Keep Teaching: Leveraging Disruption as a Catalyst for Change
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| Title: | Keep Teaching: Leveraging Disruption as a Catalyst for Change |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Gammons, Rachel W., Wilson, Suzanne, Carpenter, Lindsay Inge, Shaw, Benjamin |
| Source: | portal: Libraries and the Academy. Jan 2022 22(1):127-139. |
| Availability: | Johns Hopkins University Press. 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel: 800-548-1784; Tel: 410-516-6987; Fax: 410-516-6968; e-mail: jlorder@jhupress.jhu.edu; Web site: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/list |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Academic Libraries, Electronic Learning, Library Instruction, COVID-19, Distance Education, Pandemics, Instructional Innovation, Professional Development, Fellowships, Graduate Students, Library Education, Freshman Composition, Online Courses |
| Geographic Terms: | Maryland (College Park) |
| DOI: | 10.1353/pla.2022.0013 |
| ISSN: | 1531-2542 |
| Abstract: | In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries quickly switched to online teaching and learning. This disruption created a chance for innovation, allowing the UMD Libraries to scale back nonessential functions and focus on improving mission-critical work. The authors present the teaching program at UMD Libraries as a case study for innovation under pressure, highlighting three areas: (1) redevelopment of the Fearless Teaching Institute, an online professional development program for library teachers; (2) transition of a fundamental program--the Academic Writing Program--from an in-person to an online learning environment; and (3) redesign of the Research and Teaching Fellowship, a teacher training program for master of library and information science (MLIS) students, all to better support online learning and pedagogy. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2022 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1330202 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwGpWyUxWbFQZjNLeaZK4TjiAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDGNKGX1nyCunl2BWfwIBEICBm5ycI9NxsxV9YomUd1RNyLuBrpuafqCDyWo6j3iPwSPBEGl3YILk4ly-Q4pNby6pHSlk50Pa1xTE1DhAirFAWsmD1Mdhr4keuUe4484UukEptW6T5b0aU1_LaRKe8v2dwiegWls-UFe-hKTRURoJB8NGCPB6x7UdC1l8XPhy7ARO_JVtGx0_r6uyJEAiNz8K9e1_7Gi6SEMCqOoK Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0156248416;f9n01jan.22;2022Apr13.03:25;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0156248416-1">Keep Teaching: Leveraging Disruption as a Catalyst for Change </title> <sbt id="AN0156248416-2">Introduction</sbt> <p>In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries quickly switched to online teaching and learning. This disruption created a chance for innovation, allowing the UMD Libraries to scale back nonessential functions and focus on improving mission-critical work. The authors present the teaching program at UMD Libraries as a case study for innovation under pressure, highlighting three areas: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>) redevelopment of the Fearless Teaching Institute, an online professional development program for library teachers; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>) transition of a fundamental program—the Academic Writing Program—from an in-person to an online learning environment; and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref3">3</reflink>) redesign of the Research and Teaching Fellowship, a teacher training program for master of library and information science (MLIS) students, all to better support online learning and pedagogy.</p> <p> <bold>A</bold>fter COVID-19 became a global pandemic in 2020, academic institutions across the United States made an unprecedented and rapid shift to online teaching and learning. Almost overnight, academic libraries had to pivot to supporting online education.[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref4">1</reflink>] The University of Maryland Libraries' Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) unit maintained continuity of operations through building consensus about instructional needs and priorities, communicating clearly to staff and stakeholders, and providing targeted support for library teachers. The goal was not to bide time until the campus could safely reopen, but, instead, to leverage disruption as a catalyst to improve the range and expand the scope of the library's teaching. Over five months—March to July 2020—the TLS unit developed new policies and procedures for online instruction, reconfigured the in-person teaching program to function in an online environment, and established an online professional development program to support library teachers. The result is a teaching program that is deeper, richer, and more responsive than before COVID-19.</p> <p>In the following article, the authors, all current or former members of the TLS unit at the UMD Libraries, present the libraries' teaching program as a case study for innovation under pressure. The article highlights three areas: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref5">1</reflink>) redevelopment of the Fearless Teaching Institute, an online professional development program for library teachers; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref6">2</reflink>) transition of a foundational teaching program—the Academic Writing Program—from in-person to online; and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref7">3</reflink>) revamping the Research and Teaching Fellowship, a threesemester teacher training program for MLIS students, to better support online teaching practice.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-3">Institutional Context</hd> <p>Founded in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College, the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park is the state's flagship research university and one of the original land-grant institutions in the United States. UMD is home to 31,000 undergraduate students, 10,000 graduate students, 14,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. It is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, an academic consortium of universities in the Big Ten Conference, and part of the University System of Maryland.