To use the Assignment Calculator, I pretended that I had a Library Science project due in 3 weeks. I found the 12 steps generated to be logical and the timetable realistic. The support materials (such as "Suggestions for Understanding Assignment Sheets" and "Sample Thesis Statements") was thorough and informative.
I especially liked that the calculator did not attempt to oversimplify the complex (but orderly) process of fulfilling a college assignment. In attempting to quell students' anxiety, I have frequently heard concerned advisors assure students that their assignments are easy and won't take long.
Such well-meant but inaccurate advice does students a grave disservice. Writing a college paper is an involved undertaking that will be closely scrutinized, measured and judged by one's professor. One's grade depends on how well one fulfills professorial expectations. It's a good idea to pay close attention, do the research, and devote sufficient time to do a decent job.
I heartily approve of the obvious care and thought that University of Minnesota Libraries personnel put into designing the Assignment Calculator. Nicely done.
RESEARCH PROJECT CALCULATOR
For the Research Project Calculator, I stated that I had a slide show presentation due in three weeks. Again, I admit to being delighted at the serious and practical advice dispensed.
The process and philosophy of creating a slide show presentation were covered in a succinct, linear progression that does not skimp on the often-slighted portions of such an assignment.
By this, I mean students were urged to storyboard their presentations, choose images and assemble their slides with care, rehearse their presentations and evaluate their performances after the fact.
This is all to the good. So many oral presentations I have witnessed had clearly been conscientiously researched, but the actual performance part of the project had received little attention and therefore fell flat.
The Research Project Calculator urges students to consider themselves the star of their oral presentation and choose slides that will grab their audience's attention. What excellent advice.
TEACHER GUIDE TO THE RESEARCH PROJECT CALCULATOR
The handouts found here looked useful. Under Step 1: Question, I particularly liked the "Student Research Planning Guide," "Narrowing a Topic. . . ," and "What's My Angle?"
Step 2: Gather had a similar array of eminently utilitarian guides, such as "Interview Tip Sheet," "Boolean Basics," and "10 Questions for Evaluating Websites."
The "Sample Idea Sketch" and "Outline Organizer" found under Step 3: Conclude looked equally practical, as did the advice for essays, videos, and slide presentations under the last step, Step 4: Conclude.
The discussion sections "About the Research Calculator" and the "No Time? Suggestions for Condensing" for each of the 5 steps in the process were equally well crafted and useful.
WHAT WE COULD MAKE OF ALL THIS
I can certainly see making use of the Assignment and Research Project Calculators as well as the Teacher Guide in the public library. Three ways spring immediately to mind.
First, we should include links to these sites on ACLD's brand new website, launched yesterday. The Homework Help portion of the Kids pages would be the logical spot.
Secondly, staff should make and keep at the ready paper copies to hand out to students who seem to be in need of them. The sheets should list the URLs where the Calculators and other handouts (part of the Teacher Guide site) can be found.
Finally, staff should mention these tools to both students and teachers, demonstrating the sites to them whenever possible. Explanations should be kept very short to minimize panicked resistance.
For example, "Oh, let me show you this cool website. It's got just what you need. See right here? It tells you exactly how to narrow your topic down."
Or, "Take a look at this. It's so simple. Just type in when your assignment's due, and it shows you step by step exactly what to do. It even tells you how much time to spend on each step! Is that neat or what?"
PERSONAL USE
These Student 2.0 tools impressed me. I hadn't realized tools like this available on the Web. Clearly 23 Things has come along at just the right time.
I actually have a library-related slideshow presentation due about six weeks from now. I haven't started formally working on it yet--it's still in the mulling stages--but when the time comes, I'll take another peak at the two Calculators.
I have no doubts about how to put the project together, although I've never had any formal training on how to construct a PowerPoint presentation. Just one of those things I've had to pick up along the way.
Still, it's nice to finally have a guide. The Librarians of the University of Minnesota Libraries should be commended for having so thoughtfully written out the entire process from start to finish.
Thanks, colleagues! Virtual Unicorn very much appreciates your efforts.
A REMARK ON THE SCOPE OF THING #21
Compared to some of the other sections in 23 Things, Thing #21 took almost no time at all. Its scope was just right. I think I spent a little over an hour on it.
Every single exercise in 23 Things needs to take just about as long. As an extremely busy unicorn, I need to be able to predict the investment of time that will be needed to complete a Thing before I dive blindly into it.
The organizers of 23 Things have it in their power to so arrange the workload in this training. Just divide the exercises up in to uniformly sized bites.
It will come out to more Things--quite a lot more, in fact. But participants' time commitments will be respected, their stress levels lowered, and their participation made that much more productive.
Only two more Things to go. I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel!
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