Information literacy in practice: Leadership, communication, teaching

This workshop will promote deeper understanding of information literacy (IL) concepts for effective planning and teaching. There will be dedicated time for theory based activities with an opportunity to discuss individual projects. Participants will be able to consider ways to strengthen existing project collaborations as well as explore opportunities for IL practices.

Description

During this pre-conference half-day workshop the presenters will provide to participants an opportunity to critically reflect on a particular aspect of their IL teaching/project as well as review current challenges or problems and develop proposed changes in their environment. The organisers expect engaged participation and interaction among the participants to maximise the impact of this practical experience. Most workshop time will be focused on participants’ reflection and practical application of ideas while engaging in planned activities.

Librarians will be able to work on a new/current or redesigned:

• strategic/action plan for an IL program,
• lesson or curriculum plans,
• demonstrations or exhibits,
• presentations or video tutorials, and/or
• assessment instruments.

The half-day workshop will offer the choice of one of the two sections: IL Leadership and Communication, and IL Planning and Teaching. The desired objective is to engage participants in activities that will promote deeper understanding of IL concepts and techniques for effective and engaging planning and teaching. More specifically each section will include a brief background introduction while there will be dedicated time for theory based activities with an opportunity to discuss individual projects. Within this context, participants will be able to consider ways to strengthen existing project collaborations as well as explore new opportunities for IL practices.

Section overviews

Participants will be introduced to the below ideas:

Section 1

A. Participants will rethink their** leadership practice** in order to effectively plan their Information Literacy project.

• Design their environment to understand their context
• Reflect critically in order to challenge their assumptions
• Present their proposed change and get constructive peer-feedback

B. Participants will practically explore new communication practices to strengthen relationships with stakeholders.

• Improve their persuading and negotiating skills
• Understand the importance of timing, flexibility and sensitivity in Information Literacy
• Increase their personal awareness to improve relationships in their Information Literacy environment

Section 2

Participants will engage in Information Literacy teaching practice.

• Reflecting on the ACRL Framework using the Generic, Situated and Transformative windows framework (GeST) Windows model.
• Rethink their lesson design, learning outcomes and assessment using Backward Design.

Expected impact

The full day workshop will help participants to:

• Section 1
  • review, reconsider, and reassess their leadership methods and techniques.
  • advocate for and establish an IL culture
• Section 2
  • reflect critically on an aspect of their IL teaching/planning practice
  • build upon practical skills in the field of IL teaching
  • produce a redesigned or improved IL lesson plan

By the end of the workshop participants will have reviewed the project they have been working on. Some of the projects will not be fully finished (because of their scope or format), but participants will have the knowledge and practical skills to conclude it later. All participants will be encouraged to continue the momentum of the conversation after the conference and seek peer-feedback from the facilitators during the conference.

Workshop follow-up

• Participants will have the opportunity to have one-to-one consultations during the AMICAL Conference with the facilitators so that they will get peer-feedback on their projects.
• Participants will be encouraged to continue communicating with the presenters for further peer-feedback and support via AMICAL Connect after the end of the conference.

Expectations of participants

Participants will be expected to:

• Submit with the workshop application form a brief description of a teaching project/assignment/idea/change that they will be working on during the workshop.
• Submit some brief pre-work and complete the pre-reading
• Submit short feedback about the impact of this workshop on your leading or teaching IL projects in your institution and the change you were able to make (deadline December 2019).

Schedule (Friday 29 March)

• 09:00-10:00. Introduction | Description of our IL environments - individual reflection
• 10:00-10:30. Reflecting on the opportunities and challenges of your environment activity - group discussion
• 10:30-10:45. Break
• 10:45-14:00. (Sessions below running in parallel, with lunch break during 13:00-14:00)
  • Section 1. Leadership and communication skills activities - group activities
  • Section 2. Teaching practice: lesson design, learning outcomes and assessment group activities
• 14:00-14:30. Peer feedback on the individual projects - group activity

Facilitators

• Stella Asderi (Academic Liaison Librarian, American College of Thessaloniki): Has been responsible for the developing, managing and delivering of information literacy to freshmen students, as well as the students of all levels of Business and “Science and Technology” departments since 2008. For making sessions more effective she continuously uses action research and adapts her teaching implementing various theories and practices. Currently she’s working on Backward Design and Lesson Plan Designing.
• Manlio Perugini (Reference and Instruction Librarian, John Cabot University): Teaches Information Literacy to Graduate students, and is the library liaison for Communications, History and Humanities, and Mathematics, Natural and Applied Sciences departments, cooperates with the Communications department to design IL assignments and sessions integrated in the courses.
• Evi Tramantza (Director of Libraries and Archives, American College of Thessaloniki). Has been working in education for 30 years and leads and plans Information literacy (IL) curricula in collaboration and communication with departments and administration for 10 years and teaching IL since 2002.
• Tatev Zargaryan (Library Systems and E-Services Librarian, American University of Armenia): Has been teaching the Information Literacy sessions to Freshman students for 4 years and is currently practising Critical Reflective methods such as Generic, Situated and Transformative windows framework (GeST) in her teaching practises for 6 months.