Library Instruction Design || Philosophy and practice

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Philosophy and practice

Abstract: Library instruction design is guided by educational philosophy and instructional design principles. Library instruction programs are created for various purposes. Common goals, content to teach, and a variety of teaching forms are outlined. The importance of preparation and assessment is discussed.

Key words: educational philosophy, design principles, purposes, goals, lifelong learning, information resources survey, outcomes, assessment.

Educational philosophy

The philosophy of library instruction is a reflection of several things, including the mission and vision of the institution in general, and the mission and vision of the library in particular.

Perhaps one of the most popular teaching philosophies in library instruction is the student-centered, or learner-centered, philosophy. It may be called the user-centered philosophy in public libraries and in libraries other than academic, since they support different organizational missions. No matter what term it is used, it seems particularly apt, because in truth the profession of librarian is rooted in service. The library user is our customer. To borrow a popular saying from the business world, ‘the customer is our

Library Instruction Design

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god.’ Naturally, ‘Most librarians tend to support a humanist/constructivist philosophy since their approach to service is to satisfy their clientele’s needs and interests.’1

Another notable educational philosophy in library instruction is the call for integrated learning. It arises from the drive to eliminate the gap between library and classroom, and make a connection between learning and applying library research skills. Library instruction programs work better when incorporated into general education curricula because in this way students can practice information-seeking skills while doing their course work, i.e. learning and benefiting from library research skills at the same time.

The information literacy movement has a powerful influence in the world of libraries, especially in terms of the teaching philosophy. As a result, a library’s mission is not only to help students do well in their college studies but also to link to its vision more closely, that is, to influence students’ life well beyond college, to motivate and educate lifelong learners as well as active citizens. Accordingly, ‘learning strategies rather than memorization of facts should be emphasized during college years.’2

With this mission, library instruction is extending its repertoire to IL-related areas. For example, in addition to teaching academic reference database search, the library may offer workshops on how to find reliable and free Internet sources, or how to search and evaluate open access (OA) journals on the web, so that students can utilize the learned skills after college when they may no longer have the same access to fee-based reference databases but can search the Internet and OA sources for needed information for either further studies or personal research interests.

Workplace readiness also becomes an important issue. One of the problems that college graduates face in the real


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world is that they have no teachers and professors to ask for guidance anymore. In college years, learning and being taught made up their whole life. Surely, most employers offer training programs for new employees, but that is only a fractional part of a college graduate’s corporate life. From now on, they have to learn many things, if not everything, on their own. Therefore, educating and motivating college students to become independent lifelong learners should be one of the primary goals of higher education, and library instructional programs should reflect this vision. We often ask how well high school graduates are prepared for college-level studies. Now we ought to ask ourselves how well college graduates are prepared for the workplace.3

Purposes and goals

Library instruction programs are created for various purposes and with various goals. The main goals of all library instruction programs are to (1) assist the institution in accomplishing its mission, (2) help students and faculty in study and research, (3) encourage all users of the community to utilize library information resources, and (4) educate and motivate lifelong independent learners and active citizens who can not only survive but also do well in the information age. [See Table 2.1 on p.22]

Although an ordinary academic library is open to all legitimate users, e.g. local residents, the focus is chiefly on students. If we use time as a measurement, there are goals of two terms, the short term and the long term. Among short-term goals, library instruction programs are intended to help students do coursework by introducing the information resources and physical layout of their home library, and


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teaching students how to use the resources and utilize the facilities. These programs may include, but are not limited to, the categories shown in Table 2.2. (p. 23).

Among the long-term goals, library instruction programs, with the concept of information literacy in mind, are intended to teach students to be lifelong independent learners by emphasizing information-seeking methods and analytical skills. These may include, but are not limited to, the categories listed in Table 2.3 (p. 24).

