30 Research Tools and Resources in DCCCD Libraries http://www.dcccd.edu/databases A: Six Essential Finding Tools That Everyone Should Know Well
1. The Library Catalog (thelibrarycatalog.com) – The key to the entire contents of the DCCCD Libraries.
2. The Choose a Database Page – A gateway to the DCCCD’s extensive collection of digital resources
(dcccd.edu/databases).
3. Academic Search Complete (Ebscohost) – The DCCCD’s largest single database of articles. Includes full text articles from nearly 8,000 magazines and journals in all disciplines. Some newspapers.
4. Serials Solutions - The answer to "where is that journal title I'm looking for?"
5. Gale Virtual Reference Library - An alternative to Wikipedia. Citable articles from specialized subject encyclopedias in full text on the Web.
6. Google and Its Subsets (Advanced, Books, Scholar, Directory, Uncle Sam, Google Dictionary).
B: The Traditional Library
7. Library of Congress Classification System Your guide to systematically browsing the library shelves.
8. Physical books and e-books (NetLibrary) E-books allow full text searching. Physical books allow bathtub reading.
9. WorldCat - A tool for finding almost any resource published (except for articles) - many available in nearby libraries (not just in the
DCCCD)
C: Online Databases: The Choose a Database Page listed in A is the starting point (dcccd.edu/databases).
10. CQ Researcher - The best single source for analysis of current and controversial issues: cultural, economic, and political.
11. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context Articles on issues re-titled to convey the author's position. 12. SIRS Researcher - Well selected articles on popular research topics with overviews.
13. New York Times (1851 - present) - A primary newspaper source for historical and current
U.S.events and people.
14. Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center –
Important source for career information, cover letters, resumes and more.
15. InfoTrac Newspapers (1996 - present) - Articles from over 400 newspapers from the U.S. and around the world including several from Texas.
16. Dallas Morning News (1885 - present) - An essential source for local information of all kinds. 17. Daily Life Online - The best single source on daily life in all times, places, and cultures.
18. Business Source Complete – Articles, data, and more
19. Wilson OmniFile - An alternative to Academic Search
Complete. Search for articles, biographies, art images, book reviews all at once or separately.
20. American History Online – A reliable source of facts on all things American from Elvis to insurance.
Videos, primary source materials, timelines, bios.

21. eLibrary – An easy, highly browsable alternative to Academic Search and
OmniFile that includes transcripts and approved Web sites.
D: Reference Resources
22. Reference Universe - An index of subject encyclopedias in the library. Some are full text. 23. Encyclopædia Britannica (available online and in the library) - Big ideas (Macro) and facts (Micro) by expert authors.
24. World Book Encyclopedia - Easy, fun to use.
DCCCD only has the physical volumes ( no online access in DCCCD libraries).
25. Webster's Third New International
Dictionary - Best unabridged dictionary
26. Statistical Abstract of the United States The place to go for US statistics.
27. Statesman's Yearbook - Annually updated update of all countries in world.
E: Internet Tools
28. Wikipedia - Valuable for overview of vast number of topics and as finding tool.
29. Internet Public Library - Use search box to identify reliable Web sites, not pages.
30. InfoMine - Scholarly materials only from the open Web.
Tips: Use both category searches on the Choose a Database page:
“What subject are you looking for?” “What course are you taking?” The tools and resources listed here are general only.
Think beyond these for specialized subject databases in art, astronomy, dance, etc. which are findable using the Choose a
Database page: http://www.dcccd.ed./databases .
For a 20 minute overview of the library catalog and databases view the video tour at Activity 3.1 of the EDUC 1300
LibGuide (second tab): http://libguides.dcccd.edu/educ1300 .

