Practical Academic Library Instruction: Learner-Centered Techniques

by Jo Angela Oehrli

When you stand alone in front of the class, being in command of your content is only the first step. Knowing how to engage students’ participation in ways that foster “ownership” ensures that learning is both active and lasting. In this guide, Oehrli shares tried and tested techniques honed from 20 years of practice in both traditional and nontraditional settings. Drawing from educational research, she applies these techniques to the learner-centered teaching of information literacy topics. In this book, which is organized for quick access to techniques at your point of need, you will learn
how to use guiding principles to shape your personal philosophy of teaching;
ways to address the uneven power dynamics of a classroom;
5 basic questions to guide your preparation for a class;
pointers for communicating with students in the language of the ACRL Framework;
simple and subtle ways to build rapport with students;
real-world applications of education research concepts such as Keller’s ARCS theory of motivation;
metacognitive techniques that foster student ownership of learning;
other tips for asking good discussion questions and how to use the think/pair/share method to encourage discussion;
techniques for defusing distraction in the classroom through proximity, pivoting, and pausing; and
interactive methods to uncover students’ prior knowledge in research.

Genres: Librarianship, Nonfiction, Professional Development

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Janet]

There were times when I wanted more depth and more than one example, but overall, this was one of the more useful books about library instruction that I have read. In particular, it acknowledges that most of our sessions are one-shots, which a lot of books don’t do, and it doesn’t assume that your one-shot can just focus on one thing, like evaluating sources.

[Troy Espe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a required textbook in all library schools.