</p> <p>The UMD Libraries are a seven-library system with nearly 200 full-time faculty and staff members. In 2020, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) selected UMD Libraries to receive the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the university category. Cheryl Middleton, chair of the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee, described UMD Libraries as "stand[ing] out amongst their peers for the development of a robust library staff culture of innovation, as well as their extensive collaborations and engagement with the university's core curriculum, students, and faculty."[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref8">2</reflink>] Central to the mission of the UMD Libraries is the information literacy (IL) teaching program, which serves more than 16,000 students per academic year. Instruction is divided among subject specialist librarians, who lead discipline-specific IL sessions; the Research Commons, which provides teaching and resources to graduate students and faculty to support the research life cycle; and Teaching and Learning Services, which manages first-year and general-education instruction.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-4">Teaching and Learning Services</hd> <p>Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) is a teaching-focused unit in the Research and Academic Services division of UMD Libraries charged with managing first-year and general-education IL instruction. It also administers the Research and Teaching Fellowship, a three-semester teacher training program for MLIS students at UMD, and leads the Fearless Teaching Institute, an in-house professional development program dedicated to strengthening the teaching and assessment skills of library instructors. TLS has a history of innovation around teaching. It built a learning outcomes assessment program focusing on the large-scale collection of qualitative data and analysis using the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref9">3</reflink>] TLS also developed the UMD Libraries' Research and Teaching Fellowship.[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref10">4</reflink>] In 2020, TLS was the organizational home of three full-time librarians, two graduate assistants, and six hourly graduate student instructors. Team members represent a range of experiences and social identities, including a new parent, full-time students, part-time students, early professionals, tenured and tenuretrack faculty, and soon-to-be-graduates.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-5">The Shift to Online Learning</hd> <p>In the early days of COVID-19, UMD faced challenges typical of large universities, including mixed messages from campus administrators, delayed or deferred decision-making, and a lack of clarity on institutional priorities. One of the guiding principles of the TLS unit has been to forgo reactive decision-making. Although information changed rapidly at the institutional, regional, and national levels, Teaching and Learning Services resisted hasty judgments and focused on making sustainable decisions that balanced the needs of the campus community with the experience, expectations, and availability of library staff.</p> <p>An example comes from early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when UMD Libraries, led by the TLS unit, decided to move the IL teaching program online for fall 2020. Committing to a course of action quickly allowed library staff to adjust to the expectations of online teaching, increase their efficacy with online teaching tools, and work with course instructors to set realistic expectations. As a result, library teachers were well prepared for the fall semester, which enabled them to better serve the campus community.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-6">The Fearless Teaching Institute</hd> <p>Inspired by the UMD Teaching and Learning Center's Fearless Teaching Framework,[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref11">5</reflink>] the UMD Libraries' Fearless Teaching Institute (FTI) is a professional development program dedicated to improving pedagogy, teaching practice, and assessment among library instructors. From its launch in 2018 until 2020, the FTI offered four to six events per year. Although the institute was initially met with enthusiasm from staff and administrators, excitement had waned over the months, and participation dropped. In March 2020, the authors leveraged the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to redesign the FTI as a dynamic and responsive program focused on preparing library teachers to lead online IL instruction.</p> <p>In updating the FTI program, the primary goals were (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref12">1</reflink>) to leverage the skills and expertise of library instructors to create a community of peer-to-peer learning; and (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref13">2</reflink>) to reduce the burden on TLS staff by anticipating and proactively addressing areas of need. The project began with identifying the needs of library colleagues. In April 2020, a survey was distributed to library instructors to assess their overall preparedness for online teaching and their instructional needs. The survey responses guided FTI programming in summer and fall 2020. Understanding that ambiguity breeds anxiety, the program focused on tangible outcomes, firm boundaries, and manageable expectations. To maximize participation, the FTI offered a variety of learning experiences, including traditional teaching workshops, as well as informal learning opportunities, such as brown-bag conversations and office hours dedicated to educational technology.