Table 2.1 General purposes and appropriate instructional forms

Purpose Form

To support the college’s mission and curriculum

Credit-bearing library course Integration of bibliographic instruction

and / or information literacy components into any courses

To help students and faculty study, teach, and research

Reference service Research consultation One-shot workshop Embedded librarian Bibliographic instruction Thematic lecture Graduate seminar

To promote library resources and services

Library orientation Library tour

To educate and motivate lifelong independent learners

All sorts of information literacy instruction programs


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Table 2.2 Content to teach for short-term goals

Category Content to teach

Print book collections Online catalog (OPAC) Ready reference General reference Reserved material Circulating book

Print periodical indexes Journal Magazine Newspaper

Print journal article abstracts Specialized subjects

Microforms Microfilm Microfiche

Reference databases Electronic book Electronic journal Government document Remote access

Database search Search strategies Search techniques Criteria for source selection Criteria for information

evaluation

Research methods Procedure Critical and analytical skills Writing styles Bibliographic tools

Library physical layout Floor plan Location of interests

Machines for public use Computer Printer Photocopier Scanner Microform reader


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Table 2.3 Content to teach for long-term goals

Category Content to teach

Information search strategies Information resources search Criteria for source selection Criteria for information

evaluation

Resources for research Open access (OA) research sources Reliable reference sources on

the Internet

Web search General concepts Major search engines Search strategies Search techniques Information sources on the

web Criteria for web source

evaluation

It must be stated that short-term and long-term goals should not be disconnected; they are more or less integrated, depending on the purpose and time frame of the program. In fact, they can supplement and enhance each other in many library instruction programs.

Principles

Because one institution is different from another and every library has its own uniqueness, there is no absolute universal model in designing library instruction programs. However, there exist generally accepted program design principles that can be applied to individual libraries with necessary modifications to meet special goals and local needs.

Business in a typical academic library is a mixture of service and teaching. The majority of the users are also


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Table 2.4 Design principles and tasks

Principle Task

Creating a user-friendly learning environment

To make the user feel welcomed and relaxed

Helping user fulfill current tasks successfully

To figure out what exactly the user wants and needs

Encouraging active learning habits

To stimulate the user’s imagination and creativity

Promoting critical thinking To teach research methods and analytical skills

Emphasizing learning strategies and methodologies for long-term benefits

To train lifelong independent learners

learners. The user should be the focus of attention. Therefore, all library instruction programs should be designed to aid the user. Commonly used design principles may include, but are not limited to, the following.

Instructional design and forms

Design

A library instructional program design involves several stages. First, origination: it may come from the librarian’s initiative or from requests by parties outside the library. In the case of the former it may relate to promotion of services or information sources or thematic workshops. It is a reflection of proactive librarianship. If the latter, it may come from the classroom teaching faculty of another department, the college administration, or individual users. After the need is raised the second stage is to investigate the background of both the topic and the audience. The tasks are to identify what is to be covered, e.g. what is in the library assignment or a syllabus?


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At what level of research ability is the targeted audience, e.g. freshman or graduate? The third stage is an information resources survey, to see what relevant sources are available at your library. [See the Preparation section in this chapter on the information resources survey for detail.] The fourth stage is to create a lesson plan accordingly. Subjects under consideration may include time restriction, scope and depth of the topic, suitable search techniques, and hands-on exercises. Handouts and / or PowerPoint slides may be produced to aid users. The fifth stage takes place after the program has completed, but is no less important. This is when you collect feedback data from audience, co-sponsors, and colleagues. You may fine tune or modify your program design based upon their responses and comments for future instruction.4

Forms

There are many forms of library instructional activities. The following list contains those most commonly used in academic libraries. It is, however, by no means an exhaustive list.

Library orientation and tour

Typically offered to newcomers to the institution, e.g. the freshman class, library orientation and the library tour are the first step in introducing the world of library in general and information about the library, physical and virtual, in particular. It is also an opportunity for the library to promote its resources and services. The first impression is so important that it will influence the usage of the library’s resources and services in coming years. Another type of library orientation is designed for a specific target group, such as a class in a major. In this


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case, the orientation focuses on relevant information resources and subject sources for research in depth.

