seriously, the students became so engaged in these records that they did not want to stop working with them.

After guiding the students through this exercise, we divided the them into two groups (one with primary sources and one with secondary sources) to answer a set of research questions that were directly related to the assignment. It was an opportunity for the students to do some preliminary research during class and be able to ask questions while their professor, librarian, and archivist were on hand.

Overall, the session went well and the students were able to do some work on their assignment. For me, the best part was being able to deconstruct a book and show the students how much research goes into a scholarly publication. It was an excellent and opportune example.

More questions than answers: reflecting on the Fall sessions

I tell students that the Archives is not a place of answers—it is a place of questions. Never has this rung more true than with this research. We set out looking to find answers, not to find questions. We were mistaken. While reflecting on the sessions offered in the Fall of 2012, more and more questions came to the surface concerning the project, student engagement, and the tools/sources being used.

The Project

·         Is there a disconnect between the expectation of the professor and the archivist? Does the professor basically want only an introduction to archives as well as a primary vs. secondary source session? Is the archivist providing a much more detailed, research-oriented session that is unwanted?

·         What ARE these sessions about? What SHOULD they be about? What are the students really gaining from their archives session? Make sure I know ‘what’ and ‘why’, then ‘how’ will become apparent. Be sure that the professors understand this too!

·         Should the professors be interviewed? The impact of sessions? How to do it better for them?

·         Should the students be asked about their session? It’s impact? How to do it better for them?

·         Should the archivist do a follow-up visit with the students two- or three-weeks after the session? Address questions? Invite them to make appointments?

Engagement

·         How can students be best prepared in advance of their visit? Involving the professor in the session engages the students. Certainly going to the class in advance of the session seems to help ease the anxiety of the students.

·         Can a few classes be taught in the space using the material to reinforce the lecture? Inviting the professor to lecture in the space or use the space with limited support of staff may increase the use of the space and help the students feel more comfortable. The Kirkconnell Room can be used in different ways.

·         We know that external factors impact the learning that occurs in the session. How can this be minimized? Perhaps the professor/instructor can deal with this over multiple classes, but this cannot be done in a single session. (I call this the “substitute teacher situation”.) Having the professor in the class may minimize this situation—they have the rapport with the students.

Tools/Sources

·         Should the primary and secondary sources be presented separately? They are both needed for research. Perhaps I need to explain them separately, do separate activities, and then do an activity that uses them together. This may help minimize the confusion over the sources.

·         How can structured serendipitous research be built in to the sessions more often? Should it?

·         When does self-driven exploration work better in a session? Does it depend on the level of the class? The social dynamic? The subject?

·         How can the other media be incorporated? For example, audio and video should be part of the session. Video is more problematic, but not impossible.

·         How can the white board and the tablet be used effectively? They are tools that I have available. Not that I should use them for their own sake, but that they may be underutilized.

·         What should be done with the departure pass? Should it continue to be used? Should it be changed to add more depth? Should it go with the student? What do I want to gain from the passes? How is this reflected in the answers/questions?

·         How can the guides be better used to supplement the sessions/process?

I had written a large document that analyzed the Fall 2012 term. In essence, the term came down to these questions/observations. Keeping these things in mind, we tackled the next term with a brand new set of tools and variables. The results from the second term were very different.

Where did I go?

Yes, it has been a few weeks since I have updated you on the research project. But that does not mean that progress has been slow.  Oh no, not so.

Although I did take a short break in December, the first few days of January was a time to reflect on the Fall term. I took three days to assess the classes offered in the Fall. I even wrote up a report to share with you. And then IT happened...

Between January 2nd and 4th, three profs requested an archives session. By January 8th, I had received three more requests. Six classes -- all asking for sessions to be given within the same two-week time frame! As you can well imagine, my report (and this blog) quickly went by the wayside. Sorry about that.

My research assistant, Amber, and I have been busy planning and delivering sessions ever since. There has been little-to-no time to reflect on the project. Still, this insane pace brought out some creative ideas.

How did it all work out, you ask? I negotiated the sessions to be spread out a bit more widely and one prof decided to withdraw her request (due to a change in the assignment), so I did five sessions in three weeks. Of those sessions, four were completely new. The last session was held only this week. Yes, it WAS a busy January/February.

The good news is that I can now return to reflection and analysis of the entire year. I have planned some special presentations about this research -- and, I can blog about it again!