Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning

Recipient of the 2012 ACRL Instruction Section Ilene F. Rockman Publication of the Year AwardForeword by Sarah Houghton-JanWhether or not "instruction" appears in their job titles, librarians are often in the position of educating their users, colleagues, and peers to successfully locate and evaluate information. Because MLIS education tends to offer less-than-comprehensive preparation in pedagogy and instructional design, this much-needed book tackles the challenge of effective teaching and training head-on. Char Booth, an avid library education and technology advocate, introduces a series of concepts that will empower readers at any level of experience to become better designers and presenters, as well as building their confidence and satisfaction as library educators. Laying the foundation for effective teaching, Booth outlines a four-part framework of Instructional Literacy, which includesReflective Practice: tools for improving learning in the moment and developing a teacher identity, as well as approaches to collaboration and creating communities of practiceEducational Theory: evidence-based strategies in learning and instructional researchTeaching Technologies: evaluating and integrating technology in learning using a practical "toolkit" approachInstructional Design: a systematic and outcomes-based strategy for developing and assessing learning experiencesThis foundation is supplemented by the USER Method, a step-by-step approach to creating learner-focused instruction. Tailored to library contexts, USER walks readers through understanding an instructional scenario, structuring content, engaging learners, and reflecting on outcomes. Also included are templates for instructional planning and technology evaluation, as well as practical advice and scenarios from those working in the field. Entailing a methodical approach to educating oneself about this emerging field, Booth's work helps librarians become better learners and teachers.

Char Booth is E-Learning Librarian at the University of California at Berkeley. A 2007 ALA Emerging Leader and 2008 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, Char blogs about library futures, instructional design, and technology literacy. She advocates for the integration of pedagogical training in library education, informing user services through local research, creating library cultures of experimentation and assessment, and exploring open, accessible, and collaborative solutions to library sustainability. In 2009 Char published Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies, and her writing can be found in publications such as Library Journal and Internet Reference Services Quarterly. She frequently presents and consults on teaching, instructional design, and technology effectiveness, and completed a Master's of Educational Technology at Ohio University in 2008, an MSIS at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Information in 2005, and a BA in History at Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2001.