Showing posts with label Collaboration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collaboration. Show all posts

Friday, September 08, 2006

Collaborative Role of the Academic Librarian in Distance Learning - Analysis on an Information Literacy Tutorial in WebCT

Collaborative Role of the Academic Librarian in Distance Learning - Analysis on an Information Literacy Tutorial in WebCT. A new issue of E-JASL is up. Of the articles, I think this one is the most interesting from an information literacy perspective. It is by Xiaoli Shirley Fang. This is from v.7 no.2 (Summer 2006).

Of note, my article on Collegiality and Libraries is also up in this issue.

From the Fang article:

This article profiles a project to expand our general Information Literacy Tutorial into WebCT for students taking online courses. The Tutorial has provided online learners with a grasp of information competencies. The process of the project has confirmed the importance of academic librarians’ collaborative role in distance learning community. It presents both opportunities and challenges for academic librarians to collaborate with faculty and educational technology specialists in integrating information literacy education into the course management system. More active multi-aspect collaborations are required to ensure effective teaching information literacy via the courseware.

As course management systems have became a popular support to distance learning on campuses, integration of library presence into the courseware “has had a challenging agenda”, citing Campbell’s phrase (2006), to academic librarians. This challenge applies especially to those with related position titles, such as a Distance Learning Librarian. It has been recognized that academic librarians “must seek to integrate their resources into online courses delivered via course management systems, in order to ensure that libraries continue to remain vital to higher education.” Collaborations are crucial to ensure successful integration of the library into the course management system. (Fang & Kortz, 2005) This paper examines our experience in expanding information literacy instruction into WebCT at New Jersey City University, to define academic librarians’ collaborative role in the distance learning environment. Future improvements in teaching information literacy via WebCT will be dependent upon the librarians’ more active collaboration with faculty members, educational technology specialists and librarian colleagues, as well as new information technologies. This analysis will benefit further cooperative ventures among the campus community to advance distance learning students’ information skills in the ever-changing and increasingly prevalent digital world.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Designing an Academic Outreach Program through Partnerships with Public Schools

Designing an Academic Outreach Program through Partnerships with Public Schools. This article is by Alan R. Bailey, Linda M. Teel and Hazel J. Walker. It appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of the Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship. The article describes a k-12/university library collaboration at East Carolina University.

I think most academic libraries have some kind of program for local schools. However, in most cases, it consists primarily of scheduling tours and basic instruction sessions for high school English classes. (And at CMU, we have student employees do the library instruction for these classes.) However, this East Carolina University program moves well beyond that. Teachers are being given educator library cards and even being allowed to use interlibrary loan. I wonder how this is being translated back in their k-12 classrooms? This program will build good will in the community but hopefully these teachers are imparting a positive idea of the university library to the students.

From the article abstract:

The article discusses an outreach program at the Teaching Resources Center of J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. The collaborative project consists of three significant components created to partner with public schools within a designated service area. A library card for educators, interlibrary loan services and a production center provide commitment and support to area educators.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Librarian/Faculty Partnerships and Library Technology Resources Integrated into the Ethnic Studies Curriculum

Librarian/Faculty Partnerships and Library Technology Resources Integrated into the Ethnic Studies Curriculum. This article is by Mary Wrighten and Laurie A. Rodgers. It appeared in LIBRES, Volume 14, Issue 1.

From the article:

“Course-related instruction is the most effective approach to meeting the objectives of library instruction, thereby making faculty-librarian collaboration all the more significant.” (Farber, 1999, p. 231). This observation has been demonstrated by the collaborative efforts of an Ethnic Studies librarian and instructor through the development and integration of library technology--class web pages—into course curriculum. In the process of creating this technology, there are certain things for which one may and may not expect class web pages to do. Class web pages can be an efficient and effective tool in the assignment completion process, provide learning opportunities through several formats and media, present extended learning opportunities that are initiated by the teacher. Class web pages cannot be a substitute for the teacher or librarian be effective or efficient unless they are integrated into the curriculum, be effective or efficient if their utility does not complement the course’s learning objectives.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing

Collaborative Instruction by Writing and Library Faculty: A Two-Tiered Approach to the Teaching of Scientific Writing. This article is by Deborah Huerta and Victoria E. McMillan. It was published in the Fall 2000 issue of Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship.

