Please note: Session slides and handouts will be posted online after the conference.
W1: Teaching Citation Management Tools: Which Citation Management is right for you? (session website)
Dale Storie and Christina Hwang, University of Alberta
Citation management software is becoming increasingly important to academic life. With constantly growing folders of PDF files and lists of web links, it can be extremely difficult for students and academics to keep track of all their references. Although many academic libraries provide access to RefWorks and EndNote (Web or desktop), there are many new citation management options compared to even a few years ago. Some, such as EasyBib, are intended for quick citation creation, while others, such as Mendeley, Wizfolio, Zotero, and Papers, are more advanced tools designed for researchers. Many of these programs provide inexpensive or “free”-mium access to their users and include attractive features not available in other software. It is extremely difficult for any library to provide official support for every new tool, yet library users often find out about them through other sources and are interested in learning more about the options available. This session will give attendees a brief overview of features for the various tools available, as well as practical advice on how the authors have approached training sessions with their liaison departments. We will address some of the challenges associated with providing training for all these programs and deciding what content we choose to cover in these sessions. We will also discuss the level of support we as liaison librarians feel it is possible or appropriate to provide to “power-users” when your library does not formally support these tools.
W2: Pattern Recognition: How a Rhetorical Approach to Sources Can Transform Information Literacy Instruction (session PDF)
Joel Burkholder, York College of Pennsylvania
Can we teach students that sources are dynamic entities, not inert objects? This workshop will describe an approach to sources that makes this possible. In rhetoric, messages are seen as social acts, constructed by authors to achieve specific purposes and speak to specific audiences. Messages, from personal blogs to television news to peer-reviewed articles, are different in form and content because they allow authors to address different rhetorical situations Different purposes and different audiences require different choices. Members of a certain type are alike because they have developed similar patterns to address similar situations. To be effective communicators, students need to use the patterns of previous, successful attempts. From these patterns they must make strategic choices that meet the expectations of intended audiences. Unfortunately, current information literacy instruction tends to describe the patterns of messages as similarities in form and content; not as the result of social actions. By examining the relationships between author, purpose, audience, and context—a process called rhetorical analysis–students can describe the patterns used and specific actions performed by each message. Through a series of interactive exercises, we will explore practical ways of incorporating rhetoric into our practice. This model has the potential to improve multiple aspects of information literacy: the formulation of questions, the choice of keywords, the selection and evaluation of resources, and the synthesis of information. Most importantly, this could help students succeed in more than just their academic lives; it can impact their professional, civic, and personal lives, as well.
S1: Literature Mapping: A Visual Exercise of Advanced Information Literacy (session PDF)
Maura Mastesic, York University
Scholarship evolves within the context of a published conversation. Many students, however, tend to approach research with a scavenger-hunt mentality as they attempt to develop keyword search strategies that will tidily yield precisely those articles which support their views while paying little attention to the wider context in which these articles are written and published. Literature mapping opens a new perspective on the research process by encouraging students to approach their topics more organically while following bibliographical and conceptual links that together bind individual contributions into an integrated scholarly dialogue. Literature mapping is a creative pedagogical approach that requires students to actively engage in an interpretive act – creating a meaningful diagram that denotes the relative importance of each scholarly contribution and its relationship to the conversation as a whole. This dialogic exercise allows librarians to assist students in visually illustrating the dynamic nature of communication in scholarship and helps students avoid the common error of substituting an annotated bibliography for a true literature review. Through the active transformation of traditional text into visual form, this learning activity reinforces the interconnectedness of research/ information and develops the necessary critical thinking abilities at the advanced level. Building on participants’ knowledge of advanced IL requirements, this session will explain the underlying themes in the creation of literature maps, and foster professional growth in the development of sustainable pedagogy for their own institutions.
S2: Sustainable Pedagogies: Creating Video Tutorials Through Faculty-Student-Library Collaboration (session PDF)
Lisa Shamchuk, Cherie Anne Coffee, and Sharon Bratt, Grant MacEwan University
Presenters will describe the goals and outcomes of a collaborative pilot project to develop educational materials which fulfill the immediate learning outcomes of an undergraduate course, as well as meet the future library research needs of the larger university community. Students enrolled in an undergraduate instructional technology course were required to develop a screencast presentation demonstrating a Web 2.0 a tool for use in their future professional practice. The successful pilot has been extended to support other Macewan areas. A team consisting of an education librarian, a faculty member teaching in the area of instructional technology and an undergraduate Education student has developed a set of web-based screencast tutorials to be included with MacEwan University Library’s online subject guides. These screencasts are intended to assist students with common information literacy tasks such as using subject specific library databases and reference management tools. The multipurpose project addresses several themes identified for WILU 2012. First, it meets several of the student-centred learning outcomes of the instructional technology course. Second, it will create a permanent web-based instructional resource that can be accessed by Macewan students and faculty. Third, it eliminates duplication of effort through the use of student-created instructional materials that would otherwise be created by the institution’s librarians. Our longer term goal is to identify sustainable pedagogical approaches and projects through faculty and librarian collaborations.