Reference service

Perhaps the most frequently used instructional form in academic libraries is our daily service at the reference desk. Reference work is always linked to instructional activity, although the teaching involvement may be of various degrees, compared with BI classes. A reference librarian’s duty is not only to help users to find needed information through effective reference interviews, but also to teach them the ways of finding information. It is a one-on-one teaching and learning interaction between a librarian, the ‘teacher,’ and a user, the ‘student.’ How well this two-way communication goes decides the quality of reference service. A good reference librarian should be a good teacher who knows how to transfer knowledge to the user. A good reference librarian should also be a good listener who knows how to figure out the real question the user has. Unlike other types of libraries, e.g. corporate business libraries, where the librarian finds information upon request and hands it in before the deadline or as soon as possible, an academic library carries the mission of education. In the course of reference service, teaching and learning should take place.

Research consultation

Greater in length and deeper in content, research consultation is usually requested by faculty, graduate students, and upper level undergraduate students. It will be helpful if the librarian obtains the research topic beforehand. A thorough interview is crucial, as it will determine the nature and scope of a suitable session plan. In this role, the librarian acts as an


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adviser and recommends information sources as well as making constructive suggestions to the client. It is not, however, a frequently used instructional form, mainly because of the shortage of library personnel that most libraries experience. Therefore, an appointment seems to be necessary.

One-shot workshop

Tailored to the special needs of a class, a one-shot workshop typically lasts 45 to 60 minutes and is usually mission-specific. For example, a workshop can be devoted fully to writing and citing styles. In such case, the lecture outline might look like this:

Introduction and basics of major styles, e.g. APA, MLA, and Chicago.

Rules to follow, e.g. besides what is in the manual, consistency is the most important thing of which to remind the class.

Utilization of online bibliographic tools, e.g. RefWorks.

Useful web sources, e.g. the Purdue Online Writing Lab <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/>.

It is one of the most commonly used non-credit-bearing library instructional forms in academic libraries. Many academic departments ask the library for collaborative teaching, and in some cases the library assignment is created by the course instructor in an effort to connect course contents with library resources. The instructional librarian’s job, therefore, is to present to the class the most relevant sources available at the library, as well as information search techniques. Because of its task-focused nature, the best practice in program design is the result of an effective

1.

2.

3.

4.


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communication and, most important, collaboration between the instructional librarian and the classroom professor.5

Integrated class

Common in general education curricula, a library research requirement appears in many course syllabi. Some classroom teachers create an actual library assignment with specific goals and invite a librarian to give a lecture on how to use the library resources to do the assignment, while some let the librarian decide a proper lesson plan by simply stating in their syllabi, for example, ‘at the end of the semester students will have learned how to access and utilize library resources, online and offline, to gather information for [name of the class assignment].’ The above-mentioned library assignments are each, basically speaking, a solo creation, either of the classroom teacher or the librarian.

Embedded librarian

A recent approach featuring ‘embedded librarianship’ has the aim of creating a partnership between the course instructor and the instructional librarian for a dual teaching activity, typically for a semester-long engagement. A frequently quoted definition describes an embedded librarian as ‘“an integral part to the whole,” based on the geological definition of an embedded element.’6 A librarian relocates from library to classroom, physical or virtual, and uses his or her expertise in library science to help students understand library systems, information-seeking procedures, and information searching techniques, and at the same time, introduce information resources and services available at the library. The major difference between this and the traditional academic library service is that embedded librarianship moves from


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library-centric to learner-centric, with a main emphasis on teaching and education, rather than service.

