Semi-Structured Interviews: A Team-Based Approach to Design, Implementation, and Analysis

This chapter explores semi-structured interviewing as a research method in the context of a study investigating the impact of a library workshop on faculty teaching practices. In addition to covering interview guide design, strategies for conducting interviews, and qualitative coding, the chapter shares lessons learned by a novice practitioner-researcher and suggestions for team-based qualitative research

Sink or Swim? A Case-Study Approach to Teaching Information Evaluation

This paper is part of the LOEX 2019 conference proceedings and reports on an engaging information evaluation lesson designed by a team of librarians at Utah State University. Teaching evaluation skills in the highly emotional world of fake news is a daunting task. The lesson described here uses realistic case studies to give students the critical distance necessary to practice evaluation before diving into their personal research and biases. The article outlines the lesson’s case study activity and rationale in teaching students adaptable evaluation skills that they can apply in their academic, professional, and personal lives

Librarians in the Lead: A Case for Interdisciplinary Faculty Collaboration on Assignment Design

Assignment design provides a potential niche for librarians to fill in improving research assignments and in providing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration on teaching, but this can be difficult work to claim as librarians. In the 2016-2017 academic year, a team of three librarians at Utah State University, a mid-size research university, piloted an assignment design workshop for faculty. Based on a model developed by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), our workshop’s core component was a structured, librarian-facilitated small group discussion among three to four faculty members from a range of academic departments. Interdisciplinary conversation about teaching research skills thrived in these discussions (called “charrettes”), with librarians uniquely positioned to encourage knowledge sharing in service of student learning and success. This article presents three iterations of our workshops as a case study in information literacy intervention outside traditional classroom instruction sessions, extending and redefining the role of the academic librarian as a partner in teaching and learning

Chatting Without Borders: Assessment as the First Step in Cultivating an Accessible Chat Reference Service

As distance education programs grow at college and universities across the country, libraries must ensure virtual reference services are prepared to meet the needs of patrons in these programs. This article describes the process and results of a 2018 chat analysis conducted at a midsize research university with a large distance education program. The authors discuss the implications of their findings, as well as their process of closing the assessment loop. By using data to inform changes to virtual reference services, chat becomes more accessible and approachable to all users regardless of location

A Tale of Five Case Studies: Reflections on Piloting a Case-Based, Problem-Based Learning Curriculum in English Composition

Part of a volume about storytelling in academic library contexts, this chapter reflects on the use of case studies in a sequenced information literacy curriculum in ENGL 2010 (Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode). In highly interactive sessions across the semester, students collaboratively researched a case study topic and co-created artifacts that reflected their shared journey as researchers. The chapter is organized into the following sections, consistent with the other chapters in the book: classroom vignette, storytelling goal, audience, delivery, theory, cultural considerations, and practical examples. Readers will learn about things to consider when using case-based problem-based learning (CBPBL) through reading about case study details, curricular design, and students’ experiences with the lessons

Faculty Teaching and Librarian-Facilitated Assignment Design

This qualitative study explores the impact of a workshop on collaborative research assignment design that brought together an interdisciplinary group of faculty in a librarian-facilitated community of practice. Faculty participants attended the workshop, revised and implemented their assignments, and completed a follow-up interview. Themes that emerged reflected shifts in faculty teaching practices, including increased scaffolding, clarity, modeling, student collaboration, and opportunities for authentic learning. Gaining insight into how faculty approach the work of teaching directly impacts library instruction and how librarians can contribute to communities of practice among teachers in the academy

Instruction Inspiration: A Charrette for Music Librarians

Interactive session. Coming from architecture praxis and used in multiple design disciplines, a charrette is a structured period of intense feedback where participants work together to solve a design problem. The activity can easily be used by instructors to improve lesson plans or teaching artifacts in collaboration. Beginning with a warm-up practice activity where participants can learn how charrettes work, this session will primarily be comprised of focused small-group sharing, feedback, and brainstorming. Each participant should bring a lesson plan, teaching artifact, or other instructional challenge about which they would like to receive feedback. Small groups will be facilitated by an experienced instruction librarian. This dynamic session will offer participants immediate and actionable feedback to refresh their instruction, demonstrate a model for peer feedback they can bring back to their institutions, and encourage the formation of a teaching community of practice through the sharing of ideas and materials

Instruction Inspiration: A Charrette for Music Librarians

Interactive session. Coming from architecture praxis and used in multiple design disciplines, a charrette is a structured period of intense feedback where participants work together to solve a design problem. The activity can easily be used by instructors to improve lesson plans or teaching artifacts in collaboration. Beginning with a warm-up practice activity where participants can learn how charrettes work, this session will primarily be comprised of focused small-group sharing, feedback, and brainstorming. Each participant should bring a lesson plan, teaching artifact, or other instructional challenge about which they would like to receive feedback. Small groups will be facilitated by an experienced instruction librarian. This dynamic session will offer participants immediate and actionable feedback to refresh their instruction, demonstrate a model for peer feedback they can bring back to their institutions, and encourage the formation of a teaching community of practice through the sharing of ideas and materials

Case Studies in the Classroom: Assessing a Pilot Information Literacy Curriculum for English Composition

Purpose This mixed-methods study assesses a pilot library curriculum in a general education English composition course. Case-based learning (CBL), a form of problem-based learning (PBL), was used to scaffold information literacy skills and concepts across sessions. This article explores the approach\u27s impact on student learning and engagement. Design/methodology/approach Participants were enrolled in four sections of an undergraduate composition course. Two sections were taught with the CBL library curriculum, and two with the standard library curriculum as a control. Pretest/posttest surveys included quantitative and qualitative measures to assess students in several areas of information literacy. Weekly reflections from a subsample of students were analyzed, and the research team conducted structured classroom observations and teaching reflections. Findings Quantitative survey results did not support the hypotheses that the CBL curriculum would increase students\u27 confidence and skill levels compared to their control section peers. Although there was no significant difference between sections in measured information literacy outcomes, students generally agreed that the case studies used in the CBL curriculum taught skills applicable to their research. Teaching observation data revealed the cohesion of the curriculum across library sessions and increased student engagement in classroom activities. However, some of the case studies could be improved, and some limitations in study design point to the need for further research. Originality/value This study addresses a gap in the literature through a mixed-methods assessment of CBL pedagogy using a control group, contributing to an understanding of the role of PBL pedagogies in information literacy curricula

Student Attitudes Toward Research in an Undergraduate Social Science Research Methods Course

This study used a mixed-methods longitudinal design to investigate change in students’ understanding, attitudes, anxiety, perceptions of relevance, and disinterest in a required social science undergraduate research methods course across a semester. Participants were 78 undergraduates (94% women, 6% men; 92% white non-Hispanic/Latinx, M age = 25.62, SD = 7.17) at a university in the United States. Results suggest that participant attitudes toward and perceptions of research methods shifted over the course of the semester. Overall, anxiety decreased, while positive attitudes increased. However, initial perceptions and changes in perceptions varied among the three course sections. Over time, students largely recognized the course’s relevance and conveyed positive attitudes toward research and their success in overcoming the challenge of completing the course. Implications for pedagogy include the need for continued assessment of learners, development of students’ self-concept as researchers, teaching of research as a process, and connection to application