LOEX-of-the-West Mount Royal University, Calgary AB June 12, 2010

1. Evidence of Impact:Using Scholarship of Teaching and Learning toUnderstand and Improve Information Literacy Instruction LOEX-of-the-West Mount Royal University, Calgary AB June 12, 2010

2. Introductions & Intentions • Introductions • Becky Willson, Mount Royal University Library • Richard Gale, Mount Royal University Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • Intentions • What is scholarship of teaching and learning? • How does it work in ILI? • Why should this matter to you?

3. Scholarship of Teaching & Learning • Ubiquity of inquiry and improvement • Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching • Surveys and studies on faculty work (pre 1990) • Scholarship Reconsidered (1990) • Scholarship Assessed (1997) • Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (1998-2005) • Canadian Leadership Forums on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2005 & 2010)

4. Useful Distinction • Skillful Teaching … actions demonstrating awareness, excitement, preparation, reflection, responsiveness, and more … fosters critical engagement and active learning … includes thoughtful assessment • Scholarly Teaching … instruction informed by the latest ideas in the field … using insights/innovations about teaching/learning from the field … striving for improvement of teaching/learning for the field

5. Useful Distinction • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning … rigorous evidence-based research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms … seeing, gathering, interpreting compelling evidence of student learning … peer reviewed and publicly disseminated findings and insights about how, where, why students learn … influences teaching, learning, scholarship beyond the local … operates through an ongoing cycle of inquiry

6. Describing the Cycle of Inquiry • Observation – what you see leads to questions about learning • Investigation – what you need to know leads to inquiry into learning • Examination – what you find leads to a claim about learning • Validation – what you offer (question through claims) for peer review • Dissemination – what you share to prompt greater understanding • Observation – what else you see as a result of previous research

7. Scholarship of Teaching & Learning • The view from the classroom • What techniques do students use to cultivate intentional and integrative learning in GenEd • What process do engineering students go through when visualizing 2-D drawings in 3-D? • What meta-cognitive reading strategies do students demonstrate and value? • How do computer simulations help physics students learn disciplinary thinking? • How do clinical experiences generate nursing student involvement in patient advocacy?

8. SoTL in ILI • New teacher at MRU • Interested in improving ILI • Rearranged classes • More independent work • Wanted to know what students do during ILI • Research component to position

9. SoTL in ILI • December 2009 • Started the Teaching and Learning Scholars Program • September 2010 • Data collection will begin • Project development required • Examining my interests and teaching • Getting familiar with SoTL research • Discussion with other SoTL researchers • Collaboration with librarians

10. SoTL in ILI • Refining the research question • Originally: How do students engage with one-shot ILI sessions? • Currently: Is giving students time to work independently on their research during a one-shot ILI session, combined with scaffolding, an effective way to prepare students to do individual research?

11. SoTL in ILI • Finding appropriate research instruments • Originally: web surveys and focus groups • using other librarians’ classes • Currently: research logs, web surveys, field notes, student interviews • in my own classes

12. How do you know? • One learning observation • A memorable event you’d like to understand • A persistent question you’d like to answer • A driving frustration you’d like to address • Reframe as a “what” question • What happens when students learn … • What works to help students learn … • What if students were given chances to learn …

13. Pairing and Comparing

14. Considering Context • MRU recognizes the importance of IL • 2 out of 6 university-wide learning outcomes are IL related • MRU is student focused • Much ILI, Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • MRU librarians are faculty who can choose to be engaged in scholarship

15. Challenges • It is a new field of study for many of us • Defining SoTL as research and not assessment or professional development • Not always understood by institutions, HREBs, chairs and deans, etc. • SoTL in ILI different than other disciplines • Often see students only once in a formal setting • Often do not have the kinds of data often used in SoTL research • Often the learning occurs within the context of other learning

16. Opportunities • Move from assessment to research • Shift from attempting to prove ILI is useful to a deeper understanding of student learning • Acknowledgement of the intellectual work inherent within ILI • Way to conduct significant research that is already seen as part of faculty work • Collaboration with other librarians, institutions and disciplines • A natural connection with the wider research community

17. Resources & Connections • Organizations, Wikis and Blogs: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) • CLA's Evidence Based Librarian Interest Group (http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Evidence_Based_Librarianship) • CLA's Evidence Based Librarian Interest Group wiki (http://eblibrarianship.pbworks.com/) • libraryassessment.info - A blog for and by librarians interested in library service assessment, evaluation, and improvement supported by the Association of Research Libraries (http://libraryassessment.info/) • Evidence Based Toolkit for Public Libraries wiki (http://ebltoolkit.pbworks.com/)

18. Resources & Connections • Journals: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) • Evidence Based Library and Information Practice • Library Hi Tech - publishes articles on evidence-based librarianship • Journal of Academic Librarianship and Reference Services Review • International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • Mountainrise

19. Resources & Connections • Books and Articles: (also mtroyal.ca/isotl) • ACRL Academic Librarianship and the Redefining Scholarship Project report http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/whitepapers/academiclibrarianship.cfm • Booth, A. (2006). Clear and present questions: Formulating questions for evidence based practice. Library Hi Tech Journal, 24(3), 355-368. doi: 10.1103/07378830610692127 • Booth, A., & Brice, A. (Eds.). (2004). Evidence-based practice for information professionals. London: Facet Publishing.

20. Resources & Connections • Books and Articles: (cont.) • Eldredge, J. D. (2000). Evidence-based librarianship: An overview. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 88 (4), 289-302. • Eldredge, J. D. (2006). Evidence-based librarianship: The EBL process. Library Hi Tech Journal, 24(3), 341-354. doi: 10.1108/07378830601692118

21. Take-away • What scholarship of teaching and learning is and does, why it matters, how it works • Where scholarship of teaching and learning fits into the seeing and changing process • How scholarship of teaching and learning functions in context and within caveats • Improving students’ learning, teachers’ teaching, librarians’ scholarship • Influencing students, colleagues, programs, institutions, and policies • Changing instructional practice within the field, region, nation, world

22. Acknowledgements LOEX-of-the-West Mount Royal University The Library The Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

23. Questions & Comments