LIBR 535 Instructional Role of the Librarian Course Syllabus (3) Program: Master of Library and Information Studies Year: 2015-2015, Winter Session, term 2 Course Schedule: Wednesdays, 8:00-10:50 a.m. Location: Henry Angus 435 (2053 Main Mall) Instructor: Eric M. Meyers Office location: SLAIS, Room 494 Office phone: 604 827-3945 Office hours: By appointment, or drop-in 11AM-1PM on Tuesdays. E-mail address: eric.meyers@ubc.ca ischool Student Portal:: http://connect.ubc.ca This syllabus is subject to modification until the first day of the course. Course Goal: The goal of this course is to provide students with a foundation in learning theory, instructional design, and information literacy. With this foundation, students will be able to design, deliver, and evaluate instructional programs in a wide range of information service contexts, including but not limited to academic, special, school, and public libraries, media centres, and archives. Students will gain valuable skills in organizing learning activities, presenting material effectively, and addressing the needs of a wide range of users. Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course students will be able to: Describe the attributes of contemporary learners [1.1] Identify the learning needs of diverse user populations [1.1] Develop learning objectives for specific users [1.3] Identify, compare, and apply theories of learning and instruction [4.1] Apply the concept of information literacy to information-based teaching [1.3] Design lesson plans based on learning needs assessment [1.1] Select and organize pedagogical strategies to meet learning objectives [1.2] Deliver instruction face-to-face and online [2.1, 2.2, 5.3] Critique face-to-face instruction and e-learning objects [1.4] Develop formative and summative assessments for instructional activities [3.2, 4.2] Connect teaching practice with institutional goals and priorities [1.4, 5.2] Assess ethical situations in teaching and learning [5.1] Course Topics: Current trends in information skills instruction Theories of learning and cognition Foundations of instructional design Theory and practice of intermediation Information literacy models, concepts, and applications Understanding the needs of diverse learners Presentation/ engagement techniques Technology mediated instruction Instructional evaluation
Prerequisites: MLIS and Dual MAS/MLIS: LIBR 500, LIBR 501, LIBR 503; pre or co-requisite: 502 MAS: completion of MAS core and permission of the SLAIS Graduate Adviser Format of the course: Class sessions will be a combination of lectures, discussions and in-class exercises. Required and Recommended Reading: There is no required textbook or custom course materials for this course. Readings will be provided in print or electronic form by the instructor in accordance with the rules of fair dealing. Course Assignments: Assignment Due Date Weight Class attendance, participation, Throughout the course 20% in-class exercises Teaching Philosophy Draft - Week 3, January 21 Final - Week 12, April 1 Bibliographic lesson plan February 11 Week 6 F2F Mini-Lesson March 11 or 18 Weeks 9, 10 Online tutorial April 8 Week 13 10% 20% 20+5% 20+5% Assignment Details: Teaching Philosophy students will develop a short, 500-word statement of their teaching philosophy, framing the what, how, and why of their approach to library-based instruction. This will be revised at the conclusion of the course to reflect students' evolving understanding of teaching and learning practices. Lesson Plan students will develop a lesson plan for an information-based instruction session, including needs analysis, lesson objectives, teaching activities, and assessment mechanisms. Peer assessment of lesson plan drafts prior to submission of the final paper is an important part of this assignment. Mini-Lesson - students will plan and deliver a 10-minute skill-based lesson in class. Assessment will be based on the quality and preparation of the material, presentation clarity, and adherence to presentation guidelines. Peer assessment is an important part of this assignment. Self-reflection on the mini-lesson (+5%) is required. Online Tutorial students will script, design, and develop a short (~2-3 minute) tutorial to be delivered via the Web. This tutorial will introduce a user to an online service or feature, and systematically illustrate the process of using it for a specified task. The video will contain both procedural and conceptual content. Self-reflection on the tutorial (+5%) is required. Assignment Policies: Written assignments will be submitted via Connect. All assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class (8:00 a.m.) on the date due unless noted otherwise. Early assignments are always welcome.
