Students’ Perceptions on Cataloging Course

Abstract

Cataloging and metadata description is one of the major competencies that a trainee cataloger must conquer. According to recent research results, library and information studies students experience difficulties understanding the theory, the terminology, and the tools necessary for cataloging. The experimental application of teaching models which derive from predominant learning theories, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, may help in detecting the difficulties of a cataloging course and in suggesting efficient solutions. This paper presents in detail three teaching models applied for a cataloging course and investigates their effectiveness, based on a survey of 126 first-year students. The survey employed the Kirkpatrick model aiming to record undergraduate students’ perceptions and feelings about cataloging. The results revealed that, although a positive change in students’ behavior towards cataloging has been achieved, they still do not feel very confident about the skills they have acquired. Moreover, students felt that practicing cataloging more frequently will eliminate their difficulties. Finally, they emphasized the need for face to face courses, as the survey took place in the coronavirus pandemic, during which the courses were held via distance learning.

Teaching cataloguing after RDA 3R project

“…As mentioned earlier in this paper, this quantitative survey was based on the CEQ instrument since it is a useful tool to get insights about teaching quality and can help teachers understand the efficiency of the curriculum and how they can improve it (Byrne & Flood, 2003). Additionally, the instrument was expanded with the employment of a self-assessment questionnaire (Kyprianos et al, 2022) allowing the teachers to identify exactly the difficulties of the course taught and how they can address these problems. The CEQ is an instrument developed in Australia where it is extensively used as a performance indicator of teaching quality (Byrne & Flood, 2003).…”

“…This section will focus on previous works about the evaluation of cataloguing courses in general with the original RDA, what constitutes an efficient cataloguing course, and what are the core competencies that a future cataloguer should have, since no similar surveys relating to the application of the new official RDA Toolkit into the curriculum have been conducted. When it comes to teaching cataloguing, it appears that several surveys have shown that students prefer more exercises and practical examples than theory (Kyprianos et al, 2022;Chen & Joyce, 2019;Engelson, 2019;Snow & Hoffman, 2015;Al Hijji & Fadlallah;Mugridge, 2008). Moreover, instructor effectiveness is one of the key topics identified in cataloguing course surveys.…”

“…Hence, course organisation and structure also appear to impact the cataloguing course evaluation. In particular, students prefer clear instructions and access to supplemental resources that enhance their knowledge, well-organised course materials, and logical progression of topics taught (Chen and Joyce, 2019;Kyprianos et al, 2022). Furthermore, the placement of cataloguing in the actual environment of a library appears to alter students' attitudes regarding cataloguing courses.…”

“…15, no. 2 (May 2024) ISSN: 2038-1026 online Open access article licensed under CC-BY DOI: 10.36253/jlis.it-598 the third factor that influenced the course curriculum modification was the results from previous research by Kyprianos et al (2022) where an evaluation of the cataloguing course was performed and the results revealed that the students prefer more cataloguing practice (creation of bibliographic records), balancing theory and practice, and transferring cataloguing in the real world. In this line of thought, the students are offered a mixed course of 5 hours (3 hours of theory and 2 hours of practice) per week for 13 weeks each semester, meaning that the students have 26 weeks of cataloguing.…”

“…To achieve this, students were given a questionnaire at the end of the second semester to evaluate the courses in terms of difficulty, learning outcomes, comprehension of curricular concepts, and recommendations for enhancing the courses. The survey was based on the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Ramsden, 1991) and it was expanded with additional questions (self-assessment questionnaire) mainly focusing on students' perceptions of the course and suggestions for improvement (Kyprianos et al, 2022).…”