</p> <p>The second step in the redesign was to develop a consistent identity for the FTI program by consolidating events and streamlining the advertisement and registration process. The original LibGuide for the FTI program existed as a static informational page. FTI events were entered into Google Calendar, and the LibGuide was updated once or twice per year. Faced with an immediate need to communicate quickly and clearly with library instructors, the authors redesigned the existing FTI LibGuide to serve as both a resource guide for remote learning and a platform to advertise up-coming events.[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref14">6</reflink>] The scheduling process was moved to Springshare's LibCal, which offered a unified platform to manage registration. A dynamic calendar of events from LibCal was embedded in the LibGuide to allow users to locate and register for events on a single page. The updated LibGuide articulated the goals of each arm of FTI programming and allowed library instructors to suggest future offerings using an embedded request form.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-7">The New Fearless Teaching Institute</hd> <p>Today, the new Fearless Teaching Institute offers a variety of modalities, including ondemand services, scheduled events, and synchronous and asynchronous support for teachers. The institute features the following regularly scheduled programming:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Teaching workshops. Guided learning opportunities organized and led by a library staff member, which focus on a specific concept, idea, or set of skills. Workshops can be stand-alone events or offered as a series, such as the "Yes, We Canvas!" series in 2020, which introduced participants to the learning management system Canvas. Workshops are held throughout the year on Zoom, typically on Fridays, and last from 30 minutes to 1 hour.</item> <p></p> <item> • Test-It-Out Tuesdays. Test-It-Out Tuesdays provide a space to explore new topics, experiment with new technology, or troubleshoot challenges. Although Test-It-Out sessions are led by a library instructor and focus on a specific topic or tool, they are informal and do not follow a set curriculum. Instead, participants come together to think through ideas and grow their understanding as a community. Test-It-Out sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays ad hoc, based on the needs, challenges, and interests of the library community.</item> <p></p> <item> • Journal Club. Since 2015, TLS has hosted a monthly Journal Club to engage with trends and issues in the profession. Each Journal Club meeting is co-facilitated by two graduate student Research and Teaching fellows. They are responsible for identifying a topic for discussion; locating an article or other learning object, such as a video, to function as the focal point for the meeting; and developing discussion questions and active learning exercises for participants. Journal Club meetings are open to any staff member in the library, as well as MLIS students at UMD.</item> <p></p> <item> • Office hours. TLS staff regularly offer one-on-one consultations with library staff. Although meetings can be scheduled as needed, standing office hours reduce the burden of providing on-demand support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, FTI office hours focused on specific needs, such as supporting online learning, video editing and production, and assessment.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0156248416-8">Lessons Learned</hd> <p>From 2018 to March 2020, the FTI hosted approximately 15 events. After the relaunch, from March 2020 to May 2021, the institute hosted more than 50 events with a combined attendance of more than 400 faculty, staff, and student workers. Much of the increase was due to the shift in the modality of instruction. Before COVID-19, the Fearless Teaching Institute was an entirely in-person program. The transition to online learning reduced barriers to participation and increased opportunities for staff from across the libraries to attend. The FTI also now offers a greater variety of events, ranging from hour-long workshops to short informal conversations over lunch. Taken together, the consolidation of events under a single brand, streamlining of the registration process, integration of online events, and diversification of programming have reinvigorated the FTI as an agile and essential arm of the UMD Libraries' teaching program. In program evaluation forms, participants highlighted the ease of registration and attendance, the variety of sessions, the relevance of programming to their immediate needs and situation, and the supportive atmosphere provided by instructors. One participant noted, "The Fearless Teaching Institute saved me when I had to create several videos in early April without much time to prepare. I am so thankful to have learned the skills to be able to teach online on my own!"</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-9">The Research and Teaching Fellowship</hd> <p>The Research and Teaching Fellowship is a three-semester teacher training program for MLIS students at UMD interested in pursuing careers in academic librarianship. The fellowship equips participants, called Fellows, with a range of experiences, including IL instruction, research assistance, program assessment, and peer training. The Research and Teaching Fellowship goes beyond the job responsibilities typical of an internship or field study by providing sustained and deep engagement with academic librarianship. Fellows are hired in a cohort of four to six Fellows per year. They teach hundreds of IL sessions annually for ENGL101, accounting for 75 to 85 percent of UMD Libraries' general-education instruction and 30 percent of the libraries' overall teaching.