TRAINING OF TRAINERS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND

COLLABORATING

IN INFORMATION LITERACY

AT THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY OF AR-RANIRY

By Nazaruddin

Presented to: Prof. Joan Bartlett

GLIS 679

School of Information Studies-McGill University

Fall 2009

Introduction

As technological advancements at the Academic Library of Ar-Raniry, as part of the

December 2004 tsunami recovery’s response, along with drastic changes in users' information

needs continue to grow in the Ar-Raniry University, the librarians are faced with a need to

develop a formal information literacy instruction.

In cooperation with the School of Information Studies (SIS), Adab Faculty of Ar-Raniry,

the library will develop a regional information literacy training program called “Training of

Trainers for effective teaching in Information Literacy” (ToTIL). The overall purpose of this

collaborative training is to develop teacher-librarians capacity in teaching information literacy

for users as outlined in the Information Literacy Competency Standards for

Higher Education, as well as to develop effective collaboration with course instructors,

university administrators and other stockholders.

In order to provide a better overview of this workshop, the ToTIL plan includes the

following components: the demographic of the library, information literacy needs, available

resources, goals and objectives, instructional methods and program, materials deigns as well as

evaluation and revision plans.

The demographic of Academic Library of Ar-Raniry

The Academic Library of Ar-Raniry is the main library of Ar-Raniry University, which is

the biggest modern Islamic university in Aceh-Indonesia. The library was established in 1963

along with its institution. The ultimate goal of the library is to support the mission of Ar-Raniry

that reflects upon the three pillars of Indonesian Higher Education (TRIDHARMA): teaching,

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learning and research. To support the academic roles of its teaching, learning and research

programs, the library provides a variety of resources, services and programs for the Ar-Raniry

campus’ community.

To operate these essential roles properly, the library has 6 professional staff and 24

paraprofessional staff who in six different divisions: Administration, Acquisition and

Cataloguing, Circulation and Reference, Marketing and Publication, Events and exhibitions,

Library Staff Development, IT Services, and Preservation. In addition, each of the division is

leaded by a professional librarian.

Vision:

Develop the library of Ar-Raniry as a modern Islamic information resource centre to

support teaching, learning and research process at the Ar-Raniry by providing reliable,

relevant and recent resources with high quality services.

Mission: The library of Ar-Raniry

Supports the three pillars of the Indonesian Higher Education

Builds and preserve a strong collections both Islamic and general subjects

Leads on Islamic information and professional services

Stimulates and promote information literacy within campus and community.

Deposit and promote internal academic publications.

Values: The staff and administrator of the main library of Ar-Raniry University

Struggle in fulfilling the library’s mission and vision

Strive to create a diverse environment of respect and collaboration

Exercise leadership, managerial, and services

Organize advanced searching information and technologies

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Target Population and Collection

The intended audience of the Ar-Raniry library are students, faculties, researchers and

other academic staff within the five faculties existing in the university. Other potential audience

include general public ether local, national or international those has special interest in Islamic

subjects. To serve the amount of 7000 internal patrons, the library provides 20.000 titles and

around 200,000 copies of collections consisting of books and journals both in printed and

electronic formats.

Funding and Library Developments

As a government organization, the Ar-Raniry library is fully funded by the government of

Indonesia. Since the funding from the government is limited, the library is allowed to receive

funding from others donors either national or international. For examples, after tsunami in 2004

the library received a funding from the Asia Foundation (TAF) to build an automation system.

Also, in 2006 the library got another grant from the IAIN Indonesia Social Equity Project

(IISEP), a bilateral project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

and the Government of Indonesia.

The donation from IISEP was purposed to enhance the electronic system of the library by

building the library’ website, develop the library collection as well as to develop the human

resources of the library by providing scholarships for three library’s staff to study in Information

Studies at McGill University.

As a result, in October 2007 the library has established an Online Public Access

Catalogue (OPAC), sent its staff to McGill, developed the collection and launched its website

which allows patrons to access to the following resources online:

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ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science

Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies (EBSCO)

Encyclopaedia of Library and Information Science

Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim World

Gale Virtual Reference Library

ProQuest Research Library

Index Islamicus (CSA)

Emerald

ERIC

Information Literacy challenges

As technological advancements along with drastic changes in users' information needs

continue to grow in the Ar-Raniry University, the librarians are faced with a need to develop a

formal library instruction. Other challenges include the library has become one of the

development targets of the institution and the local government, academic community is willing

to support library program.

