Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/nbrar Recent documents in Navjit Brar en-us Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:13:09 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/3 http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/3 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:41:02 PST Undergraduate students currently enrolled in US universities represent the first generations to grow up with the digital technologies developed and disseminated in the last decades of the 20th century. Having spent their entire lives using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, email, instant messaging, and all the other tools and toys of contemporary technology, they think differently (Prensky, December 2001). As a consequence, today's students are not the people that the US educational system was designed to teach (Prensky, October 2001). It is also the case that traditional design approaches are insufficient for developing enabling information management and knowledge creation tools in contemporary digital teaching library environments.Therefore, drawing from human-information interaction (HII) principles and practices (Morville, 2005), librarians at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California created a collaborative design approach involving users in the production of digital library teaching and learning resources and technology-enabled infrastructure. In this paper, we report on a unique approach to user studies and system evaluation as exemplified by student framed, student conducted, and student interpreted research findings which inform disciplinary digital research portal design and development efforts. In addition, we describe research-in-progress which involves students in investigating and reporting results that, in this case, inform the construction and population of a physical and virtual learning commons within the Digital Teaching Library initiative.Throughout, a wide array of research methodologies, including focus groups, usability studies, rapid prototyping, and survey instruments, have been employed in the spirit of "appreciative design" (Norum, 2001). In addition, an action research orientation ensures real world benefits, even as it promotes the organizational learning and relationship building necessary to allow the organization to respond to challenges and opportunities in an increasingly dynamic digital library environment. Mary M. Somerville Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/2 http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/2 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:40:57 PST Converging information, communication, and computing technologies create new opportunities for university librarians to contribute to knowledge creation activities. At California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, USA, authors partner with academic colleagues to develop student learning experiences which reflect the dynamic engagement with information that characterizes the Interaction Age. Mary M. Somerville Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/1 http://works.bepress.com/nbrar/1 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:40:52 PST Purpose -Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) processes fortified by collaborative evidence-based librarianship (EBL) principles can guide end-user involvement in digital library project design and development. User-generated research examples reveal the efficacy of this inclusive human-focused approach for building systems. Design/Methodology/Approach - From 2003 to 2006, user-centered interaction design guided increasingly complex human-computer interaction (HCI) projects at California Polytechnic State University. Toward that end, project planners invited polytechnic students, supervised by computer science professors, to assess peers' information seeking needs. This student-generated evidence informed creation of paper prototypes and implementation of usability tests. Sustained relationships between planners and beneficiaries permitted iterative evaluation and continuous improvement of design concepts and product functionalities. Findings - Purposeful conversations aimed at learning from user-generated evidence enriches the planning process for digital library projects. Reflective of the 'learn by doing' educational values of the organization, this approach advanced learning among both users and planners throughout user-centered (re)design experiences. Practical Implications -Collaborative design assumes that enabling interfaces, systems, and environments are best designed and developed inclusively, with and for beneficiaries. Toward that end, practical guidelines are offered to enable replication of this approach, which depends on user produced and interpreted evidence, in other organizational settings. Originality/Value - A paucity of literature exists on the relevance of evidence-based librarianship in the digital age. Similarly, too little applied research has adopted a human-centered focus for design and development of information systems. Finally, too few digital library projects recognize the value of initiating positive user experiences at project inception. Mary M. Somerville Articles