Problem Statement
One avenue through which academic librarians may be able to have a significant impact, both in supporting student information literacy learning and shifting the teaching culture at their institutions, is adopting the “teach the teacher” model and taking on the role of educational developer. The model has often been described as an alternative to the one-shot approach to information literacy instruction, which has been significantly criticized as an ineffective method for achieving the integration of information literacy into the curriculum. There are examples of librarians leading information literacy-centered instructor development initiatives, including workshops, courses, and faculty learning communities, and there are some indications that this approach does support changes in faculty teaching practices related to information literacy and research assignment design (Hammons, 2020; Jumonville, 2014; Wishkoski et al., 2019). However, more evidence is needed to establish the effectiveness of this approach. Adopting the “teach the teachers” model as a more primary means of teaching information literacy would require a major shift in thinking and practice for many librarians, so it is vital to better understand the effectiveness of these types of interventions and their impact on faculty teaching practices.
Purpose
In this paper, we examine instructors’ perceptions of a five-module teaching professional development workshop that promotes the transparent and equitable integration of information literacy into courses. The workshop situates information literacy within a common academic practice – the research assignment – and provides a framework for thinking about what equity means within the context of higher education and outlines teaching strategies instructors can use to make their research assignments more inclusive, equitable, and transparent. Upon completion of the workshop, participants should be able to (1) describe the potential relationship between students’ social identity characteristics, research assignments, and overall academic success, (2) describe the information literacy threshold concepts as outlined in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, (3) apply Decoding the Disciplines and Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT Higher Ed) to their teaching, and (4) identify practical ways in which they can design assignments to increase students’ motivation.
For our examination, we analyze data collected through pre- and post-workshop surveys administered to nine cohorts of participants between August 2019 and August 2022 (n=61, 75% response rate). This study provides insight into how instructors perceive information literacy and how librarians can strengthen their understanding of information literacy through faculty-focused professional development programming.
Reference
- Hammons, J. (2020). Teaching the teachers to teach information literacy: A literature review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46(5), 102196.
- Jumonville, A. (2014). The role of faculty autonomy in a course-integrated information literacy program. Reference Services Review, 42(4), 536–551.
- Wishkoski, R., Lundstrom, K., & Davis, E. (2019). Faculty teaching and librarian-facilitated assignment design. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 19(1), 95–126.
Amanda L. Folk, Jane Hammons, Katie Blocksidge, Hanna Primeau
The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA