Mount Royal College has a longstanding commitment to information literacy as part of its mandate to promote student success and satisfaction. The library has provided course-integrated instruction in a variety of formats for over twenty years. Moving beyond course integration to program integration was a natural progression. Librarians and teaching faculty saw a need to plan sequenced sessions that would introduce students to incrementally complex information skills and resources throughout their academic careers. The librarians anticipated that integrating the instruction through the program would reduce unnecessary repetition, enhance student awareness of the myriad resources beyond the...
A Review of: Scarletto, E. A., Burhanna, K. J., & Richardson, E. (2013). Wide awake at 4 AM: A study of late night user behavior, perceptions and performance at an academic library. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(5), 371-377. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2013.02.006 Abstract Objective – To assess late night library usage, including a demographic profile of students benefitting from late night hours, with an analysis of the services and resources they used, and whether the use of late hours is connected to student success. Design – A mixed-methods approach including quantitative demographic information alongside qualitative user feedback collected using a web-based survey....
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss approaches to sustainable decision-making for integrating emerging educational technologies in library instruction while supporting evidence-based practice (EBP) Design/methodology/approach: This article highlights recent trends in emerging educational technologies and EBP and details a model for supporting evidence informed decision-making. This viewpoint article draws on an analysis of recent literature, as well as experience from professional practice. Findings: Authors discuss the need for sustainable decision-making that addresses a perceived lack of evidence surrounding emerging technologies, a dilemma that many library educators...
With the ever-expanding range of emerging educational technologies that could be introduced to learning environments, making evidence-informed decisions about whether and how to effectively use e-learning tools for pedagogical purposes is a critical yet challenging task. How can educators, learners, and administrators make informed decisions about the use of particular emerging technologies to achieve desired pedagogical transformation when, due to their relative newness, there is often a perceived lack of available and “up-to-the-minute” research on the latest technological trends that may impede evidence-based educational practice? This is a key problem of evidence for technology use in...
This study examines how students are using academic library spaces and the role these spaces are playing in the campus community. Data was collected on five campuses (two community colleges, two undergraduate universities and one technical institute) via observational seating sweeps and questionnaires. The study found remarkably similar usage patterns across all library types. Academic pursuits remain the most common activities, despite perceptions of the modern library as a social space. The library as a place to study is shown to be a complex topic, with noise, need and personal preference influencing experience. The research provides libraries with evidence to demonstrate their support...
The ways in which university quality assessments are developed reveal a great deal about value constructs surrounding higher education. Measures developed and consumed by external stakeholders, in particular, indicate which elements of academia are broadly perceived to be most reflective of quality. This paper examines the historical context of library quality assessment and reviews the literature related to how library value is framed in three forms of external evaluation: accreditation, university rankings, and student surveys. The review finds that the library’s contribution to university quality, when it is considered at all, continues to be measured in terms of collections, spaces,...
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