Bibliographic instruction (BI)

This is the systematic nature of the effort to teach something, including the organization and structure of library materials and principles or search strategies relating to the library resources. BI is offered to help users understand standard library systems so that they will be able to locate and utilize information more effectively. The usual contents may include terminology in library science, catalogs and indexes, interpretation of citations, general and specialized reference sources, citing styles, research methods, information-seeking principles, and search strategies and techniques. Once a hot term, BI has been sometimes replaced by IL since the rise of information literacy. Some may say IL includes BI, but the fact is that the two are different things, for BI is an instructional form, whereas IL is more of a general concept.

Thematic lecture

A theme-based lecture focuses on a specific topic, such as ‘Using the Internet for research,’ ‘An overview of online public access catalogs,’ ‘An introduction to RefWorks and other online bibliographic tools,’ etc. Lectures of this kind are usually initiated by the library in an effort to promote the most current information sources and literature resources for a subject area through the library’s subscriptions, or to introduce a current hot topic in a field of study and its related information resources.


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Graduate seminar

Some graduate seminars feature a librarian invited to give a bibliographic instruction session, e.g. ‘music bibliography,’ so that students will get a deeper understanding of a library system and learn different ways of making a comprehensive literature search. Students will also gather more advanced research skills than they have at undergraduate level.

Credit-bearing library course

Pioneered by R.C. Davis of the University of Michigan in 1881, library courses for credit have found their place in some institutions, where they are normally taught by the library faculty, usually as elective courses carrying from 1 to 4 credits per course. A library’s credit-bearing course proposal should be evaluated and approved by the institution’s curriculum committee. The course syllabus should clearly state its learning objectives and goals. Common approaches in course design may be BI-concentrated, examining the organization and structure of library materials; or subject-oriented, in support of a given major; or on principles of information retrieval, online database search techniques; or on any major topic related to library and information studies. Unlike a one-shot workshop, a credit-bearing library course represents a long-term teaching and learning opportunity, thereby allowing the designer to use a systematic and comprehensive method to build the course. An even longer program, for which there are many courses and total credits may vary, is library science (or the more popular term ‘information studies’) as a minor. For example, Baruch College of the City University of New York offers a minor in Information Studies, which is


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designed and taught by the William and Anita Newman Library faculty.7 The program is created to ‘prepare students for successful participation in the emerging information society of the 21st century. Students develop skills in identifying information needs, retrieving information effectively and efficiently, evaluating information, creating information products, and understanding the social, economic, political, and ethical aspects of information.’ To fulfill the requirements of a minor in information studies the student will take two core courses, a high-level capstone course, and additional courses, recommended but not required. In general, there are two main purposes in designing a minor in library and information science: (1) to lay foundations for future information and library science studies as a major at graduate level; and (2) to supplement and enhance any given major with information literacy and advanced research skills that are related to library and information science.

Modern-technology-enabled forms

In the VHS era, libraries created videotapes to aid users in understanding library systems, collections and how to use a library. Now such instructional products can be put out online. Not only that, the creation of the World Wide Web provides numerous possibilities for library educators to offer library instruction programs on an enormous platform. Libraries are starting to provide a reference service via electronic mail and virtual chat rooms, posting webcast lectures and workshops, and offering virtual tours and online tutorials on their websites.8 In recent years, helped by Web 2.0 applications,9 some library instruction online programs have moved from one-way, user-passive, static HTML web pages to two-way, interactive, open


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communication, and more dynamic web platforms on which participants in an instructional program are able to ask questions and get answers from the instructor in real time. The web-based seminar (Webinar) and the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) are good examples of the utilization of Web 2.0 tools.

Preparation

Someone may be very familiar with his or her favorite information sources, but no one would claim to have mastered all information sources. It is simply beyond an individual’s capacity. Therefore, to improve our services to students a thorough preparation for library instruction classes is of high importance. As an imperfect comparison: when one starts on a research project, the first step is usually a literature search or a literature review to see what has been done previously; likewise, when we start designing a library instruction program, we should run an information resources survey, a kind of due diligence investigation, to see what is available at our own library, physical and virtual, for a given topic or a subject. It cannot be emphasized enough how essential an information resources survey is, for the following three reasons.