From the site:

We describe the results of six years of experimentation with the collaborative teaching of scientific writing to college undergraduates at both beginning and advanced levels. Our goal was to devise a two-course sequence for students interested in health and natural sciences, with emphasis on information literacy and analysis, effective reading, drafting and revising strategies. Beginning science students need help with many basic aspects of college-level writing and information-seeking skills, as well as an introduction to the most common types of writing assigned in introductory science courses -- the lab report and the short review paper. Advanced students are ready to learn sophisticated approaches to scientific information retrieval as well as the style and format of professional journal articles. They are also in a position to appreciate the ways in which scientific writing is molded and constrained by the scientific method, by the diversity of ways in which scientists communicate both formally and informally, and by the impact of the digital revolution on scholarly communication. Both courses are organized around peer review of student work-in-progress, with the submission of a portfolio of writing twice during the semester. We employ information technology as appropriate. Together we plan and teach all aspects of both courses in order to model the interrelated nature of research and writing. This collaboration by science and library faculty, we feel, holds exciting prospects for the future.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

INFORMATION LITERACY - COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA AND THE POTCHEFSTROOM UNIVERSITY FOR CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

INFORMATION LITERACY - COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA AND THE POTCHEFSTROOM UNIVERSITY FOR CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION. This paper is by Jane Elizabeth Thompson of the University of Pretoria. It was originally presented at the 2000 IATUL Conference Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 3rd - 7th July, 2000.

From the site:

In 1998, a decision was taken by the University of Pretoria to implement a campus-wide information literacy program. There had been various initiatives by the Academic Information Service (Library) at the University of Pretoria to promote information literacy, but none which addressed the issue on an almost university-wide basis. The problem was teaching the course, as there are 26,000 students at the University, 19,000 of whom are undergraduates.

Damelin Computer School was approached by the University of Pretoria to assist in the teaching of the information literacy program, and the Department of Information Science was given the task of producing the course material. A collaborative effort was implemented; the Academic Information Service (Library) as well as the Departments of Information Science, Informatics and Computer Science was involved in the course development.

The brief was that it would be a 12-hour course (six two-hour sessions to be taken over six weeks). It was to be a mainly practical course, but with a theory component so that the skills that the students acquired would be well grounded, and thus transferable.

The project has since been expanded to include the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. The existing course material will be adapted to meet the requirements of both institutions.

Issues that need attention are the success of having Damelin Computer School teach the courses, assessment and evaluation and the incorporation of subject specific material into the course.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Faculty Collaboration: Enhancing the Quality of Scholarship and Teaching

Faculty Collaboration: Enhancing the Quality of Scholarship and Teaching. This is an ERIC Digest from 1992. It discusses the benefits and drawbacks of having faculty working together to conduct and publish scholarly works. Although librarians are not noted in the article, it makes me think of how librarians should also be included in these sorts of collaborative efforts. Of course, many librarians already collaborate extensively with faculty on research. We just tend no to get any credit for it!

From the site:

Faculty collaboration has grown dramatically over the course of this century. Conventional stereotypes, which convey the image of professors conducting research in the isolation of a laboratory or teaching alone in front of a room of passive students, overlook important aspects of modern academic life. Many professors now do much of their work--teaching, conducting research, and writing--in partnership with colleagues.

Faculty collaboration occurs in a variety of settings and takes different forms, depending on the nature of the collaborative team and the goals of its members. Essentially, faculty collaboration is a cooperative endeavor that involves common goals, coordinated effort, and outcomes or products for which the collaborators share responsibility and credit. This definition is broad and flexible, because faculty collaboration varies in numerous ways contingent upon whether the partnership is for teaching or research as well as on the participants' fields of specialization, institutions of employment, career stages, and a host of other factors.

Professors choose to work in concert with colleagues for numerous reasons. Many believe collaboration increases productivity, maintains motivation, and stimulates creativity and risk taking. It can maximize the use of limited resources and could enhance the quality of teaching and research. Sometimes complex problems accompany faculty collaboration, however, such as difficulty concerning evaluation and assigning credit for work produced in collaboration. Because of the increasing popularity of faculty collaboration and the complex questions it poses to higher education, the time is right for a comprehensive examination of this important topic.

