Sunday, May 31, 2015

New Bite-Sized Research Success Tutorials

 

In the new tutorial series, we’re focusing on bite-sized lessons you can assign for homework. We’re breaking down the research process into short, hands-on tutorials designed to teach a single concept so students may focus on a needed skill for student success.  

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By selecting from the Online Tutorial a la carte menu, students can tackle any combination of skills in whichever order makes the most sense pedagogically. Since we’re adding them to our Online Tutorials page, anyone can drop by 24/7 to find a few helpful starting places.
If your students are researching online, you might assign your students to complete our new Evaluating Information tutorial. This engaging and interactive tutorial will help them learn basic strategies for evaluating information, with engaging examples and illustrations, and let them practice what they’re learning on the spot. Our tutorials come packed with fun activities like drag-and-drop activities that immediately allow students to apply a concept they’ve just explored to a relevant, real-world scenario.


Each tutorial includes a brief multiple-choice quiz that provides immediate feedback. Need a way to see how they’re doing so far with a new concept? Students may print their quiz results and turn them in.




These tutorials offer flexibility with engaging new tutorials to add to your assignments. They can be discussion-starters, first steps before hands-on classroom time with a librarian, assignment supplements that can be threaded through any research-related writing assignment, or used to introduced a flipped classroom session. Consult with a librarian at your campus to explore the possibilities!

Watch for our newest tutorial in the works: Finding Scientific Information - coming out in the summer!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Library Services During Intersessions

Library Services and Programs During Intersessions

The mission of Library Services is to support teaching and learning at Austin Community College by offering Services and Programs that will help faculty and students attain a successful learning experience.

Open Libraries

Library Services has one central campus open between semesters (where the Student Support Textbook Collection is). See this page for information on open libraries.
If patrons need to return material when libraries are closed, there are book drops at many campuses that can be used. Book drops at closed campuses are checked frequently during intersession to collect any returned items. (See this FAQ about returning library material.)
To support access to the Student Support Textbook Collection,Highland is the open campus library with staff from other libraries rotating in to staff the library. All library assistants staffing HLC during the intersession are trained in textbook policies and procedures.

Reference & Research Services

Reference Librarians provide assistance to students at the Highland Campus Library during the intersession.  Chat service provides our students with assistance even when we are closed. The service provided after hours includes librarians who are trained in and are familiar with our resources.

We continue to answer email reference questions when we are closed as well for those who choose not to use Chat services.

As always, the ACC Library Services offers 24/7 access to the Library Web Site with links to such resources as:

In Addition:

During intersession phone messages and signage at all library locations are standardized, instructing students on which library is open and how best to reach them. Check flyer holders on library doors for "handouts" with hours and directions guiding them to the open campuses.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Mini Medical School (Free Jun 8 - Jul 21, 2015)



The original Mini Medical School will be available online again as a free massive open online course (MOOC). The first offering, in fall 2014, enrolled over 4000 students! Now you and your friends and family can join us. The course, hosted on Canvas Network, runs 7 weeks and begins on Monday 8 June 2015.  Improved and updated! (It will be possible to finish during the week of 20 July, but the course will stay open until late August for those who want extra time.)

There are no prerequisites, and the course is suitable for interested people from high school on. Mini Medical School has been valuable for people considering a career in the healthcare field, for people with concerns about their own health or healthcare, for those who are curious about modern medical science, and for those who wish to know more about their body and how to best keep it running well.

Like the live Mini Medical School, there are no exams and no course credit, but students will get a broad overview of the basic science underpinnings of modern medicine in a lively, engaging video format. There are seven weekly modules, each consisting of about eight units which range from 4 to 7 minutes long, allowing students to cover all the material in a couple of hours a week, at their own pace, watching a unit whenever they have a few minutes to relax and learn. Additional resources for those interested, illustrated transcripts, a lively interactive discussion forum, optional self-test quizzes, and a Certificate of Completion are available.

Registration takes just a moment at https://www.canvas.net/browse/ucdenver/courses/mini-medical-school-1  or http://tinyurl.com/MiniMedical