First, it gives the instructor confidence. No one wants to teach a class without a well-prepared lesson plan.

Second, information sources, especially electronic databases, change constantly. What was good last semester may not be valid in this semester, what wasn’t there yesterday may appear today, and often an unfamiliar user interface suddenly shows up on a familiar database without notice—and that may cause panic.


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Third, the librarian’s preparation can help a course instructor improve his or her library assignment with more up-to-date information, for example, news of a recent subscription to a new database. More than often, library assignments are designed by classroom teachers rather than by librarians. Professors create library assignments according to specific courses, subject matter, literature sources, learning objectives, and expected outcomes. Because classroom teachers have mastered library resources at different levels, the quality of the library assignment may vary. Ideally, the librarian is given an opportunity to assist the professor in the design process. Subject liaison librarians play an important role here. Some libraries create guidelines or tips to aid classroom teachers in designing library research assignments for their courses. For example, York College Library offers such a workshop as part of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) program. A librarian creates an informative guide for classroom teachers to consult with. [See Appendix 1: Ten Tips for a Better Research / Library Assignment].

Expected outcomes and assessment

A library instruction program without relevant outcomes is not a good program. We must keep the user’s learning objectives and expected outcomes in mind when we design a program, and we should ask ourselves after the conclusion of the program: have we reached our goals? Since library instructional programs of all sorts are related to information literacy, ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education may serve as a top-level guide.10


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Each type of library instruction has its specific goals, and accordingly, should have its own set of outcomes. On the other hand, there are some common grounds. The following list may represent general and logical expected outcomes.

Library orientation and tour

After the presentation the participant will be able to

navigate library locations

use library facilities and equipment

utilize library services

use library resources.

Reference service

After the session the user will be able to

use search methods to locate target information from vast resources

apply principles and techniques to information searching

apply evaluation criteria to retrieved information.

Research consultation

After the discussion the researcher will be able to

clarify the direction of the research project

choose relevant information sources for the topic, and literature

use information-seeking strategies and techniques.


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One-shot workshop

After the session the participant will be able to

select relevant and reliable information sources for his or her research

evaluate the quality of retrieved information

use information-seeking strategies and techniques

fulfill an assignment successfully.

Integrated class

After the class the student will be able to

apply library research skills to coursework

utilize library resources in research


evaluate the quality of information sources

use information appropriately and effectively.

Embedded librarian

After the class the student will be able to

choose relevant sources for information needs

find suitable information for course assignments

use library resources more effectively


apply library research skills to class work.


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Bibliographic instruction

After the instruction the student will be able to

understand the terminology of library science

find materials via organized library systems

interpret bibliographical citations correctly

use information-seeking strategies and techniques.

Thematic lecture

After the lecture the student will be able to

apply learned knowledge to more focused study

identify the most current information sources on the topic

utilize comprehensive information resources for the topic.

Graduate seminar

After the seminar the student will be able to

locate subject-related materials more effectively

utilize library resources more efficiently

use learned knowledge and skills for further studies.

Credit-bearing course

After the course the student will be able to

use advanced skills in information literacy

apply library research skills to any course

identify information needs


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search, retrieve, evaluate, and store information efficiently

use information in a proper, ethical, and legal manner.

Ideally, a library instruction program design should include an outcomes management strategic plan, which outlines a set of activities for the planning, executing, managing, and realizing of the desired outcomes from initiatives and objectives. The strategic plan serves as a useful guide to improve the quality of ongoing programs. The outcomes management strategic plan may be supported by assessment tools. Popular assessment tools in practice include the questionnaire and the opinion survey. But the most accurate reflection of learning outcomes is perhaps derived through knowledge testing in the form of a quiz or an examination.11

Notes

1. Farmer, Lesley S.J. (2011). Instructional Design for Librarians and Information Professionals: 12. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman. This recent book summarizes the educational philosophy based on Wiles and Bondi’s ten-area theory which, in Farmer’s opinion, can be applied to library settings.