S3: Let’s Be Direct about Assessment: Making the Leap from Indirect Data to Direct Evidence of Student Learning (session PDF and supplements 1, 2, 3)
Henri Mondschein, California Lutheran University
This presentation will illustrate the evolution from the collection of indirect data to direct evidence of student learning outcomes for information literacy. The presenter will highlight how librarians and faculty at California Lutheran University blend information literacy instruction into courses using curriculum maps developed for program reviews. Practical examples of curriculum maps will be showcased as a framework for creating direct measures of student learning and will underscore how information literacy student learning outcomes are integrated into courses. In addition, the presentation will provide examples of “quick writes” as approaches for gathering authentic assessment for direct evidence of student learning. The presentation will also show how California Lutheran University librarians and faculty collaborate in creating and updating curriculum maps as part of an ongoing program review process. The presenter will review how the Qualtrics Survey Research Suite and Blackboard were used to create assessments and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both tools. Participants will have a model for creating an information literacy curriculum map and gain a broader understanding of applying authentic assessment for measuring information literacy competencies at their institutions.
S4: Enhancing the Undergraduate Research Experience Through a Collaborative Model (session PDF)
Jorden Smith and Katherine Koch, University of Alberta
Undergraduate research is a University-wide priority. The University of Alberta, as a research-intensive institution with a substantial undergraduate population of over 30, 000, has a newly-formed Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI) office to support undergraduate research by raising awareness regarding opportunities, and supporting students through their research pursuits. In cooperation with the URI, the University of Alberta Libraries are developing resources and promoting their existing services to enhance the undergraduate experience. In serving the undergraduate, we have developed a LibGuide, have participated in the planning and delivery of a research symposium, and are collecting data on undergraduate student research information needs. The efficacy of our current means of communication (eg., website, LibGuide, social media), our presence within their learning environment, and the relevance of the content provided will be vetted through student participants from the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Student perspectives and experience provide a logical source of relevant data to inform the design and development of resources and services. This presentation will discuss how the U of A Libraries established a working relationship with the URI office, how we supported undergraduate research, the steps that were taken to collect data to inform our decisions, the current state of the URI/UALIB relationship after our first academic year together, and our next steps.
S5: Information Literacy for Engaging Indigenous Studies Students
Deborah Lee, University of Saskatchewan
Indigenous Studies (IS) is a highly interdisciplinary field of study; as such, conducting information literacy sessions in this area poses some special challenges. The range of courses taught at an academic institution can encompass topics as diverse as the Intro IS survey course, to courses on Aboriginal Women and Gender Issues, Indigenous Intellectual and Cultural Traditions, Aboriginal Politics and Governance, Aboriginal Epistemology and Research Methods, Indigenous Literatures, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Peoples and Justice, Aboriginal Economic Development, the Fur Trade, and Images and Representation of Indigenous Peoples. In addition, publishing in the interdisciplinary field of Indigenous Studies is growing rapidly. There is also the complexity of IS subject headings used in academic library catalogues and databases. For instance, a common misconception is that the “Indians of North America” subject heading will “catch” everything that library users need to begin their search strategies. Unfortunately, the range of subject headings describing Indigenous-related research materials is vast and inconsistent as a researcher moves from one database to another. Add to this the diversity of IS students and their backgrounds concerning their experience in and knowledge of using library research tools. Consequently, the academic librarian can feel overwhelmed with where to start in teaching information literacy skills to IS students, whether it is for teaching in IS classes or for responding to reference questions. This session will provide several strategies to address the wide range of challenges involved in teaching information literacy skills to those studying in this field.
S6: Open Literacy & the Problem of Access Refusal (session PDF)
Robyn Hall, Red Deer College
The swift evolution of Open Access (OA) publishing of scholarly works has been driven by researchers and librarians who recognize the societal benefits of these resources being freely availabile on the Internet. Especially in fields relevant to Science, Technology and Medicine, high quality OA content can benefit people conducting both personal and professional research anywhere in the world. These resources can prove exceptionally valuable to students whose access to scholarly research materials may be limited by costly journal subscriptions both while they are in school and long after they have graduated. This presentation will draw on findings from an exploratory research study that involved a survey sent to academic librarians across Canada questioning the degree to which they are educating students about Open Access research materials and their motivations for and against doing so. Based on participants’ responses, suggested teaching strategies and promotional initiatives will be shared with session attendees. Information literacy teaching methods discussed aim to foster a broader understanding of Open resources and overall scholarly publishing processes among students developing critical and sustainable researching skills.
