Competency K
Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories.
Introduction
The professional librarian will at some point be called upon to perform an instructional task, whether it be in the form of a reference transaction, create an instructional video on how to navigate the library website, or to teach an information literacy course at a community college, the professional librarian needs to have the instructional skills to design, plan, and outline a curriculum. Teacher librarians are becoming increasingly prevalent in school and academic libraries, as they build programs for outreach to underserved or targeted populations within the larger organization. Understanding the population you are to serve is integral: knowing the users' expectations and skill level is important to satisfying their learning needs. Techniques for creating instructional programs must reflect the larger program standards and criteria, and usually feature a continuum of collaboration between the librarian and classroom teacher. Programs that encourage information literacy are at the heart of the teacher librarian initiative, which contribute to academic achievement on the part of the student.
Training Programs and Structures
Information literacy is a librarian led initiative that seeks to provide often campus-wide instruction, and is defined as “enabling the person to be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literate citizenry are those that know how to learn” (ALA, in Bopp & Smith, p. 180). Information literacy promotes the thoughtful use of information: throughout my work at the research help desk, I have encountered first time library users who will settle for the first article or book that is remotely close to their intended topic. Information literacy encourages the seeker to dig deeper, to evaluate their decisions, discuss and collaborate, and interact with librarian or teacher.
The structure of instructional programs can be thought of as on a continuum of collaboration: at one end is instruction led by the librarian only, and on the other end is full collaboration between the librarian and instructor/organization, and somewhere between the two ends we find library instructional programs (Bopp & Smith, p. 184). Identifying the needs of the students, instructor and organization, an assessment process should be undertaken. Course-related instruction occurs during class time; course integrated instruction is developed as a formative approach to the curriculum; and team teaching is when the curriculum is designed, delivered and evaluated by the librarian and classroom teacher together (ibid, p. 185).
Learning Theories and Principles
There are many theories on learning: behaviorist view learning a passive and automatic as the learner adapts to the environment; congnitivists see learning as symbolic, mental representations in the mind; constructivists view learning as a constructed entity made up by each learner independently through the learning process; and humanists view learning as the acquisition of information and the personalization of that information, reflecting on personal experience as part of intrinsic motivations (Bopp & Smith, p. 188-89).
Professional competencies are provided for teacher-librarians through the Association for Teacher-librarianship in Canada (ATLC) (1977) which emphasize staff relationship, collaboration, curriculum programs as mandated through governing bodies, expert knowledge, understands student emotional and intellectual needs, develops effective and imaginative resources in all formats, provides instruction that satisfy the needs of individuals or groups, appropriate information technology, and evaluates programs and services (Haycock, p. 25-53).
Evidence
As my first evidence, I submit an orientation observation I performed during a LIBR 284 Internship session (LIBR 294-Orientation Post). In the course of two weeks, I observed five different Orientation sessions in which I increasingly participated. During these sessions, the librarians would structure the orientation around a project or topic that the instructor and librarian had collaborated on, incorporating handouts, and interaction. During the orientations on evaluation, the librarian-teacher would encourage students to be very aware of e-resource selections, as there are many pitfalls in the world wide web. The librarians shared an example called the “Male Pregnancy” website (http://www.malepregnancy.com/), in which a “doctor” promises fertility in men. The reactions from the students was that of incredulity, but upon closer inspection the website was indeed fake. Using examples to strengthen the impact of instruction is an extremely important tool.
As a second evidence, I demonstrate my ability to collaborate and create an instructional object, a libguide, through LIBR 294 Internship at American River College in Sacramento, which builds upon my orientation experience described above (LIBR 294-LibGuide). Identifying a user need for children’s books, I devised a libguide using SpringShare software, and was able to identify “books with no words” as learning tools for an educational curriculum assignment. The libguide had been requested by an instructor at ARC, and involved research to discover award-winning books. As the collection of “books with no words” was very small, I made recommendations to the subject specialist regarding other books that would fit the collection well.
Conclusion
Understanding and designing educational structures for information literacy are important to the LIS professional. We will continue to see collaboration between classrooms and libraries, especially as resources become more expensive and budgets tighter. Standards for information instruction and learning rely on the concepts and principles of learning behaviors, and should be continually developed to address the growing need and relationship between the role of the librarian and the instructor.