2. Breivik, Patricia Senn and E. Gordon Gee (1989). Information Literacy: Revolution in the Library: 28. New York, NY: Macmillan.

3. In fall 2012, Project Information Literacy (PIL), led by Dr. Alison J. Head, released a research report titled ‘How College Graduates Solve Information Problems Once They Join the Workplace.’ The report is based on interviews with employers and recent graduates in the USA. Among the findings, the lack of social skills and fear of deadline pressure are prominent. The PIL report can be helpful as a guide for IL


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educational program design. The full report is available at: <http://projectinfolit.org/pdfs/PIL_fall2012_workplace Study_FullReport.pdf>. Accessed: January 21 2013.

4. In her 2006 book, Jerilyn Veldof of the University of Minnesota offers a step-by-step guide to creating library instruction programs. Veldof details a design process in twenty steps using ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) principles. Although limited to one-shot library workshop design, the book is practical for instructional librarians.

5. Heidi Jacobs, a librarian, and Dale Jacobs, an English professor, both at the University of Windsor, present a vivid case study of pedagogical collaboration between an instructional librarian and a classroom professor. In designing the library information literacy session for the English composition class, the authors have worked on the proviso that ‘research is as much a process as writing (which) ...involves iterative processes such as revision, reworking, rethinking, and above all, reflection.’ A successful design can be carried out through an ongoing dialog and close collaboration between librarian and professor.

6. Dene, Jezmynne (2011). ‘Embedded librarianship at the Claremont Colleges’ in Embedded Librarians, Kvenild and Calkins eds.: 225. Chicago, IL: The Association of College and Research Libraries.

7. For the program description, visit Baruch College Newman Library’s website at: <http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/ugrad programs/lib.htm#Minor>. Accessed: September 8 2013.

8. For an excellent example of an online tutorial, visit the University of California, Berkeley’s Marian Koshland Bioscience and Natural Resources Library at: <http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/BIOS/bio1bclass.html> for Bio 1B Online Library Class. The five modules are thoughtfully designed, covering ‘Scholarly communication,’ ‘Searching for peer-reviewed articles,’ ‘Getting full text of peer-reviewed articles,’ ‘Citation and plagiarism,’ and ‘Science on the web.’ Accessed: October 14 2013.

9. Although this is disputed by Tim Berners-Lee, the originator of the World Wide Web, who describes the term (Web 2.0) as


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‘a piece of jargon’ because ‘that was what the Web was supposed to be all along.’ [See ‘DeveloperWorks Interviews: Tim Berners-Lee.’ August 22 2006. Available online at: <http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/podcast/dwi/cm-int082206txt.html>. Accessed: March 2 2013.] ‘Web 2.0’ is being used by many nowadays to emphasize interactive and collaborative features.

10. Published in 2000, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education can be purchased from American Library Association. A free web version, in both HTML and PDF formats, is available at: <http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency>. Accessed: March 2 2013. In August 2012, a special task force was established by the ACRL Board of Directors to update the standards and expand the definition of information literacy. A new term, ‘information fluency,’ appeared in the description of the charge of the task force. See Board of Directors Action Form for detail at: <http://connect.ala.org/files/Doc%205.0%20ACRL_BoardActionForm_ILTaskForce.pdf>. Accessed: August 22 2013.

11. In designing an assessment instrument, one may turn to the web, where many good samples are available. For example, Florida Community College Libraries put up a collection of their various assessment forms (108 pages of quizzes, questionnaires, and surveys in PDF) online at: <http://dept.sfcollege.edu/library/lrsc/all-lib-assmnt-forms.pdf>. Accessed: March 2 2013.

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Library Instruction Design || Philosophy and practice