S7: Designing a Sustainable Information Literacy Curriculum for Health Care Professionals in a Hospital Library Network (session PDF)
Yongtao Lin and Kathryn Ranjit, Health Information Network Calgary, University of Calgary, and Susan Powelson, Director, Health Sciences Library, University of Calgary
Introduction: The Health Information Network Calgary is a network of libraries providing services and resources to urban and rural sites in the Calgary Zone of Alberta Health Services. Information literacy programming is a particularly important service component, but a challenging one to implement in this environment. Many health care professionals are required to participate in continuing education and show evidence of their professional development. However, time is a constraint in hospital settings. This presentation will discuss using theories of adult social learning to develop a sustainable information literacy curriculum for a broad range of client groups. Method: Learning needs were identified from six years of instructional statistics, previous course feedback and evaluations. Thirteen shared course packages were developed by the Health Information Network librarians. Course schedules and registration were managed by the Alberta Health Services regional learning management system. Post session surveys were distributed at the end of the sessions. Results: Preliminary data reports 144 practitioners participated in the fall 2011 program offered at six major healthcare sites over a one month period. Course feedback was positive, highlighting the variety, flexibility and ease of identifying programs of interest. Discussion: This instructional program delivered a flexible but consistent curriculum, helped the librarians identify and digest key learning points in information literacy topics and enabled clients to bridge their own learning gaps at their own pace. Librarians identified the definite value in relationship building with clients through this program.
S8: Using Our Voice: Bringing a Socially Conscious Approach to Information Literacy (IL) Practice (session PDF)
Richard Hayman, Grant MacEwan University, Amanda Wakaruk, University of Alberta, Patti Ryan, York University, and Lisa Sloniowski, York University
What is progressive information literacy (IL) instruction? How can using a progressive voice in the classroom benefit student learning and the professional development of librarians? This presentation is grounded in the understanding that librarians, as part of their IL practice, can and should be engaging students in critical thought so that those students might go on to lead more balanced, critical, and socially informed lives. This session will define and explore the use of a progressive voice in information literacy and library instruction, and provide real-world examples for initiating discussions that encourage social awareness in university-level IL sessions. The panelists will discuss how the progressive voice manifests itself in librarianship generally and in instructional settings in particular, with a focus on concrete examples. These will include an overview of the Research for Citizenship project, a workshop series designed to foster civic, social, and cultural engagement. By highlighting the challenges and opportunities in planning and conducting the workshop, presenters will explore issues of interest to librarians who are curious about radical pedagogical praxis, and those who are working to develop a more socially conscious approach to information literacy instruction. Other examples will include widening perspectives and worldviews while working with introductory and advanced undergraduate students in Canadian academic library settings. The panel will conclude with a moderated discussion of why and how attendees might encourage a progressive voice in their own library instruction practice.
S9: Engaging the Hopelessly Distracted: Using Mobile ARS in the Classroom (session PDF)
Christina Hwang, Tatiana Usova, and Denis Lacroix, University of Alberta
Engaging students in the classroom is a challenge, but more so with the proliferation of technology, such as cell phones and laptops, that have served to distract students. In an effort to capture students’ attention in the classroom, many instructors have opted to use clicker technology. Mobile Audience Response Systems (ARS) are an alternative to clicker technology, where students repurpose and utilize their own cell phones, tablets, and laptops as their clicker device. Poll Everywhere is a popular ARS that is being used in corporate and academic learning contexts. Using Poll Everywhere creates an immediate active learning forum that increases interactivity and student participation, while providing instructors with instant feedback to make informed decisions. A panel of three librarians will share their experience utilizing mobile ARS at the University of Alberta and will provide an overview of its growing application in North America.
S10: Informed Practice: Using ACRL Information Literacy Objectives to Redirect Library Instruction (session PDF)
Jessica Lange and Dawn McKinnon, McGill University
Librarians celebrate the creation of professional standards but what does it mean to implement these standards into practice? How can they be applied in our day to day lives? How easy is it to make the transition from theory to reality? We will address these questions with regards to the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education in the context of the Faculty of Management at McGill University. This session will discuss the initiative by two management librarians to underpin their instruction efforts with the ACRL information literacy standards. Through mapping these ACRL standards onto the management curriculum, the librarians revised and re-imagined library instruction and created a more cohesive and fully realized information literacy program for McGill’s business students. Disparate information literacy efforts were coordinated so that students progressing through their Bachelor of Commerce would simultaneously achieve different outcomes of the ACRL standards. We will discuss how this mapping process changed the types of materials covered in library workshops as well as how the standards influenced the way in which materials were presented. Practical exercises and activities used by the two librarians to reinforce the standards will also be discussed.