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EDUC 1300: GOALS, CONTEXTS, OUTCOMES
“Nothing is easier than to have the experience and miss the meaning.” William Sloan Coffin

A Global View of the Learning Framework Course
1. Autonomous Learner - A vision of where we want to go, what we want to be.
2. Learning Theories - An overview of how we try to learn.
3. Metacognition - Gaining control of one's own thinking system. (Self Mastery)
4. Behavior Management - Gaining control of one's own doing system. (Self Mastery)
5. Evidence Based Learning - Using e-portfolio and other public platforms to make thinking and learning visible.
6. Critical Thinking - Learning to think well.
7. Information Literacy - Wise use of information to support clear thinking.
8. Ethical Reasoning - Learning to think well about right and wrong in human conduct.
Autonomous Learner - A vision of where we want to end up -- at the end of the course and in life.
We start with a vision of the autonomous learner (1) as the ultimate prize. The world, even knowledge itself is changing so fast that unless we can learn how to learn, we'll fall hopelessly behind. The learning theories (2) give us a sense of what is involved in learning and our attempts to learn, including strategies.
Self regulation (after 2.) includes all those things we do for self mastery. It is what we do to get our minds, emotions, and bodies attuned to the things we care about, the things we need to do.
With greater awareness of our own thinking (metacognition) and doing systems (behavior management) (3 & 4), a foundation is laid for and continues in the work to follow.
Evidence based learning (5) provides a kind of bridge between the knowledge we are producing about ourselves and our working environment, the expert knowledge we are gathering through sound information literacy practices (7), and the knowledge we’ll put to use in critical thinking (6), and ethical reasoning (8).
Critical thinking, information literacy, and ethical reasoning are a separate cluster of processes to be learned and understood,existing in an essential interdependency. The ethical reasoning process rests on good quality information. Arguments are built upon it. And compassionate, ethical conclusions followed up by action are what make the world a better place.
The autonomous learner is the well rounded, fully functioning individual that all of this is intended to produce in all of us (a strong, capable self).

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PDF: http://www.richlandcollege.edu/tr/core/GCO.pdf

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GOALS.
Instructors intend that students will...
1. Become reflective, autonomous learners. OUTCOMES.
Students will be able to...

DEFINITION. CONTEXT. BACKGROUND.

A Vision of Where We Want to Go and What We Want to Be

Autonomous Learners

The goal of education ought to be the creation of independent, autonomous learners who assume responsibility for their own learning.
Maryellen Weimer. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Autonomous learners:

Hold realistic views of themselves and their academic abilities

Behave ethically

Set realistic and appropriate goals for academic achievement

Understand their learning strengths and weaknesses

Use effective learning strategies and adapt those strategies to new situations

Manage their behaviors to reach their goals

Use appropriate resources

1. Construct a personal learning system informed by the concepts, theories, strategies and techniques learned in the course.
Focus / Object of Learning
PERSONAL LEARNING
SYSTEM
(Perhaps using a concept map via MyWebSpiration.com.)

Learning Theories

De Sellers, Carole Dochen, and Russ Hodges. Academic Transformation.: The Road to College Success. Upper Saddle
River: Pearson, 2005.

2. Understand the factors that affect learning and use that knowledge to improve their own.

An Overview of How We Try to Learn
Learning framework courses teach students the process of collegiate learning (i.e., cognitive skills): the focus is on the comprehension of human learning based on current theories [and research]. Students then develop individualistic learning strategies based on their knowledge of these theoretical underpinnings. Learning framework courses integrate cognitive psychology theory with learning strategies in order that student will understand the reasons for engaging in specific study behaviors and how to adapt to differing circumstances.

2. Select and use learning strategies appropriate to tasks.

Focus / Object of Learning:
LEARNING STRATEGIES

De Sellers, Carol W. Dochen, and Russ Hodges. Instructor’s Manual to Accompany Academic
Transformation: The Road to College Success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2005.

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All the Things We Do for Self Mastery
Set goals and align thought, behavior, and emotion to achieve them.

Self-regulated learning is an active, constructive process whereby learners set goals for their learning and then attempt to monitor, regulate, and control their cognition, motivation, and behavior, guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features in the environment. [There are] four general domains that learners can try to self-regulate:




Self Regulation



Cognition. The strategies that learners can use to help them remember, understand, reason, and problem solve.
Motivation. The strategies that individuals can use to try to control and regulate their own motivation and emotions.
Behavior. Attempts to control overt behavior. Example: Good self-regulators would adjust their effort levels to the task and their goals; they know when to persist, when to ask for help, and when to stop doing the task.
The environment. Attempts to monitor and control the environment. Example: Good selfregulated learners will try to control distractions by asking others to be quiet or by moving to another location.

