Types of Pedagogy

In this section, you will find individual chapters and essays that have been generally categorized by pedagogy, theory, and theme. The sections includes the following topics:

Composition and Rhetoric

Fister, Barbara. 1992. “Common Ground: The Composition/Bibliographic Instruction Connection.” In Academic Libraries: Achieving Excellence in Higher Education: proceedings of the Sixth National Conference of the Association of College and Research Librarians, Salt Lake City, Utah, April, 154-58.
ISBN: 0838976220 Link to UNT Record.

Fister reflects on the common themes found in composition and library studies. Using citation analysis, she notes the lack of communication between the two fields who both aim to “improve[e] student research” and draws out her argument that they need to communicate with each other. She examines concerns within composition pedagogies and links them to those in library studies. She them suggests ways for librarians to engage with the discourses in composition to network with its practioners.

Elmborg, James K. 2001. “Scope and Sequence in Literacy Instruction: Collaborating with Writing Programs.” In Library User Education: Powerful learning, Powerful Partnerships. Edited by Barbara I. Dewey, 135-143.
ISBN: 0585386013 Link to Record.

Elmborg discusses the struggles that library instruction has had in composition to the success to writing programs to find a “departmental” home or many homes in academia. Supported by a “philosophical commitment” and fortified with pedagogical praxes, composition has a place in the core curriculum in higher education, for which library instruction is a tool. To move beyond the utility of library instruction as academic support, library instruction needs “coherent programs,” praxis, and pedagogy that migrate it from its supportive role to that of a participant in the curriculum. Elmborg presents models to assist librarians in forming their “institutional identity.”

Jacobs, Heidi L.M. 2008. “Information Literacy and Reflective Pedagogy Praxis.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 34, no. 3: 256-262.
DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2008.03.009 Link to Record.

Jacobs develops an information literacy pedagogy from Compositions and Rhetoric discourses. She aims to address how to structure critical and mindful pedagogical praxis. Her hope is that by “theorizing [the] profession in such a way,” librarians “may ask new questions of it” to transform it.

King, Reabeka. 2012. “Essentials of Basic Writing Pedagogy for Librarians.” Community & Junior College Libraries 18, no. 2: 55-66.
DOI: 10.1080/02763915.2012.700211 Link to Record.

King explains the fundamentals of basic writing pedagogy and how it can be used in the library profession. Basic writing theory addresses each “developmental stage” in writing and research for college students. As there is an increase in students entering college without college-level writing and research skill, basic writing pedagogy does not have to be reserved to basic writing or remedial writing programs.

Norgaard, Rolf. 2003. “Writing Information Literacy: Contribution to a Concept.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 43 (2): 124-130.
ISSN: 10949054 Link to Record.

Norgaard argues while composition and rhetoric pedagogies have failed to conceptualize how “libraries and information literacy” can be a tool for faculty, librarians have much to gain in implementing composition and rhetoric pedagogies into library instruction as both the means to enrich disciplinary instruction but to deepen the concept to information literacy, itself. For Norgaard, information literacy is as an ancient a study as writing but our view of it has not been presented thusly in composition and rhetoric studies—hence, the failure of these theories to position the libraries as partners of composition and rhetoric discourses. Librarians, then, must reclaim their side of the pedagogical coin by “‘rhetoriciz[ing]’ information literacy” in a “full[er] social and cultural” praxis that is “situated” in “process-oriented” structures from “classical rhetoric tradition[s] and contemporary [discourses].” A companion article takes this idea further.

—. 2004. “Writing Information Literacy in the Classroom: Pedagogical Enactments and Implications.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 43 (3): 220-226.
ISSN: 10949054 Link to UNT Record.

In the companion piece to “Writing Information Literacy: Contribution to a Concept,” Norgaard elaborates on the relationship between information literacy and composition and rhetoric. Both have migrated from skill-based literacy and writing to “inquiry” and “meaning-[making]” exploration (that are now better expressed by the ACRL Framework and New Rhetorics), but the dialog to connect what each discipline is doing has fallen through the collaborative cracks. This is in part due to the stereotypical assignments or concepts that professor associated with the library: the research paper, plagiarism, generic teaching about how to use the library, and a warehouse of information. By embracing composition and rhetoric pedagogies, librarians can develop tactical measures to disrupt these preconceived ideas with instruction that imparts information literacy and “intellectual inquiry” to unify these two fields.

