Competency K

Core Competency K: design instructional programs based on learning principles and theories.

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Introduction:

When people think about the job responsibilities that librarians and information professionals have, "teaching" usually does not come to mind. However, librarians and information professionals engage in teaching often in their work—it is mostly done informally to teach library users how to search and find information or use technology. Librarians and information professionals may also be called upon to formally teach through workshops, programs, or classes. Creating an instructional program requires extensive planning and a solid understanding of instructional design principles. But even before that, information professionals must have knowledge of some of the prominent learning theories. It is only by understanding how people learn that information professionals can create effective instructional programs. Cognitive load theory, active learning techniques, and constructivism are only a few of the many types of learning theories out there.

Cognitive load theory was developed by the educational psychologist John Sweller (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017). Cognitive load theory is based on the cognitivist perspective, which theorizes that there are three different types of memory: long-term memory (information is stored for a long amount of time and can be retrieved as needed); short-term memory (information is only stored for a short period of time and is then forgotten); and working memory (what an individual uses to handle information while trying to complete a task) (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017). For information to be incorporated into long term memory, it must first be processed by the working memory (Instructional Design, 2015). Cognitive load theory is mainly concerned with the limits of working memory. It posits that “learners can only process so much at one time,” therefore instructors should avoid cramming too much information into an instructional program (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017). This will help to prevent learners from experiencing cognitive overload, and will eventually lead to learners being able to store more knowledge into their long-term memory. Some instructional strategies informed by cognitive load theory are to break down complex information into smaller chunks, and to carefully devise realistically obtainable learning outcomes for learners to achieve.

Active learning techniques are “anything that involves [learners] in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing” (Cornell University, 2012). Active learning techniques are concerned with increasing learner engagement during instructional programs. The belief is that learners will learn more if they are allowed the opportunity to actively participate in the learning process; such as through writing/reading exercises or discussion sessions. Active learning theory also often involves learner collaboration through partner or group work. Some instructional exercises utilizing active learning techniques are “think-pair-share” exercises (learners complete an exercise, then partner up to share their answers), and compare and contrast exercises (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017).

Constructivism is a theory that focuses on the learner. The most notable contributors to constructivism are Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner (Instructional Design, 2015). This theory suggests that learners “construct” their own meaning from information, because information is “filtered through each learner’s unique perceptions and experiences” (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017). In constructivism, instruction is designed in a manner that enables learners to continuously build upon what they have already learned, and requires learners to engage in constant self-assessment. Similar to the active learning techniques discussed in the paragraph above, constructivism also encourages active learning and emphasizes the emotional and social nature of learning (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017). Examples of instructional exercises created with constructivism in mind are problem solving exercises and case studies, which give learners the chance to instill personal meaning to new information (Benjes-Small & Miller, 2017).

Coursework/Experience that Prepared Me for this Competency:

During my time at SJSU, I learned the most about learning theories, principles, and the design of instructional programs from Info 250—a class that extensively looks at instructional design in a library setting. Although learning theories were generally not addressed in my other classes, I also did learn a few teaching and program development techniques from my other classes in the MLIS program; such as in Info 261A (Young Adult Services). Furthermore, I have had experience in informal teaching as a library volunteer when I am called upon to help library users use the computers or use the library catalog.

References:

Benjes-Small, C., & Miller, R. K. (2017) The new instruction librarian: A workbook for trainers and learners. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.

Cornell University. (2012). Active Learning. Retrieved from https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/active-learning.html

Instructional Design. (2015). Learning Theories. Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/index.html

Evidence:

1. Info 261A Staff Training Workshop Outline

The first piece of evidence that I am submitting for competency K is a staff training workshop outline that I developed for Info 261A (Young Adult Services). For this assignment, I was tasked with creating an outline for a (theoretical) training workshop to be delivered to library staff. We had to choose a specific topic in young adult (YA) librarianship to teach, and I chose to focus on the creation of YA library spaces.

Admittedly, I completed this assignment very early in the MLIS program when I was still a bit inexperienced in instructional design. Nonetheless, this assignment still establishes my understanding of some of the prominent learning theories. When designing this workshop outline, I had to carefully consider the amount of time I was allotted. Because the workshop would only be an hour long, I only chose to present the most vital pieces of information. There was an abundance of information that I could have included in my workshop about the creation of YA spaces, but I chose to only highlight the most important information to prevent learners from becoming too overloaded with information—which would have been detrimental to their learning experience. This establishes my understanding of how cognitive load theory can be used in teaching.

