Competency Description and Scope:

It is not sufficient to just tell people where to obtain information; it is also necessary to consider learning theories on how to make their process of discovering information more effective and how to enhance their processes based on our knowledge. Several learning hypotheses make an effort to develop a strategy that will create a more comprehensive and memorable learning experience. Furthermore, collaborative or individual learning experiences based on learning principles and theories have the same goal: to improve the user's capacity to find relevant research material and then assess and make educated decisions about its usage. Efforts have been made by academic, public, and other libraries to improve the search techniques of their patrons by encouraging critical thinking and information literacy.

To begin, I would want to elaborate on my conception of what is meant by the phrase "learning theory." In the 1930s and 1940s, when learning theory was at its most formative, the field of psychology was considered by some to be in its "golden era" (Illeris, 2015, 2018). Putnam, Glymour, and Kelly are among the philosophers who have contributed to the development of a formal learning theory. The term "learning theory" comes from the fact that the word "learning" is often used in cognitive science and related fields to describe the process of gaining knowledge through observation. Most cognitive scientists consider "learning theory" to be the behaviorist-inspired empirical study of how humans and animals learn. The term "formal" distinguishes this topic from behaviorist learning theory. The philosophical subjects of learning-theoretic pedagogy include "logical reliability" (Kelly, 1996; Glymour, 1991) and "means-ends epistemology" (Schulte, 1999). Concerning the difficulties in applying learning principles in a contemporary institution or public library, keep in mind that the overall design of a learning environment is to accommodate the particular diversity of curious minds. There are so many instructional design models available today, especially in the twenty-first century, that it might be difficult to choose one. Each has its own set of characteristics and capabilities.

According to Merriam and Caffarella (1999, p. 17), having access to an endless amount of information is not the same as being able to search effectively for the most important information, or even knowing what the most important information is. Much of what I have discovered to be most beneficial for information professionals in our area is derived from the notion of "universal design" (or UD), which the American Library Association (ALA) has long promoted. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) of the ALA (2007) created five Information Literacy Competency Standards that offer a framework for measuring an individual's information literacy:

1. identifies and articulates the information need

2. effectively and efficiently gains access to required data

3. critically analyses information and its sources and integrates it into existing knowledge and values

4. applies knowledge efficiently, either alone or in collaboration with others, to achieve a goal

5. knows the economic, legal, and societal ramifications of the many technological tools available

Now I recognize that this may seem familiar to competency J, but in order to grasp complex concepts, it takes underlying vision. In order to create and understand further components of the design process, the information professional has to have keen insight. For example, they need to know what step is finished before they come to us, what they do during, and what we want them to comprehend afterward.

Learning Theories

The theories of learning, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, provide direction and insight into the actions, principles, and conduct of learning. Booth (2011) states that behaviorism is founded on conditioning as opposed to emotion or thinking. This is effective for knowledge retention and memory. Cognitivism is oriented toward learning processes, and cognition is an active component of learning. The learner is an active participant in the cognitivism and constructivism processes, as opposed to behaviorism, in which the learner is reactive. Booth's continuation of constructivism asserts that learners are active participants in their education and that prior experiences influence learning. These ideas have been in use for some time and may be advantageous to information professionals in certain situations. For example, in the evidence piece below, where I helped design the learning strategy for a voting workshop, I heavily relied on the participants' participation and their own realities during the workshop to foster collaborative learning and encourage new knowledge from a variety of perspectives. For cognitivism, it is more advantageous to teach proactive learners with corrective feedback. With a constructivist approach, group engagement and hands-on projects may be utilized most effectively (Booth, 2011). In competency D, I show an example of this where we designed a booklet where students had to write learning strategies for free lunch.

Practicality and Application of Learning Theories

These methods of applying the above learning theories have been proven effective. They are, however, not all-inclusive. Theories like UD give chances for training to a varied student population, lowering the barriers that other techniques may mistakenly create, which may exclude students with varying skills and capabilities. As noted by Burgstahler (2021), UD views the incidence of a disability not as a shortfall associated with the individual but more as a social construct, such as gender, race, or ethnicity, that should be taken into consideration. A pedagogical approach to instruction that is accessible, intersectional, and inclusive means that all users are seen and steps can be taken to make the accommodations they need.

Importance to the Profession:

Theoretical knowledge is meaningless without application. In the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) Update (2017), there is a national vision and plan for all people in the role of instruction to involve the implementation of learning-enhancing strategies and the dedication to maintain students' attention. Teachers' credentials are not always required of librarians and information specialists. However, the professional identity of librarians contains characteristics connected to librarianship and teaching, both of which may stand alone as distinct professional identities. As teaching became a larger part of the responsibilities of many librarians, researchers began to investigate various aspects of the librarian's potential teacher identity, noting that functioning as a teacher does not necessarily imply that an individual identifies as a teacher or fully embraces the role. In interviews with six librarians, Scott Walter discovered that teaching was fundamental to the jobs of these librarians, but that numerous time constraints prevented them from devoting as much time to teaching as they desired. In addition, many said that they did not get enough pedagogical instruction while attending library school. The MLIS competencies take challenges of this kind into account and make certain that classes covering these subjects are easily accessible. Even when I was not enrolled in a course with an instructional focus, the prerequisite courses ensured that LIS students understood that each organization's learners may have distinct requirements, intended results, backgrounds, and familiarity, among other things.

Preparation to Understand Competency K

Teaching moments with an MLIS range from finding a credible article for an inquiring user to leading learning sessions. A graduate student such as myself will provide educational, recreational, and informational experiences for the community. Storytime librarians teach children social skills. Community and institutional archivists educate on finding aids, policies, and processes. Academic and public librarians help users use the online catalog and reference searches. Most libraries provide free computer and information literacy workshops. Libraries adapt their educational offerings to user demands. As Connaway and Powell (2010) stated, information workers must be devoted to studying and using research for their field to advance and improve. More so, in order for our field to develop and improve, it is crucial that information professionals make an effort to learn from and use the findings of research. Even though there is no "correct" way to design a learning strategy, there are a few things to keep in mind throughout this iterative process. My knowledge of research methodologies and the steps involved in developing a research topic has been expanded via the program's required courses, particularly INFO 200. In addition to learning how to analyze and synthesize research material, the literature reviews I've been able to undertake in this and other classes have helped me much. In my role as a library service desk member and library technician, I want to make sure the community I am addressing feels their information process has been considered and respected. This will set users up favorably if they decide to pursue further research on their topic.