</p> <p>In addition to preparing Fellows to become confident, capable, and compassionate teachers, the Research and Teaching Fellowship readies its participants to step into librarian roles by offering opportunities for research and professional development. The offerings include designing and leading a small-scale action-research project, an approach to research that seeks evidence-based approaches to solving everyday, real problems; submitting work to local and national conferences; and engaging with current literature through a monthly Journal Club. After graduation, 100 percent of Fellows receive academic job placements or successfully matriculate into doctoral programs. Today, RTF alumni work in prestigious academic, government, public, and archival institutions across the country. TLS librarians and fellowship alumni collaborate to support current Fellows through the academic job search by providing career readiness workshops, mentorship, and a supportive community of practice.</p> <p>The Research and Teaching Fellowship is an iterative project that evolves continually. Each year, focus groups are held with graduating Fellows to learn more about their experiences in the fellowship.[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref15">7</reflink>] Their feedback has led to programmatic changes ranging from the development of credit-bearing courses, to organizing a newsletter for building community between alumni and current Fellows, to redesigning the action-research project. When the rapid switch to online instruction in spring 2020 necessitated expedited decision-making, Fellows were included in all aspects of the redesign process.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-10">Curricular Support</hd> <p>Fellows prepare for IL instruction through a series of observations, co-teaching, and engagement with pedagogical theory in credit-bearing courses. During the summer of 2020, the credit-bearing courses were redesigned to include the theory and practice of online instruction. Content for the fall 2020 semester included facilitating online group work, developing asynchronous learning materials, and conducting assessment in the online classroom. During in-class and supplemental practice sessions, Fellows had hands-on practice exploring educational technology, including Zoom, Padlet, and Mentimeter. The revised syllabus also built time into each class session to discuss teaching experiences, share challenges and tips, and offer support and encouragement for one another.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-11">Job-Seeking Support</hd> <p>Librarians and alumni of the Research and Teaching Fellowship support the job search process of Fellows through sharing job application materials; reviewing cover letters and curricula vitae; delivering professional development workshops; reviewing practice presentations; serving as references; and providing one-on-one mentorship. In spring 2020, graduating Fellows faced a particularly challenging job market. Hiring freezes, budget reductions, and a new-normal of remote interviews resulted in a competitive job search process that was demanding for applicants. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in searches that were abruptly cancelled, others that were quickly expedited, and job offers that were revoked days or weeks after the interview. The volatility of the job market also disrupted the search timeline; rather than job hunting in the spring semester, Fellows continued their search through the summer and fall. The extended timeline increased their need for support, including a greater demand for reference letters, application review, mentorship, and job coaching. To prepare for video interviews, Fellows participated in mock interviews and job presentations on Zoom. As the pandemic progressed and employers increasingly requested that applicants demonstrate efficacy as online instructors, the authors worked with Fellows to develop sample lesson plans and review digital learning objects for their interviews.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-12">Community</hd> <p>Each year, Fellows identify the sense of community as the single greatest benefit of the Research and Teaching Fellowship.[<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref16">8</reflink>] Continuing to foster a collaborative, supportive environment became even more important as Fellows contended with the personal and professional impacts of the pandemic. Many staples of the program, such as in-person office hours and professional development workshops, moved to synchronous online platforms. Program managers fostered a sense of community through informal social Zoom sessions and weekly overlapping online office hours. In lieu of an in-person graduation ceremony in spring 2020, the team compiled a video that featured congratulations, encouragement, and advice from librarians and former Fellows.</p> <p>To increase opportunities for community, program managers launched an alumni network to better connect current and former Fellows. The network includes regular communications, such as a biannual newsletter highlighting professional achievements of current and former Fellows and an e-mail list to share job advertisements, research and professional opportunities, and support from members of the community. Moving the Research and Teaching Fellowship program online also increased opportunities for engagement with fellowship alumni, who work at institutions across the country. Alumni offered online mentorship and served as guest instructors in the credit-bearing courses, which enabled current Fellows to benefit from the professional expertise of alumni while expanding their professional networks.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-13">Lessons Learned</hd> <p>The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Research and Teaching Fellowship to be more creative and provide opportunities for Fellows it had not previously offered. Fellows now have exposure to both online and in-person learning techniques and experiences, which have better prepared them to succeed in the job market and the profession. Although program directors have always encouraged interview preparation, such as mock interviews and practice job talks, these were almost always conducted in person. Once working remotely, program managers found that video conferencing software made these events easier to organize and attend. Fellows can schedule a practice job talk and invite mentors and colleagues from across the country. Online engagement has increased opportunities for current Research and Teaching Fellows to connect with alumni, made it easier to facilitate teaching observations and co-teaching experiences, and reduced barriers to participation in social and professional development events. Fellows informally reported that the increased engagement with alumni was a silver lining to the virtual environment, particularly for job search preparation. The increased availability for online meetings allowed more participation by alumni who had recently navigated the employment market in the virtual environment. These alumni could offer insight from their own experiences that the authors could not.