Monday, November 08, 2004

Using the Web to Teach Library Research Skills in Introductory Biology: A Collaboration Between Faculty and Librarians. This article is by Colin Orians and Laurie Sabol. (I used to work with Laurie when I was a student worker and she was a librarian at Bowling Green State University.) It appeared in Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Number 23, Summer 1999.

From the site:

Web-based instruction is an effective way, if used correctly, to teach students how to use library resources. In this article we describe a collaboration between the Department of Biology and the Library to develop such a web site for introductory biology. Our goals were to develop early in the students' careers library research skills, to show that such skills are necessary for effective scientific communication, and to provide students with varied backgrounds the skills to independently identify, locate, evaluate and use the library's resources. In addition to describing the site, we discuss ongoing changes to the web site and to the course that have improved its effectiveness. Student evaluations suggest we have met our goals, and colleagues have used the site as a foundation for the development of a more advanced site.

Monday, October 25, 2004

The Benefits of Librarian Leadership in University Teaching and Learning Centers: An Overview and Case Study. This paper is by Lisa Klopfer and Randal Baier, Bruce T. Halle Library, Eastern Michigan University; and Stuart A. Karabenick, Director, Center for Research Support, Eastern Michigan University. It was published in MLA Forum Vol. III, Issue 2, July 14, 2004.

From the site:

Most library outreach to teaching faculty relies on direct librarian-faculty contact through liaison relationships, and not on involvement in faculty development programs. That is unfortunate since these programs, whether focusing on faculty development or on instructional development, could be a locus for librarian leadership on campus. Our survey of centers for teaching and learning at selected US colleges and universities found significant opportunities for librarians.

At Eastern Michigan University, librarians became active leaders on the university-wide Teaching and Learning Resources Team. In that role we collaborated to plan integrated services with the directors of various faculty support offices, including the Faculty Center for Instructional Excellence (FCIE), the Center for Research Support (CRS), and the Center for Instructional Computing (CIC). As a consequence of this collaboration, the support centers were able to design programs that were more successful in meeting faculty needs, and library outreach programs themselves were strengthened. This case study demonstrates the mutual positive benefit derived from librarian leadership in faculty development and teaching and learning programs.

Our paper contains specific examples of how librarians can promote information literacy and library learning while supporting faculty development and teaching and learning programs. We show how librarians epitomize the link between classroom skills and the newer concerns of computer literacy and information literacy. Based on our survey, we conclude by suggesting the types of librarian support and collaborative arrangements that would be most beneficial to faculty development or teaching and learning programs.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Biological Research and the Library: A Collaboration in Online Research and Library Instruction. This essay is by Terri Pedersen Summey and it was published in the Fall 1997 issue of Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship.

From the site:

With more emphasis placed upon research in undergraduate biology courses offered at Emporia State University, students needed to use the library. Since the library canceled its subscription to Biological Abstracts in 1985, biology students rely upon subsidized online searches to obtain citations relevant to their research. To do their research, collaboration with librarians has become a necessity. Initially the mediated search service was only available to graduate students and faculty members associated with the Division of Biological Sciences. As time progressed and new faculty members joined the division, more emphasis was placed upon research in undergraduate courses as well. To accommodate these students with a limited online search budget and search staff, something needed to be done. The result was a collaboration between instructors in the Biology Division and the librarian in charge of the Library's Online Search Service. Through time this relationship has evolved as access to more electronic databases has been added to the library's resources. Currently, the students attend an instructional session on research strategy and an introduction to OCLC's FirstSearch Service. This article will explore the relationship formed and how the collaboration has evolved over the years. It will also outline the instruction session that is now being offered and discuss its effectiveness.

Friday, October 08, 2004

Building faculty-librarian partnerships to prepare students for information fluency: The time for sharing information expertise is now. This article is by the legendary Hannelore B. Rader. It was published in C&RL News, February 2004.

