scholarly journals Partners in Information Literacy: The Research Mentor Program at UNH Manchester

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Donahue ◽  
Kim Donovan ◽  
Carolyn Gamtso
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Mentor Program ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Mentor Training ◽  
Peer Assisted Learning ◽  
Writing Revision ◽  
Research Mentor

The Research Mentor Program is a partnership between the UNH Manchester Library and the College’s Center for Academic Enrichment whereby student peer tutors receive training in both practical writing and research strategies along with theoretical applications for peer-assisted learning. Research Mentors are able to holistically support the research process from brainstorming topics; developing effective search strategies; and evaluating sources to preparing outlines; developing thesis statements; and drafting through the writing/revision cycle. The Research Mentor Program originated in 2004 and evolved during the past decade in response to classroom assessment and program evaluation findings.In the current adaptation, the research mentor training curriculum aligns with the ACRL Frameworks for Information Literacy. Mentors engage with each of the Frames through class discussions, hands-on activities, role-playing exercises, and reflective writing entries. In one-to-one tutorials, research mentors are able to apply the Frames’ dispositions thereby guiding students to engage more effectively with scholarly inquiry, contextualizing authority, and acknowledging value in the research process. In this way, Research Mentors contribute to the effectiveness of information literacy instruction by recognizing gaps in students’ evidence, modelling the dispositions of the information literacy Frames in their interactions with students, and connecting students to the librarians for further research instruction.UNH Manchester’s Research Mentor Program impacts library instruction by extending the influence of information literacy principles beyond the librarian’s classroom instructional sessions into the research mentor led tutorials and circling back to the library for individually focused instruction. Our Creating Knowledge VIII conference presentation is available at http://libraryguides.unh.edu/partnersinfolit. This presentation is based on our forthcoming chapter in Peer-assisted Learning in Academic Libraries, edited by E. Rinto, J. Watts, & R. Mitola published through Libraries Unlimited, Santa Barbara, CA (anticipated publication date early 2017).

Librarian and Peer Research Mentor Partnerships that Promote Student Success

2016 ◽  
pp. 255-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn White Gamtso ◽  
Rachel Blair Vogt ◽  
Annie Donahue ◽  
Kimberly Donovan ◽  
Jennifer Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Mentor Program ◽  
First Year Writing ◽  
Center Staff ◽  
Composition Students ◽  
Writing Tutorials ◽  
Writing Tutors ◽  
Research Mentor

This chapter describes the evolution of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Manchester Research Mentor Program, a cross-campus collaboration that trains writing tutors to assist students with information literacy skills. The first half of the chapter documents the first iteration of the Research Mentor Program, describing the recruitment, training, tutoring activities, and evaluation of the writing tutors/research mentors; the integration of the research mentors in First-Year Writing classroom library instruction sessions and writing tutorials; and the results of a three-semester evaluation study of the program's effectiveness at teaching composition students the information skills they will need to develop as writers, researchers, and critical thinkers. The second half of the chapter describes the Research Mentor Program's transformation as librarians, learning center staff, and classroom instructors adapted the program's goals by integrating the vision of the Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education into their pedagogy.

scholarly journals Assessing the Research Process Improves the Product: Results of a Faculty-Librarian Collaboration

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divonna Stebick ◽  
Janelle Wertzberger ◽  
Margaret Flora ◽  
Joseph Miller
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Student Projects ◽  
Undergraduate Teacher Education

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research skills, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the literature review process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research skills.  We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective literature review research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound literature review strategies, but also organization strategies.

scholarly journals Building a Sustainable National Infrastructure to Expand Research Mentor Training

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. ar48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly C. Spencer ◽  
Melissa McDaniels ◽  
Emily Utzerath ◽  
Jenna Griebel Rogers ◽  
Christine A. Sorkness ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Career Stages ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Senior Faculty ◽  
Mentor Training ◽  
Train The Trainer ◽  
Multiple Audiences ◽  
Research Mentor ◽  
Implementation Resources

