Presentation Type

Presentation

Location

New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich, RI

Start Date

21-6-2019 10:45 AM

End Date

21-6-2019 11:30 AM

Description

Since 2017, a library director and English professor have been collaborating on an embedded librarian project for a required Critical Thinking seminar. Our guiding concept is inquiry-based learning, and we have seen students connect with information literacy more deeply as we encourage them to explore information resources and to consider what scholarly conversation means to them. Our goal is to seamlessly blend elements of the ACRL Framework with the learning objectives and content of the seminar through hands-on activities related to research and writing assignments. Tying the Framework to ongoing projects has resulted in a higher level of engagement and greater sense of purpose. We want to nurture their entrance into scholarly discourse, and we find this kind of critical pedagogy takes the focus off of us and what we know and allows us to encourage our students’ ideas and voices.

One way we use inquiry-based learning is through a personalized learning approach, which allows students to engage with information literacy in a way that relates to their individual passions and projects. When students are working on essays about the novel Frankenstein, for example, we do a workshop to help them think about Research as Inquiry and Searching as a Strategic Exploration. Since they are looking for sources related to their paper topics, they are able to engage critically and meaningfully in their search of the library’s databases. We ask each student to find one book and one article and to locate key information about those sources to discover whether they are credible and useful. As they connect what they find with their ongoing projects, their engagement is high, and they continue to demonstrate a strong grasp of what they’ve learned when working on further projects.

Another way we use inquiry-based learning is through collaborative construction of meaning. For example, we do a two-part activity for Research as Inquiry and Authority is Constructed and Contextual in which small groups engage with research topics. On the first day, students choose their groups based on broad topics they find interesting (for example, zombies), and then they work together first to narrow the topics and then to find credible and useful sources. As they work, they discover how research and topic development intersect. For example, a group interested in the history of zombies discovers the relationship between zombie legends and slavery, which helps them narrow their topic further. They return to the larger group to share challenges and discoveries. On the second day, the groups reunite to examine their sources in order to determine credibility and authority. As they return to the larger group, they can discover common trends, and they can also engage in a larger discussion about authority and credibility. Not only do they gain familiarity with information resources, which becomes clear as they work on their research papers, but they also begin thinking about authority in nuanced, critical ways and seeing themselves as part of a scholarly conversation.

Learning Objectives:

  • Attendees will learn how to apply framework concepts in a collaborative environment.
  • Attendees will learn how to nurture students’ critical approaches to new information.
  • Attendees will learn how to foster a sense of passion and encourage persistence by tying information literacy skills to issues of importance to the student.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Jun 21st, 10:45 AM Jun 21st, 11:30 AM

No Zombies Here!​: An Inquiry-Based Learning Approach to an Embedded Librarian Project

New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich, RI

Since 2017, a library director and English professor have been collaborating on an embedded librarian project for a required Critical Thinking seminar. Our guiding concept is inquiry-based learning, and we have seen students connect with information literacy more deeply as we encourage them to explore information resources and to consider what scholarly conversation means to them. Our goal is to seamlessly blend elements of the ACRL Framework with the learning objectives and content of the seminar through hands-on activities related to research and writing assignments. Tying the Framework to ongoing projects has resulted in a higher level of engagement and greater sense of purpose. We want to nurture their entrance into scholarly discourse, and we find this kind of critical pedagogy takes the focus off of us and what we know and allows us to encourage our students’ ideas and voices.

One way we use inquiry-based learning is through a personalized learning approach, which allows students to engage with information literacy in a way that relates to their individual passions and projects. When students are working on essays about the novel Frankenstein, for example, we do a workshop to help them think about Research as Inquiry and Searching as a Strategic Exploration. Since they are looking for sources related to their paper topics, they are able to engage critically and meaningfully in their search of the library’s databases. We ask each student to find one book and one article and to locate key information about those sources to discover whether they are credible and useful. As they connect what they find with their ongoing projects, their engagement is high, and they continue to demonstrate a strong grasp of what they’ve learned when working on further projects.

Another way we use inquiry-based learning is through collaborative construction of meaning. For example, we do a two-part activity for Research as Inquiry and Authority is Constructed and Contextual in which small groups engage with research topics. On the first day, students choose their groups based on broad topics they find interesting (for example, zombies), and then they work together first to narrow the topics and then to find credible and useful sources. As they work, they discover how research and topic development intersect. For example, a group interested in the history of zombies discovers the relationship between zombie legends and slavery, which helps them narrow their topic further. They return to the larger group to share challenges and discoveries. On the second day, the groups reunite to examine their sources in order to determine credibility and authority. As they return to the larger group, they can discover common trends, and they can also engage in a larger discussion about authority and credibility. Not only do they gain familiarity with information resources, which becomes clear as they work on their research papers, but they also begin thinking about authority in nuanced, critical ways and seeing themselves as part of a scholarly conversation.

Learning Objectives:

  • Attendees will learn how to apply framework concepts in a collaborative environment.
  • Attendees will learn how to nurture students’ critical approaches to new information.
  • Attendees will learn how to foster a sense of passion and encourage persistence by tying information literacy skills to issues of importance to the student.