With more options available for library instruction than ever before, now is the time to consider how you might integrate an information literacy session into your courses for Summer and Fall 2021. The Salmon Library has expanded the options available for customized sessions, in a variety of asynchronous and synchronous formats, to fit your individual course needs. Please take a few minutes to consider whether any of the following options might be appropriate for your upcoming courses. You may submit a library instruction request through our online form (one per course) to the library (no later than two weeks prior to the requested date of instruction), so that we will be able to meet your class needs!
Main Instruction Options
- In-Person
- Synchronous Online
- Asynchronous Online
In-person traditional sessions: we will customize the session around your class goals, ranging from brief overviews of our tools and services to more interactive workshops dedicated to that class’ specific research needs. At all levels of academic learning, it is vital to refresh your students’ critical evaluation and information seeking skill sets. You can expect a mixture of lectures and interactive activities in our live sessions.
Synchronous online sessions: the library can join your class through Zoom (or other online method) to deliver library instruction online during a designated class time. This can either be set up a separate session by the library, or if you have your class online we can join in with your session.
Asynchronous online instruction: we can prepare slides, handouts, quizzes, and more for you to use in your class as you see fit.
Whichever of these you need, we can provide.
Integrating One-on-One Sessions with Library Instruction
Instructors can encourage (or require!) students to contact librarians for one-on-one research help consultations. These consultations are extended, dedicated research help appointments where students talk directly to a librarian to develop research strategies and to expand upon information literacy concepts. We can also meet with students in the evening if their schedule requires.
If you choose to require this for your class, please give us a heads up so that we can make sure to ask students what course they are working on and forward records of student interactions on to you.
Canvas Commons Library Modules
The Library & Research Readiness Series, created and presented by Salmon Library, provides a method of integrating library and information literacy instruction directly into your course in the form of modules developed within the Canvas tool kit. This series offers a means of asynchronous delivery for online courses, but also serves as a complement to traditional library instruction sessions available. The modules can be downloaded directly into your course.
In addition to fundamental, introductory modules, we now have dedicated content for more advanced learning outcomes, such as database searching, using citation managers, or evaluating resource types for research projects. We would also be happy to prepare specialized or tailored content that can be added to your course like these premade modules. If you do need custom made content, we will need at least two weeks notice to create and implement the new modules.
Creating in-depth LibGuides for a Class/Topic
We can create a multimodal asynchronous research and information literacy guide tailored to a specific class topic (see example). This includes videos created specifically for the class/topic, tutorials with screenshots, and relevant information about doing research with that focus. This can be used for you class or research project to act as a hub of information literacy to which students can refer as a handbook or extended classroom text. The library can include books, articles, websites, and many other sources available to the campus.
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more, contact Michael Manasco, our Instruction Librarian (michael.manasco@uah.edu, 256.824.6965) or see our Library Instruction guide.
