Teaching the Teachers A large-scale information literacy collaboration at UMass Amherst

The problem How to reach 100% of student with information literacy instruction/programming Intrinsic motivation: graduate information-literate students Extrinsic motivation: accreditation standards

How to reach 100% of student with information literacy instruction/programming

Intrinsic motivation: graduate information-literate students

Extrinsic motivation: accreditation standards

NEASC Accreditation Standards 4.6 The institution ensures that students use information resources and information technology as an integral part of their education. The institution provides appropriate orientation and training for use of these resources, as well as instruction and support in information literacy and information technology appropriate to the degree level and field of study. 7.8 The institution demonstrates that students use information resources and technology as an integral part of their education, attaining levels of proficiency appropriate to their degree and subject or professional field of study. The institution ensures that students have available and are appropriately directed to sources of information appropriate to support and enrich their academic work, and that throughout their program students gain increasingly sophisticated skills in evaluating the quality of information sources. (See also 4.6 )

4.6 The institution ensures that students use information resources and information technology as an integral part of their education. The institution provides appropriate orientation and training for use of these resources, as well as instruction and support in information literacy and information technology appropriate to the degree level and field of study.

7.8 The institution demonstrates that students use information resources and technology as an integral part of their education, attaining levels of proficiency appropriate to their degree and subject or professional field of study. The institution ensures that students have available and are appropriately directed to sources of information appropriate to support and enrich their academic work, and that throughout their program students gain increasingly sophisticated skills in evaluating the quality of information sources. (See also 4.6 )

The campus Public, land grant university Enrollment (Fall 2007) 20,114 undergraduate 5,759 graduate 1,175 faculty Severe shortage of computer classrooms

Public, land grant university

Enrollment (Fall 2007)

20,114 undergraduate

5,759 graduate

1,175 faculty

Severe shortage of computer classrooms

The Library 17 instruction librarians from among Research & Instructional Services, Integrated Sciences & Engineering Library, Learning Commons Liaison program : each librarian works with 1 to 10 or more departments, including instruction responsibilities Three instruction rooms 19 student workstations 11 student workstations 15 student workstations (Science Library)

17 instruction librarians from among Research & Instructional Services, Integrated Sciences & Engineering Library, Learning Commons

Liaison program : each librarian works with 1 to 10 or more departments, including instruction responsibilities

Three instruction rooms

19 student workstations

11 student workstations

15 student workstations (Science Library)

The Writing Program Independent academic unit serving entire campus community Part of General Education Three major components: First Year Writing Program Junior Year Writing Program Writing Center (located in Learning Commons)

Independent academic unit serving entire campus community

Part of General Education

Three major components:

First Year Writing Program

Junior Year Writing Program

Writing Center (located in Learning Commons)

First Year Writing Required course: reaches 100% of campus population 90-100 sections per semester Taught by a combination of graduate student teaching associates (mostly) and faculty Administrative staff including director, assistant directors

Required course: reaches 100% of campus population

90-100 sections per semester

Taught by a combination of graduate student teaching associates (mostly) and faculty

Administrative staff including director, assistant directors

History of library involvement in First Year Writing Librarian-led one-shot instruction courses Percentage of sections reached would wax and wane with library staffing levels One-shots were often general intros to library research (in 50 minutes!) Librarians competed with many other campus entities for a "piece" of First Year Writing (e.g. Alcohol Education)

Librarian-led one-shot instruction courses

Percentage of sections reached would wax and wane with library staffing levels

One-shots were often general intros to library research (in 50 minutes!)

Librarians competed with many other campus entities for a "piece" of First Year Writing (e.g. Alcohol Education)

A New Approach 2006-2007: Library partnered with Writing Program administration to write information literacy instruction into existing First Year Writing curriculum Unit 3: Adding to a Conversation: "locate multiple sources of information and ideas on your own and communicate what you learn from them with a more public audience." Librarians would "train the trainers" to lead their own students through the basics of locating and evaluating appropriate information for the assignment

2006-2007: Library partnered with Writing Program administration to write information literacy instruction into existing First Year Writing curriculum

Unit 3: Adding to a Conversation: "locate multiple sources of information and ideas on your own and communicate what you learn from them with a more public audience."

Librarians would "train the trainers" to lead their own students through the basics of locating and evaluating appropriate information for the assignment

Components of new approach In-person library training sessions for all First Year Writing instructors: basics of navigating library website, database searching, retrieving articles Supporting documentation : detailed step-by-step sample searches aligned with model essay topics from course text Instructors who completed training became eligible to reserve a library instruction classroom for one of their course meetings Supplementary evening drop-in help sessions for students to get one-on-one help from librarians

In-person library training sessions for all First Year Writing instructors: basics of navigating library website, database searching, retrieving articles

Supporting documentation : detailed step-by-step sample searches aligned with model essay topics from course text

Instructors who completed training became eligible to reserve a library instruction classroom for one of their course meetings

Supplementary evening drop-in help sessions for students to get one-on-one help from librarians

Sample Searches Database; Topic; Concepts 1. Academic Search Premier; School Violence; Narrowing a Topic & Dealing with Results 2. Google Scholar; Ethics of Stem Cell Research; Getting Access to Articles Without Paying, Basic Searching, Following a Conversation 3. ERIC; Standardized Assessment in Education; Using Specialized Subject Databases/Special Database Limiters 4. LexisNexis Academic; Censorship in School Newspapers; Finding Television/Radio Transcripts, Finding Articles from University Newspapers

Database; Topic; Concepts

1. Academic Search Premier; School Violence; Narrowing a Topic & Dealing with Results

2. Google Scholar; Ethics of Stem Cell Research; Getting Access to Articles Without Paying, Basic Searching, Following a Conversation

3. ERIC; Standardized Assessment in Education; Using Specialized Subject Databases/Special Database Limiters

4. LexisNexis Academic; Censorship in School Newspapers; Finding Television/Radio Transcripts, Finding Articles from University Newspapers

Evolution of support model Expanded online documentation and information to support instructors LibGuide to support students, including video tutorials .

Expanded online documentation and information to support instructors

LibGuide to support students, including video tutorials .

Measuring success No formalized assessment program in place--yet. Number of classroom reservations has grown each semester (most recent: 65) LibGuide: 1992 page hits in Fall 2008 Attendance at optional drop-in help sessions: small, but meaningful Positive feedback from program directors, instructors

No formalized assessment program in place--yet.

Number of classroom reservations has grown each semester (most recent: 65)

LibGuide: 1992 page hits in Fall 2008

Attendance at optional drop-in help sessions: small, but meaningful

Positive feedback from program directors, instructors

Future Needs More formal assessment plan Better tailoring of targeted databases/sources to support level of information students are seeking More support for instructors More video tutorials More, bigger, better teaching spaces

More formal assessment plan

Better tailoring of targeted databases/sources to support level of information students are seeking

More support for instructors

More video tutorials

More, bigger, better teaching spaces

Other Library-Writing Program Collaborations Junior Year Writing: subject liaisons work with faculty to present discipline-based information literacy instruction Writing Center: service partner in Learning Commons Librarians serve on Faculty Senate University Writing Committee, General Education Council

Junior Year Writing: subject liaisons work with faculty to present discipline-based information literacy instruction

Writing Center: service partner in Learning Commons

Librarians serve on Faculty Senate University Writing Committee, General Education Council

Thank you! Emily Alling Coordinator, Learning Commons & Undergraduate Library Services University of Massachusetts, Amherst [email_address] Presentation available at: http://www.slideshare.net/ealling