Assessing Information Skills Instruction

In the school library media center, "library instruction" has given way to "information skills instruction" which is integrated into the school's curriculum. Because of the library media specialist's roles as teacher and instructional consultant, it is imperative that the library media specialist is able to design and assess information skills instruction. While several models have been advanced for the teaching of information skills, needed are guidelines for the assessment of information skills. This article provides an overview of the assessment literature and proposes a model for assessing information skills instruction using principles advocated in outcome-based education.     

Practical help for history instruction: Making the one-shot count

While it is generally assumed that active learning, information literacy course are the most effective means of teaching library skills, not every college or university library has the talent, resources, or institutional support required for that level of instruction. Frequently, a student's library instruction is taught as a “one-shot” by a librarian without specialized training in the subject being taught. This essay is addressed to instruction librarians with limited experience in historical research find themselves called upon to conduct “one-shot” instruction sessions for history classes.     

Student Engagement in One-Shot Library Instruction

As technology has increased students' access to both high and low quality information, the need for effective information literacy instruction has become more apparent. However, many librarians still struggle to solidify their place, and their value, in the instructional landscape of their parent institution. This struggle persists while library instruction for students remains limited to one 50–75 min session (one-shot instruction). Indeed, the notion that information literacy can be taught in one session is preposterous for most librarians. Nevertheless, as this constraint persists, librarians must work to improve the results students achieve within the one-shot model. This research explores ways in which one-shot library instruction might be bolstered through the promotion of higher levels of student engagement. This research utilizes a pre and post-test analytical model to compare an experimental, learner-centered approach to library instruction, supplemented with clickers, to a more traditional pedagogical approach. Statistical analyses show that while both the experimental and control groups witnessed significant improvement from pre to post-test, there was no statistically significant difference between these two approaches. These findings elicit further, perhaps more troubling, questions regarding the level of engagement possible in one-shot library instruction.     

Teaching the User About Information Management Using Microcomputers

The Northwestern University Medical Library has provided information management instruction for its patrons over the last several years. The library has defined this topic broadly, including decision analysis, database management, and online searching. This article reviews the instruction and outlines some of the issues which concerned the library as it initiated this program.     

Skating with Donovan: Thoughts on Librarianship As a Profession

This paper discusses the need for library instruction in private law firms and suggests a method for designing and implementing such programs. Chapter 1 traces the development of library instruction in U.S. libraries from 1876, including its relationship to reference service and the continuing controversy over whether reference librarians should provide instruction as well as information. The current state of library instruction and post admission training for law students and practitioners is reviewed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 discusses reasons for instituting library instruction programs in private law firms and discusses characteristics of the law firm environment librarians must consider when planning programs. The last two chapters set out a methodology for planning and implementing a library instruction program, including a sample program illustrating the methodology described.     

Beyond the book ‘case’

The incorporation of active learning techniques into library instruction classrooms has been a topic widely explored in the 1990s. Research confirms the success of active learning in increasing student participation as well as student learning. Case study methodology is one of many active learning techniques. “Beyond the Book ‘case’” provides an overview of case—study methodology; discusses the appropriateness of case—study methodology in the library instruction setting; and presents examples of case studies used in a library instruction course at Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky.     

Globetrotting Students and Faculty: Adapting Library Instruction to Global Sites

ABSTRACT

As e-resources become more ubiquitous, and the technologies available to access them more sophisticated, libraries have greater opportunities to reach out to global users. However, this same distance means that some users never even set foot in a physical library. This case study will describe how one large academic library started a business, economics, and marketing library online instruction pilot for global users in an effort to replicate library instruction offered at the home institution. Librarians assessed global library use and research needs; prepared unique lesson plans for each global site; and created digital learning objects using synchronous and asynchronous methods to establish an instruction strategy for Business and Economics courses. The goal was to test instruction practices and develop an online instruction template that would be replicable and sustainable for library instruction in other subject areas in New York University Libraries and other institutions.     

Success of reiterative instruction: Looking at faculty-librarian collaboration to improve information literacy in political science education

The purpose of this case study was to ascertain if college students’ information literacy improves through a faculty-librarian collaboration involving a session of library instruction as part of a regular political science course. The authors conducted two surveys to determine if in-person library instruction increases students’ research abilities. The authors surveyed political science faculty to discover their attitudes toward library research instruction. They also surveyed political science students to gauge their opinions on the value of library instruction and to see if there is a connection between their research proficiencies and instruction by a librarian. Through this case study, the authors found that such instruction does improve information literacy. The researchers concluded that for faculty and colleges interested in improving information literacy skills in undergraduate political science students, such library instruction is helpful towards that goal.     

The History of Bibliographic Instruction:

Bibliographic instruction in academic libraries can be traced back to the pre-Civil War era in the United States. Since that time, changes in bibliographic instruction and its perception to librarians, administrators, and faculty have occurred due to emerging technology and new teaching ideas. In the past hundred years, several librarians have promoted bibliographic instruction in a variety of formats and styles. The literature in library science illustrates similarities and differences in concerns and issues of bibliographic instruction throughout its history. The writings show how far bibliographic instruction has progressed. What began as an activity in scattered libraries has become an accepted (and expected) library service with its own theory and literature.     