At the national level, the educational quality reform in Indonesian in 1998 emphasizing

on problem based learning system which aimed at activating students, has created new

paradigms for professional and pedagogical activities in higher education and the library is

working to adjust its services to this new situation. Furthermore, at the international scale, the

shift in the concept of a traditional library into learning resource center is also another real

challenge that forces the Ar-Raniry library to develop an information literacy program

effectively.

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Although it was a little bit late, the academic library of Ar-Raniry also responded to these

new trends by conducting a-one day information literacy workshop as a pilot project in July

2006. This workshop was intended to new undergraduate students of Ar-Raniry University.

Information Literacy Plan

The need of Training of Trainers for effective teaching in Information Literacy (ToTIL)

The explosion of information in various formats and the challenge of using them

effectively and responsibly have been responded seriously by the Association of College and

Research Libraries (ACRL) and the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE) since a

decade ago. The ACRL and the AAHE has struggled to address information literacy concerns.

One of the real efforts of the ACRL is “ACRL’s Best Practices Initiative” which was developed

through a multiphase process which involved professionals from multiple sectors of higher

education, including librarians, faculty, administrators, and professional organizations.

The guideline offers a detailed outline of the recommended components for excellent

information literacy planning, collaborative information literacy pedagogy, outreach to academic

departments and other necessary efforts for creating successful information literacy instruction

outcomes (American Library Association, 2001).

The ACRL’s efforts have been responded widely by many academic libraries around the

world by providing instruction in information literacy described as the "ability to locate, manage,

critically evaluate, and use information for problem solving, research, decision making, and

continued professional development" (Orr, A., & Wallin,M, 2001, p 457).

Although it was a little bit late, the academic library of Ar-Raniry also has responded

toward the new trends by conducting a-one day information literacy workshop for new

undergraduate students in July 2006.

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Regarding the academic roles of university libraries, it was acknowledged that the

universities libraries are teaching libraries (University of Rhode Island, 2006). Therefore,

building librarians’ capacity in teaching information literacy and using multimedia media

technology is essential.

Moreover, to better cover the diverse needs of university patrons in today’s information

age, Mary C. at.al (2000) argue that it is a need to prepare instructional teacher-librarians in

information literacy. They offer the following steps. First, outline the information literacy

concepts and programs into a planning document. Second, develop a shared definition of

information literacy for the university so that we could use to share and discuss ideas both with

our colleagues and with the university community at large. Third, develop a core group of library

faculty specifically for teaching. Forth, implement the program by working collaboratively with

faculties other colleagues outside the library. Finally, evaluate and revise the plan provide more

teaching labs, location and facilities.

As the academic library, the library of Ar-Raniry also actively tries to promote their

services as the bridge of information empowerment between users and their research needs. The

librarians strive to offer the Ar-Raniry community opportunities to become effective, efficient

information consumers for the 21stcentury.

However, based on the first information literacy workshop, the librarians found that there

were some potential treats that need to be solved. The treats include lack of staff and staff’s

teachings ability, lack of resources and media such as computers, projectors, low internet

connection as well as limited representative rooms. The librarians believe that those all are

interrelated problems, but the root and the most urgent problem that should to be solved soon is

pedagogical staff skills.

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Such problems were not only experienced by the Ar-Raniry library. Similar barriers also

found in other academic libraries such as ineffective partnerships with faculties, difficult to

motivate students to learn information literacy skills and to assess student mastery of concepts

and skills. Therefore, it is a crucial need to train librarians to serve as teachers as well as

instructional designers (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2001).

Consequently, in order to solve these interrelated problems, the library of Ar-Raniry is

planning to make every effort to succeed information literacy program, and the first essential

step that need be done is to provide a pedagogical training for trainers with a special focus on

effective teaching techniques.

Goals and objectives

Goals:

to prepare the librarians of Ar-Raniry as information literacy professional trainers who will

be able:

to teach library users effectively and efficiently by using appropriate methods and

modern technology media.

to develop effective collaboration with course instructors, university administrators and

other stockholders in order to promote information literacy both at internal, local,

national and international levels.

Objectives:

After completion of the workshop, participants are expected to be able to:

IL integration skills

Define the basic concepts of IL and describe its role in academic contexts.

Identify the specific needs of IL in the context of Ar-Raniry

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IL teaching /presentation skills

Modifies different instructional methods to match the class style, setting and diverse

needs of users.

Demonstrate the best possible use of tone, eye contact, and gestures to keep class lively

and students engaged.

Selects appropriate pedagogical approaches focused on Information Literacy

Uses modern teaching media and know the specific requirements to use them properly.

Reflects on practice in order to improve teaching skills and acquires new knowledge of

teaching methods and learning theories.

Shares teaching techniques and knowledge with other colleagues

Evaluate personal teaching ability by offering a short presentation with an opportunity to

receive individual feedback from peer reviewer and core instructors.