Paul R. Pintrich “Motivation: Self-Regulated Learning.” Encyclopedia of Education. Ed. James W. Guthrie. Vol. 5. 2d ed.
New York: Macmillan, 2002. 1690-1701. Gale Virtual Reference Library. 2 May 2010

Metacognition

3. Reflect on their thinking in order to improve their performance and achieve their goals.

Gaining Control of One’s Own Thinking System
In many ways, metacognition is now seen as one part of the more general construct of self-regulated learning. In general, good self -regulating learners use a number of different strategies to control their cognition in ways that help them reach their goals.

3. Apply metacognition to support rather than sabotage learning

The metacognitive system as been described by researchers and theorists as responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and regulating the functioning of of all other types of thought Taken together, these functions are sometimes referred to as responsible for executive control.

Focus / Object of Learning:
STRATEGIC THINKING

The metacognitive system has four functions:

Specifying goals – What do I want and what is the desired end state?

Process monitoring – How well is the procedure I’m using for this task working?

Monitoring clarity – Am I clear about what I believe I’ve learned?

Monitory accuracy – Is what I’ve learned correct?
Robert J. Marzano and John S. Kendall. The New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. 2d ed. Thousand Oaks: Corwin,
2007. Adapted.

Active control over cognitive process engaged in learning

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PDF: http://www.richlandcollege.edu/tr/core/GCO.pdf

Behavior Management

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4. Use behavior management techniques to achieve personal, academic and career success.

Evidence-Based Learning

5. Collect, select, reflect and connect artifacts of learning to outcomes.

.

Gaining Control of One’s Own Doing System
The challenge of modern life, whether as a college student or a working professional, is to manage the time we have so that we reach our goal of a quality life – a quality life that incorporates what we want to achieve both personally and professionally. It is not an easy task to navigate the balance between doing what we should do for long-term goals (delayed gratification ) and doing what we want to do right now )immediate gratification).
De Sellers, Carole Dochen, and Russ Hodges. Academic Transformation.: The Road to College Success. Boston: Pearson,
2010.

There are two powerful techniques that help us do that:

Key routines – to harness our habits to work for rather than against us

Self-change – to change a specific behavior that blocking our success
Using E-portfolio and Other Public Platforms to Make Thinking and Learning Visible
Although research into electronic portfolios has a short history, there are already two development directions for the e-portfolio-concept. The e-portfolio used for final assessment/ job seeking where the emphasis is on the product(s) and then the e-portfolio used for reflection, deep learning, knowledge growth and social interaction where the emphasis lies on the process. (David Tosh and Ben Werdmuller 2004)
Reflection on work saved in e-portfolios can

Build learners’ personal and academic identities as they complete complex projects and reflect on their capabilities and progress,

Facilitate the integration of learning as students connect learning across courses and time,

Be focused on developing self-assessment abilities in which students judge the quality of work using the same criteria experts use

Help students plan their own academic pathways as they come to understand what they know and are able to do and what they still need to learn.

4. Apply behavior management techniques to build constructive habits and eliminate unproductive habits.
Focus / Object of Learning:
MONITORING CHANGE

5. Articulate why an artifact matters and how it demonstrates learning in two or more contexts.

Focus / Object of Learning:
REFLECTION
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING

Ross Miller and Wende Morgaine, “The Benefits of E-portfolios for Students and Faculty in Their Own Words,” Peer
Review 11.1 (Winter 2009): 8-9.

“...the process of connecting artifacts to outcomes rests on the assumption that the selection of, and reflection on, a body of evidence offers another opportunity to learn and a valid means of assessment.”
Kathleen Blake Yancey. “Electronic Portfolios: a Decade into the Twentieth Century:What We Know, What We Need to Know. Peer
Review 11.1 (Winter 2009):28-32.

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6. Develop habits of critical thinking.

Learning to Think Well
Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.
VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education. Rubrics. American Association of Colleges and
Universities. Web. 27 April 2010.

Critical thinkers share at least the following two characteristics:

They are able to reason well—i.e., to construct and evaluate various reasons that have been or can be offered for or against candidate beliefs, judgments, and actions abilities.

They are disposed or inclined to be guided by reasons so evaluated—i.e., actually to believe, judge, and act in accordance with the results of such reasoned evaluations.

6. Use the elements of critical thinking to analyze a position on an issue, whether their own or someone else’s
Focus / Object Learning:
PROBLEM SOLVING

Critical Thinking

“Education, Philosophy of.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web.