From the site:

Educators in the 21st century must prepare stu- dents effectively for productive use of information, especially on the postsecondary level. Students will need to graduate from higher education institutions with the appropriate information skills to allow them to become productive citizens in the workplace and in society. Technology is having a major impact on society; in economics, e-business is moving to the forefront; in communication, e-mail, the Internet, and cellular phones have reformed how people communicate; in the work environment, computers and Web utilizations are emphasized; and in education, virtual learning and teaching are becoming more important. These are a few examples of how the 21st- century information environment requires future members of the workforce to be information fluent so they:

- have the ability to locate information efficiently.
- evaluate information for specific needs.
- organize information to address issues.
- apply information skillfully to solve problems.
- use information to communicate effectively.
- use information responsibly to ensure a productive work environment.

Individuals can achieve information fluency by acquiring cultural, visual, computer, technology, research, and information management skills to enable them to think critically.

Saturday, September 04, 2004

Philosophical Shift: Teach the Faculty to Teach Information Literacy. This article is by Risë L. Smith. It is from a conference in 2000.

From the site:

Integrating information literacy throughout the undergraduate curriculum is limited as long as librarians insist on doing the instruction themselves, because staffing is inadequate to support full-fledged, integrated instruction programs. Instead, librarians should train and assist the faculty to teach information literacy in their courses. Essential elements which will enable faculty to embrace and teach information literacy include: faculty recognition of information literacy as a core component of undergraduate instruction; adequate training for faculty in the use of information systems and services; adequate education of faculty in techniques and activities that can be used to develop student information literacy; librarian committment to a focus on faculty development and collaboration; and development of the library as a physical and virtual learning environment. A "teach the teacher" approach provides a realistic way of reaching more students in more courses.

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Designing Internet research assignments: building a framework for instructor collaboration This is by David Ward and Sarah Reisinger. It was published in Information Research, Vol. 6 No. 1, October 2000.

From the site:

Internet knowledge is increasing steadily among instructors in the academic world. As courses incorporate more instructional technology, traditional undergraduate research assignments are adapting to reflect the changing world of information and information access. New library assignments reflect this shift as well, with term papers and research projects asking students to use Web sites as an information resource, in addition to the standard literature of periodicals and monographs. But the many pitfalls the library profession has learned in its own metamorphosis during the past decade are often repeated in these newer course assignments.

The authors in this paper present a framework for librarians to interact with instructors to incorporate Internet resources into traditional term paper and research assignments. They suggest a framework for creating sample assignments librarians can take to campus instructional units, to show the teaching community at large what the library profession has learned from first-hand experience.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Redefining roles: librarians as partners in information literacy education This is by Williams, Helene & Zald, Anne. It was published in Information Research, Volume 3 No. 1 July 1997.

From the site:

As research and teaching increasingly rely on global networks for the creation, storage and dissemination of knowledge, the need to educate information-literate students has become more widely recognized. Students often lack the skills necessary to succeed in this rapidly changing environment, and faculty need training and support to make use of new technologies for effective teaching and learning. The current environment provides an opportunity for librarians to play a key role in the evolution of an integrated information literacy curriculum, in contrast to past efforts which were sporadic and rarely programmatically based.

In a 1989 report, the American Library Association states that "Information literacy is a survival skill in the Information Age" (1), and calls for a restructuring of the learning process itself, rather than the curriculum. Revamping the process would ensure that students:

- know when they need information
- identify what information will address a particular problem
- find the needed information
- evaluate the information
- organize the information
- use the information effectively in addressing the problem

There are many challenges inherent in changing the learning process, and often the results are mixed. However, since our patrons, collections, and campus connections span all disciplines, librarians are uniquely situated to create and foster new ways of teaching and learning information technology. According to Fowell and Levy, "Information professionals have the opportunity to take a leading role in developing and delivering the learning support strategies which will be appropriate to this new environment, acting as significant culture change agents in their institutions" (2). Perhaps our greatest challenge is to act on this opportunity, and create the necessary changes.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Find it Fast: Enticing Faculty to Library Instruction Workshops This article is by Allison V. Level and Catherine L. Cranston both of whom at are at Colorado State University. Allison is the agricultural reference librarian and provides instruction for the agricultural and natural sciences. She has an MLS from Emporia State University and an MEd in Higher Education from Kent State. Catherine is an instruction librarian. She has an MA in Library Science from the University of Iowa. She coordinates instruction for the English composition classes and the honors program.