Constructivism, Constructionism, and Learning Cultures

Beatty, Joshua. 2016. “Zotero: A Tool for Constructionist Learning in Critical Information Literacy.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 215-222.
Link to Reference.

Beatty illustrates how reference management software like Zotero can be taught using constructionist pedagogy. Constructionism pedagogy like constructivism encourages students to build their own “‘knowledge structures’” (qtd in) while generating a sharable product. Reference management software allow users to create personal libraries of research topics that can be shared and discussed within a course context. Further, Beatty employs pedagogies developed by Freire.

Bejune, Matthew M. and Same O’Connell. 2017. “Case Study: Library Instruction from the Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side.” In User-Centered Design for First-Year Library Instruction Programs. Edited by Cinthya M. Ippoliti and Rachel W. Gammons. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
ISBN: 9781440838538 Link to UNT Record.

Bejune and O'Connell argue that constructivist approaches to library instruction facilitate more in-depth, active learning experiences to students. Constructivist theories promote social learning processes that are deeply user-focused for students. These methods also have success in improving general and discipline-specific information fluency while increasing the relationship between the student and the librarian in a way that makes the librarian an integral part of the student's learning process. These methods also require instruction coordination between the librarian and professor that promotes collaboration between these two teaching faculty. As a result, the traditional, general, and often scripted "one-shot" library instruction class is abandoned in favor of multiple sessions that relate to specific course objectives and assignments throughout the course.

Bell, Steven J. 2000. “Creating Learning Libraries in Support of Seamless Learning Cultures.” College & Undergraduate Libraries 6, no. 2: 45-58.
DOI: 10.1300/J106v06n02_05 Link to Record.

Bell examines seamless learning cultures. Seamless learning cultures encourages out-of-classroom learning experiences to augment traditional lecture-based teaching styles. However, the library’s role in these cultures can be ambiguous. Bell takes particular care in explore how librarians’ can adopt their instruction methods to better capitalize on seamless learning cultures.

Browndorf, Margaret. 2016. “My Primary Sources: Using Student Personal History as a Gateway to Historical Context.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 163-168.
Link to Reference.

Browndorf demonstrates how primary sources can integrate student’s personal experiences with historical research and consider the agency of historical actors. The lessons she uses also incorporate linguistic analyses of power theories to provoke the students to learn about self-agency in relation to “communication and information sharing,” based on a concept of holistic pedagogy created by bell hooks. These topics, Browndork believes, are best learned in constructivist style classrooms as they reinforce the “historical and sociocultural” lessons of the class’s learning objectives.

Eckenrode, Dawn. 2008. “An “Amazing Race” through the Library: Reality Television Meets Problem-Based Learning.” In Cook and Sittler. 127-138.
Link to Reference.

Eckenrode uses problem-based approaches mixed with constructivism, framed within the cultural context of a popular TV show. In class, students are asked to solve problems that require researching and finding information in reference sources.

Elmborg, James K. 2002. “Teaching at the Desk: Toward a Reference Pedagogy.” portal: Libraries and the Academy 2, no. 3: 455-464.
DOI: 10.1353/pla.2002.0050 Link to Record.

Elmborg argues that “reference [work] is a form of teaching” and should be approached as research consultations. He also argues that taking a conference approach is beneficial. To assist in adopting such ideas about reference work, he makes a case to use “constructivist learning theory.”

Reeves, Linda, Judy McMillan, and Renata Gibson. 2008. “Keep Them Engaged: Cooperative Learning with the Jigsaw Method.” In Cook and Sittler. 77-86.
Link to Reference.

Reeves, McMillan, and Gibson use the Jigsaw methods to allow students to teach content to each other after they have been taught how to use different search methods. By teaching each other, the student engage in social learning that reinforces the content of the lecture.