S11: MyResearch: Graduate student / Librarian Collaboration for Effective Information Literacy Instruction (session PDF)
Eamon Duffy, Maya Kucij, Brian McMillan, and Nicole Mardis, McGill University
MyResearch is a series of four workshops for graduate and postdoctoral students offered by McGill University Library in partnership with the University’s Teaching and Learning Services and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. These interactive workshops cover essential research skills and strategies tailored to the five core disciplines taught at McGill, all the while familiarizing participants with library resources and services. To ensure greater responsiveness to the research interests, needs, and skills of the participating students, the Library has adopted an unusual strategy: it hires graduate students to share leadership of the series. Each instruction team consists of three librarians and one graduate student who together design and deliver the MyResearch workshops. The proposed WILU session, presented by librarians and one graduate student assistant from the Humanities and Social Sciences MyResearch teams, will explore the advantages of this collaborative approach. Chief among these is a more beneficial exchange between librarians and graduate students. Regular input from student co-facilitators keeps the librarians accountable to their target audience. What do the students know? How do they approach research? What skills have they already mastered? What can students teach the librarians? The answers to these and similar questions result in focused and relevant information literacy sessions with greater impact.
S12: A Little Publication In Your Hands: Engaging Students With Zines (session PDF and supplements 1, 2, 3, 4)
Kelly McElroy, University of Iowa Libraries
Hard to define but easy to identify, zines are informal self-publications, often cheaply made and always created out of passion. The content ranges from personal reflections to instructions for building bicycles to reviews of candy and beyond. More and more libraries collect these odd little publications, supporting both academic scholarship and popular interest. But zine collections can serve a secondary purpose as teaching tools. For learners who may doze off during large lectures or feel bewildered at database demonstrations, zines offer an unintimidating entry to discussing information literacy issues including authority, copyright, and plagiarism. As one zinester was quoted in a 2011 New York Times article, “”There’s nothing more joyous than having a little publication in your hands.”" At the last zine workshop I taught, I saw that joy in a room full of 18-year-olds deep in reflection over the formal elements of feminist manifestos, DIY guides and personal narratives.
Attend this session and learn to capture the joy of zines for your instruction. We will discuss what zines are, and briefly address ways they can be used to teach about authority, copyright, plagiarism, and other information literacy topics. Each participant will leave with a zine of their own, and at least three potential activities to incorporate into your instruction. Even if your library doesn’t collect zines, we will provide suggestions for building a functional teaching collection for fifty bucks or less.”
S13: From collaboration to co-teaching: Is co-teaching an effective method for integrating information literacy instruction into first-year composition courses? (session Prezi)
Stephanie Bush and Chad Gusler, Eastern Mennonite University
Librarians agree that collaborations with writing faculty lead to fruitful learning experiences for students. These collaborations can take many forms and degrees of embedment. Librarians teach students that research is a recursive process, asking them to investigate a variety of resources over multiple research sessions. Similarly, writing instructors teach students that writing is recursive, emphasizing revision in the writing process. Co-teaching allows librarians and writing faculty to collaborate with parity in the classroom in order to model the similarly recursive processes of research and writing. Co-teaching is an instructional model used most frequently by special educators who are embedded in mainstream classrooms. At Eastern Mennonite University, a pilot first-year composition course was co-taught by a writing instructor and a librarian. The goal of the pilot was to create a rich learning environment where students would learn that research and writing are intertwined. The first-year composition course was an excellent venue for co-teaching since the course is dependent on students completing a research paper in order to pass the class. Conference attendees will learn about planning, implementation, and assessment methods and will be able to determine if co-teaching is a viable instructional method for their institution. The results of both qualitative and quantitative assessments will be shared along with anecdotal information about the success and failures of the pilot course.
S14: Resourceful Redesign: Using Pre-Session Videos to Supplement Information Literacy Instruction (session PDF)
Jacalyn Bryan and Elana Karshmer, Saint Leo University
In this presentation we will discuss the redesign of the library session for the Introduction to the University Experience course at Saint Leo University. This presentation will begin with a description of the course and a discussion of the reasons and the process used to change our teaching strategies. Prior to revising the library session, we conducted a thorough literature review to determine current best practices in information literacy instruction. One approach that seemed appropriate and innovative for our situation was the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning strategies for effective teaching (McREL). By combining the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education with the McREL strategies we created an innovative paradigm for designing instruction sessions that takes into account educational practices from both traditional library instruction scenarios and current trends in the field of education. To better engage students in the session we produced a humorous pre-session library video that introduces them to basic research skills. By creating a concrete instructional tool that could be utilized over the course of many semesters, we demonstrate how the resourceful use of available funds may be used in order to develop a program with longevity that requires less staffing. During the in-library session students participate in a constructivist cooperative learning activity which culminates in Library Jeopardy. Our presentation will provide an in-depth explanation of our redesign activities, as well as a discussion of how attendees can apply these methods to their own situations.