From the site:

Abstract

It is often difficult to engage academic faculty and staff to attend workshops about changing library technologies and resources. This article discusses a successful program, “Find it Fast: Research Tips for People in a Hurry.” This instruction program targeted academic faculty and staff who were not aware of new online journals, databases, and computer linking services such as SFX. “Find it Fast” outlined advanced Web searching skills, ways to maximize your research time, and new library services. Recruitment, evaluation results, and the fit with overall outreach efforts is discussed.

Introduction

The information and research environments of academic faculty and staff are continually changing. Library technologies and resources also change, but it can be difficult to get faculty and staff to explore and expand their comfortable research environments through the new resources and services available. People know what it is like to search Google and get 400,000 hits for things they do not care about. What they want to know is how to focus and get 40 hits for the things they need. In this article the authors describe a professional development workshop that became a springboard for recruiting faculty and staff to attend research workshops in an academic library.

The popular and well-attended Professional Development Institute (PDI) has been in place for twenty-four years at Colorado State University (CSU). The PDI program is sponsored by the Office of Instructional Services. Faculty and staff are encouraged to present programs on topical areas including teaching and learning, technology in the classroom, personal and professional development, advising, outreach and service, or administrative issues. The programs are scheduled on-campus for early January, between semesters, each year. Attendees include administrators, faculty, staff, and graduate assistants. In Fall 2002, the CSU Libraries launched new services, online journals, and a redesigned website. Capitalizing on new resources, a campus-wide well established PDI model, and the desire to “do more with less,” two reference and instruction librarians decided to offer a PDI workshop that would play to a diverse audience.

The CSU Libraries has offered several different workshops geared towards faculty and staff over the past five years. One of the early programs, “Fast, Free, Easy” was popular and had good turnout. Since then, with a few exceptions, the turnout has decreased. Recent programs structured around new databases or resources such as Web of Science or SFX have been popular. Other libraries have reported similar experiences. In Mosley’s (1998) article about experiences at Texas A&M she reported, “Faculty participation at electronic database instructional sessions held in the library had a history of being erratic, and there were concerns with regard to attracting busy faculty members to attend the workshop” (34).

Workshops can be a balancing act between offering instruction sessions to educate faculty, while not portraying them as out of touch with the latest resources. As Cunningham (2002) points out, "…faculty may perceive information literacy training as remedial for them and their students, so care should be taken to approach collaboration as an opportunity for mutual benefit and "keeping the saw sharp" rather than remediation for anyone" (346).

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

A Collaborative Approach to Information Literacy in the Freshman Seminar This article on information literacy is by Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay. She is the Head of Library Instruction at Washington State University. She also is an adjunct professor for the University of Maryland University College. In addition to her MLS, she holds an MA in comparative literature.

Abstract:

This article discusses the collaboration between the Libraries and the Freshman Seminar Program at Washington State University. Many goals related to information literacy competencies as defined by the library and higher education associations are met through this partnership. The librarians have an active role with the seminars and also take part in the peer facilitator training process.

Introduction:

Anyone who has taught or participated in a library instruction session knows that teaching students research skills without a specific context is usually a waste of time. Without a particular assignment or project, students are not motivated to learn and often do not come away with a clear understanding of what resources the library can offer. Working with a freshman seminar over the course of a semester has been rewarding for the students, who have learned both concrete research skills and higher order critical thinking and information literacy skills, and also for the librarians. Playing a part in the training process for the undergraduate students who actually deliver the freshman seminar has been another successful venture. Through another course, GenEd 300, librarians spend eight weeks teaching information literacy and research skills to a group of students who need that information not only for their coursework, but also for their upcoming jobs as freshman seminar peer facilitators. This collaboration between the librarians and the Freshman Seminar Program has provided the librarians with the opportunity to teach motivated learners, and the material can be seen having an immediate, real impact.

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

The Information/Media Specialist in the Academic Learning Community: Integrating Kuhlthau into the undergraduate curriculum This is student paper at Drexel from 2002. Again, I hesitate to link to it as student pages are rudely taken down after they graduate (why not leave good content up I ask?) but I'll take my chances.

From the site:

A new staff member of the undergraduate library at a large urban research university has been hired as the coordinator of information literacy instruction. The coordinator will present her vision of a new, integrated instructional program to the library committee, which is comprised of teaching faculty from the university, and to the library department heads and Dean of Libraries. The new program the coordinator proposes is one that strives to transform the undergraduate student body into a populace of college graduates who are information literate citizens and workers, as well as independent and lifelong learners.

