International Collaboration for a Master’s Degree Program in Library and Information Science

Abstract

Using document analysis and surveys this chapter presents a case study about a new master’s degree program in library and information science and its curriculum which was developed cooperatively from 2009 through 2012 by four EU higher education institutions for, and with, universities in three former Soviet countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Events that led to the collaboration are presented along with how faculty members were taught to teach new courses. It also discusses findings and results of an assessment of impact and satisfaction levels of the project. Stated project objectives and anticipated outcomes were compared with student expectations in order to provide a better understanding of the critical factors that might determine success of the new program. Although the project’s documentation was extensive, analysis and conclusions from it were limited to education and knowledge transfer goals of the program. Results from the study shed light on how to adjust course content to better meet student expectations and how to implement ongoing evaluation of courses at the international level. Since cooperation between institutions is always highly demanding, in particular when it is among institutions from different countries, the evaluation of this project will be of interest to anyone trying to improve cooperative agreements for educational purposes. Low response rates to the surveys limit the conclusions on general indications of effectiveness. This chapter provides only an early look at the impact of the program, and outcomes analysis based on a larger sample remains to be done.

Citation

Corradini, E. (2013), "International Collaboration for a Master’s Degree Program in Library and Information Science", Woodsworth, A. and Penniman, W.D. (Ed.) Mergers and Alliances: The Wider View (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 36), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 139-184. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-2830(2013)0000036009