Instructional design skills

Design lesson and evaluation plans by implementing key information literacy standards.

Connect instructional plans to the mission of the Ar-Raniry institution.

IL collaboration/promotion skills

Collaborates with classroom faculty to integrate appropriate information literacy

competencies, concepts, and skills into library instruction sessions, assignments, and

course content

Promotes the library and the instruction program in an effective and positive manner at

local, regional, and national meetings and conferences.

Notes: The framework for classifying statements of these objectives is based on “Bloom

Taxonomy of educational objectives”. The contents and coverage are standardized with the

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"Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators" by focusing on

four categories of IL pedagogy’s skills.

The instruction methods

There is a variety of instructional methods have been introduced. However selecting

appropriate pedagogical methods will depend on many institutional and situational factors such

as audience, purpose, budget, staffing, facilities, and time (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2001). To

meet its specific needs, this workshop selects four combination methods for the four different

subjects or skills:

Lecture

Class discussion

Microteaching

Role playing

Group Discussion

The instructional program and materials

First Day Session:

Subjects Activity Time Materials Methods

IL Integration skills

- Introduction to IL (what,

why and how)

- IL in Higher Education

(various standards, but focus

on standards for proficiency

for instructors librarians)

- IL in Ar-Raniry context

(discuss 5 department

curriculums)

2 Hrs - Laptop

- Wireless

connection

- Slide

Projector

- Handouts

- Additional

References

- Ar-Raniry

-Lecture

-Group Discussion

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- IL assessment needs educational

standards.

- ACRL,

IL instructional

design Skills

- Learn basic

techniques on how to use

teaching media such as

projector, OHP etc.

- Create power point

slides for presentations

2 Hrs - Laptops

(PowerPoint)

- Slide

Projector

- Wireless

connection

- Lecture

- Demonstr

ation

IL Teaching /

Presentation Skills

- Learn indicators of

good quality teaching

(effective choice of

materials, organization of

subject and time)

- Learn how to design

a short lesson and

evaluation plans.

2 Hr - Laptops

- Wireless

connection

- Slide

Projector

- Handouts

- Lecture

- Demonstration

- Group discussion

Second Day Sessions

Subjects Activity Time Materials Methods

IL Teaching /

Presentation Skills

(Continue)

-5 minutes personal

presentation on any topic of

interest regarding the IL.

-Peer reviewers by giving

comments on personal

teaching styles (eye contact,

body language, teaching

aids, organizations,

contents, etc)

3 Hrs - Laptop

- Wireless

connection

- Slide

Projector

- Presentation

Handouts

- Video

Recorder (Tripod)

-Microteaching

presentations

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- Peer

Evaluation Sheets

Collaboration Skills

- Learn the basic

ideas of collaboration

among disciplinary faculty,

librarians, and other IL

programs.

- Discuss the basic

precepts, theories,

methodologies, and topics

in assigned and related

subject areas when

planning instruction.

- Role playing: The

class is divided into 2 big

groups (subject specialists

and course instructors) and

then in the groups of two,

the participants play role to

discuss IL instruction for

his/her subject.

3 Hrs - Laptops

- Slide

Projector

- Wireless

connection

- Lecture

- Role

playing

A plan for Evaluation and Revision

According to the senate committee on teaching and learning’s (2002), there are six

strategies that teachers may use to assess and evaluate the quality of their teaching and its impact

on student learning: 1) teaching dossiers; 2) student ratings; 3) peer observations; 4) letters and

individual interviews; 5) course portfolios; and 6) classroom assessment. In addition, the senate

recommend that in order to ensure that the evaluation is both comprehensive and representative,

it is important to combine a variety of evaluation strategies. Therefore, this workshop use

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summative evaluation by combining three evaluation strategies above: peer evaluation,

classroom assessment as well as self assessment.

Appendixes:

1. Sample of a lesson plan

TRAINING OF TRAINERS FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND COLLABORATING

IN INFORMATION LITERACY

Presented by : Nazaruddin Musa

Email : nazar.musa@ar-raniry.ac.id

Institution : Academic Library of Ar-Raniry University-Banda Aceh

Date: January 10, 2009

Grade Level : Higher Education

Target Audience : Academic Librarians,

Other Audience : Course Instructors and Library administrators

Subject : Information Literacy Teaching Skills

Duration : 5 hours session

Description: This workshop is designed to address the needs of the librarians of Ar-Raniry

who will be expected to teach library literacy instruction in an academic environment. It will

introduce you to the creative process of teaching within the context of information literacy. You

will follow a series of steps from theoretical to the practical. More specifically, this hand-on

workshop will focus on the important of quality teaching, instructional designing, appropriate

materials selecting and group building. In addition, with a five-minute microteaching

presentation session at the second part of the session, will give you a real and valuable lesson to

develop your own IL teaching skills.