References
Association for teacher-librarianship in Canada (ATLC) and the Canadian School Library Associaon (CSLA). (1977). Students’ information literacy: Needs in the twenty-first century: Competencies for teacher-librarians. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Publications2&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2715
Bopp & Smith. (2001). Reference and information services: an Introduction. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Co.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B. (2008). The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Introduction
The professional librarian will at some point be called upon to perform an instructional task, whether it be in the form of a reference transaction, create an instructional video on how to navigate the library website, or to teach an information literacy course at a community college, the professional librarian needs to have the instructional skills to design, plan, and outline a curriculum. Teacher librarians are becoming increasingly prevalent in school and academic libraries, as they build programs for outreach to underserved or targeted populations within the larger organization. Understanding the population you are to serve is integral: knowing the users' expectations and skill level is important to satisfying their learning needs. Techniques for creating instructional programs must reflect the larger program standards and criteria, and usually feature a continuum of collaboration between the librarian and classroom teacher. Programs that encourage information literacy are at the heart of the teacher librarian initiative, which contribute to academic achievement on the part of the student.
Training Programs and Structures
Information literacy is a librarian led initiative that seeks to provide often campus-wide instruction, and is defined as “enabling the person to be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information literate citizenry are those that know how to learn” (ALA, in Bopp & Smith, p. 180). Information literacy promotes the thoughtful use of information: throughout my work at the research help desk, I have encountered first time library users who will settle for the first article or book that is remotely close to their intended topic. Information literacy encourages the seeker to dig deeper, to evaluate their decisions, discuss and collaborate, and interact with librarian or teacher.
The structure of instructional programs can be thought of as on a continuum of collaboration: at one end is instruction led by the librarian only, and on the other end is full collaboration between the librarian and instructor/organization, and somewhere between the two ends we find library instructional programs (Bopp & Smith, p. 184). Identifying the needs of the students, instructor and organization, an assessment process should be undertaken. Course-related instruction occurs during class time; course integrated instruction is developed as a formative approach to the curriculum; and team teaching is when the curriculum is designed, delivered and evaluated by the librarian and classroom teacher together (ibid, p. 185).
Learning Theories and Principles
There are many theories on learning: behaviorist view learning a passive and automatic as the learner adapts to the environment; congnitivists see learning as symbolic, mental representations in the mind; constructivists view learning as a constructed entity made up by each learner independently through the learning process; and humanists view learning as the acquisition of information and the personalization of that information, reflecting on personal experience as part of intrinsic motivations (Bopp & Smith, p. 188-89).
Professional competencies are provided for teacher-librarians through the Association for Teacher-librarianship in Canada (ATLC) (1977) which emphasize staff relationship, collaboration, curriculum programs as mandated through governing bodies, expert knowledge, understands student emotional and intellectual needs, develops effective and imaginative resources in all formats, provides instruction that satisfy the needs of individuals or groups, appropriate information technology, and evaluates programs and services (Haycock, p. 25-53).
Evidence
As my first evidence, I submit an orientation observation I performed during a LIBR 284 Internship session (LIBR 294-Orientation Post). In the course of two weeks, I observed five different Orientation sessions in which I increasingly participated. During these sessions, the librarians would structure the orientation around a project or topic that the instructor and librarian had collaborated on, incorporating handouts, and interaction. During the orientations on evaluation, the librarian-teacher would encourage students to be very aware of e-resource selections, as there are many pitfalls in the world wide web. The librarians shared an example called the “Male Pregnancy” website (http://www.malepregnancy.com/), in which a “doctor” promises fertility in men. The reactions from the students was that of incredulity, but upon closer inspection the website was indeed fake. Using examples to strengthen the impact of instruction is an extremely important tool.
As a second evidence, I demonstrate my ability to collaborate and create an instructional object, a libguide, through LIBR 294 Internship at American River College in Sacramento, which builds upon my orientation experience described above (LIBR 294-LibGuide). Identifying a user need for children’s books, I devised a libguide using SpringShare software, and was able to identify “books with no words” as learning tools for an educational curriculum assignment. The libguide had been requested by an instructor at ARC, and involved research to discover award-winning books. As the collection of “books with no words” was very small, I made recommendations to the subject specialist regarding other books that would fit the collection well.
Conclusion
Understanding and designing educational structures for information literacy are important to the LIS professional. We will continue to see collaboration between classrooms and libraries, especially as resources become more expensive and budgets tighter. Standards for information instruction and learning rely on the concepts and principles of learning behaviors, and should be continually developed to address the growing need and relationship between the role of the librarian and the instructor.
References
Association for teacher-librarianship in Canada (ATLC) and the Canadian School Library Associaon (CSLA). (1977). Students’ information literacy: Needs in the twenty-first century: Competencies for teacher-librarians. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Publications2&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2715
Bopp & Smith. (2001). Reference and information services: an Introduction. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Co.
Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B. (2008). The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.