An Argument Against Fabulous One-Shot Instructions
My optimism to put together really fantastic library sessions appears like clockwork at the start of the first academic term. Then, just as quickly, any hopes of conveying any real knowledge about this fabulous information world we live in falls away as instructors begin to schedule their classes.
One shot instructions are not real learning situations and librarians should stop treating them as information literacy opportunities.
It is difficult for librarians to get instruction time in classes. The common response is that students need information literacy and if one hour is all we can get then it’s better than nothing. I don’t believe that anymore. I think nothing would be better than trying to create a one hour library session that will have lasting impact on students.
Learning requires meaningful practice and repetition to be effective. Something that just can’t happen in one hour of library instruction.
In the Introduction to Creating the One Shot Library Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide (2006), Jerilyn Veldof writes, “What’s a ‘one-shot’ library workshop? It is a task focused training session” (page 2).
The phrase “task focused training session” is what is going to be my mantra from now on. I’m not saying we should stop conducting one-shot library sessions if that is indeed all we can get.
I’m saying stop treating them like the are gateways to information literacy.
We need to go in, teach the students the three or four things they need to complete their assignment, and get out.
If we want to build lasting information literacy and an appreciation of the information world, we need to stop trying to do it on one-shot instructions. It can’t be done and we should stop trying. Instead, we need to work with faculty to embed multiple sessions in courses throughout the curriculum from Freshman to Graduate courses.
Next Posting: Using Google Custom Search Engine
One shot instructions are not real learning situations and librarians should stop treating them as information literacy opportunities.
It is difficult for librarians to get instruction time in classes. The common response is that students need information literacy and if one hour is all we can get then it’s better than nothing. I don’t believe that anymore. I think nothing would be better than trying to create a one hour library session that will have lasting impact on students.
Learning requires meaningful practice and repetition to be effective. Something that just can’t happen in one hour of library instruction.
In the Introduction to Creating the One Shot Library Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide (2006), Jerilyn Veldof writes, “What’s a ‘one-shot’ library workshop? It is a task focused training session” (page 2).
The phrase “task focused training session” is what is going to be my mantra from now on. I’m not saying we should stop conducting one-shot library sessions if that is indeed all we can get.
I’m saying stop treating them like the are gateways to information literacy.
We need to go in, teach the students the three or four things they need to complete their assignment, and get out.
If we want to build lasting information literacy and an appreciation of the information world, we need to stop trying to do it on one-shot instructions. It can’t be done and we should stop trying. Instead, we need to work with faculty to embed multiple sessions in courses throughout the curriculum from Freshman to Graduate courses.
Next Posting: Using Google Custom Search Engine
posted by Robert Monge at
4:56 PM
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