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Goals: By the end of this training, participants will be able to teach library instruction effectively

and efficiently dedicated to better serving the students’ needs.

Objectives: By the end of this training, participants will be able to

Understand the important of quality teaching in information literacy

Modifies different instructional methods to match the class style, setting and diverse

needs of users.

Demonstrate the best possible use of tone, eye contact, and gestures to keep class lively

and students engaged.

Selects appropriate pedagogical approaches focused on Information Literacy

Uses modern teaching media and know the specific requirements to use them properly.

Shares teaching techniques and knowledge with other colleagues

Evaluate personal teaching ability by offering a short presentation with an opportunity to

receive individual feedback from peer reviewer and core instructors.

Content Outline: Information Literacy Teaching Skills

Training Skills & Teaching Styles

The variety of instructional methods and teaching styles

Pedagogical approaches focused on Information Literacy

Teaching materials and teaching aids

Indicators of quality teaching

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Effective choice of materials

Create slide for presentation

Develop lesson plan

Assessment and evaluation

Subject expertise

Develop evaluation plans

Microteaching presentation session

Methods:

Lecture

Group discussion

Demonstration

Materials:

Handout

one laptop/computer with Internet access for each training participant with a maximum of

two participants per computer

one computer for instructor with Internet access and MS PowerPoint software installed

PowerPoint presentation on transparency with overhead projector (for back-up)

Useful Internet Resources:

Other References:

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2. Sample of workshop evaluation form

WORKSHOP EVALUATION FORM

Workshop Title: _________________________________Today’s Date: ________________

For each of the following areas, please indicate your reaction:

Content Excellent Good Needs

Improvement

Not Applicable

Covered Useful Material

Practical to My Needs and

Interests

Well Organized

Presented at the Right Level

Effective Activities

Useful Visual Aids and handouts

Presentation

Instructor’s Knowledge

Instructor’s Presentation Style

Instructor Covered Material

Clearly

Instructor Responded Well to

Questions

How could this workshop be improved?

Any other comments or suggestions?

Overall, how would you evaluate this workshop training session?

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Thank you,

Source: This Workshop Evaluation Form is taken from” An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan” Retrieved December 3. 2009 from, http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Information_Literacy/IFO0200.html

References:

1. American Library Association.(2008).Standards for proficiencies for standards for

Instruction Librarians and Coordinators: A Practical Guide. Retrieved December 2,

2009 http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/profstandards.pdf

2. American Library Association. (2003). Characteristics of Programs of Information

Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline. Retrieved December 2, 2009

from: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/characteristics.cfm

3. American Library Association. (2000). Information literacy competency standards for

higher education. Retrieved December 2, 2009 from the World Wide Web:

http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html

4. Duke, T. S. & Ward, J.D. (2009).Preparing information literate teachers: A

Metasynthesis. Library & Information Science Research Vol. 31, (4) p. 247-256.

Retrieved November 20, 2009,from Science Direct Database.

https://webvpn.mcgill.ca/http/www.sciencedirect.com/science?

_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W5R-4WN1YDT-

1&_user=458507&_coverDate=12/31/2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=

d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000022002&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid

=458507&md5=2a9cf5128bd2e7d397f9e4a50626f73d

5. MacDonald, M. C. at.al. (2000). Challenges in building an incremental, multi-year

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information literacy plan. Reference Services Review; Vol. 28 (3).Retrieved

November 20, 2009, from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

https://webvpn.mcgill.ca/http/www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?

contentType=Article&Filename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/

Pdf/2400280303.pdf

6. Grassian, E. S., & Kaplowitz, J. R. (2001). Information literacy instruction:

Theory and practice. New York: Neal-Schuman.

7. Orr, D., Appleton, M., & Wallin, M. (2001). Information literacy and flexible

delivery: Creating a conceptual framework and model. Journal of Academic

Librarianship, 27 (6), 457-463. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from Database:

Academic Search

Complete. .https://webvpn.mcgill.ca/http/web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?

vid=10&hid=2&sid=e6cdebc3-33f4-48d0-9b0d-7a5aa256ce50@sessionmgr111

8. The Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning (2002).The Teaching Assessment and

Evaluation Guide. York University. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from

http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate/committees/scotl/tevguide.pdf

9. University of Victoria (1984) Bloom's Taxonomy. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from

University of Victoria website. http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learning/exams/blooms-taxonomy.html

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