Schmit, Karla M. 2008. “True and Terrifying Stories: Using Peer-Led Discussion Groups to Evaluate Information Texts.” In Cook and Sittler. 87-102.
Link to Reference.

Schmit illustrates how group discussion and study can facilitate social learning. The objective of this social learning environment is for the students to develop an understanding of evaluation criteria and practice evaluating text.

Smale, Maura and Stephen Francoeur. 2016. “Moving Students to the Center through Collaborative Documents in the Classroom.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 9-14.
Link to Reference.

Smale and Francoeur discuss collaborative methods that encourage students to claim their research experiences as developing viable expertise. In doing so, they deconstruct the librarian as “the sole research expert.” As a result, they explain that student engage their agency and gain courage to participate in their learning environments.

Wang, Li. 2007. “Sociocultural Learning Theories and Information Literacy Teaching Activities in Higher Education.” References & User Services Quarterly 47, no. 2: 149-158.
ISSN: 10949054 Link to Record.

Wang argues that learning is increased when it is fostered in a community environment. His research looks at “collaborative learning models based on sociocultural learning theories” to conduct information literacy instruction. Sociocultural theories that focus on the social aspects of learning and learner-centered pedagogies like “the jigsaw model, the reciprocal model…collaborative peer groups…problem-and resource-based learning” yield greater results in student learning assessment because they create a “community-of-learners.” Wang expresses how more learning is achieved through these theories over traditional instruction methods.

Critical Theory

Bales, Stephen. 2015. The Dialectic of Academic Librarianship: a Critical Approach. Sacramento: Litwin Books.
ISBN: 9781936117895 Link to UNT Record.

The work examines the academic library's position as a culturally and historically situated producer and curator of knowledge and its instrumental role in driving social reproduction and the status quo through the discussions and insights of the modern capitalist academic library (MCAL) and dialectics, dialectical material monism as alternative way to understand the MCAL, how the MCAL relates to ideology, and the counter-hegemonic academic librarian, and transition of quantity into quality as a tool for counter-hegemony. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Battista, Andrew and Jill Conte. 2016. “Teaching with Data: Visualization and Information as a Critical Process.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 147-154. Link to Reference.

Battista and Conte use critical pedagogy to explore how accessing, formatting, interpreting, and visualizing data is a culturally constructed process.

Berg, Jacob. 2016. “Googling Google: Search Engines As Market Actors in Library Instruction.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 87-94. Link to Reference.

Berg argues against the “neutrality” of Google, saying the Google search results are the results of “dominate narratives” and capitalism. He designs his classes so that students are provoked to analyze critically the problems that this causes in search consumption. To encourage critical learning, he also holds his classes in computer labs where the hierarchy of professor/instructor-student is disrupted.

Carbery, Alan and Sean Leahy. 2016. “From Traditional to Critical: Highlighting Issues of Injustice and Discrimination through Primary Sources.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 155-162.
Link to Reference.

Carbery and Leahy discuss the opportunities that primary sources can have on critical learning experiences. The primary sources that they introduce in their classes allow students to critical think about how we interrupt artifacts from the past and how they inform our understanding of history. During these discussions, they encourage students to think about how minority narratives are often marginalized in history and what roles primary sources play in affirming or disrupting dominant historical narratives.

Cooke Nicole A, and Miriam E Sweeney, eds. 2015. Teaching for Justice: Implementing Social Justice in the LIS Classroom. Sacramento: Litwin Books.
ISBN: 9781634000468 Link to UNT Record.

Teaching for Justice describes the efforts of LIS faculty and instructors who feature social justice theory and strategies in their courses and classroom practices. The contributors discuss a unified social justice stance for library and information science curricula, using sustainability and critical librarianship as a framework for LIS education, and the place of cultural humility in the LIS profession and education. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Critten, Jessica. 2016. “Death of the Author(ity): Responding Students as Constructors of Meaning in Information literacy.” In McNicol. 19-29.
Link to Reference.

