What's Theory Got to Do with It? Applying Educational Theory and Research to Revamp Freshman Library Workshops

Abstract

Although librarians’ increasingly important role as teachers is among the most significant shifts and trends that have been reshaping academic libraries over the past few decades, most academic librarians have not received formal training in pedagogy and teaching. The authors describe how becoming familiar with educational theory and research enabled them to revamp freshmen library workshops. They provide a theoretical overview and present practical classroom applications of learning styles theory, active learning techniques, learning by analogies, collaborative learning, and group work. Learning theories and educational research findings, the authors suggest, can be readily translated into practice and inform the teaching of information literacy to freshmen.

KEYWORDS:

• Freshmen
• Millennials
• bibliographic instruction
• learning theory
• teaching methods
• research

Acknowledgments

© Marta Bladek and Karen Okamoto