S15: Choose Your Own Teaching Adventure: A Resourceful Way to Balance Content Consistency with Teaching Styles in a Library Orientation Program (session PDF)
Katherine Hanz and Vincci Lui, McGill University
Is it possible to develop an information literacy workshop that is applicable to students from all levels and areas of study? Can that workshop address the unique teaching styles and preferences of all instructors? Does a generic workshop save individual time and effort and promote awareness of new teaching strategies? At McGill University (Montreal, QC), two librarians overhauled a generic orientation workshop to better address the incoming students’ information needs, accommodate their colleagues’ teaching styles, maintain content consistency and incorporate more active learning. A flexible teaching guide was created to encourage instructors to “choose their own adventure.” Librarians were able to customize their workshop, by making selections from a Powerpoint slide deck, and choosing from a variety of activities and teaching aids, including hands-on searching and suggested videos. Each teaching “adventure” was designed to meet the same learning objectives, but allowed librarians the flexibility to adjust workshop flow, based on their own teaching preferences, and on attendance demographics. Following Fall 2011 Orientation, an assessment survey was distributed to the librarians to determine the success of the workshop from the instructor’s perspective. The presentation will discuss the results of the survey, the creation process of the workshop, and how staff training initiatives were used to get buy-in from colleagues.
S16: Reel Life, Reel Students, Reel Experiences: Videos as a Teaching and Learning Tool (session PDF)
Norda Majekodunmi, York University
How can you make your information literacy classes more interesting? How can you engage students in critical thinking in a more meaningful way? Use videos! Videos are not only entertaining and engaging, but they are wonderful as an instructional too as demonstrated by studies. While libraries have harnessed the power of videos to create their own promotional videos, few have created their own teaching and learning tools. At York University, two librarians worked on a video project that traced the real experience of incoming students and their development of academic literacies skills (research, writing and learning) during their first year in university. The result was Learning: In Our Own Words; a series of seven unique student-driven YouTube videos capturing the authentic student voice and experience. A teaching guide accompanying each video was designed with specific learning objectives and includes discussion questions and a sample lesson plan to promote active learning. The presenter will share insights learned while planning, creating, and using these videos as a teaching and learning tool.
S17: Aren’t We All Trying To Do the Same Thing?: Four Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions Collaborating to Create an Information Literacy Assessment Tool (session PDF)
Nancy Goebel, University of Alberta, Jessica Knoch, Grant MacEwan University, Michelle Edwards Thomson, Red Deer College, Rebekah (Becky) Willson, Mount Royal University
A focus on assessment in post-secondary environments has prompted libraries to assess the effectiveness of their information literacy (IL) programming. Recognizing the need to evaluate the impact IL has on student learning and to benchmark that impact against other institutions of similar scope and size, the Information Literacy Assessment in Alberta Pilot (ILAAP) working group was formed in January 2011 to create and pilot a cross-institutional IL assessment tool. A collaborative effort between MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, Red Deer College and University of Alberta (Augustana Campus), ILAAP’s primary goals are exploratory (to evaluate the experience and resulting tools from this pilot project to consider the potential for an expanded tool that could be used to assess IL skills involving additional partners) and evaluative (to determine the breadth and depth of IL learning of post-secondary students and use this data to effect change at many levels). Join us as we discuss the challenges of a multi-campus partnership and the creation of a WASSAIL-driven IL assessment tool. We will delve into the logistics of implementing the cross-institutional pilot project, discuss preliminary results and share the lessons learned along the way.
S18: Instructional Practices in Canadian Academic Libraries: Longitudinal Trends and International Comparisons
Heidi Julien, University of Alabama and Maria C. Tan, University of Alberta
This presentation will showcase the latest results (2011) of Canada’s only longitudinal study of information literacy (IL) practices in academic libraries. The goal of this research program is to increase understanding of those activities, and to improve instruction. The ways in which IL instruction is organized, delivered, and evaluated are the focus of the project. The latest data are the result of the fourth and most recent in a series of national surveys, which began in the mid-1990s; these data show longitudinal trends observable over the past one and one-half decades. The survey was sent electronically to 384 English-language and 126 French-language library staff with instructional responsibilities in all Canadian university and college libraries. The response rate was 24.1% (n=123). Some trends are encouraging, e.g., more respondents indicate that information technology is improving instructional content and delivery, and greater numbers of libraries are preparing written statements of objectives for their instructional programs. However, a more worrisome trend is that formal evaluation of instructional efforts is decreasing. Challenges identified in the earlier surveys remain, including resource constraints and a lack of administrative support, as well as difficulties gaining support from campus teaching faculty and from students. The survey data also will be compared with results of recent international data, to contextualize Canadian information literacy instructional practices within the global landscape. This research offers opportunities to celebrate successes in IL instruction, to identify best practices, to identify gaps in the instructional landscape, and to promote IL instruction.
S19: From Research Methods to Professional Development: New Approaches to Information Literacy for Music Graduate Students in Performance (session PDF)
Brian McMillan and Cathy Martin, McGill University
A 2009 program-wide revision of graduate studies at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music produced specific course modules tailored to the needs of students in such diverse disciplines as musicology, theory, education, sound recording, technology, and performance. The professional development stream, in particular, targets the needs of young performers. Music faculty and librarians designed a new professional development course that combines the essential elements of traditional music research methods with skills required of performing musicians including grant-writing, finding and interpreting repertoire, and communicating with audiences. The proposed WILU presentation will explore the decisions made in designing the course and its implementation over the last two years. Librarians Brian McMillan and Cathy Martin will describe the ways music information literacy has been enhanced by addressing not only academic needs of students researching and writing papers but also the more practice-based professional development and performance needs of musicians. Course goals and outcomes, experimental assignments, and the potential for application in other disciplines will be discussed.
