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A research and class model for future library instruction in higher education

Kirsten Kinsley (Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Leslie Brooke Hill (College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Daniel Maier-Katkin (College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA)

New Library World

ISSN: 0307-4803

Article publication date: 7 October 2014

593

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article was to describe a university library instruction and research model that represents a collaborative effort between faculty, libraries, and the campus reading writing center. It uses rigorous research methods to measure whether the classroom intervention impacts student perceptions and success outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal, mixed-methods approach that attempts to measure the outcome of an experimental class that uses precision (exact) matching to control for extraneous variables that impact student success and a survey to measure student perceptions.

Findings

Librarians can benefit by collaborating with faculty to learn more rigorous research methods. Precision (exact) matching a control group with an experimental group is time-intensive, but easily replicated. Preliminary results are very promising for both the precision matching and the survey data. It appears that students are able to learn critical thinking, research and writing skills from the collaboration between discipline-specific faculty, librarians and reading writing center tutors.

Research limitations/implications

Precision (exact) matching a control group with an experimental group is time-intensive. Thus, the results need to be viewed cautiously due to the small sample size.

Practical implications

Combining efforts to conduct collaborative research and instruction between libraries and faculty can provide resources for applications of the model with other disciplines.

Originality/value

The library-intensive freshman writing seminar is a unique approach to student learning and an easy way for the library to be actively integrated in other disciplines. The precision matching technique is a methodologically rigorous research design that easy to replicate in other locations and with other disciplines.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Bill Bales and Dr Brian Stults from the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice for their assistance in the statistical analyses. They would also like to thank Ted Chaffin, current librarian at Washington University at St. Louis, for assistance in getting this project implemented and his teaching innovations.

Citation

Kinsley, K., Brooke Hill, L. and Maier-Katkin, D. (2014), "A research and class model for future library instruction in higher education", New Library World, Vol. 115 No. 9/10, pp. 482-495. https://doi.org/10.1108/NLW-05-2014-0057

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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