using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

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Are constructivist approaches used to teach health librarians effective? a case-study on teaching a course on health librarianship Greg Rowell Head, UBC Woodward Library & Hospital Branch Libraries Adjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), UBC Dean Giustini UBC Biomedical Branch Librarian Adjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), UBC Rowell, Giustini 2009 CHLA/ABSC Annual Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba - June 1 st , 2009

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This is an early draft of our presentation at the 2009 CHLA/ABSC Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 1st, 2009.

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Page 1: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Are constructivist approaches used to teach health librarians effective?

a case-study on teaching a course on health librarianship

Greg RowellHead, UBC Woodward Library & Hospital Branch LibrariesAdjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), UBC

Dean GiustiniUBC Biomedical Branch LibrarianAdjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), UBC

Rowell, Giustini2009 CHLA/ABSC Annual Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba - June 1st, 2009

Page 2: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Outline of talk

• Course• Setting and participants• Course content• Goals & objectives

• What happened in LIBR534• Student reflections • Instructor reflections

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Page 3: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Setting• A health information sources & services course

(LIBR534) taught by two health librarians in fall ‘08

Participants• Cohort of 28 MLIS students; • 2 instructors & practitioners; • 8 guest speakers

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Setting & participants

Page 4: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Course content• Blended delivery• MediaWiki-based - UBC Health Library wiki• http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca

Content management

Discussions• Finding yourself in health librarianship• Assignments, group work, ‘peer review’, social media

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Course content – LIBR534

Page 5: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Our objective and approach

• Adopt new method of teaching health librarianship

• Problem-based - where students ‘teach’ each other

• Encourage critical thinking & ‘team-based’ skills

• Constructivist approach – what is constructivism?

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Page 6: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Constructivism is a learning theory

“…where students take responsibility for their own learning rather than relying on the teacher” (Giustini, 2009)

Constructivism: • encourages student enquiry & cooperation• acknowledges role of experience in learning • nurtures learners’ natural curiosity

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Page 7: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Range of constructivist ideas

Page 8: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

• Student perceptions of:• course content • in-class exercises & case-based discussions• assignments & assessment• guest lecturers• pedagogical style(s) • Instructors – us!

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

What happened in LIBR534

Page 9: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

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Locating yourself in health libraries

Page 10: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study
Page 11: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

• Student perceptions of:• course content • in-class exercises & case-based discussions• assignments & assessment• guest lecturers• pedagogical style(s) • Instructors – us!

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

What happened in LIBR534

Page 12: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

• Our reflections on:• course content – was it too ambitious?• student participation in ‘case discussions’• quality of student assignments & peer evaluation• pedagogical styles – was it a good fit?

• Our course & partnership - a success!• We will offer course again in January 2010• More research needed re: constructivist methods

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Reflections – what we would change

Page 13: Using constructivist approaches to teach health librarians: a case study

Greg RowellHead, UBC Woodward Library & Hospital Branch LibrariesAdjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), [email protected]

Dean GiustiniUBC Biomedical Branch LibrarianAdjunct instructor, School of Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), [email protected]

Rowell – GiustiniCHLA/ABSC Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba

June 1st, 2009

Thanks for listening