Proposal for an Instructional Program

The following components are crucial to an effective instructional program that will help to achieve the objective of producing information literate graduates:

· Constructivist, inquiry-based program infused with critical thinking skills

· Integration with the teaching curriculum and collaboration with faculty

· Authentic assessment which is outcomes-based and incorporates “backwards design”

· A holistic program that employs a diversity of teaching methods and activities

· Mentoring relationships between students and educators (faculty and librarians)

Carol Kuhlthau (1993), the creator of the model to be introduced later, discusses the nature of learning as constructivist, citing Dewey, psychologist George Kelly, and Jerome Bruner. As such, her model reflects the idea of learning as a process of construction and of seeking meaning. In Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998), the authors also cite Bruner, and talk of “narrative building” (p. 50) as the true meaning of constructivism.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

ALA | Building faculty-librarian partnerships to prepare students for information fluency Hannelore B. Rader wrote this article and it appears in C&RL News, February 2004, Vol. 65, No.2. Fortunately, ALA put it up full-text online. The blurb for the article reads, "Building faculty-librarian partnerships to prepare students for information fluency: The time for sharing information expertise is now." That sounds good to me.

From the article:

Educators in the 21st century must prepare stu- dents effectively for productive use of information, especially on the postsecondary level. Students will need to graduate from higher education institutions with the appropriate information skills to allow them to become productive citizens in the workplace and in society. Technology is having a major impact on society; in economics, e-business is moving to the forefront; in communication, e-mail, the Internet, and cellular phones have reformed how people communicate; in the work environment, computers and Web utilizations are emphasized; and in education, virtual learning and teaching are becoming more important. These are a few examples of how the 21st- century information environment requires future members of the workforce to be information fluent so they:

- have the ability to locate information efficiently.

- evaluate information for specific needs.

- organize information to address issues.

- apply information skillfully to solve problems.

- use information to communicate effectively.

- use information responsibly to ensure a productive work environment.

Individuals can achieve information fluency by acquiring cultural, visual, computer, technology, research, and information management skills to enable them to think critically.

Thursday, October 09, 2003

Collaboration Between the Library and Business Faculty

Collaboration Between the Library and Business Faculty Working with faculty is important if the librarian is going to have a successful library instruction session with a group of students. The faculty member sets the tone for the instruction. Students will not take the librarian seriously if the faculty member is not supportive and energetic about the library instruction experience.

The blogged site of the day refers to relationships between librarians and business faculty. The beginning of the article reads:

Abstract: Collaboration between the library and the faculty of an undergraduate

Academic institution can be beneficial for business students. This article discusses the experiences of a business librarian and business faculty member who team-taught a course in business research. It covers some of the content and applications of that material in developing students' knowledge and skills in Information Literacy, and includes a limited list of search engines used and a short list of the required outside readings.


Background:


The importance of critical thinking skills in the undergraduate library experience has been well documented. One popular mode of evaluating critical thinking ability in business schools is to require a student research paper analyzing a company or industry. At Villa Julie College, a small comprehensive college in Maryland, business faculty have developed good working relationships with their librarians, and manage to do a creditable job of incorporating research assignments into course design plans.


When students first arrive on campus, they are typically given a brief orientation to the library and its resources, ranging from print materials to electronic. Students often then receive a library instruction session later in their schooling when they are given a research paper assignment. Since a single session may prove to be insufficient for students, library staff may spend considerable individual time with students as they struggle with the assignment, and there may be some disconnection between what the faculty member expects and what they receive.


An alternative model in which collaboration between the faculty member and the business librarian extends to team-teaching an entire course on research affords a number of advantages: 1) it removes the onus from the faculty member to spend hours updating his or her skills in business research, since this responsibility resides with the business librarian; 2) the faculty member can step into the role of coach as students work on improving their research and critical thinking skills in the context of the course subject matter; 3) critical thinking and research skills are reinforced throughout the undergraduate experience; and 4) students learn valuable skills that they can take with them into their first professional career experience.

Full article at: http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/mo2294w3.htm.