Understanding 21st Century Learners

The development of student abilities to use multiple and varied representation of concepts and tasks, including the use of diagrams, is considered essential in 21st Century education for life and work (e.g., National Research Council, 2012). However, the actual effects of diagram use on the work that students produce have not been adequately examined in research. For example, in the area of written communication, a number of studies have investigated factors that influence – and methods for promoting – spontaneous use of diagrams, but these studies did not look into the effects of such promotion on students’ written outputs. In this study, therefore, we investigated how inclusion of self-generated diagrams might affect quality features of explanations that students write. The participants were 19 students, for whom English was a foreign language, who were taking an undergraduate level course in education that was taught entirely in English at a Japanese university. At the beginning (Pre-instruction) and end (Post-instruction) of the semester, the students were administered a task that required reading a passage and writing an explanation of it. During the semester they had a weekly homework task of writing an explanation of what they had learned in each class session of the course. They were additionally provided workshop instruction and practice in using diagrams. Analyses of the students’ homework and Pre and Post-instruction explanations revealed increases in quantity and types of diagrams included in explanations. In other words, not only did the students incorporate more diagrams in their written explanations, but they also included a wider range of diagram types. Analysis of Post instruction explanations also showed that number of diagrams included in the explanations negatively correlated with both word- and verb counts, but positively correlated with number of key points included (although this last correlation failed to reach a statistically significant level). These findings suggest diagram inclusion may enable students to construct more concise and simpler explanations without having to sacrifice important points. From an applied perspective, these findings suggest that cultivating competence in appropriate diagram use may be able to enhance foreign language students’ effectiveness in conveying important points in written communication.

The De La Salle Lipa Learning Resource Center understands the advantages of employing social networking sites to increase users’ awareness of the library’s services and holdings as well as to have a venue to connect and interact with library users in an informal setting. This study investigated the attitudes and perceptions of DLSL college students towards social networking sites as a tool for libraries to have wider reference service and information dissemination. It described also the advantages and potential success factors for employing social media to increase awareness of library services among the students. The results of the study will also serve as a basis for the DLSLRC to determine the viability of social media to promote and enhance its services. A descriptive survey method is adopted for this study with 250 college students as the respondents. The result of the study revealed the most frequently used social networking sites by the college students, the reasons why they use SNS, the locations where they access SNS, the benefits of SNS and the college students perspective on SNS so that the library would serve them better. To promote and enhance DLSLLRC services, the Librarian has the responsibility of planning, organizing, and implementing social networks in the library in collaboration with concerned administrators and offices.