Random Thoughts at the End of the Semester

It is reading day today which means that there are no classes as exams begin tomorrow.  There are plenty of student in the library, but none of them are approaching the reference desk.  The decline in reference transactions is continuing.  In my opinion there are two reasons for this:

1. Student at a tech school are savvy enough to learn how to use the technical databases by themselves.
2. Students are so in love with Google that they think if a Google search is negative, they think the result just doesn’t exist and will not even think of another approach.  I guess the concept of Googling to find information is so ingrained in our popular culture that it makes its way to academia.

This past semester I made appointments to see 3 research groups in the chemical engineering department to discuss informally the resources and services of the library.  I feel that these encounters were moderately successful as some students did ask questions that they would not have if they were attending a traditional lecture for graduate students.

This endeavor did not work as well for civil engineering students as I held two voluntary sessions where a total of 3 students came.  I will have to try to do a tradition lecture next semester.  I will have to try the informal approach with graduate students in chemistry and physics in the spring.

The number of postings in this blog has declined dramatically as well.  I used to discuss interesting reference questions, but there have been so few of them.

I wish the readers of Bruce The Librarian a happy holiday season and new year.

Idea on How to Stop Students from Procrastinating

For many years I have taught a class to environmental engineering students who are assigned to write a descriptive paper.  Some of the topics were:

1.       Reduction of Greenhouse Gases; innovative regulatory approaches, such as incentive-based mechanisms, to achieve reductions fairly and efficiently

2.       Nanomaterials for drinking water treatment

3.       Approaches for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

4.       Performance of innovative policy approaches, including economic incentives, and voluntary programs for reducing pollution

5.       Combined Sewer Overflows;  current conditions, regulations and plans

6.       Life cycle analysis of hybrid, battery vs. conventional vehicles

I usually give my library lecture in week 3 or 4 of the semester while the paper is not due until the very end of the term.  This gives students about 10 weeks to do the assignment which is certainly ample time.  Inevitably they will procrastinate and wait until the last minute.  When I read the papers student will likely cite more web sites than peer reviewed articles even after my lecture emphasized searching databases to find articles.

I propose that my lecture be moved to later in the semester for two reasons:

1.       A 5 week deadline may create a sense of urgency forcing the students to immediately work on their assignment and not procrastinate.

2.       If they start their assignment shortly after the library lecture they will remember to search for articles.  Otherwise they will likely revert to their old habits and Google away.

We’ll try it out next semester and see if my theory works.