Transparent Design and Supervising Student Workers
By: Haylee Croydon & Jennifer Wells
April 2021
Introductions
Order:
Heidi (C.), Mary, Kate, Kristin, Kirsten, Ray, Kathleen, Joanna, Ginny, Heidi (S.), Jane, Jennifer (J.), Stephanie, Charity, Connor, Rick, Erin, Jenny (B.), Robin (F.), Robin (A)., Talie
Introductions
Workshop Design: What You Can Expect
Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to develop a new way of thinking about student worker training and tasks as a way to collaborate with them in the creation of a deeper understanding of how the work they are doing applies to real life, their education, and their impact on their community.
Workshop Design: What You Can Expect
Task: Apply the High-Impact Transparency (HIT) equation to a student worker task to create a framework for training that task. You will do this by completing the following:
Criteria for Success: You will leave this workshop with the following knowledge:
Student Work as a High-Impact Educational Practice
Components:
Adapted from: Mitola, R., Rinto E., & Pattni, E. (2018). Student Employment as a High-Impact Practice in Academic Libraries: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 44(3), 352–373.
Kuh, G. (2008) High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. AAC&U.
Student Work as a High-Impact Educational Practice
Components:
Adapted from: Mitola, R., Rinto E., & Pattni, E. (2018). Student Employment as a High-Impact Practice in Academic Libraries: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 44(3), 352–373.
Kuh, G. (2008) High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. AAC&U.
How Do High-Impact Practices Help Students?
“If libraries really want to contribute to the success of our student employees, we have to view their role as more than transactional and instead intentionally consider how to make their experiences [including soft skill training] transferable to other contexts.
“We must shift away from treating student success as a byproduct of the work we need students to do and rather treat it as a core element of their employment.”
Buzzword!
Metacognition
“Metacognition is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. Metacognition includes a critical awareness of a) one’s thinking and learning and b) oneself as a thinker and learner.”
Chick, N. (2013). Metacognition. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.
What is Transparent Design?
Understanding the how and why students are learning something.
How Does Transparent Design Help Students?
Transparent teaching/learning methods benefit students who are unfamiliar with college success strategies by explicating learning/teaching processes.
Winkelmes, M. (2013). Transparency in teaching: faculty share data and improve students' learning. Liberal Education, 99(2), 48.
How Does Transparent Design Help Students?
Study: students who received transparent instruction that emphasizes the purposes, tasks, real-world applicability and criteria for academic work experienced elevated confidence, belonging, and metacognitive awareness of skill development.
Peer Review : Emerging Trends and Key Debates in Undergraduate Education, 18(1-2), 31
What is Transparent Design?
Understanding the how and why students are learning something.
Transparent Design
Purpose - How to Define
Define learning objectives, in language and terms that help students recognize how this task will benefit their learning.
Adapted from: Winklemes, Mary-Ann. “Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Date and Improve Students’ Learning.” Liberal Education [Association of American Colleges and Universities] 99, 2 (Spring 2013)
Purpose - Knowledge
Purpose - Skills
EXAMPLE
Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to develop a new way of thinking about student worker training and tasks as a way to collaborate with them in the creation of a deeper understanding of how the work they are doing applies to real life, their education, and their impact on their community.
Tasks - How to Define
Adapted from: Winklemes, Mary-Ann. “Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Date and Improve Students’ Learning.” Liberal Education [Association of American Colleges and Universities] 99, 2 (Spring 2013)
Tasks
EXAMPLE
Task: Apply the High-Impact Transparency (HIT) equation to a student worker task to create a framework for training that task. You will do this by completing the following:
Criteria for Success: You will leave this workshop with the following knowledge:
Criteria for Success - How to Define
Adapted from: Winklemes, Mary-Ann. “Transparency in Teaching: Faculty Share Date and Improve Students’ Learning.” Liberal Education [Association of American Colleges and Universities] 99, 2 (Spring 2013)
Criteria for Success
EXAMPLE
Task: Apply the High-Impact Transparency (HIT) equation to a student worker task to create a framework for training that task. You will do this by completing the following:
Criteria for Success: You will leave this workshop with the following knowledge:
High-Impact Transparency (HIT) Equation
for Evaluating Student Worker Tasks
(A) + (B) + (C) = framework for training
(A) + (C) + (student collaboration) = D and E
A = Knowledge, skills
B= Criteria for success
C= Purpose
D= Resume description
E= Deeper meaning
Sample Job Description
Job Description:
Serving as part of the Public Services team, the position's role is to provide excellent customer service to students, faculty, staff, and the UP community. This position reports to Circulation Staff and student supervisors as well as the Head of Public Services. Students are employed fall and spring semesters and have the opportunity to work summer semesters. Library student employees take shifts at the Service Desk, shelve and shelf-read the collection on the lower level, give library tours, and answer questions about the library both in person and over the phone. Training is provided in applicable library processes and software through face to face instruction, weekly reminders, and online tutorials to ensure that students are successful in their assigned tasks. Students who show leadership and initiative as well as having an excellent grasp of processes and procedures are eligible to be promoted to Student Supervisor.