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-14">Transitioning ENGL101 Online</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0156248416-15">ENGL101 Background</hd> <p>The UMD Libraries' first-year composition instruction program is a decades-long partnership between the libraries and the Academic Writing Program in the Department of English of the College of Arts &amp; Humanities. The Writing Program is responsible for administering ENGL101, a required first-year composition course that introduces academic research and writing. For the purposes of this article, references to the course-specific IL instruction will be identified as ENGL101, and discussions of administrative oversight will refer to the Academic Writing Program, indicating the broader programmatic management.</p> <p>The IL instruction for ENGL101 hinges on one or two library research sessions ranging from 50 to 75 minutes in length. The sessions focus on foundational research skills, including developing effective search strategies, evaluating sources for credibility, citing sources, and identifying information needs. Each year, the IL instruction program serves 4,000 first-year students enrolled in 230 sections of ENGL101. To support a program on this scale, the pool of ENGL101 library instructors is supplemented by Research and Teaching Fellows, who lead between 75 and 85 percent of instruction.</p> <p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, IL instruction for ENGL101 was offered exclusively in person. This modality was supported by both the TLS unit and the Academic Writing Program, which considered topics such as information evaluation best suited to a physical space where instructors can approach complex conversations with nuance. Because the ENGL101 syllabus and assignments are particularly intensive, the libraries wondered if the Academic Writing Program might decrease its engagement with them to free up space in the syllabus if online alternatives became available. Despite the uncertainty, the authors embraced the challenge presented by COVID-19 to develop high-quality online instructional experiences and were pleased when the Academic Writing Program emerged as an eager partner in this process.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-16">Managing Communication</hd> <p>In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UMD announced the immediate transition of all in-person courses to an online environment. While this shift was implemented quickly, the transition in the libraries was supported by two factors. First, the senior Research and Teaching Fellows were finishing the final semesters of their programs and had extensive experience teaching ENGL101, which gave them the ability to transition their instruction online with limited preparation. Second, because the IL instruction for ENGL101 was front-loaded in the semester, the timing of the online transition meant that the bulk of instruction had been completed and only a few sessions remained.</p> <p>Over the summer of 2020, the TLS team leveraged the groundwork it had laid in the spring to develop a fully online program for ENGL101. Throughout the redesign, team members faced the challenge of managing communication on multiple levels, including facilitating dialogue among the libraries, Academic Writing Program directors, and ENGL101 instructors; and maintaining internal communications between TLS staff and Research and Teaching Fellows. In response, the head of TLS created an ENGL101 Information Literacy Steering Committee, responsible for advising TLS staff on the redesign of the ENGL101 instruction program from an in-person to an online environment and strengthening the partnership between the Academic Writing Program and the libraries. The steering committee met monthly throughout the summer and included stakeholders from the TLS unit, the Academic Writing Program, and the Research and Teaching Fellowship.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-17">Lesson Plan and Activities</hd> <p>The ENGL101 course at UMD uses a standardized syllabus and assignments. Although the focus or delivery may change slightly from section to section, the overall course progression and goals remain consistent. The libraries' IL lesson plans are designed to meet the needs of students at varying points in the semester. In each session, library instructors teach information evaluation, the differences between and uses for source types, and how to search in Academic Search Ultimate, a multidisciplinary database. In addition, the library instructors offer a customized experience that aligns with students' specific assignments. For example, after students identify a research topic, library instructors may facilitate a concept mapping activity that walks them through the process of developing a research question. Instructors might also demonstrate a subject-specific database or focus on advanced information evaluation strategies.