Opinions and experiences of university faculty regarding library research instruction: Results of a web-based survey at the University of Southern Colorado

In March 2000, all 188 University of Southern Colorado (USC) nonlibrary faculty members were surveyed to determine their needs and opinions regarding library research instruction. Forty-four (23.40%) of the faculty responded to questions concerning their past experiences with library research instruction, the frequency with which they use various library and Internet resources, the types of library research instruction they currently use with their students, and their level of support for proposed new programs. Results showed an overwhelming interest on the part of respondents for an online library research skills tutorial. The survey also revealed the need for professional development opportunities for faculty. A higher proportion of respondents with 10 years or less of teaching experience than those with more than 10 years of experience indicated they had received formal library instruction from a librarian. However, no direct correlation could be shown between years of teaching experience and respondents' perceived value of library research instruction. Nor did a correlation exist to show that respondents with fewer years of teaching experience were more likely to ask a librarian to provide formal library instruction to their students. In fact, respondents with more than 20 years of teaching experience provided most types of library instruction more often than less experienced respondents. Overall, USC faculty rated their students' abilities to conduct library research very low. However, they had slightly more confidence in their students' abilities to find, evaluate, and use information they found on the Internet over information from traditional print sources.     

What difference does it make? One study of student background and the evaluation of library instruction

The results of a six-year study indicate little relationship between students' demographics, previous library instruction, or prior use of library resources and how they evaluated library instruction for one undergraduate anthropology course. There is a more positive relationship between subject interest and evaluation of the instruction. These results suggest that librarians should be less concerned about students' prior experience and more concerned with ensuring that course-related library instruction focuses on specific goals and reinforces student interest in the subject.     

Proving the efficacy of library instruction evaluation

This article demonstrates the usefulness of evaluation surveys m improving a one-hour library instruction session Results from the surveys for an English composition class were used to modify the instruction session A comparison of the results from the student evaluation surveys from the original library instruction session and the modified one showed significant improvement in several areas It is concluded that evaluation surveys do have an integral role to play in improving library instruction     

Using iPads to Facilitate Library Instruction Sessions in a SCALE-UP Classroom

This study details a trial in which three undergraduate library instruction sessions were conducted on a class set of iPads in a SCALE-UP classroom. The iPads suggested strong potential as replacements for desktop computers and demonstrated support for key active learning approaches: instant polling, content sharing, and navigation of Webpages and databases. The SCALE-UP classroom has made notable contributions in promoting undergraduate learning, and its advantages were found to be applicable to library instruction. The pedagogy that the space is designed to reinforce, collaborative learning segments interspersed with lecture components, seemed to promote student engagement in library instruction sessions.     

Managing a Biomedical Library’s Instruction Program: Redefining Scope

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) library instruction program provides training services to staff, clinicians, and researchers across NIH and several Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) operating divisions. The audience, training needs, and training topics are diverse and constantly changing. The NIH library has developed several new services and class topics to meet the needs of its NIH and HHS communities. Context, strategies, and future directions for the NIH library instruction program are described.     

Are online tutorials effective? A comparison of online and classroom library instruction methods

Librarians are conducting instruction sessions outside the traditional classroom setting using online tutorials with increasing frequency. Online tutorials seem like an obvious solution to meet the growing need for instruction to users in a time when resources are shrinking. Can librarians effectively teach library skills using an online tutorial? Approximately 300 students enrolled in an undergraduate psychology course at the University of South Florida Tampa Campus attended either a library research class or completed an online tutorial as part of their coursework. Participants were given a post-test and were surveyed about their confidence levels and preferred method of library instruction. Analysis of the test scores indicated that there was no significant difference in the learning outcomes between in-person and online library instruction. The majority of students indicated a preference for online instruction over classroom instruction. A rise in confidence levels was noted across both groups.     

Breaking Out of the Basement:

The library literature records that bibliographic instruction (BI) has taken its rightful place in the academic library repertoire. The literature also records that technical services librarians (including cataloging librarians), continue to "break out of the basement," actively participating in BI since at least the late 1880s, although few articles codify specific contributions. In 1993, 124 librarians, currently working in State University of New York (SUNY) academic librarian positions, were surveyed regarding the extent of their participation in bibliographic instruction activates. Survey results are reported in detail, indicating that slightly less than half (47.6% or 39) of the 82 respondents do provide bibliographic instruction, not only catalog and library research instruction, but also instruction for a broad range of specialized subject areas. Conclusions challenge cataloging librarians to take a continuing more active role in BI, and challenge BI librarians to more actively embrace their cataloging colleagues. Conclusions also challenge both groups to collaborate in order to effectively teach their constituencies. Includes two tables, two charts, and numerous references.     

A Dental Library Instruction Program

A library instruction program is a valuable service to dental students and other library users. This paper outlines the steps needed to implement an effective instruction program in a dental library. The successful library instruction program in place at the Indiana University School of Dentistry Library servces as a prototype.     

Library instruction for biology courses: A literature review and survey

The content of library instruction sessions associated with college biology is examined. A review of the literature is supplemented by a survey of instruction librarians at Ohio institutions offering biology majors. The literature and survey responses indicate that a typical instruction session occurs once during an academic term, highlights automated access to the library catalog and Biological Abstracts, discusses the difference between journals and magazines, and does not test the students or offer an opportunity for evaluation of the instruction session. More of the library instruction sessions described in the literature were associated with introductory biology courses than in the survey responses.     

Does the medium matter?: A comparison of a Web-based tutorial with face-to-face library instruction on education students' self-efficacy levels and learning outcomes

This study explored if students' library skills self-efficacy levels and learning outcomes varied based on instructional delivery mode. Groups consisted of an on-campus class with face-to-face instruction, an on-campus class with a Web-based library tutorial, and a Web-based class with a Web-based tutorial. Data were collected immediately prior to instruction and again 6 weeks after. Analysis indicated self-efficacy levels and learning outcomes significantly increased across all groups after instruction. Groups varied significantly on final self-efficacy levels, but not on final library skills scores. Results are discussed as they relate to the viability of Web-based tutorials for library instruction.