Job Responsibilities
Essential Job Functions:
Job Requirements
Minimum Qualifications:
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Competence | Skills | Assignment Cues (Transparent Design Tasks) | |
Knowledge |
|
| list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc. |
Comprehension |
|
| summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend |
Application |
|
| apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover |
Analysis |
|
| analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer |
Synthesis |
|
| combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite |
Evaluation |
|
| assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize |
Breakout (A)
Tasks
Identified Task: | Skills (verbs): | Knowledge (nouns): |
Shelving | Attending to detail | Library of Congress Call numbers |
Example:
Breakout (A) - Group 1
Tasks
Identified Task: | Skills (verbs): | Knowledge (nouns): |
Accept in-take of course reserve materials | Collecting information; Understanding order of operations; identification of components, noticing patterns | Knowing what a course reserve is and why they’re there |
Example:
Breakout (A) - Group 2
Tasks
Identified Task: | Skills (verbs): | Knowledge (nouns): |
Help Circulation staff open and close the library building |
| Open/close procedure (checklists) Sequence of events Available resources Awareness of safety procedures |
Example:
Breakout (A) - Group 3
Tasks
Identified Task: | Skills (verbs): | Knowledge (nouns): |
| | |
Example:
Breakout (A) - Group 4
Tasks
Identified Task: | Skills (verbs): | Knowledge (nouns): |
| | |
Example:
Let’s Discuss! - Task / Skills / Knowledge
Breakout (B)
Tasks
Identified Task: | Criteria for Success: |
Shelving | -Books can be found when searched for -During shelf reading books need to be moved around less often -Supervisor can conduct shelving tests for individual evaluation - double checking ordered shelving carts before they get shelved |
Example:
Breakout (B) - Group 1
Tasks
Identified Task: | Criteria for Success: |
Accept intake of course reserve materials |
|
Example:
Breakout (B) - Group 2
Tasks
Identified Task: | Criteria for Success: |
Help Circulation staff open and close the library building |
|
Example:
Breakout (B) - Group 3
Tasks
Identified Task: | Criteria for Success: |
| |
Example:
Breakout (B) - Group 4
Tasks
Identified Task: | Criteria for Success: |
| |
Example:
Let’s Discuss! - Criteria for Success
Breakout (C)
Tasks
Task: | Criteria for Success: | Purpose: |
Shelving | -Books can be found when searched for -During shelf reading books need to be moved around less often -Supervisor can conduct shelving tests for individual evaluation - double checking ordered shelving carts before they get shelved | The purpose of shelving is to make sure books can be found in the library when patrons need them. |
Example:
Breakout (C) - Group 1
Tasks
Task: | Criteria for Success: | Purpose: |
Accept in-take of course reserves |
| Ensure course reserves can be easily found as a means of providing equitable access to available materials. |
Example:
Breakout (C) - Group 2
Tasks
Task: | Criteria for Success: | Purpose: |
Help Circulation staff open and close the library building |
| Opening - The building and materials are available to the community when patron’s expect it to be. Closing- Keeping building secure and organized. Respect for your coworkers and community by being reliable, dependable and stewards of resources |
Example:
Breakout (C) - Group 3
Tasks
Task: | Criteria for Success: | Purpose: |
| | |
Example:
Breakout (C) - Group 4
Tasks
Task: | Criteria for Success: | Purpose: |
| | |
Example:
Let’s Discuss! - Purpose
We have now created the framework for training the task!
Breakout (D & E)
Tasks
Task: | Skills/ Knowledge (A): | Purpose (C): | What student can put on a resume (D): | Meaning of task (E): |
Shelving | -Library of congress Call numbers -Attending to detail | The purpose of shelving is to make sure books can be found in the library when patrons need them. | A student worker uses their attention to detail and knowledge of the Library of Congress call number system to make sure books can be found in the library when people need them. | Because I pay attention to detail and understand the Library of Congress call number system, I'm helping make sure other students can finish their schoolwork on time. |
Example:
Breakout (D & E) - Group 1
Tasks
Task: | Skills/ Knowledge (A): | Purpose (C): | What student can put on a resume (D): | Meaning of task (E): |
Accept intake of course reserve materials | Collecting information; Understanding order of operations; identification of components, noticing patterns Knowing what a course reserve is and why they’re there | Ensure course reserves can be easily found as a means of providing equitable access to available materials. | Because I understand the how to facilitate the procedure, I can move the process along -Understand and facilitate a procedure -Accurately intake and process information | Because I understand the course reserves process I can save students money while providing them with the equitable access to available materials |
Example:
Breakout (D & E) - Group 2
Tasks
Task: | Skills/ Knowledge (A): | Purpose (C): | What student can put on a resume (D): | Meaning of task (E): |
Help Circulation staff open and close the library building |
| Opening - The building and materials are available to the community when patron’s expect it to be. Closing- Keeping building secure and organized. Respect for your coworkers and community by being reliable, dependable and stewards of resources | Responsible for securing the building at opening and closing Demonstrates reasoned decision-making and dependability | Because I demonstrate respect and dependability for my coworkers and community by opening and closing the building effectively I am able to provide a safe and secure place to access the library space and resources |
Example:
Breakout (D & E) - Group 3
Tasks
Task: | Skills/ Knowledge (A): | Purpose (C): | What student can put on a resume (D): | Meaning of task (E): |
| | | | |
Example:
Breakout (D & E) - Group 4
Tasks
Task: | Skills/ Knowledge (A): | Purpose (C): | What student can put on a resume (D): | Meaning of task (E): |
| | | | |
Example:
In Conclusion...
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