</p> <p>Over the summer, the steering committee collaborated on instructional policies, discussed potential ethical issues and obligations, and developed new teaching techniques for the online ENGL101 program. Beginning in fall 2020, the library conducted IL sessions for ENGL101 synchronously using Zoom. At the beginning of each session, library instructors took a poll using the online software Mentimeter asking the students to share their feelings toward their research project. This served as an icebreaker and gave the library instructor a sense of the classroom climate and an opportunity to validate both positive and negative emotions among the students. Next, the instructor reviewed ways to get research assistance from the library before launching into a discussion of source types and their use in research. Instructors also facilitated a small-group activity on information evaluation using Zoom breakout rooms. Each small group was assigned a source to assess and asked to present their findings on Padlet, a real-time collaborative Web platform in which users can upload, organize, and share content to virtual bulletin boards. Padlet enabled the library instructor to review the work done in the breakout rooms in real time and served as a tool to guide discussion once everyone rejoined the main Zoom room. Following the evaluation activity, library instructors led a demonstration of Academic Search Ultimate, using student research questions to conduct sample searches. Finally, the instructor closed the session by asking students to respond to the prompt "What was something from today's session that resonated with you?" The responses were reviewed after each session and analyzed at the end of the semester to guide larger programmatic changes.[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref17">9</reflink>] Although library instructors used the standard lesson plan as a baseline, they were encouraged to adapt and change the lesson as they become more comfortable in the virtual classroom.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-18">Managing Logistics</hd> <p>Typically, ENGL101 IL instruction sessions take place between the second and sixth week of the semester. To accommodate the additional training needed for online teaching, the authors delayed the start of fall 2020 teaching by two weeks and instituted a co-instructor model, with two library instructors per instruction session. The primary instructor led the class, and the support instructor monitored the chat, visited breakout rooms, and responded to technical challenges. Support instructors were included until the lead instructor felt confident teaching independently. For some, this happened quickly, and for others, the support instructor remained throughout the semester. The system of co-instruction not only provided security for library teachers, who were working in an unfamiliar and stressful online environment, but also helped sustain a sense of community at a time when in-person interactions were few and far between. The co-teaching model helped to strengthen a sense of camaraderie and provided TLS team members with a deeper understanding of the experiences, skills, and abilities of the Fellows.</p> <p>One of the most challenging aspects of the redesign was developing a new scheduling process. In prior years, ENGL101 instructors would submit a request at the beginning of the semester, and a team member from TLS would work with each teacher to schedule their library instruction session. Once the sessions were entered into the common teaching calendar, individual library instructors received a quota of sessions to teach—for example, between 12 and 15—and would claim ENGL101 sessions that matched their schedule. Library instructors would then reach out to the course teachers to plan the details of the session. In practice, an ENGL101 instructor who taught multiple course sections might work with a different library instructor for each session. While this system worked for in-person sessions, in an online environment, the confusion of multiple Zoom links, hosts, and cohosts made this model more difficult to execute. In response, the scheduling process was updated; rather than claiming individual sessions on the calendar, library instructors were asked to partner with a specific course teacher and work directly with that person to schedule and deliver library sessions for each section. The new process represented a substantial increase in responsibility for the Research and Teaching Fellows, who served as the single point of contact between the course teacher and the libraries. To reduce the burden on the library instructors, TLS staff developed extensive protocols and e-mail templates to guide communication between the two groups of instructors.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-19">Asynchronous Resources</hd> <p>During the abrupt shift to online learning in spring 2020, the TLS team designed a temporary asynchronous module in the learning management system, Canvas, to provide supplemental information for first-year students. The module covered many of the same resources that in-person sessions did but also featured information specific to the online environment, such as troubleshooting digital access and connecting with a librarian remotely. The module was distributed to course instructors through Canvas Commons, an online repository of learning objects. Over the summer, the teaching and learning librarian worked with the ENGL101 Information Literacy Steering Committee to improve the module, including rerecording instructional videos and developing additional content. To facilitate access, the Academic Writing Program incorporated the library module into the standard Canvas course shell, which is distributed to all ENGL101 instructors.</p> <p>The authors also created the "Get It Done Guide to Undergraduate Research," a Lib-Guide that features video tutorials for popular databases (for example, Academic Search Ultimate and Google Scholar) and tips for evaluating scholarly and popular sources. It also provides citation-formatting information for the Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, and <emph>Chicago Manual of Style</emph>.[<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref18">10</reflink>] These changes appear on the main undergraduate landing page on the libraries' website, which is featured in each ENGL101 session and serves as the primary point of access for ENGL101 students.