I Learned It From Watching You! Librarians Teaching Librarians
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Room 217
Abstract
Instruction librarians are rarely formally trained in pedagogy, or have an opportunity to watch each other in action. Thus, the Robert W. Woodruff Library instituted the “Instruction Academy” in Fall 2014, for the purpose of creating an ongoing conversation about instruction activities at the library. Academy sessions provide a platform to promote successful practices and discuss solutions for challenges. During Academy sessions, librarians share their instruction techniques and experiences and workshop any challenges. Librarians not only benefit from learning from their colleagues, but also benefit from an opportunity to share their own pedagogical skills. The sessions also give librarians the opportunity to share new information relevant to teaching, either pertaining to the library or the profession at large. Over the last two years, the Instruction Academy has provided opportunities for assessment of the library’s information literacy initiatives, as well as fostering a collaborative environment. Most importantly, by taking on the role of both teacher and learner, librarians have discovered effective strategies for imparting information literacy skills in their own instruction sessions.
Presentation Description
This session will detail the ways in which a peer-teaching program called the Instruction Academy has impacted library instruction at Woodruff Library, how the program has grown and changed since its inception, and how this program can be replicated in any library.
Keywords
Instruction, collaboration, cross-training, professional development
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Moore, Jordan P. and Townes, Jennifer A., "I Learned It From Watching You! Librarians Teaching Librarians" (2016). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 35.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2016/2016/35
I Learned It From Watching You! Librarians Teaching Librarians
Room 217
Instruction librarians are rarely formally trained in pedagogy, or have an opportunity to watch each other in action. Thus, the Robert W. Woodruff Library instituted the “Instruction Academy” in Fall 2014, for the purpose of creating an ongoing conversation about instruction activities at the library. Academy sessions provide a platform to promote successful practices and discuss solutions for challenges. During Academy sessions, librarians share their instruction techniques and experiences and workshop any challenges. Librarians not only benefit from learning from their colleagues, but also benefit from an opportunity to share their own pedagogical skills. The sessions also give librarians the opportunity to share new information relevant to teaching, either pertaining to the library or the profession at large. Over the last two years, the Instruction Academy has provided opportunities for assessment of the library’s information literacy initiatives, as well as fostering a collaborative environment. Most importantly, by taking on the role of both teacher and learner, librarians have discovered effective strategies for imparting information literacy skills in their own instruction sessions.
