Rethinking Classroom Communication Strategies
Type of Presentation
Individual paper/presentation
Conference Strand
Diversity and Inclusion
Target Audience
Higher Education
Second Target Audience
Higher Education
Location
Session 3 Papers
Relevance
The proposal highlights communication strategies for one-shot information literacy classes that acknowledge diversity and improve student engagement.
Proposal
Information literacy (IL) classes are offered at many academic institutions. These classes typically address topics such avoiding plagiarism, strategies for reading a technical paper, finding relevant resources, and general library orientations. These sessions can be taught synchronously in an in-person or in an online classroom. Regardless of the content and discourse platform, these IL classes are typically one-shot classes that are forty-five to ninety minutes long. The challenge for librarians is to connect with students and encourage class participation within that short period of time.
In a typical IL session, students come from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds. Students have varied perceptions of library services and the roles of librarians. They have different learning styles and expectations. They also have varied communication preferences. In this presentation, the speaker shares communication strategies that acknowledge student diversity and increase student engagement without compromising content delivery. For instance, the practice of starting a session with a short survey of students’ needs is helpful to the librarian. Extending that practice by immediately sharing the results of the survey with students informs them of the needs of their peers. When students realize the diversity of their cohort, they understand the importance of the IL session. Additionally, the librarian is able to adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of the diverse group. The dual purpose of these strategies is also appreciated and adopted by instructors of other courses.
Short Description
Information literacy (IL) classes are offered at many academic institutions. These are typically one-shot classes that are forty-five to ninety minutes long where librarians cover an array of IL topics. The challenge for librarians is to connect with students and encourage class participation within that short period of time. In this presentation, the speaker shares communication strategies that acknowledge student diversity and increase student engagement without compromising content delivery. These strategies can be used in synchronous teaching, both in an in-person and in an online classroom.
Keywords
Information literacy, library session, teaching, communication, diversity, student engagement
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Megwalu, Anamika, "Rethinking Classroom Communication Strategies" (2022). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 16.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2022/2022/16
Rethinking Classroom Communication Strategies
Session 3 Papers
Information literacy (IL) classes are offered at many academic institutions. These classes typically address topics such avoiding plagiarism, strategies for reading a technical paper, finding relevant resources, and general library orientations. These sessions can be taught synchronously in an in-person or in an online classroom. Regardless of the content and discourse platform, these IL classes are typically one-shot classes that are forty-five to ninety minutes long. The challenge for librarians is to connect with students and encourage class participation within that short period of time.
In a typical IL session, students come from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds. Students have varied perceptions of library services and the roles of librarians. They have different learning styles and expectations. They also have varied communication preferences. In this presentation, the speaker shares communication strategies that acknowledge student diversity and increase student engagement without compromising content delivery. For instance, the practice of starting a session with a short survey of students’ needs is helpful to the librarian. Extending that practice by immediately sharing the results of the survey with students informs them of the needs of their peers. When students realize the diversity of their cohort, they understand the importance of the IL session. Additionally, the librarian is able to adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of the diverse group. The dual purpose of these strategies is also appreciated and adopted by instructors of other courses.