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-20">Lessons Learned</hd> <p>Although the redesign of the ENGL101 IL program was demanding and time-intensive, it pushed TLS to think creatively about a program that had been stagnant for many years. It also strengthened communication within the unit and between the libraries and their partners. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, communication within TLS relied heavily on informal interactions facilitated by a shared physical workspace. To centralize communications after the pandemic, the unit consolidated processes and procedures into an instructor's handbook and developed faculty communication guidelines to steer interactions between Fellows and Academic Writing Program instructors. The TLS team also integrated increased opportunities for communication, including weekly unit meetings and one-on-one check-ins.</p> <p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, space limitations determined how many sections could be scheduled at one time. McKeldin Library has three classroom spaces, and in the past, TLS reserved only two of those rooms, leaving one for librarian colleagues and ongoing subject-specific instruction. With virtual instruction, physical constraints no longer curbed scheduling. Additionally, in past semesters, TLS scheduled all ENGL101 sessions at the beginning of the semester and then opened the schedule to Fellows, who would claim sessions that fit their plans. During fall 2020, Fellows took a more active role, working directly with ENGL101 instructors to schedule their own sessions. This decentralized approach resulted in multiple overlapping sessions at all hours of the day, which made it difficult for TLS to provide adequate support to instructors. In spring 2021, TLS added additional scheduling guidelines, including a limit on concurrent sessions to ensure that no more than two online sessions happened at any given time and a cap on the maximum number of sessions at six per day. These recommendations reduced confusion and stress for the Fellows and the TLS team.</p> <p>While TLS has maintained a long-standing relationship with the Academic Writing Program, over the years, the partnership had become transactional. The shift to remote learning presented an opportunity to move the partnership out of stasis and tackle the challenge of developing curricular changes and strategies for effective remote learning. During planning, the Academic Writing Program invited a TLS librarian to work with it on the overall redesign of the ENGL101 curriculum for online, and Writing Program instructors met with the libraries as part of the steering committee. Looking forward, the unit anticipates continued collaboration and increased integration with the Academic Writing Program.</p> <hd id="AN0156248416-21">Conclusion</hd> <p>The shift to remote learning generated space for innovation and creativity; offered opportunities to deprioritize initiatives that had blurred the focus of the TLS mission; and prompted the authors to rethink the approach to and delivery of existing services. When the UMD community returned to campus in fall 2021, TLS applied the skills and lessons learned during the pandemic to better serve the students and the university. The Fearless Teaching Institute continued to respond to library colleagues' learning needs and provided valuable professional development through increased offerings and modalities of instruction. Online teaching and learning remained an important piece of the Research and Teaching Fellowship program, benefiting not only UMD students through access to skilled and flexible instructors but also the library profession as these new professionals brought diverse skills to their work. The lessons learned over the past year allowed the libraries to offer IL instruction in varied formats, both online and inperson synchronous sessions and asynchronous resources, and to meet students where they were, regardless of course modality.</p> <ref id="AN0156248416-22"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Jennifer K. Frederick and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg, "Academic Library Strategy and Budgeting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2020," Ithaka S+R, December 9, 2020, https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.314507.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref2" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Kaylyn Groves, "University of Maryland Wins ACRL [Association of College and Research Libraries] Excellence in Academic Libraries Award," <emph>ARL</emph> [Association of Research Libraries] <emph>News</emph>, January 24, 2020, https://<ulink href="http://www.arl.org/news/university-of-maryland-wins-acrl-excellence-in-academic-libraries-award-2020/">www.arl.org/news/university-of-maryland-wins-acrl-excellence-in-academic-libraries-award-2020/</ulink>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref3" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> Rachel Wilder Gammons and Lindsay Taylor Inge, "Using the ACRL Framework to Develop a Student-Centered Model for Program-Level Assessment," <emph>Communications in Information Literacy</emph> 11, 1 (2017): 8, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1148868.pdf.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref10" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Rachel W. Gammons, Alexander J. Carroll, and Lindsay Inge Carpenter, "'I Never Knew I Could Be a Teacher': A Student-Centered MLIS Fellowship for Future Teacher-Librarians," <emph>portal: Libraries and the Academy</emph> 18, 2 (2018): 331–62, https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2018.0019.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib5" idref="ref11" type="bt">5</bibl> <bibtext> Alice E. Donlan, Sandra M. Loughlin, and Virginia L. Byrne, "The Fearless Teaching Framework: A Model to Synthesize Foundational Education Research for University Instructors," <emph>To Improve the Academy</emph> 38, 1 (2019): 33–49, https://doi.org/10.1002/tia2.20087.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib6" idref="ref14" type="bt">6</bibl> <bibtext> Rachel Gammons, "Fearless Teaching Institute," University of Maryland Libraries Research Guides, January 29, 2021, https://lib.guides.umd.edu/fearlessteaching.