Evidence of Impact: Using Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to Understand and Improve Information Literacy Instruction LOEX-of-the-West Mount Royal University, Calgary AB June 12, 2010

Introductions & Intentions Introductions –Becky Willson, Mount Royal University Library –Richard Gale, Mount Royal University Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Intentions –What is scholarship of teaching and learning? –How does it work in ILI? –Why should this matter to you?

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Ubiquity of inquiry and improvement Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching –Surveys and studies on faculty work (pre 1990) –Scholarship Reconsidered (1990) –Scholarship Assessed (1997) –Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning ( ) Canadian Leadership Forums on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2005 & 2010)

Useful Distinction Skillful Teaching … actions demonstrating awareness, excitement, preparation, reflection, responsiveness, and more … fosters critical engagement and active learning … includes thoughtful assessment Scholarly Teaching … instruction informed by the latest ideas in the field … using insights/innovations about teaching/learning from the field … striving for improvement of teaching/learning for the field

Useful Distinction Scholarship of Teaching and Learning … rigorous evidence-based research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms … seeing, gathering, interpreting compelling evidence of student learning … peer reviewed and publicly disseminated findings and insights about how, where, why students learn … influences teaching, learning, scholarship beyond the local … operates through an ongoing cycle of inquiry

Describing the Cycle of Inquiry Observation – what you see leads to questions about learning Investigation – what you need to know leads to inquiry into learning Examination – what you find leads to a claim about learning Validation – what you offer (question through claims) for peer review Dissemination – what you share to prompt greater understanding Observation – what else you see as a result of previous research

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning The view from the classroom –What techniques do students use to cultivate intentional and integrative learning in GenEd –What process do engineering students go through when visualizing 2-D drawings in 3-D? –What meta-cognitive reading strategies do students demonstrate and value? –How do computer simulations help physics students learn disciplinary thinking? –How do clinical experiences generate nursing student involvement in patient advocacy?

SoTL in ILI New teacher at MRU Interested in improving ILI –Rearranged classes –More independent work Wanted to know what students do during ILI Research component to position

SoTL in ILI December 2009 –Started the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program September 2010 –Data collection will begin Project development required –Examining my interests and teaching –Getting familiar with SoTL research –Discussion with other SoTL researchers –Collaboration with librarians

SoTL in ILI Refining the research question –Originally: How do students engage with one-shot ILI sessions? –Currently: Is giving students time to work independently on their research during a one-shot ILI session, combined with scaffolding, an effective way to prepare students to do individual research?

SoTL in ILI Finding appropriate research instruments –Originally: web surveys and focus groups using other librarians’ classes –Currently: research logs, web surveys, field notes, student interviews in my own classes

How do you know? One learning observation –A memorable event you’d like to understand –A persistent question you’d like to answer –A driving frustration you’d like to address Reframe as a “what” question – What happens when students learn … – What works to help students learn … – What if students were given chances to learn …

Pairing and Comparing

Considering Context MRU recognizes the importance of IL –2 out of 6 university-wide learning outcomes are IL related MRU is student focused –Much ILI, Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning MRU librarians are faculty who can choose to be engaged in scholarship

Challenges It is a new field of study for many of us –Defining SoTL as research and not assessment or professional development –Not always understood by institutions, HREBs, chairs and deans, etc. SoTL in ILI different than other disciplines –Often see students only once in a formal setting –Often do not have the kinds of data often used in SoTL research –Often the learning occurs within the context of other learning

Opportunities Move from assessment to research –Shift from attempting to prove ILI is useful to a deeper understanding of student learning –Acknowledgement of the intellectual work inherent within ILI Way to conduct significant research that is already seen as part of faculty work Collaboration with other librarians, institutions and disciplines A natural connection with the wider research community

Resources & Connections Organizations, Wikis and Blogs: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) –CLA's Evidence Based Librarian Interest Group ( Librarianship) –CLA's Evidence Based Librarian Interest Group wiki ( –libraryassessment.info - A blog for and by librarians interested in library service assessment, evaluation, and improvement supported by the Association of Research Libraries ( –Evidence Based Toolkit for Public Libraries wiki (

Resources & Connections Journals: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) –Evidence Based Library and Information Practice –Library Hi Tech - publishes articles on evidence-based librarianship –Journal of Academic Librarianship and Reference Services Review –International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning –Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning –Mountainrise

Resources & Connections Books and Articles: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) –ACRL Academic Librarianship and the Redefining Scholarship Project report cademiclibrarianship.cfm –Booth, A. (2006). Clear and present questions: Formulating questions for evidence based practice. Library Hi Tech Journal, 24(3), doi: / –Booth, A., & Brice, A. (Eds.). (2004). Evidence-based practice for information professionals. London: Facet Publishing.

Resources & Connections Books and Articles: (cont.) –Eldredge, J. D. (2000). Evidence-based librarianship: An overview. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 88 (4), –Eldredge, J. D. (2006). Evidence-based librarianship: The EBL process. Library Hi Tech Journal, 24(3), doi: /

Take-away What scholarship of teaching and learning is and does, why it matters, how it works Where scholarship of teaching and learning fits into the seeing and changing process How scholarship of teaching and learning functions in context and within caveats Improving students’ learning, teachers’ teaching, librarians’ scholarship Influencing students, colleagues, programs, institutions, and policies Changing instructional practice within the field, region, nation, world

Acknowledgements LOEX-of-the-West Mount Royal University The Library The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

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