Purpose of the Course

Goals & Objectives

Course Requirements

Grading

Conduct of the Class

Textbook and Readings

Topic Outline

INLS 210-36
USER EDUCATION

Summer 1998
July 20 - Aug. 4, 2:45-6:00 pm
Room 214

Purpose of the Course

This course is intended for LIS students (both LS and IS) who wish to prepare to provide a formal training program of some kind. The course will examine the history and context of LIS training programs (variously called bibliographic instruction, information literacy, user education, information management education, short courses in information technology use, and the like) through reading and speakers. Pedagogy and teaching skills will be directly addressed as well as practice and evaluation of others. Students will have the opportunity to tailor one or more learning projects to their particular interests.

Goals and Objectives

Overall Goal: Students will develop a professional perspective through reading, discussion, and practical application pertinent to the challenges and practice of user education in the library/information science field.

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze an environment relative to need for knowledge or skills and design an appropriate educational program

  2. Clarify their own value set of what constitutes good teaching

  3. Describe at least two different learning theories and apply to user education situations

  4. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of a systematic design approach to instruction

  5. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of an active learning approach to instruction

  6. Analyze and describe the pertinent characteristics of a targeted user population

  7. Plan, create and evaluate an educational training session for a specified user population using a lecture or lecture and discussion mode

  8. Plan, create and evaluate an educational training session for a specified user population using some form of independent tutorial

Course Requirements

There are three primary requirements: reading commentaries, a teaching portfolio, and a project or paper. (See the assignment sheet for more detail) Each requirement will count for about a third of the grade. Some of the assignments may be done optionally as a team of 2 or 3. Each student will be asked to develop a contract stating what kinds of assignments they wish to choose for the portfolio and project/paper and what weighting they wish to place on each aspect. Written work will be made available to all members of the class on a designated web space. Each student will be expected to make a presentation and contribute to class discussions.

Grading and Assessment Method

Each reading commentary may earn up to 10 points (7-8 is a good acceptable grade; 9-10 indicates amazing and outstanding work; 6-7 means the paper could (and should) be improved; and >5 is not acceptable and we won't even talk about it).

The teaching portfolio plus presentation may earn up to 50 points distributed among 3-5 different pieces weighted as you think appropriate.

The paper or project also can earn up to 50 points. If you wish to combine the teaching portfolio with your project in some way and put all your efforts into a bigger activity, that is possible as well.

This is a success-oriented class. I expect everyone to earn a P (pass) demonstrating a Mastery level of knowledge and skill. This equates to a total earned point range between 105-120 (out of a possible 150 points).


Conduct of the Class

As a summer short course, we will meet every day. Your attendance at all class sessions is important! Each day's four-hour session will be structured loosely around one or more major topics (see schedule). A session will typically include one or two min-lectures, some group discussion based on relevant readings, a group meeting with the instructor, an occasional tutorial and student presentation.

You will usually have some time during the class period for reading or work on your various assignments.

The class will be divided into four groups for management and support purposes. I will meet with each group frequently throughout the class and will expect members of each group to share their work and provide colleagial assistance to one another in order to produce the best work possible.


Textbook and Readings

One textbook has been ordered for this class:

LaGuardia, Cheryl, et al. Teaching the New Library; A How-to-Do-It Manual for Planning and Designing Instructional Programs. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1996.

A second book is highly recommended and has been recalled for reserve. If the book is not available there are many copies of earlier editions in Davis that will probably do equally well. I have also ordered a few copies for INLS 308 which may be available to you if you wish to purchase it.
McKeachie, Wilbert J. Teaching Tips; Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 9th ed. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1994.

We will read the Laguardia et al book from cover to cover and selected chapters from McKeachie.

An extensive reserve reading list is available for you with some annotations as to general topic if not obvious from the title to help you select appropriately.

In addition, please become familiar with the following journals:

College & Research Libraries

Journal of Academic Librarianship

Journal of Instructional Psychology

RQ

Reference Services Review

Research Strategies

Training & Development

Topic Outline (Subject to Change)

July 20 HISTORY, CONTEXT, ISSUES

July 21LEARNING THEORIES

July 22PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION SUPPORT

July 23TEACHING AND LEARNING

July 24INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

July 27AUDIENCE ANALYSIS, LEARNING STYLES, MOTIVATION

July 28PHILOSOPHY, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, KSA TAXONOMIES

July 29THE TEACHING REPERTOIRE -- DIRECT INSTRUCTION

July 30THE TEACHING REPERTOIRE -- SUPPORT OF INDEPENDENT LEARNING

July 31DESIGNING LEARNING ACTIVITIES - EVALUATION

Aug. 1INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM PLANNING

Aug. 2REVIEW -- ISSUES REVISITED

©: Evelyn Daniel. All rights reserved.
Page revised 7/15/98.