Skip to Main Content

FYE Textbook Companion: Chapter Four

An online guide, accessible from any computer with internet access, to help answer questions about the textbook and give context and description to concepts and potential instructional activities.

Support for Building Background Knowledge 4.6.1

4.6.1

It is possible to be generally prepared for a course, yet still feel out of your depth due to a lack of experience or background knowledge.

Your instructor may have forgotten what it means to be someone learning the material for the first time and presents the material using the language and expectations of an expert.  The textbook may also be a bewildering collection of babble that does little to help you understand something you have not heard of before.  Fortunately, you live in the 21st century and have access to the World Wide Web through your college’s student computer lab.  This, with the research assistance of your college’s friendly reference librarian, will allow you to find alternate resources that make otherwise nonsensical information more meaningful.

And, for many courses, you can drop in and receive free tutoring at the learning assistance center.

Library Visits, Guest Speaker, Online Options

A common FYE assignment asks students to do a scavenger hunt where they drop in briefly at a student service point, write down hours and contact info, then leave. While the scavenger hunt is better than nothing, developing background knowledge is a great jumping off point for a useful, low-stakes introduction to the library as a service point with a physical and online space.

Options
1. Schedule a structured visit to the library including an introduction to resources from the librarian.
Call the Reference desk at 503.399-5231 or email reference@chemeketa.edu. Provide logistical information like the class day of the week, time, and preferred date. Librarians will work with you to tailor something that meets the needs of your class at that point in the term. Librarians will reserve the library instruction room for your class and give an introduction to using sources, in this case to develop background knowledge, but again, this can be tailored to work with what your class is doing. 

2. Service Point Tour (may be part of a library instruction visit)
There are four service points in the Library. Contact the reference desk and schedule a tour. Students will:

  • See FYE instructor and Student Services People having conversations, an opportunity for modeling
  • Locate and become familiar with the layout of a major student service point on campus
  • Learn about library services in general (consider for transfer purposes)
  • Have an introduction to the Reference Desk as a service with ideas for how/when it might be useful and what those interactions are like (e.g., they involve a conversation and budgeting a little time)
  • Learn how get online using student computers in various sections of the library student computer center
  • Have an introduction to Computer Help Desks 1 and 2 and become familiar with services from Instructional Specialists
  • Identify and learn how to use study rooms (consider as a match for FYE content about personal agency and creating a personal learning environment, also as potential logistical info for study groups)
  • Introduction to the Writing Center (consider - do might want to talk to someone from the Writing Center, or the librarian is happy to provide the introduction)
  • Locate print center and understand basics
  • Introduction to Circulation Desk resources (lending library for textbooks, reserves, calculators, netbooks, headphones, music keyboards, lots of stuff

3. Tour of other campus service points (visit together, give service point person a heads-up)
As a group, visit other service points on campus. The Tutoring Learning Center works well. Call in advance and arrange for a staff member to give an overview of how the service works. 

4. Invite a librarian to come to your classroom and give an introduction to services, including the online resources (reference@chemeketa.edu or 503.399-5231). We visit classes on the Salem and Yamhill Valley Campuses, as well as the Woodburn and Polk Centers.

5. Get an online artifact to embed in an eLearn shell (here's an example)

6. Schedule a real-time online guest visit with a librarian (uses webinar type platform, students say good things about this model, may be recorded so students who are not present may view)

Options for Introducing Several Student Service Points

Disclaimer! Still learning about the camera. Lots of distracting hand movement!