Co-teaching in information literacy during work placements: the librarian’s role

Abstract

IntroductionThis article presents findings from a development project designed to improve Information Literacy (IL) education by linking it to nursing students' application of evidence-based practice during work placements. The Learning Centre at Oslo University College in Norway aimed to find out, what interactions and conditions influenced the librarian's role in the context of interdisciplinary supervision of nursing students' assignments and the development of a common supervision culture. Research DesignThe librarian involved in the initiative had a dual role as both researcher and practitioner. Besides direct experiences from being a participant in the project, the empirical material consists of observation notes, meeting notes, presentations, guideline in IL, e-mails, an interview, 285 comments from students, nurse educators, nurse supervisors and librarians, through blog and the Wiki Learning Management System (LMS). The evidence on which this article is based involved analysis of both oral and written communication, framed in practice-oriented approaches. FindingsThe conditions influencing the changing position of the librarian from an 'outsider' to becoming a member of the community of practice with common structures for the collaboration and supervision included meetings, a blog and a Wiki. ConclusionTogether with the nurse educators and the nurse supervisors, the librarian was able to be a partner and a catalyst of IL workplace learning. The LMS was a decisive tool in the process. However, to be successful, this changed role for the librarian may require further pedagogical training and expertise in the development of interdisciplinary educational supervision.

Students’ learning outcomes from cross-collaborative supervision in information seeking processes during work placements

“…The findings are then discussed according to how the joint supervision culture in Leeway for information seeking (Kolstad, 2015), EBP requirements, and use of mediating tools (such as face-to-face supervision and/or online-supervision through LMSs) affected the students' results.…”

“…A joint supervision culture among nurse educators, nurse supervisors and librarians was developed and this was studied as part of a sub-project of the Langerud project, Leeway for information seeking (Kolstad, 2015). In this study the supervisors constituted an interdisciplinary supervisory team.…”

“…The joint supervision culture was characterised by personal and close communication, a culture of sharing, common supervision vocabulary, a focus on support to the students and acknowledgement of each other's competences. The issues discussed in the author's previous article (Kolstad, 2015) included relevance of content, subject terminology, information seeking processes, literature selection and how to integrate research findings into work placements. The librarian became part of the community of practice and adopted the common structures guiding how the collaboration and supervision should proceed.…”

“…The students and supervisors were to learn from each other in both physical and digital "meeting places", and the Learning management systems had a significant mediational role (Kolstad, 2012;2015).…”

Teaching Information Literacy for Lifelong Professional Use

“…Moreover, "coteaching" is also a model that is used in health/nursing education where librarians and nurse educators teach and supervise together. Another and more demanding model is represented by variants of workplace learning where the librarian is very much involved (Miller, Jones, Graves, & Sievert 2010;Nordsteien, Horntvedt, & Holmen 2013;Foss, Kvigne, Larsson, & Athlin 2014;Kolstad, 2015).…”