Week 2 - Renee Romero

Collecting, Citing and Organizing Sources: Zotero

Part 1 

1. Forward-Looking Assessment -

The Zotero function that auto-generates a bibliography is one that is usually very well-received by students. Thus, a forward-looking assessment could be framed in this way:

Imagine you have just finished writing two papers that are due the next week. One professor would like citations to be in MLA style, and the other professor would like them to be Chicago style. Auto-generate your sources in each of these styles.

Another scenario could be work-related, and pertain to keeping track of sources:

Your supervisor is thinking about starting a social media presence for the company, and has asked you to research on trends in social media marketing, as well as how it affects profit and public relations. In one week, you are to present your findings with a strong argument either for or against developing a social media presence. How will you organize your sources? What kind of notes will you take? What information is necessary to give proper citation to your sources? 

2. Criteria & Standards -

One of the main learning goals of the second video will be learning how to use the functionality of Zotero. For the criteria, I will focus on creating a Library with two relevant sources (for their specific interest) and creating notes and tags for each source.

Poor - Students creates a Zotero account, but has zero to one source(s) in their Library. Source(s) have no notes, and sources are not tagged.

Good Performance- Student creates Zotero account, and has one to two sources in their Library. Student has notes that summarize the content of the resource, and tags that reflect the resource subject.

Excellent performance- Student creates Zotero account, and has two or more sources in their Library. Sources are well documented with a summary of source, as well as notes on how it can connect to their research. Tags are complex and used to show subject as well as interdisciplinary connections.

3. Self-Assessment-

For the Moodle quiz, students can practice self-assessment through built-in questions about how they chose to organize their Library.

Questions:

• Did you put your sources into a Folder? Why/Why not?

• What notes did you take on your sources?

• Under what categories did you tag your resources? Why?

Self-assessment will be harder for the first video, which deals with the idea of research as a conversation, which is more theoretical. However, students can be encouraged to self-assess by answering questions such as:

• What is the common belief on this topic?

• What new information would I like to add to the conversation?

4. “FIDeLity” Feedback-

Frequent

Immediate

Discriminating, i.e., based on Immediate clear criteria and standards

Lovingly delivered

To give students “FIDeLity” feedback, I will integrate time for reflection/questions within the videos. This is a tactic that I have used in previous videos, where students are directed to pause the video while completing the task they just learned about.

Feedback can be given for the quiz version of the module in the form of immediate assessment of questions, as well as overall feedback at the end of the module. By posing questions at the end of significant pause points, I can make it clear what kind of standard I am looking for; for example, have a section of the video that explains that the different levels of notes students can have, then direct students to pause the video and add note sti their source. feedback will be administered as gently as possible, in a manner that encourages students to try again, and congratulates them on their accomplishments. Rather than framing feedback as what students have done poorly, i would rather focus on what they can improve.

 

Part 2 

1. Situational Factors

I have tried to think very critically about the situational factors for my specific case. As i am making online tutorials, there are unique challenges and benefits when it comes to learning goals, feedback and assessment and learning activities.In person instruction has the benefit of a higher chance of interaction with students, as you are in a room together. Thus, any interaction that occurs with the module must be very clearly planned out and a variety of cases accounted for for each instance (Moodle, Youtube).

Potential conflicts will be assessing the video that is more theoretical. In the Moodle quiz, students will be able to give both quantitative and qualitative feedback. Through Youtube, it will be based more on faith that students are practicing self-assessment.

As of right now, i do not see any glaring disconnect between any of those things. i will continue to keep the question in mind as the tutorials are further developed. 

2. Learning Goals and Feedback & Assessment

The assessment procedures address the learning goals fairly well. for this course, although I have identified that I want to make two videos, I have developed the practical application video more than the theoretical video. For the application video, there is currently a learning goal that students learn how to sync their Zotero accounts. i have not been able to devise an assessment for this that I like yet.

The feedback gives students information about the learning goals by helping them go deeper in their use of the software and think critically about why organizing and citing sources is important. The learning goals are designed to work in conjunction with self-assessment, although I think the assessment will work best when it can be discussed with someone else later. 

3.Learning Goals and Teaching/Learning Activities

The learning activities explicitly model for students how to create a Zotero account and use the functionality (screen capture software). Thus, they support the goal. For the theoretical video, I am still working on how to best convey the information that research is a conversation without merely telling the students. I have a few ideas about questions that are posed to the students, who then pause the video and contemplate the answer. Then, an answer is given when the video resumes.

Thus far, there are none. Since the goal of the videos is to be short, any extraneous information is cut out. However, as I am adding to the video to make it more interesting, i will pay attention to keeping it brief and relevant.

4. Teaching/Learning Activities and Feedback & Assessment

The video will outline learning outcomes before delving into the material. Before each strategic pause, students will be directed to complete an action. Assessment questions will directly relate to whether or not they completed the task, and then explore the choices they made regarding their it. Thus, there is strong reinforcement of the criteria and standards that will be used to assess their performance. The activities prepare students very well, as it is their completion of the learning activities that will be assessed.

Worksheet for Designing a Course

The numbers in each section correspond to each column heading

Learning Goals for Course

1. Create Zotero Account
2. Add two items/sources to your Library
3. Learn key Zotero functionality
1. Add notes and tags
2. Create a collection (called a ‘folder’ in my previous posts. Zotero diction says ‘collection’ though, sorry!)
3. Sync your Library

Ways of Assessing

1. Ask Y/N question: “Did you create a Zotero Library?” (option for feedback)
2. Ask what types of sources were cited
3. Ask:
1. Give an example of one of your notes and tags
2. What collection did you make?
3. Did you sync your library? ←- needs more fleshing out

Teaching-Learning Activities

1. Screen capture of creating Zotero Account. (Potentially pause video and have students write down their account name and password).
2. Screen capture of adding items/sources to Library. Make sure to highlight unconventional items, such as tweet and blog. Pause video and direct students to find two sources/create two items for their Library.
3. More screen capture
1. Screen capture of note and tag functions. Explain why useful and give examples of basic notes and tags, and more advanced. Pause video and direct students to add advanced notes and tags to their sources.
2. Screen capture of how to make collection. Explain why collection is useful for organizing information and give some examples.
3. Screen capture of how to sync Library. Explain why syncing is highly recommended. 

Note: While I have been more focused on getting the instructional design solidified, there is also a visual component to the videos to make them more interesting and dynamic. As of now, I am thinking to make the video more interesting based off of the subject I choose as an example.

Helpful Resources

1. Handout that takes students through the steps explained in the video. This will be linked in the video description and provided to professors who want to use the video.
2. Interesting example to model a search.
3. potentially professors. If not, then another well thought out example. I would also like to direct students to our research guide on Zotero.