A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy: 101 Practical Tips

Citation

Weddell, S. (2012), "A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy: 101 Practical Tips", Library Management, Vol. 33 No. 6/7, pp. 443-444. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121211266483

As the authors point out in the introduction to this book, there are a number of books on the subject of information literacy already in circulation and each year not only books but articles, and other resources such as dedicated web sites get added to the mix. This book however, sets out to provide something different and that something different will be welcomed by those of us who are practitioners in the field. The focus is on the practical rather than the theoretical and it is written in a popular rather than an academic style “[…] we decided to compile a series of hints and tips, together with some best practice guidelines” (p. vii) “it is designed to be dipped into as and when required” (p. viii). They also note that while the title suggests 101 practical tips, there are many more hints hidden within each one. Not all of the “tips” are their own and the input of others is acknowledged, for example the very popular Cephalonian method which was developed by staff at Cardiff University

With several years of experience as practitioners themselves, the authors have collaborated to produce a guide that can be used as a learning tool by those just starting to work in this area or by the more experienced professional looking for refreshing new ideas.

Divided into three sections – planning; delivering; and activities, this title provides the reader with the opportunity to learn or review their planning processes, it provides guidance for individual skill development and includes an extensive range of teaching activities.

Each mini chapter (tip) follows the same simple but effective layout. The topic or activity is explained and then followed by a series of headings – √Best For; +More; Watch Out; and References. √Best For lists what the particular topic or activity can be used for. +More, points to places to look for further information; Watch Out warns of things to look out for and References provides suggested further reading. Tips in the planning and delivery sections can be as long as four pages with most in the activities section being shorter.

The planning section examines important topics such as, a teaching and learning framework, learning styles, facilitating learning, assessment, reflection, and lesson planning. These mostly theoretical areas are covered with just enough detail to engender understanding without overwhelming the reader. For example learning styles provides a brief background on learning style theories, suggests that an awareness of them and their application is useful and two dominant expressions of learning styles, Kolb and VARK are also discussed. But the importance of understanding that people do learn things in different ways and that we need to be prepared to employ a variety of methods in our teaching, to be flexible and to be careful not to impose our own learning style on our learners is emphasised. This section is short at only 46 pages but it provides an excellent overview and leads on naturally to the section on delivery.

Even for seasoned practitioners the delivery section is a must read in its entirety. From the management of teaching sessions (which includes dealing with late comers, dominant participants, unresponsive participants and your own nerves!), room layout and technical issues, to the use of jokes and humour, PowerPoint and team teaching, every tip is a useful addition to your personal toolkit. For example the tips on using PowerPoint are extremely useful especially the +More section from which even experienced users can learn something new. We can all remember I am sure, the occasions when a PowerPoint presentation has resulted in boredom and induced drowsiness, and on other occasions where it has brought the subject to life and been an excellent learning experience.

Half of the book though, is devoted to the final section on activities, tips 51 to 101. This section has been designed by the authors “to be dipped into as and when required” (p. viii). It is a treasure trove of ideas for learning activities from the tried and true such as Jigsaws and the Treasure Hunt, to Goldfish Bowl and Fear Cards. Also included are tips on hands‐on‐workshops, lectures, poster tours, technology‐enhanced learning and virtual learning environments (also known as learning management systems). The use of different technologies such as podcasts, social bookmarking, gaming and voting systems are also covered.

I am no longer a practitioner in the field having recently moved back into a management position, but after reviewing this book I wish I was. There is so much to excite me in it, ideas that I wish I had known about when I was planning tutorials, with useful background on learning theory, practical tips on managing sessions and a wide variety of activities, many of them new to me. Fortunately I work with a team who are active practitioners, some of them very experienced, others just starting out and I believe there is something for them all in this book. I will certainly be recommending it be purchased as a working tool and will ensure that it is promoted widely, especially with those just beginning in the role.

In summary, while this book could be seen as being applicable only to those actively engaged in information literacy activities within an academic environment, there is something here for all librarians whether they are in an academic, corporate or public library. Its value lies in the simple but effective layout which makes it easy to use as a quick reference tool; the experience of the authors all of whom have taught information literacy for many years and can pass on tips from real‐life teaching situations; and the content which is applicable to all levels of experience. A note to the authors – it would be of huge benefit to information literacy practitioners everywhere if you would consider a revised edition in the future which could include any new and interesting activities that others in the field might like to share.