Immersion Learning Outcomes and Curriculum
Teacher Track. This track focuses on individual development for those who are interested in enhancing, refreshing, or extending their individual instruction skills. Curriculum includes classroom techniques, learning theory, leadership, and assessment framed in the context of information literacy. Participants selected for the Teacher Track will prepare a description of an instructional situation and a related ten-minute presentation in advance of the Immersion program. During Immersion, participants will revise the presentation based on feedback from colleagues and faculty.
After participating in the Immersion Teacher Track, a participant will be able to:
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Design meaningful instructional activities that address different learning styles, recognizing different student motivations, backgrounds, and experiences, in order to address student learning needs in a coherent and systematic fashion.
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Adopt a constructivist approach to information literacy instruction in order to develop a theoretical perspective and foundation for selecting teaching approaches and learning activities.
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Teach from a learner-centered perspective in order to engage students in the learning process.
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Analyze and assess personal teaching methods, habits, and styles in order to expand pedagogical repertoire and shape diverse learning situations.
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Assess student learning in order to inform and improve practice.
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Develop and articulate a personal perspective of information literacy in order to make its applications to professional and personal life effective and meaningful.
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Capitalize on personal leadership characteristics/potential in order to commit acts of leadership and affect change in institutional/professional practice.
Program Track. This track focuses on developing, integrating, and managing institutional and programmatic information literacy programs. Participants selected for the Program Track will develop individual case studies in advance of the Immersion program. Change dynamics, systems thinking, institutional outcomes assessment, scalability, and the integration of teaching, learning, and technology will be brought to bear on analyzing the various programmatic challenges presented in the case studies. Immersion participants will be expected to develop the case studies into an action plan for implementation at the home institution.
After participating in the Immersion Program Track, a participant will be able to:
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Build partnerships/relationships with individuals and groups on campus in order to elevate information literacy to a campus-wide enterprise.
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Regularly scan the campus and higher education environment in order to use information literacy as a catalyst for the library's participation in educational transformation.
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Engage in ongoing reflective practice in order to create and sustain renewal and growth of information literacy program development and leadership.
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Exercise leadership within the library and throughout the campus in order to influence library, curriculum, and instructional decisions.
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Identify and garner resources in order to build the capacity necessary to accomplish an information literacy mission.
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Value risk-taking and looking for the second right answer in order to engage in the creative process.
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Develop a culture of assessment and continuous learning in order to capitalize on strengths as well as opportunities for change.
These outcomes will be achieved through inquiry and examination of the following areas of the curriculum:
Information Literacy
The information literacy segment of the Immersion Program will examine the evolving educational role of academic librarians with particular emphasis on understanding information literacy as an educational reform movement. Frameworks for conceptualizing information literacy (typologies, research-based models, and national standards) will be presented to assist participants in exploring and refining their own understanding of what information literacy means. Implementation issues will be addressed with particular emphasis on how information literacy relates to critical thinking.
Leadership (working within the academic environment)
The Leadership segment of the Immersion Program will focus on developing and sharpening leadership skills for instruction librarians so they can shape the role of the library in the transformation of higher education. Participants will assess their own leadership skills and explore definitions and practices of leadership. They will become familiar with tools of leadership, including personal and organizational vision, systems thinking, and cultivating campus partnerships. Techniques for the continuing development of leadership skills will be suggested. Emphasis will be placed on developing the participants' image of themselves as leaders and change agents.
Learning Theory
The learning theory segment of the Immersion Program will emphasize the educational and psychological theories that underlie effective teaching practices. Participants will review various theories of learning and the classroom applications based on these theories such as self-directed learning, collaborative and active learning models and conceptual frameworks. They will also be exposed to the literature on learning styles with an eye toward practical classroom applications of this body of research. Special emphasis will be placed on the process of developing instructional goals and objectives to meet a particular instructional need.
Teaching (making the connection between theory and practice)
This segment of the Immersion Program will engage participants in the exploration of a variety of factors that produce effective delivery of instruction, including presentation style, effective vocal technique, facilities utilization, learning technology applications, and practical strategies for student engagement in the learning process. Emphasis will be placed on developing practical skills and flexible repertoires for teacher effectiveness in the learning environment. Relevant readings and design activities will be used.
Assessment
Evaluating the effectiveness of library instruction will be another key component of the Immersion Program. How do we know that students are achieving the information literacy we strive for? What difference does library instruction make in a student's overall academic success? What is outcomes assessment and what does it mean for library instruction? Are our overall program goals being met? How can library instruction fit into overall institutional assessment and accreditation? Participants will begin to examine their own teaching effectiveness by examining the learning of their students. Formal and informal techniques to assess student progress will be considered. "Good teaching means good learning" will be the underlying theory.
Program Management
This segment of the Institute is designed to encourage participants to look anew at the programs they are hoping to develop on their campuses. Distinctions are made between the development of the program as a whole and the development of its many parts. Attention will be paid to the various needs of the several campus constituents, and to the myriad campus resources.
Case studies and action plans
Participants selected for the Program Track will develop a case study of their programmatic environment as a prelude to the creation of an action plan at the Immersion Program. The action plan will be a possible solution to a programmatic need identified in the case study. Guidelines for both the case study and the action plan will be provided to successful applicants.
