Week in Review
October 14, 2013
On December 9th, the University Libraries, the Office of Regional Outreach, and MSU Town & Gown will host a "Book Bonanza." This event will be held to give away our stockpile of children's books which have exited the preview cycle over the last few years. We will be giving them to school districts in MSU's service region with the intent that the books will either go into the school libraries, or will be used in book-bag stuffing initiatives for children from low-income families in conjunction with the Holiday season. We will be hosting approximately 200 children of all ages that day (in the Curris Center Large Ballroom). This is an important event, for several reasons: the University Libraries will have an opportunity to help the university's enrollment efforts by bringing kids to campus and helping get them excited about the prospect of going to college; and more importantly, helping children in some of the lowest-income, lowest literacy school districts of our service region by providing access to resources they may otherwise never have had. It is important enough that the President has allocated $2,000 to pay for the school districts' transportation costs for the day. As we get plans more firmly in place for that day, I will probably ask for a handful of people to help coordinate our different activities. Please let me know if you are interested.
As many of you know, our new Provost has launched a strategic planning initiative designed to lead into MSU's 100th anniversary. Ashley serves on this planning initiative for us. Recently, I have been asked to provide a few bullet points on the vision of the University Libraries for 2022 - I will forward that document in a separate email.
There are many important events happening this week. Of course, this week is MSU's Homecoming, including the dedication of the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering, and Technology. With Jesse Jones in town, I'll be meeting with him to discuss the future of the library. We will also be hosting several of our own events. Friday, we will have a "reunion" of our former student workers, so be on the lookout for some of our prior colleagues. Wesley and Erin have been working with the planners of Homecoming to do quick oral histories with the Golden Class, with great feedback so far from the invited participants.
On the topic of the future of the library, President Miller wishes me to meet with an architectural firm to discuss renderings of a possible Waterfield annex. I have no feedback from the Board on which of many different options they may like to pursue regarding problems with our buildings: we all have to wait until the December board meeting. The purpose of having the architects put together renderings is to give the Regents better context to understand some of the potential options up for their consideration.
On a broader scope, last week marked the release of the 2013 ECAR Report. This is a report that, each year, provides a snapshot of the adoption of technology by undergraduate students and their perceptions on the use of technology in higher education. You can read the report or view the infographic here. A few notable findings from the report include:
1. The "technology" resources universities provide that students value most are surprisingly basic and include the university's website, the Learning Management System (Canvas), and the library's website.
2. Students prefer blended courses with some face-to-face interaction.
3. 75% of students don't know what a MOOC is; those that did would not list a MOOC badge on an employment application.
4. Students own 2-3 internet equipped devices, with a surge in smartphone and tablet ownership, and they want to be able and encouraged by faculty to use these devices in class for academic purposes. Because so few instructors use lecture-capture systems (Tegrity), 75% of students would like to use their phones to record lectures or take photos of slides/notes. Laptops remain the most owned devices, but smartphones are quickly catching up. Mobile access to institutional services and resources is still up, but students want better, more mobile-friendly interfaces for these services (including the library - we're working on it).
5. Students want to keep their academic and social lives separate, and this division is enforced by them in the realm of technology (social media). They prefer to communicate with instructors and the institution face-to-face, by email, or through Canvas.
Number 4 is particularly relevant to us; pushing home the need for us to continue moving towards electronic content and embracing what mobile technology allows in the realm of teaching, learning, and information discovery/use.
Have a great week!
Adam