Critten criticizes the focus on author-authority and promotes a “value-laden binary” that doesn’t encourage the types to critical thinking that information instruction seeks. She argues that the learner’s experience and interpretation of the information as its “constructor” is both empowering to the learner’s own authority and encourages the needed learning engagement in critical thinking. Critten explores pedagogical approaches and highlights frames in the ACL Framework.

Downey, Annie. 2016. Critical Information Literacy: Foundations, Inspiration, and Ideas. California: Library Juice Press.
ISBN: 9781634000437 Link to UNT Record.

Downey analyzes and summarizes the current discussion on critical information literacy. She explores how librarians and library practioners are defining it, “design[ing]” it “teach[ing]” it, and “implement[ing]” it in their work. She also examines how institutions are responding to it by developing campus wide initiatives to support critical information literacy learning objectives.

Espinel, Romel. 2016. “Question Authority and Be an Authority: The Future Belongs to Us.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 21-26.
Link to Reference.

Espinel analyzes the methods that librarians use to teach resource evaluation as methods in which librarians reinforce power structures in the academy and alienate students from their agency. Espinel introduces methods to teach students how to recognize appropriate authorities for an assignment by giving them authority to create their own standards to evaluate sources as consumers of information.

Mehra, Bharat and Kevin Rioux, eds. 2015. Progressive Community Action : Critical Theory and Social Justice in Library and Information Science. Sacramento: Litwin Books.
ISBN: 9781634000420 Link to UNT Record.

The contributors explore intersections between critical theory and social justice in library and information science, while focusing on social relevance and community involvement to promote community-wide changes. Included in the text are chapters discussing libraries as convivial tools in action, questions about information literacy as a mechanism to disrupt the perceptions regarding big data’s influences on human behavior, informational democracy and social-generated information. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Nicholson, Karen P. and Maura Seale, eds. 2018. The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship. Sacramento: Library Juice Press.
ISBN: 9781634000420 Link to UNT Record.

Nicholson and Seale explore the increasing literature on critical librarianship or “Critlib." Critlib aims to “destabilize normative discourses and practices with LIS” by “engag[ing] in inclusive and non-authoritarian pedagogies.” As a combination of scholarship, activism, and radical intellectualism, Critlib analyzes librarianship to bring social justice concepts into librarian work. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Polkinghorne, Sarah. 2016. “Critical Consciousness and Search: An Introductory Visualization.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 81-86.
Link to Reference.

Polkinghorne disrupts linear information seeking and search processes by facilitating discussion about what information searching is instead of teaching how to search. She explains that this validates what searching experience students already have and encourages them to discuss their complex topics and searches freely. To open the dialog about searches, she has a visual that prompts them to think about their internal and external search processes. Her article discusses the effects that this visual has on students and how it can be used in the classroom.

Simmons, Michelle Holschuh. 2005. “Librarians as Disciplinary Discourse Mediators: Using Genre Theory to Move Toward Critical Information Literacy.” portal: Libraries and the Academy 5, no. 3: 297-311.
DOI: 10.1353/pla.2005.0041. Link to Record.

Simmons combines the immersive frames of genre theory and cultural theory to transform the work of librarians who liaise to a specific discipline. By examining the practices of a discipline, librarians comprehend and immersive themselves into the discourses of these fields, hereby, enriching their exchanges with faculty and improving their interactions with students. As engaged outsiders to the discipline, librarians are able to mediate discipline discourses to student who may struggle to immerse themselves into their fields of study without out help. Because librarians are one step removed from the discipline themselves, they are better suited to assisting students as they can teach students how to immersive themselves in their studies while remaining critical of the authorities therein. “In this way, [librarians] can help students see that information is constructed and contested not monolithic and apolitical.”

Wallis, Lauren. 2016. “Mapping Power and Privilege in Scholarly Conversations.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 1-8.
Link to Reference.

Willis criticizes assignments that impose academic power structures on students. These types of assignments include annotated bibliographies and literatures because they force the students to “mimic tradition forms of scholarly writing” through disciplinary gatekeeping. Through these assignments and discourses, students are positioned as “intruders [on] the margins of the academy.” By providing library instruction for these assignments, librarians support the power-relationships that undermine the student’s agency in their areas of study. Willis presents a lesson plan to engage students and faculty in discourses on these power-relationships, using problem-posing pedagogy that aims to disrupt the authority of academic production.

