College of DuPage Press Creativity and Learning  
       
 

Resources: Definitions

The Role of Teaching in Modern Libraries

Soaring to Excellence

 

A blended librarian

· Traditional library and information technology skills (especially cataloging)

· Instructional design and technology skills

· Knowledge management skills

Notice that each area requires both knowledge and skills—using technology as a library worker, as an instructional designer, and as a manager of knowledge. The blended librarian must also have a basic understanding of the current theories about the best ways to teach, and have the willingness to work as a team with instructors, IT people, and instructional designers. All three professions are needed to train faculty and students alike; to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the Information Age. Information literacy is crucial to this success.

 

Information Literacy means possessing the skills and knowledge to recognize, evaluate, and use appropriately different types of information. The University of Calgary library describes information literacy as the ability to:

· Recognize the need for information

· Know how to access information

· Understand how to evaluate information

· Know how to synthesize information

· Communicate information

 

Instructional Technology is the application of scientific knowledge about human learning (including learning theories and styles) to the practical tasks of teaching and learning. This usually includes a systematic approach to design (ADDIE), and the use of technology to solve educational challenges.

 

Knowledge Management (often abbreviated as KM) is a term you may see a lot, but seldom get a definition that you can understand. At its most basic level, KM is about sharing useful information that helps you to succeed (whether on the job or in the classroom). This information must be sought, sorted, selected, analyzed, and presented in a way that is most beneficial to the intended user.

 

Teaching to Learn is a phrase that’s becoming popular idea in academia. The idea is simple - we need to stop teaching students to take tests and instead give them the tools to become lifelong learners - but the implications are far reaching. What does it mean to teach someone to learn? How do we do it? The questions are huge and the discussions can go on forever, so here are three practical guidelines from Dave Reifsnyder to get you going.

First: It’s personal.Facts are impersonal, but teaching and learning are both deeply personal activities.

 

Second: It’s not just what you know. Students don’t just need to know what you know; they need to understand how you know it. Learning is about process, as well as results.

 

Third: You are your own best resource.

Good teaching rests on the interaction between students and teachers. What do the teachers bring to the table? Everything. Teachers bring not just facts, but understanding – of the information, of the students and of the connection between the two. Good teachers bring passion and excitement rather than cynicism and boredom. They bring their own experiences as learners and their own attitudes towards learning. Drawing on those resources, good teachers help students to discover the most important part of learning—their own desire to learn.

 

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