S20: Academic Uses of Google Earth and Google Maps in a Library Setting (session PDF)
Eva Dodsworth, University of Waterloo and Andrew Nicholson, University of Toronto
Over the last several years, Google Earth and Google Maps have become increasingly utilized in academic libraries for promoting and delivering a variety of library services. These have included instructional collaborations with faculty to promoting student engagement across programs and campuses. Seeking to find out exactly how academic libraries were using Google Maps and Google Earth (if at all), the authors launched a online survey in December 2010 to see just what kind of impact the Google mapping products were having in the academic library setting. Receiving over 80 responses from academic librarians and staff from across Canada and the United States, the results showed that over 90% of the respondents use Google Earth and Google Maps for some area of their professional duties in a academic library. These included answering research questions, developing instructional materials for courses, and building tools to promotion and marketing. This presentation will discuss the survey results and summarize the way academic libraries are utilizing Google Earth and Google Maps for instruction, research, and student engagement.
S21: Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Technology-Oriented Support by Liaison Librarians at the University of Alberta (session PDF)
Eileen Rose, University of Alberta
This presentation will be based on findings from a research study carried out at the University of Alberta. This pilot study will investigate faculty members’ perceptions of and experiences with technology-oriented support for scholarly research and teaching, offered through the University of Alberta library system. In order for faculty members to successfully deal with the abundance of e-resources and technological tools available for their research and teaching, they may attend group sessions tailored to meet this need. These types of sessions, offered by liaison librarians, are intended to help faculty incorporate technology into their research processes and teaching, and to stay current on the latest research in their field. The workshop-type events include but are not limited to topics such as setting up alerting services through RSS feeds and using bibliographic management tools. Analyses of faculty outreach programs have overlooked an in-depth examination of faculty members’ attitudes toward liaison librarian led, technology-focused sessions at a large Canadian research-intensive academic library. This study will help to inform practitioners about what aspects of these sessions are helpful or need to be re-evaluated. Librarians will also gain insight into the types of technological support faculty members would utilize, if available.
S22: Authentic and Active: A Pilot Project to Assess a Large-scale Information Literacy Program (session PDF)
Jessica Knoch, Richard Hayman, Lisa Shamchuk, and Leah Townsend, Grant MacEwan University
The dual goals of helping students achieve immediate success in their first year English class and developing a baseline set of IL skills and attitudes form the basis of MacEwan University Library’s English Library Instruction Program (ELIP). With more than 120 sessions offered each year, ELIP has become a sizable yet essential service offered by MacEwan University Library. While the resources, personnel and time needed to develop and administer ELIP at MacEwan are substantial, these needs are mitigated by the impact that this program may have on student ability to locate and evaluate information relevant to their courses. In January 2011, MacEwan University Library undertook a pilot project to begin measuring this impact. Informed by the assessment-for-learning theory, ELIP team members designed a pedagogical approach that included a learning tool to collect assessment data while providing an authentic and active learning experience for students. A rubric was then used to evaluate the learning tool and determine the extent of student learning. Join us as we discuss how we blended authentic IL assessment with fresh pedagogical approaches to demonstrate the effectiveness of our library’s largest instructional program. Preliminary results will be shared along with the tools you will need to deliver a similar program in your institution.
S23: A New role in the Archives and Special Collections: The Challenge of Providing Research and Instructional Support to Graduate Students, Faculty and Other Researchers (session PDF and bibliography)
Olga Perkovic, McMaster University
This presentation will report on the challenge of transitioning from a subject liaison role serving primarily undergraduate students to an advanced research and instructional support role for graduate students, faculty and other researchers who use the university library’s archives and special collections. This session will examine how a librarian can build on past knowledge, experience and practice to provide reference and instructional support to graduate students, faculty and researchers. What information literacy skills are required to search for, find and effectively use primary sources and to navigate archival systems? Are different approaches and techniques to teaching required? What instruction and research services will best support the graduate programs at the university? The session will also investigate how librarians can collaborate with archivists to provide instructional services to graduate students. The importance of strong partnerships with faculty to help integrate primary source materials into the curriculum will also be examined. The presentation will report on the transition, to-date, and discussion will centre around soliciting input from the audience on issues such as the challenge of acquiring knowledge in archival and special collections to effectively guide and instruct users through the process of original research in these areas.