Direct Instruction and Engagement-Based Instruction

Bombaro, Christine. 2008. “The Clicky Things Rocked! Combating Plagiarism with Audience Response System Technology.” In Cook and Sittler. 40-49.
Link to Reference.

Bombaro discusses how audience response and Gagne’s principles engage students in introductory workshops on plagiarism and academic integrity. The ARS used clicker polling to ask questions of students and receive feedback to polls during the class.

Calkins, Kaijsa and Cassandra Kvenild. Eds. 2014. The Embedded Librarian’s Cookbook. Chicago: ACRL.
ISBN: 9780838986936 Link to UNT Record.

This companion volume to Embedded Librarianship: Moving Beyond One-shot Instruction features projects not included in the previous publication. This text features as a step-by-step guide with advise from experts on embedding. The contents emphasize practices, goals, and working with faculty and students. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Eng, Norman. 2017. Teaching College: The Ultimate Guide to Learning, Presenting, and Engaging Students. New York: Norman Eng.
ISBN: 9780998587516 Link to UNT Record.

Eng analyzes the lack of engagement in today’s classrooms. He uses principles from advertising to teach instructors how to target information to their students. He also examines how to reconstruct syllabi so that they are read, develop lessons that stimulate deep engagement and learning with today’s students, and create active presentations using active learning teaching methods. Eng aims to teach new instructors how to get their students reading, participating, and caring about their academic work. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Morgan, Nigel and Linda Davies. 2008. “How Cephalonia Can Conquer the World (Or at the Very Least: Your Students!): A Library Orientation Case Study From Cardiff University.” In Cook and Sittler. 20-29.
ISBN: 9780998587516 Link to UNT Record.

Morgan and Davies present an orientation pedagogy that has become popular is the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. They explain that the simplicity of this methods makes it especially effective. It uses audience participation through question and answer exercises and humor with engaging lectures. This style capitalizes on student engagement.

Walsh, Andrew. 2018. The Mini Book of Teaching Tips for Librarians. 2nd ed. Huddersfield: Innovative Libraries.
ISBN: 9780998587516 Link to UNT Record.

Walsh expands on his previous published book to include fifty percent more content in this mini and impactful book. The text features short tips and interventions that can be added to any instruction session to deepen learning and strengthen learning outcomes. Walsh provides over thirty-eight theories and topics, including active learning, constructivist learning, flipped classroom design, game theory, assessment, and blending learning. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

—. 2018. The Librarians’ Book on Teaching through Games and Play. Huddersfield: Innovative Libraries.
ISBN: 9781911500070 Link to UNT Record.

Walsh identifies games that can be used to teach information literacy. The aim of the book, as well as the theory discussed therein, is to make information learning playful and effective. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Educational/ Learner Psychology and Student-Centered Universal Design

Avery, Susan and Jim Hahn. 2008. “Making Meaning: Using a Metaphor as a Tool to Increase Student Understanding.” In Cook and Sittler. 61-68.
Link to Reference.

Avery and Hahn seek to increase understanding of the research methodology by using cognitive pedagogies to frame the research process in everyday language. Their cognitive strategy focuses on ethos of metaphor to increase the likely-hood that skills learned in the class are transferable to other areas of life. As a result, their understanding of research and research process are increased overall.

Crumb, Debbie and Eric Palo. 2008. “It’s Showtime! Engaging Students in Library Instruction.” In Cook and Sittler. 30-39.
Link to Reference.

Crumb and Palo showcase Universal Design for Learning strategies. Universal Design for Learning provides a praxis for recognition, strategic, and affective learning methodologies. Crum and Palo also used active learning pedagogies that utilize playing games.

Hensley, Randall. 1991. “Learning Style Theory and Learning Transfer Principles during Reference Interview Instruction.” Library Trends 39, no. 3: 203-9.
Direct Link to Item.