Furthermore, I included a brief question and answer segment as well as a brief discussion segment at the very end of the workshop. I included these segments to encourage learner participation. This establishes my understanding of and ability to incorporate active learning techniques into my instructional workshop. For the discussion segment, I also planned to encourage learners to talk about their own experiences with YA spaces. This would be done to allow learners to bring their own perspectives to the new information they learned in the workshop, which is a necessary component in constructivism theory. For all of the reasons described in the paragraphs above, I submit this piece of evidence to demonstrate my understanding of how one can apply learning theories in a library environment.

The entire training workshop document can be found below.

2. Info 250 Learning Activity -- "Reviewing Instructional Design Examples"

My second piece of evidence is an learning activity assignment from Info 250 (Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals). For this assignment, we were tasked with reviewing two online tutorials or courses. I chose to review Wichita State University’s (WSU) information literacy tutorial and the Khan Academy course on English grammar. While I did not create either of these tutorials/courses, reviewing them required me to identify the instructional techniques they implemented. These instructional techniques are all based on established learning theories (although I did not discuss this directly in my paper).

I noted in my paper that the WSU tutorial delivered a carefully crafted online instructional program in which the information is taught in several short sections to avoid overloading learners with information. (The Khan Academy course does this too as their lessons are split into several parts, but I did not mention this point specifically in my paper.) This shows that both instructional programs have an understanding of how to employ cognitive load theory in instructional design. Additionally, I also pointed out that both instructional programs made great use of quizzes, mini-games, and interactive website elements. This was their way of incorporating active learning techniques into their instruction. Finally, I highlighted that both instructional programs also emphasized self-assessment—learners are informed of their scores immediately after the completion of quizzes or mini-games so that they can assess their current knowledge of the instructional material. This type of design supports the constructivism learning theory. By completing this assignment, I demonstrate my understanding of how instructional techniques (and by extension, learning theories) can be applied to an online instructional environment.

The completed assignment can be found as an MS Word document below.

3. Info 250 Instructional Design Plan (Final Project)

My final piece of evidence for competency K is an instructional design plan which I developed for Info 250 (Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals). This document was created from all of the work I had done over the course of Info 250. For this final project, I was tasked with drafting up an instructional design plan that would be (theoretically) handed off to library supervisors or managers for approval. The topic of my instructional design plan was to teach library staff how to provide readers’ advisory services.

As I was designing this instructional unit, I kept a number of learning theories in mind. From the beginning, I wanted to avoid overloading learners with too much information all at once. I ended up designing the entire instructional unit as a series of smaller lessons. Furthermore, I proposed that these lessons be taught to learners (in-person) through two classes set over a two-week period. I did not want to teach learners everything in just one long class period, because I felt that would have been too mentally exhausting for learners. Also, I set the classes over a period of two weeks to give learners the time to fully understand the instructional material. This establishes my ability to take cognitive load theory into consideration during the instructional design process.

Additionally, I devised many types of instructional activities for this planned instructional unit. There would be question and answer segments, a class discussion session, group and individual exercises, and a roleplay demonstration. All of these activities were created with the intention of giving learners the opportunity to actively participate during instruction. This establishes my understanding of the many types of active learning techniques and how they can be implemented in instructional design. The group and individual exercises I had planned for this instructional unit were also ones which asked learners to engage in problem solving. This would give learners the opportunity to apply the knowledge of what they had learned in their own way to complete the exercises. This establishes my understanding of constructivism theory. It is for all of these reasons that I submit this piece of evidence towards competency K; to demonstrate my knowledge of contemporary learning theories, as well as demonstrate my capacity to apply learning theories to an in-person class environment.

The entire instructional design plan has been included on this site below.

Conclusion:

As an aspiring public librarian, I am aware that public librarians must handle many different types of responsibilities in their work. Although teaching is not my forte, I believe that I will someday be called on to create and run a program. If this occurs, I will devise an appropriately structured program using the learning theories I have learned from my time at SJSU. I will also strive to further study other learning theories and teaching techniques, so that I will be better prepared for this moment.