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib7" idref="ref15" type="bt">7</bibl> <bibtext> Gammons, Carroll, and Carpenter, "'I Never Knew I Could Be a Teacher.'"</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib8" idref="ref16" type="bt">8</bibl> <bibtext> Gammons, Carroll, and Carpenter, "'I Never Knew I Could Be a Teacher.'"</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib9" idref="ref17" type="bt">9</bibl> <bibtext> Rachel Gammons, Lindsay Inge Carpenter, and Jordan Sly, "When Stars Align: Redesigning an Instruction and Assessment Program to Align with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy," presentation at LOEX, Houston, TX, May 2018, https://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/21535.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Suzy Wilson, "Get It Done Guide to Undergraduate Research," University of Maryland Libraries Research Guides, October 10, 2020, https://lib.guides.umd.edu/getitdone.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Rachel W. Gammons</p> <p>Reported by Author</p> <p></p> <p>Rachel W. GammonsRachel W. Gammons is the head of Teaching and Learning Services at the McKeldin Library of the University of Maryland in College Park; she may be reached by e-mail at:.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref18"></nolink> |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Keep Teaching: Leveraging Disruption as a Catalyst for Change – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gammons%2C+Rachel+W%2E%22">Gammons, Rachel W.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wilson%2C+Suzanne%22">Wilson, Suzanne</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Carpenter%2C+Lindsay+Inge%22">Carpenter, Lindsay Inge</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shaw%2C+Benjamin%22">Shaw, Benjamin</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22portal%3A+Libraries+and+the+Academy%22"><i>portal: Libraries and the Academy</i></searchLink>. Jan 2022 22(1):127-139. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel: 800-548-1784; Tel: 410-516-6987; Fax: 410-516-6968; e-mail: jlorder@jhupress.jhu.edu; Web site: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/list – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 13 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2022 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Libraries%22">Academic Libraries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Learning%22">Electronic Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Library+Instruction%22">Library Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Innovation%22">Instructional Innovation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Development%22">Professional Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fellowships%22">Fellowships</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+Students%22">Graduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Library+Education%22">Library Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Freshman+Composition%22">Freshman Composition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Online+Courses%22">Online Courses</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maryland+%28College+Park%29%22">Maryland (College Park)</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1353/pla.2022.0013 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1531-2542 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries quickly switched to online teaching and learning. This disruption created a chance for innovation, allowing the UMD Libraries to scale back nonessential functions and focus on improving mission-critical work. The authors present the teaching program at UMD Libraries as a case study for innovation under pressure, highlighting three areas: (1) redevelopment of the Fearless Teaching Institute, an online professional development program for library teachers; (2) transition of a fundamental program--the Academic Writing Program--from an in-person to an online learning environment; and (3) redesign of the Research and Teaching Fellowship, a teacher training program for master of library and information science (MLIS) students, all to better support online learning and pedagogy. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2022 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1330202 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1353/pla.2022.0013 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 13 StartPage: 127 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Academic Libraries Type: general – SubjectFull: Electronic Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Library Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: COVID-19 Type: general – SubjectFull: Distance Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Pandemics Type: general – SubjectFull: Instructional Innovation Type: general – SubjectFull: Professional Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Fellowships Type: general – SubjectFull: Graduate Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Library Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Freshman Composition Type: general – SubjectFull: Online Courses Type: general – SubjectFull: Maryland (College Park) Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Keep Teaching: Leveraging Disruption as a Catalyst for Change Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gammons, Rachel W. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wilson, Suzanne – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Carpenter, Lindsay Inge – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shaw, Benjamin IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2022 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1531-2542 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 22 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: portal: Libraries and the Academy Type: main |
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