7. Recognize when they need information and know how to find it, evaluate it, and use it appropriately.

Wise Use of Information to Support Clear Thinking
Information literacy is the ability to know when there is a need for information to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand.

Information Literacy

VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education. Rubrics. American Association of Colleges and
Universities. Web. 27 April 2010.

Information literacy forms the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning. An information literate individual is able to:







Determine the extent of information needed
Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
Evaluate information and its sources critically
Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

7. Use a variety of library tools and resources to find information and evaluate its relevance and quality in relation to the need.

Focus / Object of Learning:
LIBRARY TOOLS &
RESOURCES
QUALITY
INFORMATION

“Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.” Association of College and Research Libraries. Web. 2
May 2010.

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Ethical Reasoning

Critical Thinking

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8. Develop the capacity to make ethical judgments and take responsibility for their actions.

Learning to Think Well about the Right and Wrong in Human Conduct
Ethical reasoning is reasoning about right and wrong human conduct. It requires students to:

Be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems.

Recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings.

Think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas and consider the ramifications of alternative actions.

Consider the ramifications of alternative actions.
Students’ ethical self identity evolves as they practice ethical decision-making skills and learn how to describe and analyze positions on ethical issues.

8a. Identify and weigh relevant factors that influence ethical choices.
8b. Use a rational process to arrive at ethical decisions
Focus / Object of Learning:
ETHICAL DECISION
MAKING

VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education. Rubrics. American Association of Colleges and
Universities. Web. 27 April 2010.

AUTONOMOUS LEARNERS

A Vision and Assessment of Where We End Up -- at the End of the Course and in Life

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DCCCD Developmental Studies Summit
October 22, 2010
“Connections: Developmental Studies and EDUC 1300”

I. EDUC 1300 “Learning Matters” eCampus site
a. Login to eCampus
b. Select COMMUNITY tab
c. Type Learning Matters in Organization search box
d. Click on the down arrow next to the Learning Matters title on the Community site that states
ENROLL
e. At the SELF ENROLL screen there will be a submit button on the right. Click submit. You do not need to type in any information.

II. EDUC 1300 Learning Outcomes
III. Information Literacy in EDUC 1300
IV. ePortfolio in EDUC 1300
Student ePortfolio http://my.foliotek.com/share/TaylorAPatterson
Gary Duke’s ePortfolio http://my.foliotek.com/share/garyduke2
V. Core Resource Page www.dcccd.edu/coreresources

The primary motive of a learning portfolio: “to improve student learning by providing a structure for students to reflect systematically over time on the learning process and to develop the aptitudes, skills and habits that come from critical reflection.” ‐‐‐ John Zubizaretta “We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.”

‐‐‐ John Dewey “Nothing is easier than to have an experience and miss the meaning.”

‐‐‐ William Sloan Coffin

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Information Literacy VALUE Rubric*
Definition
The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand –
The National Forum on Information Literacy
Evaluators are encouraged to assign a zero to any work sample or collection of work that does not meet benchmark (cell one) level performances. If a work sample does not address a particular criterion, assign NA (not applicable) to that criterion.

Capstone
4(4)

Milestones
3

Determine the Extent of Information
Needed

Effectively defines the scope of the research question or thesis. Effectively determines key concepts. Types of information (sources) selected directly relate to concepts or answer research question. Defines the scope of the research question or thesis completely. Can determine key concepts. Types of information (sources) selected relate to concepts or answer research question.

Access the Needed
Information

Accesses information using effective, welldesigned search strategies and most appropriate sources.

Evaluate Information and its Sources
Critically

Thoroughly (systematically and methodically) analyzes own and others’ assumptions and carefully evaluates the relevance of contexts when presenting a position. Communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from sources to fully achieve a specific purpose, with clarity and depth.

Accesses information using a variety of search strategies and some relevant information sources. Demonstrates ability to refine search.
Identifies own and others’ assumptions and several relevant contexts when presenting a position. Use Information
Effectively to
Accomplish a Specific
Purpose
Access and Use
Information Ethically and Legally

Students use correctly all of the following information use strategies (use of citations and references; choice of paraphrasing, summary or quoting, using information in ways that are true to original context; distinguishing between common knowledge and ideas requiring attribution) and demonstrate a full understanding of the ethical and legal restrictions on the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information. Communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from sources. Intended purpose is achieved.