S24: Developing Dispositions for Inquiry: Librarians and Faculty Working Together (session PDF)
Jo-Anne Naslund and Margot Filipenko, University of British Columbia
Knowing more about the critical attitudes, abilities and skills essential for inquiry, can help librarians and faculty as they plan and deliver meaningful library instruction. “Inquiry is not just something you do, it is a disposition that underlies all teaching” and learning. (Friesen, 2008). At the University of British Columbia, teacher candidates engage in inquiry to develop deep understandings of teaching. They ask questions and persist in the search for evidence. They apply several modes of reasoning to synthesize their findings and communicate their augmented knowledge and solutions to problems. This focus on inquiry has resulted in their critical engagement with theory, robust and continuous synthesis of ideas, and active participation in how they learn to be teachers. (Erickson et al., 2010) This session will present two perspectives that of a faculty member and a librarian on some of the challenges and successes of a problem based learning cohort in the teacher education program at UBC, review some of the implications for sustaining the program, and offer participants a chance to share their own experiences of problem based learning and ways of re-shaping library instruction to enhance professional inquiry.
S25: Massive! Open! Online!: Understanding MOOCs and Their Impact on Library Instruction and Services (session PDF)
Kevin Stranack, Simon Fraser University Library
Rapid technological change is allowing for stronger virtual connections between people than ever before. At the university, this is leading to new ideas about how online teaching and learning happen, and has led to the development of MOOCs: massive, open, online courses. MOOCs break down the boundaries of the traditional online course, releasing it from the rigid confines of the Course Management System (CMS), and inviting anyone with Internet access to actively participate in the learning experience – sometimes in the tens, sometimes in the thousands. Based on the emerging theory of connectivism, MOOCs value the connections between people as a significant source of learning, understanding, and knowledge building. Expanding the network of connections through open participation expands the learning opportunities throughout the life of the course and after it is officially completed. For academic librarians, this requires some rethinking of our role in the teaching and learning process. MOOCs require open educational resources (OER), as connections cannot be built using content from licensed journals or databases, as much of this will not be available to participants outside of the home institution. MOOCs need librarians to find and organize OERs! MOOCs make heavy use of social media tools such as Twitter to build the global network of connections. MOOCs need librarians to find scholarly social media contacts in a variety of subject areas! MOOCs often use reflective blogging for student assignments rather than formal academic papers. MOOCs need librarians who can help with effective online writing and can provide lists of scholarly blogs. MOOCs thrive on active participation of a wide variety of experts. MOOCs need librarians to get involved!
S26: Scholar For a Day: Teaching Research Methods in a Library Workshop (session PDF)
Alyssa Deutschler, University of Washington – Bothell and Cascadia Community College
This session focuses on a research methodology workshop for undergraduates developed by librarians and faculty at the University of Washington. The workshop asks students in groups to use various research methodologies to gather information on a set topic. The methods used vary by discipline and instructor, but have included: interviewing; participant observation; surveying; quantitative data analysis; community mapping and primary source/archival analysis. Over the span of the two hour session, students perform their research, evaluate the results and then analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Some may question how teaching research methods intersects with traditional information literacy instruction. I argue that giving students an opportunity to get hands-on experience with research – if even for a class session – helps them to gain greater understanding of the scholarly process and reifies the differences between scholarly and popular sources. It provides a chance to go beyond simply describing the methods used by scholars and allows students to actively experience them.
S27: Libraries and the Frontiers of Discovery (Learning) (session PDF)
Lindsay Johnston and Allison Sivak, University of Alberta
How can libraries and librarians respond to diverse pedagogies within postsecondary institutions? The University of Alberta Science and Technology Library piloted an integrated library instruction program with a novel integrated first-year science course. This course employed the pedagogy of discovery learning in order to encourage students to think across scientific disciplines. Part-way through the project, the coordinating librarians recognized that their instructional approach was not functioning as planned, and so began an investigation of how library instruction and discovery learning intersect. This session will provide the results of this review, looking to determine the place pedagogical theories hold within the IL literature. We will then present a conceptual paper, drawing on the literatures of education and LIS in order to create a model of how libraries can respond to different pedagogical methods. We will provide an example of successful approach to instruction within the context of Discovery Learning, that engages students in a discussion of search methods and tools that they have already tried, and an exploration of further strategies led by the librarian instructor.
S28: Best practices for Very Large Team Teaching: A Case Study of a Graduate Course in Health Librarianship (session PDF)
Trish Chatterley and Dagmara Chojecki, University of Alberta
Eleven librarians at a large academic health sciences library developed and taught the graduate level “Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship” course at the university’s School of Library and Information Studies. A research project was undertaken to assess the perceived effectiveness of very large team teaching, and to develop best practices for large team teaching in health librarianship education. The eleven librarians all participated in the development of a new curriculum and provided input about assignments. The course consisted of twelve three-hour classes delivered over a thirteen week period. Each librarian taught part or all of at least one class, several helped grade assignments, and several more mentored students for their systematic review searching assignment. This active involvement in several stages differentiates the course from others that are organized by one instructor but taught primarily by guest lecturers. To evaluate the benefits and effectiveness of this team teaching approach, evaluations were distributed to students at the mid-point of the course and again upon its completion. The librarians involved were also surveyed about their contributions to the course and their feelings of integration with the team. The experience and the survey results were used to establish best practices for large team teaching. Results show that the students are very happy with the large team teaching approach and find benefit in being exposed to the expertise of a large number of practicing professionals. The instructors valued high levels of communication among themselves and recognized the importance of consistent communications with the students.
