Contents
Teaching
Design collaborative or individual learning experiences based on learning principles and theories.
Introduction
Libraries have long been considered centers of learning. They were built to encourage a love for reading and academic pursuits. Learning theories taken from educational standards can be applied to information environments. Instructional materials should be adapted with consideration of how people learn. Instruction at information organizations often includes the goal of teaching information and technology literacy (Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 195). The ALA defines information literacy as “a person’s ability to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information'” (Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 196). Information literacy and problem solving skills are life skills that can be used at home, school, and work (Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 195).
Learning Principles
There are multiple, alternate terms for information literacy, including critical thinking, metaliteracy, and information fluency. Information literacy instruction can be called user education, bibliographic instruction, library orientation, or library instruction, and technology literacy is often called digital literacy. These terms all describe the same concept: teaching users to navigate information through technology. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) designed a standard, the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, which outlines teaching principles and practices for information providers. The ACRL expands on the definition of information literacy. They define it as “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 196-197). This definition specifies an approach towards teaching and learning in information centers. The ACRL framework also outlines six concepts:
Authority is constructed and contextual.
Information creation is a process.
Information has value.
Research as inquiry.
Scholarship as conversation.
Searching as strategic exploration.
-Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 197
Learning Theories
There are different types of educational theories which influence teaching practices. These theories are divided into three branches: learning, instructional, and curriculum. Char Booth explains that learning theories are used to “examine why and how knowledge is formed” (36). Instructional theories address the methodology and applications of teaching, and curriculum theories focus on the content of the instruction. These theories are based on the major theoretical schools of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Behaviorism inspired the practice of positive reinforcement. Cognitivism-based education is inspired by how the brain operates and processes information. Constructivism explores the effects of individuality and social environments on the learning process. A new theoretical school, connectivism, attempts to understand shifting literacies that are impacted by technology. Information literacy is a theoretical framework common to library educators. This theory is a proponent for critical thinking skills that are necessary for finding and evaluating information sources. An active learning approach encourages information seekers to be engaged in the learning and searching process (Booth, 35-37).
Education Design
When designing coursework or instructional material, librarians can rely on standard educational principles. The design process should be based on user needs which can be determined through user studies and needs assessments.
Instructional Design Principles
Identify the audience/ students that will be taught.
Determine the information needs of the students.
Decide what will be taught.
Decide how to formally or informally assess what the students have learned.
Design the instructional experience.
Reflect on the teaching.
-Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 203
Educational theory can be applied to instructional design. Understanding how people learn is beneficial to the teacher and their audience. The four factors of learning are memory, motivation, environmental, and prior knowledge. People remember things with various techniques (Booth, 42-43). Booth points out that teaching is “an exercise in conditioning memory” (43). Information processing theory investigates how people use their senses to remember environmental information. Too much information can cause cognitive load which stresses the brain, affecting how content is organized and categorized amongst prior knowledge. Information retention also depends on personal motivation. If a student does not care, then a teacher can not force the knowledge in. Keeping students engaged with collaborative learning can help strengthen motivation which will enhance memory retention.
Collaborative Learning
These concepts can be applied in various settings within information organizations. Librarians engage in formal and informal teaching. Informal teaching is usually associated with reference services because these services are instructional via research consultations or online tutorials. Public libraries offer adult literacy programs that help teach people to read, navigate technology, and navigate the library. In comparison, school libraries aim to help teachers by providing materials that coincide with the requirements for Common Core curriculum. School librarians help support student’s inquiry and research needs; they also provide training to teachers on new technology programming and research techniques. Academic libraries serve the needs of higher academia with specialized collections and subject librarians. Professors work closely with academic libraries to ensure that course materials are available; likewise, students engage with academic librarians for research and technology assistance. Some librarians may even teach courses on information literacy (Cunningham & Rosenblatt, 200-202).
These days, librarians are getting creative by providing more than research assistance with books and technology. Makerspaces, or creative zones, are being installed in libraries around the world. Technology such as 3D printers are being installed with programming that teaches patrons how to use the technology to create anything that is imagined (Fontichiaro, 220-221). A simple Google search can discover libraries that offer music programs, instrument rentals, tool rentals, kitchen supply rentals, etc. Each library offers associated programming for the local community. Creative education can teach multiple skills besides literacy, such as drafting, music, construction, and cooking. Libraries have branched out, answering the needs of their local communities.
