Professional Development for Librarians with Instructor ResponsibilitiesClara Fowler

University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston

Michele OstrowUniversity of Texas at AustinFran EbbersSt. Edwards University, Austin

Teaching librarians to teach:Using professional competencies as a framework to guide continuing education and promotion

Continuing education should model needed skills• active and collaborative

learning activities• asking and answering

questions• higher level Information

Literacy skills• scaffolding instruction across

sequential classes• teaching effectively in multiple

settings

Identifying existing teacher training programs • Most faculty-level

training addresses teaching a semester-long class.

• Difficult to find models that teach instructors to create and deliver effective instruction sessions in a limited period of time.

Our goals today:

• Give examples of professional development programs that you can adopt or modify to suit your needs.

• Present techniques for keeping track of your own continuing education for your professional or tenure review process.

Obstacles to an in-house program:• Teaching librarian role may be filled

by only one person (or very few) in the library.

• Lack of specific performance measures focused on teaching.

• Lack of quality professional development training or staff dedicated to staff training in libraries.

• Lack of funds allocated to staff training.

Charge of the Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians Task Force focus on broad areas of

proficiency rather than a comprehensive list of skills

outline an approach to assist individuals and organizations in selecting the proficiencies most appropriate for their environment

Proficiencies document available at -http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/profstandards.cfm

Organization of the Proficiencies

1. Administrative ability2. Assessment and evaluation

skills3. Communication skills4. Curriculum knowledge5. Information literacy

integration skills6. Instructional design skills7. Leadership skills8. Planning ability9. Presentation skills10. Promotion skills11. Subject expertise12. Teaching skills

5. Information literacy integration skillsThe effective instruction librarian:

5.1 Is able to describe the role of information literacy in academia and the patrons, programs, and departments they serve.

5.2 Collaborates with classroom faculty to integrate appropriate information literacy competencies, concepts and skills into library instruction sessions, assignments and course content.

5.3 Communicates with classroom faculty and administrators to collaboratively plan and implement the incremental integration of information literacy competencies and concepts within a subject discipline curriculum.

5. Information literacy integration skillsThe effective coordinator of instruction:

5.4 Investigates coordinating information literacy standards with institution’s program review, departmental learning objectives, and/or accreditation standards.

5.5 Collaborates with institution-wide faculty development programs to support ongoing faculty training.

5.6 Encourages, guides, and supports instruction librarians to collaborate with classroom faculty and administrators in the development of increased focus on information literacy – whether at the course, program, department, or campus-wide level.

6. Instructional design skills

The effective instruction librarian:

6.1. Collaborates with classroom faculty by defining expectations and desired learning outcomes in order to determine appropriate information literacy proficiencies and resources to be introduced in library instruction.

6.2. Sequences information in a lesson plan to guide the instruction session, course, workshop, or other instructional material.

6.3. Creates learner-centered course content and incorporates activities directly tied to learning outcomes.

6.4. Assists learners to assess their own information needs, differentiate among sources of information and help them to develop skills to effectively identify, locate, and evaluate sources.

Continued…

6. Instructional design skills

The effective instruction librarian:

6.5. Scales presentation content to the amount of time and space available.

6.6. Designs instruction to best meet the common learning characteristics of learners, including prior knowledge and experience, motivation to learn, cognitive abilities, and circumstances under which they will be learning.

6.7. Integrates appropriate technology into instruction to support experiential and collaborative learning as well as to improve student receptiveness, comprehension, and retention of information.

The effective coordinator of instruction:

6.8 Identifies, encourages, and supports training opportunities for librarians in instructional design and incorporating technology to support pedagogy.

12. Teaching skillsThe effective instruction librarian:

12.1 Creates a learner-centered teaching environment by using active, collaborative, and other appropriate learning activities.

12.2 Modifies teaching methods and delivery to address different learning styles, language abilities, developmental skills, age groups, and the diverse needs of student learners.

12.3 Participate in constructive student-teacher exchanges by encouraging students to ask and answer questions by allowing adequate time, rephrasing questions, and asking probing or engaging questions.

12.4 Modifies teaching methods to match the class style and setting.

12.5 Encourages teaching faculty during the class to participate in discussions, link library instruction content to course content, and to answer student questions.

12.6 Reflects on practice in order to improve teaching skills and acquires new knowledge of teaching methods and learning theories.

12.7 Shares teaching skills and knowledge with other instructional staff.

How can you use these competencies in your library?

Solo instruction librarians: – focus on one competency

for a semester. – develop a reading list – develop in class activities

that focus on your selected proficiency

– have a fellow librarian watch you teach and give you feedback

– ask the students to give you feedback  

How can you use these

competencies in your library?

Group of teaching librarians: – select one proficiency to focus on for a semester and

create your own learning community. Instruction Coordinators:

– develop a comprehensive program using the entire list of proficiencies.

Administrators:– use the competencies to justify for more staff or to move

instruction to a higher priority in the core functions of the library.

Proficiencies in ActionIdeas from the UT-Austin

Libraries

Line and Form by bookgrl, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookgrl/1097742165/

UT Libraries: Who

Teaches?

• Library Instruction Services department• Instruction Librarians in branches• Subject specialists across campus libraries with

instructor responsibilities• Interns from School of Information

Support & Mentoring

• Proficiencies 5, 7, 10, 12• Tips & Techniques for

Library Instruction• Interns from School of

Information• New librarians & librarians

new to teaching• Librarians integrating

information literacy into departmental curriculaSchool of Information Interns

Shared Materials/Shared Ideas

• Proficiencies 1, 6, 9, 12• Clearinghouse of Library

Instruction Materials• Shared directory or wiki• De.icio.us• Diigo

“RIOT” – The Journal Club

• Proficiencies 1, 3, 6, 7

• Topics include learning styles, active learning, assessment, technology, outreach

MIT Science Library Journals by nic221, http://www.flickr.com/photos/nic221/391536867

Assessment of Student Learning

• Proficiency 2• Pre/Post tests• Tips & Techniques for

Library Instruction• Assessment bank &

SurveyMonkey

Finals by Shaghaghi www.flickr.com/photos/shaghaghi/73645535

Workshops & Discussion Groups

• Topics: active learning, “embedding” in Blackboard, learning styles, assignment design, etc.

• Proficiencies 1, 3, 6, 9, 12• Discussion groups = 1 theme

with facilitator• Workshops = presentation &

active learning

Questions?

Question mark? by Leo Reynolds

www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/12364944