L1: Sharing Knowledge: Knowledge Mobilization and the Academic Librarian (session PDF)
Laura Koltutsky, University of Calgary
Knowledge mobilization is about extending research dissemination to inform people and organizations, especially practitioners and policy makers. Strengthening these connections helps to increase the impact of research on building solutions to the challenges that face society today – socially, economically, environmentally and culturally. Knowledge mobilization is a new reality that the next generation of graduate students, practitioners, and faculty will need to consider when researching and publishing. Granting agencies and academic institutions are requiring a more effective dissemination and adoption of research into professional practice. Librarians should be taking on a more active role in this process. We can act as partners and dissemination consultants to connect with faculty and students as they develop knowledge mobilization plans. Librarians can also develop teaching resources that outline current practice of knowledge mobilization and how the library can support or partner with these efforts. As a collaborator on a three year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant with my Social Work Faculty I have learned firsthand how this process can and should involve librarians who work with both graduate students and faculty to develop and implement knowledge mobilization strategies.
L2: Applying universal design to information literacy instruction (session PDF)
Andrea Miller-Nesbitt, McGill University
The Canadian University Survey Consortium (2010) reported that in 2010, 7% of first-year students self-identify as having a disability, up from 5% in 2001. It is likely that these numbers will continue to increase in the coming years. Therefore, it is important for academic libraries to be proactive and anticipate the needs of this growing user group. Adaptations must be considered not only for library spaces and collections, but also for services such as information literacy instruction. Universal design is an approach to creating environments, programs and services so that they are usable by the largest number of people possible (Institute for Human Centered Design, 2011). In this poster I intend to demonstrate how librarians can improve the accessibility of their information literacy sessions by applying the principles of universal design. I will discuss the various challenges that people with different types of learning disabilities face. I will then suggest concrete ways in which academic librarians can use the theoretical underpinnings of universal design to inform the planning and design of their teaching in order to make it more accessible for students with learning disabilities. Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC). (2010). CUSC 2010 First-year university student survey – Master report. Retrieved on April 21st, 2011, from http://www.cusc-ccreu.ca/publications.htm. Institute for Human Centered Design. (2011). Universal design: What is universal design?. Retrieved on April 21st, 2011, from http://www.adaptenv.org/index.php?option=Content&Itemid=3.
L3: A Sampling of Post-Secondary Integrated Information Literacy Programs in BC (session PDF)
Jennifer Brownlow, Vancouver Island University, and Jennifer Sigalet, Okanagan College
The goal of this poster session is to bring together useful information on the integrated information literacy programs (IILP) of four BC post-secondary institutions. By showcasing these grassroots programs we hope to stimulate future discussions of common issues and best practices in this growing area of academic libraries. The poster content will include the history and scope of each program; partners involved; data on classes/students impacted; and other relevant information. Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library has formally implemented integrated information literacy modules into the Public Policy BA Degree curriculum for two courses in 2011. Librarians teach for one week per semester in the first and third year courses. Okanagan College Library’s CILRI Project (Course Integrated Library Research Instruction) piloted in 2009 and accepted in 2010, formalized embedding higher-level IL skills into the curriculum of all first year English courses. Librarians at Okanagan College received the 2011 CTCL Innovation Achievement Award for the development and implementation of CILRI. University of the Fraser Valley Library has been providing a required IL component to several courses for more than 15 years. In 2009 UFV added a new course, Business 100, which serves as the model UFV wants to follow for future collaborations. Vancouver Island University Library began an IILP in 2005 as a component in required English courses. In the newly articulated mandate, the library leads the collaborative development and implementation of literacy standards and objectives for the university’s diverse learning community. Refined through subsequent feedback and experience, this initiative focuses on problem-based research and critical skills, and is foundational to anticipated future offerings.
L4: Unshelving the Human Learning Library at Your Institution (session PDF)
Robyn Hall and Sona Macnaughton, Red Deer College
Human Libraries are taking place all over the world as a means of bringing communities together to share diverse experiences and encourage understanding. At Red Deer College, librarians have discovered that using this event concept specifically as a professional development tool encourages dialogue and fosters growth and innovation in teaching and learning practices. This presentation will address the process librarians went through to organize and host this event, and the resulting benefits shared among teaching staff and student participants. Learn about how your own institution can encourage both instructors and students to take on the role of “living books” reflecting upon and sharing their teaching and learning strategies and inspiring their peers.