Evidence
The following evidence reflects my awareness and achievements towards accomplishing goals related to designing learning experiences.
Evidence A: Rule Writing
INFO202 Information Communities
The course INFO202 Information Communities explored standards and rules that ensure consistency in database records across repositories. Rules are used to teach employees how to create records that are accessible for the user community. This exercise used WebData Pro to create a database for a group of objects (socks). The rules were written to guide catalogers on the correct format for entering information into the data structure. The rules were written to be clear, comprehensive, and concise for future indexers.
Exercise 1C: Create Standards for Database Content: Rule Writing
[embeddoc url=”https://blogs.uoregon.edu/sarahfisherportfolio/files/2022/04/Fisher_S_202_Ex1C_RuleWriting.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]
Evidence B: History of the Book Exhibit
INFO284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management: History of Books
This exhibit is the cumulating final project for the course INFO284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management: History of Books. The exhibit was built using Omeka. After a brief introduction, the exhibit covers the topics of Communication in the Ancient World (including Cuneiform, Alphabets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Block Printing), Books in the Middle Ages (with discussion of Marginalia, Bestiaries, Biblio Pauperum), Printing Incunabula (with mention of the printers William Caxton and Aldus Manutius), Printing in the Modern World (discussing the Estienne Family, Christophe Plantin, William Caslon, and John Newberry), Mass Production (specifically Comics), and Censorship (ending with Book Burnings).
History of the Book
Evidence C: Quia Quizzes
INFO284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management: History of Books
For INFO284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management: History of Books, I created eleven quizzes on Quia that can be used for teaching students about book history.
Creating Quizzes
The quizzes are on the following topics: Ancient Libraries; Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible; Diamond Sutra; Early Book Binding Techniques; Early Printing Presses: Printers That Did It First; Papermaking; Styles of Printing Music within Incunabula; The Ancient World Meets Technology; The Creation of Medieval Manuscripts; The Incunabula Printer: Albrecht Pfister; and Typography in Early Book Printing.
Quia Quizzes
This quiz is on the Codex Gigas, a giant book that has experienced a tumultuous history. The quiz includes five questions (four multiple choice and one true/false question). The questions explore the main features of the text and its history.
Codex Gigas: The Devil’s Bible
Evidence D: Work Flow Instructions
Folklore Archivist Collection Coordinator, RVMA, UO
I drafted the following rules as work flow instructions for new archivists. The rules include login information plus step-by-step instructions for entering books into ArchivesSpace. I also included a crosswalking chart to aid archivists in transferring MARC records downloaded from the Library of Congress (LOC) to EAD format for ArchivesSpace. These instructions assume that the book record is findable on LOC or WorldCat which allows for efficient copy cataloguing.
Accessioning Books
[embeddoc url=”https://blogs.uoregon.edu/sarahfisherportfolio/files/2022/04/Accessioning-Books-Fall-2021.pdf” download=”all” viewer=”google”]
Conclusion
I have interacted with students in various ways. During my last MA program, I taught English Composition courses to undergraduates. I also took many classes centered on creative education in museums. Since then, I have provided archival training to new graduate students every year. I have learned that clear and concise instructions go much farther than jumbled, confusing directions. I always welcome feedback and will gladly edit all work flow instructions for better understandability. My most recent adventure with course creation was during a fellowship where I analyzed a proposed course on rare book acquisition. Working at a university surely provides varied experiences with educational approaches.
References
Booth, C. Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning Instructional Literacy for Library Educators. American Library Association, 2011.
Cunningham, A. D. & Rosenblatt, S. “Teaching Users: Information and Technology Instruction.” Information services today, S. Hirsh, editor, 2nd edition. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 195-210.
Fontichiaro, K. “Creation Culture and Makerspaces” Information services today, S. Hirsh, editor, 2nd edition. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 220-228.
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