An evidence-based research mentor training (RMT) curricular series has been shown to improve the knowledge and skills of research mentors across disciplines and career stages. A train-the-trainer model was used in the context of several targeted approaches aimed at sustainability to support national dissemination of RMT and expand the network of facilitators prepared to implement the curricula. These infrastructure elements included 1) an expansion initiative to increase the number of trained facilitators able to deliver train-the-trainer workshops nationwide; 2) adaptation of RMT curricula for multiple audiences and career stages to increase accessibility; 3) implementation resources to support facilitators and help them overcome implementation barriers; and 4) standardized evaluation of training. This approach to dissemination and implementation has resulted in the preparation of nearly 600 trained facilitators, a large percentage of whom have implemented mentor training for more than 4000 graduate student, junior faculty, and senior faculty mentors. Implications for and challenges to building and sustaining the national dissemination of RMT are discussed.

scholarly journals Independent Searching During One-Shot Information Literacy Instruction Sessions: Is It an Effective Use of Time?

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Willson
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction ◽  
Thesis Statement ◽  
Effective Use

Objective – To test the assumption that giving students time to research independently during a one-shot information literacy instruction (ILI) session, combined with scaffolding, is an effective pedagogical practice and a good use of class time. Methods – The study was conducted at a student-focused, four-year undergraduate institution with 8,500 full load equivalent students. Following brief, focused instruction in 10 different ILI sessions, first-, second-, and third-year students in 80-minute one-shot ILI sessions were given time to research independently. The librarian and instructor were present to scaffold the instruction students received. Students were asked to track the research they did during class using a research log and to fill out a short Web survey about their preparedness to do research and the usefulness of the ILI session. Results – Students agreed to have 83 research logs and 73 Web surveys included in the study. Students indicated that they felt more prepared to do research for their assignment after the ILI session and rated individual help from the librarian as the most useful aspect of the instruction session. Students did not rate independent time to do research as valuable as anticipated. Examining the research logs indicated that several things are taking place during the ILI session, including that students are demonstrating what was taught in the session in their searches, that their searches are progressing in complexity, and that students are using feedback from previous searches to inform the formulation of search queries. While students appear to be putting independent search time to good use, many students’ articulation of their thesis statement remains poor and searches continue to be fairly simplistic. Conclusions – This study gives evidence that giving independent research time in ILI sessions, with scaffolding, is an effective use of class time. The study also demonstrates that the majority of students are able to use what is taught during classes and that they are using class time effectively, though searching remains fairly simple. The focus of ILI sessions is on skill development, and future research should be on integrating IL into the curriculum to develop more complex skills and thinking needed in the research process.

scholarly journals Increasing research mentor training among biomedical researchers at Clinical and Translational Science Award hubs: The impact of the facilitator training initiative

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Rogers ◽  
Christine A. Sorkness ◽  
Kimberly Spencer ◽  
Christine Pfund
Keyword(s):  
Workforce Development ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Translational Science ◽  
Mentor Training ◽  
Facilitator Training ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
Development Interventions ◽  
High Satisfaction ◽  
Research Mentor ◽  
The Impact

As part of their mission, Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs are charged with developing, testing, and disseminating evidence-based practices to other CTSA hubs. Over the past 7 years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has answered this charge by implementing the facilitator training (FT) initiative for research mentors. Three elements to advance training across the CTSA hubs have been critical: (1) using an FT model to empower others to build research mentor training at their local institutions; (2) tracking implementation of training events across the CTSA hubs over time; and (3) partnering with implementation sites to build local capacity and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of training. Here we report that facilitators have been trained at 75% of CTSA hubs. These facilitators report high satisfaction with the training and increased confidence in their ability to implement mentor training, and plan to implement local mentor training. These findings demonstrate that the FT initiative can serve as a model for dissemination and implementation of other workforce development interventions across the CTSA hubs.

Who invited the librarian? Studio critiques as a site of information literacy education

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Garcia ◽  
Ashley Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Creative Process ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Literacy Education ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Art Students ◽  
Academic Instruction ◽  
Specific Teaching ◽  
A Site

The ACRL Framework for information literacy for higher education, the guiding document for academic instruction librarians in North America, encourages a deep connection between information literacy and discipline-specific teaching practices. In the context of art librarianship, one means of attaining this connection is via librarian participation in studio critiques. Critiques enable librarians to identify the similarities between the research process and the creative process, making information literacy relevant for art students. In two different institutional examples, the ACRL Framework provides a conceptual grounding for studio critiques as a collaborative space between librarians and faculty, where students learn lifelong information literacy and critical thinking skills that enrich their artistic work.

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