Students use correctly three of the following information use strategies (use of citations and references; choice of paraphrasing, summary or quoting, using information in ways that are true to original context; distinguishing between common knowledge and ideas requiring attribution) and demonstrates a full understanding of the ethical and legal restrictions on the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information.

Milestones
2

Benchmark
1

Defines the scope of the research question or theses incompletely (Parts are missing, remains too broad or too narrow, etc.).Can determine key concepts. Types of information (sources) selected partially relate to concepts or answer research question. Accesses information using simple search strategies, retrieves information from limited and similar sources.

Has difficulty defining the scope of the research question or thesis. Has difficulty determining key concepts. Types of information (sources) selected do not relate to concepts or answer research question.

Questions some assumptions. Identifies several relevant contexts when presenting a position. May be more aware of others’ assumptions than one’s own (or vice versa). Communicates and organizes information from sources. The information is not yet synthesized, so the intended purpose is not fully achieved.

Shows an emerging awareness of present assumptions (sometimes labels assertions as assumptions). Begins to identify some contexts when presenting a position.

Students use correctly two of the following information use strategies (use of citations and references; choice of paraphrasing, summary or quoting, using information in ways that are true to original context; distinguishing between common knowledge and ideas requiring attribution) and demonstrates a full understanding of the ethical and legal restrictions on the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information.

Accesses information randomly, retrieves information that lacks relevance and quality. Communicates information from sources.
The information is fragmented and/or used inappropriately (misquoted, taken out of context, or incorrectly paraphrased, etc.), so the intended purpose is not achieved.
Students use correctly one of the following information use strategies (use of citations and references; choice of paraphrasing, summary or quoting, using information in ways that are true to original context; distinguishing between common knowledge and ideas requiring attribution) and demonstrates a full understanding of the ethical and legal restrictions on the use of published, confidential, and/or proprietary information.

VALUE rubric - http://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/index.cfm
*The rubric articulates fundamental criteria for evaluating Information Literacy with performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment throughout the entire college experience. The rubric is intended for use in evaluating student learning, not for grading. Rubrics help students and faculty understand the expectations of student learning and reinforce assessment FOR learning not just assessment OF learning. To utilize all criteria in a rubric, it may be necessary to evaluate a collection of work. While some students may exceed expectations, the “grayed-out” cells represent levels of instruction beyond EDUC 1300.

A few suggestions for using ePortfolios … 1. You can support the use of ePortfolios in a variety of ways. There are 4 suggestions on the GETTING STARTED page of the DCCCD resource portfolio, http://my.foliotek.com/share/dcccdresources 2.

If you’d like to begin using ePortfolios in a class other the EDUC 1300, please submit the foliotek Request Form found on the GETTING STARTED page of the
DCCCD resource portfolio, http://my.foliotek.com/share/dcccdresources
Send the form electronically to bwilliams@dcccd.edu to receive a free one year foliotek account. EDUC 1300 students who purchase Academic Transformation will acquire a 3 year portfolio access code bundled with the book. For other courses, students without codes can purchase three year foliotek portfolio access codes in the college bookstore. The ISBN for the stand alone portfolio code is
0558920608.

3. Share the information you’ve learned and the link to the DCCCD Resource
Portfolio (above) and the link to http://my.foliotek.com/share/foliothinking with one or more colleagues. Consider working together to design and implement an ePortfolio “project” or assignment.
4. Seek feedback from EDUC 1300 faculty and students who used foliotek ePortfolios. Foliotek ePortfolios can be shared privately using email or publically with a url. Ask a student to share his or her portfolio with you.
5. Consider creating a professional portfolio to document your learning, professional activities and other experiences. Post a portfolio on eCampus along with your syllabus to describe the course and introduce yourself to your students.
6. Contact one or more of the following DCCCD ePortfolio leaders:
Hazel Carlos, Co-Chair Core ePortfolio committee
Victor Soto, Co-Chair Core ePortfolio committee
Gemmy Allen, ePortfolio committee
Gary Duke, Core Curriculum Steering Team/EDUC 1300 Champion
MaryAnn McGuirk, Core Curriculum Steering Team/EDUC 1300 Champion
Becki Williams, Core Curriculum Steering Team

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci http://my.foliotek.com/share/educ1300info (a portfolio that describes EDUC 1300)

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