Author: Dianna Sachs Western Michigan University

1. Dianna E. Sachs
March 20, 2009

2. What is First Year Seminar?

History of collaboration

Learning outcomes

Structure and methodology

Responses

Where do we go from here?


3. 2 credit hours

Approx. 1,200 students, 58 sections

Academic and social transition to University

Community

Faculty and student facilitators


4. 2006 – tour of the library on request

2007 – tour, short project, required

2008 – project, integrated tour, required

◦ Common Research Experience = enhanced
roll for library

5. Learning Outcomes

◦ Library = comfortable, welcoming
◦ Librarians = knowledgeable, friendly
◦ Wide variety of resources and services
◦ Basic concepts of information organization and
research

6. Structure and Methodology

Project-oriented active learning
◦
Work in groups
◦
Peer mentoring
◦
Self-determined
◦
◦ “Choose Your Own Adventure” meets “Madlibs”

7. Choose an item

Write keywords describing item

Use keywords as search terms to find next

item
Repeat, repeat, repeat

Final item often unrelated to first

Students‟ choice throughout


8. “They were really responsive to Maps, Special

Collections, too. They think they‟re going to
hate it at first, but then they find that one
item and everyone is like „Ohhhhhh!‟” -
Megan W.
“Some students were kind of „blah‟ and

unresponsive because it wasn‟t for a grade. I
remember some of them said they weren‟t
going to try.” -Lauren D.

9. Observed: around 70% were interested.
Active learning was successful
Better balance between
“intro to library tour”
and “project time”
More successful when
faculty instructor was
Faculty – projects
present
should be more
focused

10. Common Research Experience continues

More focused project

Short (but interactive) tour independent of

project
Experimental classes – librarian integrated

into course and curriculum
Come back next year!


11. Questions?