Late assignments will not be accepted unless a prior arrangement with the instructor is made 24 hours in advance of the assignment due date. Late work is assessed at 5% deduction per day. Assignments over one week late will not be accepted except under the most dire circumstances. Class attendance and participation is an important element of the course. Participation grades reflect the quality and regularity of student participation in class discussion, as well as exercises completed during class sessions. Course Schedule: (Subject to modification) Date Topics Assignments Due January 7 Week 1 Introduction to the course, assignments, and policies; the philosophy of teaching January 14 Week 2 January 21 Week 3 January 28 Week 4 February 4 Week 5 February 11 Week 6 February 18 Module 1: Users, Learning & Context Teaching & the information professional; Analyzing learners needs in context; Learning styles Learning theories; Information literacy Learning objectives; Understanding by design Module 2: Designing Instruction Designing lessons and learning activities; The active-learning classroom From lesson plans to lessons: face-to-face delivery; Developing a teaching style NO CLASS ~ Reading Week Teaching Philosophy draft Lesson Plan Draft for Peer Feedback Lesson Plan February 25 Week 7 March 4 Week 8 March 11 Week 9 March 18 Week 10 March 25 Week 11 April 1 Week 12 April 8 Week 13 Module 3: Delivering Instruction Teaching with technology; lab-based teaching; online learning Evaluation techniques; formative and summative assessment Making and tinkering as learning; leveraging the informal context for learning Module 4: Assessment & Reflection Alternate delivery and assessment models Gathering and using feedback on teaching; developing reflective practice Collaboration in instruction; Meeting institutional goals and priorities Ethical situations in teaching and learning; Tutorial film festival Mini-Lessons I Mini-Lessons II Lesson Reflection Revised Teaching Philosophy Online Tutorial
April 15 Week 14 Exam week Tutorial Reflection Expectations: All students in LIBR 535 are expected to: Read the course readings critically in advance of the class session for which they are assigned Generate questions and comments and contribute these to class discussions and apply them to written assignments/class exercises Respond to and engage with the contributions of the other students with consideration Bring personal ideas and discoveries to class Relate the class material to students professional needs and growth Provide periodic feedback on the content and conduct of the course Attendance: The calendar states: Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes. Evaluation: All assignments will be marked using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site. Written & Spoken English Requirement: Written and spoken work may receive a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English. Access & Diversity: Access & Diversity works with the University to create an inclusive living and learning environment in which all students can thrive. The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Access and Diversity unit: [http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm]. You must register with the Disability Resource Centre to be granted special accommodations for any on-going conditions. Religious Accommodation: The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the course drop date. UBC policy on Religious Holidays: http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policy65.pdf. Academic Integrity Plagiarism The Faculty of Arts considers plagiarism to be the most serious academic offence that a student can commit. Regardless of whether or not it was committed intentionally, plagiarism has serious academic consequences and can result in expulsion from the university. Plagiarism involves the improper use of somebody else's words or ideas in one's work. It is your responsibility to make sure you fully understand what plagiarism is. Many students who think they understand plagiarism do in fact commit what UBC calls "reckless plagiarism." Below is an excerpt on reckless plagiarism from UBC Faculty of Arts' leaflet, "Plagiarism Avoided: Taking Responsibility for Your Work," (http://www.arts.ubc.ca/arts-students/plagiarism-avoided.html).
"The bulk of plagiarism falls into this category. Reckless plagiarism is often the result of careless research, poor time management, and a lack of confidence in your own ability to think critically. Examples of reckless plagiarism include: Taking phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or statistical findings from a variety of sources and piecing them together into an essay (piecemeal plagiarism); Taking the words of another author and failing to note clearly that they are not your own. In other words, you have not put a direct quotation within quotation marks; Using statistical findings without acknowledging your source; Taking another author's idea, without your own critical analysis, and failing to acknowledge that this idea is not yours; Paraphrasing (i.e. rewording or rearranging words so that your work resembles, but does not copy, the original) without acknowledging your source; Using footnotes or material quoted in other sources as if they were the results of your own research; and Submitting a piece of work with inaccurate text references, sloppy footnotes, or incomplete source (bibliographic) information." Bear in mind that this is only one example of the different forms of plagiarism. Before preparing for their written assignments, students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the following sources on plagiarism: the Faculty of Art's online booklet on plagiarism at http://www.arts.ubc.ca/artsstudents/plagiarism-avoided.html, the discussion of Academic Integrity on the Faculty of Arts site : http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/guide-to-academic-integrity/, and the Academic Integrity Resource Centre http://help.library.ubc.ca/researching/academic-integrity. Additional information is available on the SAIS Student Portal http://connect.ubc.ca. If after reading these materials you still are unsure about how to properly use sources in your work, please ask me for clarification. Students are held responsible for knowing and following all University regulations regarding academic dishonesty. If a student does not know how to properly cite a source or what constitutes proper use of a source it is the student's personal responsibility to obtain the needed information and to apply it within University guidelines and policies. If evidence of academic dishonesty is found in a course assignment, previously submitted work in this course may be reviewed for possible academic dishonesty and grades modified as appropriate. UBC policy requires that all suspected cases of academic dishonesty must be forwarded to the Dean for possible action.