Abstract
This article discusses the collaboration between the Libraries and the Freshman Seminar Program at Washington State University. Many goals related to information literacy competencies as defined by the library and higher education associations are met through this partnership. The librarians have an active role with the seminars and also take part in the peer facilitator training process. Introduction Anyone who has taught or participated in a library instruction session knows that teaching students research skills without a specific context is usually a waste of time. Without a particular assignment or project, students are not motivated to learn and often do not come away with a clear understanding of what resources the library can offer. Working with a freshman seminar over the course of a semester has been rewarding for the students, who have learned both concrete research skills and higher order critical thinking and information literacy skills, and also for the librarians. Playing a part in the training process for the undergraduate students who actually deliver the freshman seminar has been another successful venture. Through another course, GenEd 300, librarians spend eight weeks teaching information literacy and research skills to a group of students who need that information not only for their coursework, but also for their upcoming jobs as freshman seminar peer facilitators. This collaboration between the librarians and the Freshman Seminar Program has provided the librarians with the opportunity to teach motivated learners, and the material can be seen having an immediate, real impact. GenEd 104: Freshman Seminar General Education (GenEd) 104, known as Freshman Seminar, is an elective class at Washington State University. Washington State University is a land-grant research institution with enrollment of approximately 17,000 students. The university has a strong general education program and a writing portfolio graduation requirement. Since its inception in 1996, GenEd 104 has been a strong contributor to the general education program. The freshman seminar program is managed by the Student Advising and Learning Center. Unlike other freshman seminars, first year experience courses or “university 101” classes at other schools, GenEd 104 does not include any curriculum explicitly dealing with study skills, time management or money management skills, health and wellness issues, or learning the history of the institution (Preparing Freshmen 35). Rather, as the program brochure clarifies, students learn how to increase their problem-solving skills, develop research strategies, critically evaluate information sources, use technology to investigate and present information, and work as a member of a team. The program also strives to help students improve their chances for success in college. Seminar participants have subsequently earned higher grade point averages than their peers and a higher percentage of seminar participants have stayed in college than the rest of the student body (Preparing Freshmen 39; Henscheid 24). Gen Ed 104 is a two-credit course which is linked to another course that fulfills a general education requirement. Recent linked courses have included GenEd 110 and GenEd 111, the two semester world civilization course required of all students, as well as 100-level courses in communication, anthropology, biology, sociology, animal science, fine arts, and food science. Students enrolled in a section of GenEd 104 are all also enrolled together in the linked course, allowing for a true learning community experience. Students choose a topic as an entire class, then break into smaller groups. Each group is then responsible for refining and focusing the topic, performing research and creating a multi-media presentation as a final project. To foster this approach, the class is taught in a computer classroom, which is arranged with circular tables.