Hensley argues that learning style theory, based in educational psychology, is an effective pedagogy to use during reference desk interview processes to “facilitate more effective interactions.” He believes that “knowledgeable” staff are more prepared to use learning style theory because it incorporates to two premises in educational psychology: learning styles and learning transfer.

Johnson, Anna Montgomery. 2008. “Analogical Storytelling as a Strategy for Teaching Concept Attainment.” In Cook and Sittler. 69-76.
Link to Reference.

Johnson admits that Direct Instruction can be the viable method for teaching concepts. Despite this, she combines direct methodology with a cognitive pedagogy that utilizes analog storytelling to make content more relatable for students. This disrupts the teaching-centered environment of direct instruction that “personalizes” the learning experience for students.

Lau-Bond, Jennifer. 2016. “Social justice, adult learning and critical literacy.” In McNicol. 79-90.
Link to Reference.

Laur-Bond identifies three learning theories—andragogy, theory of margin, and transformative learning—that are effective in teaching and developing information literacy. She expresses how these theories have impacted her instruction methods and suggests ways to incorporate them into practice.

Lowe, Kathleen. 2008. “Using a Personality Test to Teach Boolean Logic.” In Cook and Sittler. 103-109.
Link to Reference.

Lowe uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator quiz to teach freshman about Boolean operators and logic. Dialog and discourse are vital components to her teaching strategy to make the instruction session “personal, engaging, and inclusive.”

Feminism

Cochran, Dory. 2016. “Using Pop Culture, Feminist Pedagogy, and Current Events to Help Students Explore Multiple Sides of an Argument.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 109-116.
Link to Reference.

Drawing on the works of bell hooks, Cochran employs feminist pedagogy in her classroom as a way to encourage “self-reflection and critical listening” while discussing difficult social and cultural topics in safe, collaborative spaces. Cochran uses pop culture or current event topics because it allows students to learn how to research topics that they are familiar with and more likely have interest discussing multiple viewpoints.

Ladenson, Sharon. 2016. “Speaking Up: Using Feminist Pedagogy to Raise Critical Questions in the Information Literacy Classroom.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 41-48.
Link to Reference.

Ladenson proposes methods to combine feminist pedagogy with collaborative, learner-centered instructional design. She explains that feminist classrooms are egalitarian in nature and foster open discussion environments that organically allow students to arrive at understanding through “critical inquiry.”

Lew, Shirley, and Baharak Yousefi. 2017. Feminists Among Us: Resistance and Advocacy in Library Leadership. Sacramento: Library Juice Press.
ISBN: 9781634000277 Link to UNT Record.

Lew and Yousefi explore “intersections of gender with sexuality, race, class, and other social categories within libraries and other information environments have highlighted the need and desire of this community to engage with these concepts both in theory and praxis.” They focus on feminist theory in relation to library management, professional interactions, and career advancement. Complier’s Note: Added in 2018 for second edition of annotated bibliography.

Schlesselman-Tarango, Gina and Frances Suderman. 2016. “Critical Pedagogy and the Information Cycle: A Practical Application.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 59-70.
Link to Reference.

Schlesselman-Tarango and Suderman combine critical pedagogy, feminism, and cyberfeminism facilitate critical thinking on sociopolitical topics in the news. They guide students to question how information is created and advertised on the web (and in databases) as well as observe the “social and political nature of information,” itself, and their discourse communities. Their exercise establish neutral, open classrooms that allow the students to discuss and learn collectively. Through the activities, the authors allowed to students examine “user-generated media” so that they may consider “the digital realm as a…productive space.” Students were encouraged to use any information resource they felt comfortable with instead of forcing the students to use databases.

Tewell, Eamon and Katelyn Angell. 2016. “Authority and Source Evaluation in the Critical Library Classroom.” In Pagowsky and McElroy(b), 49-58.
Link to Reference.

Tewell and Angelll combine critical and feminist pedagogies to create a learning environment where students feel empowered to share their learning experiences in groups. In these groups, student discussed research topics, experimented with search strategies to find sources, and reflect on their processes.