Gammons, R. (2012). SIS Student Research Forum. TLA Annual Conference.

Student Engagement in Library Instruction:

Creating a Meaningful Instruction Experience

My Research Projects (2011-12)

General Education Undergraduate Instruction:

• Lib-Value: Teaching and Learning Committeeo Establishing the value, outcomes, and return on investment of

academic libraries.

• Information Evaluation: English 101o Using instructional scaffolding to create a system of meaning in

library instruction.

• Learning to Teach: MSIS Students and Library Instructiono Incorporating graduate students in library instruction to

strengthen and expand the program.

Perceptions of Libraries (2010)

53%

What do college students believe?

Information from a search engine is equally as trustworthy as information from library sources.

30%

Information from Wikipedia is equally as trustworthy as information from library sources.

78%

Trustworthiness of a source can be determined using personal knowledge and common sense.

78%

Where are we successful?

Students who use librarians agree that librarians add value to the research process.

71%

Students agree that librarian assistance is available when needed.

31%

A third of students indicate that the library’s value has “increased for them personally during the recession.”

Perceptions of Libraries (2010)

What Do We Know?

• Students want help – but want help finding the quickest way to satisfy their course requirements.

• Students want accurate information – but will choose a resource that is easy to use over one that is complex.

• Students do not understand discipline organized information or library specific terminology.

• Students will use Google

Making Instruction Meaningful

Student-Centered Teaching:

• Focus instruction on specific outcomes.

• Give students skills that are immediately applicable.

• Build on their existing research framework.

• Be willing to let things go.

First Impressions

Share your learning objectives:

After today’s session, you will be able to…

First Impressions

Why don’t college students use the library website?

23%

21%

17%

12%

11%

10%4%

Other sites have better information

Prefer to use the physical library

Web site does not have what I need

Fines are too much

Can't find what I need

Did not know it existed

Other

Keeping Students Engaged

Start with what they know:

http://www.utk.eduhttp://www.lib.utk.edu

Keeping Students Engaged

Explain when it is appropriate to Google:

http://www.google.com

Keeping Students Engaged

Provide a set of criteria to use in evaluation:

• Give a single set of criteria that can be used to evaluate any resource.o Information is not black and white, neither are

information resources.

• Demonstrate how to establish the credibility of a source

Keeping Students Engaged

Validate their concerns:

Getty Images.

Future Research

Assessing Student Learning:

• Creating a culture of assessment in the academic library.

• Embedding assessment within library instruction.

• Incorporating the ACRL Information Literacy Standards.

Sources

• OCLC (2010). Perceptions of Libraries: Context and Communities. Available online at: http://www.oclc.org/reports/2010perceptions.htm

• Gibbons, S. & Reeb, B. (2004). Students, Librarians and Subject Guides: Improving a Poor Rate of Return. Libraries and the Academy. (4)1. 123-130.