Teaching Information Skills: Theory and Practice

Teaching information skills and using technology to empower users is now a crucial part of most information professionals' jobs, but very few have been formally trained to teach. In order to be effective at teaching and supporting learning it is necessary to take a professional approach and to understand the processes involved in learning. This practical book shows the reader how to implement vital teaching skills in their role as information manager. The text covers both the theory and the practice of library instruction. Each chapter has two parts: a section explaining the principles of learning and teaching, followed by a section analysing successful learning and teaching activities, rooted in personal experience. The book draws best practice examples and case studies from a broad range of sectors and organizations. Each of the main chapters is based around one of the key elements of successful learning and teaching, specifically applied to the LIS context school students as the subject becomes more widely taught. All library and information professionals who have to instruct others - either students or colleagues - as part of their job, whether working in an education, public, health or workplace library context, need this book. It is an essential text for library school students as the subject becomes more widely taught.

Table of Contents:
Key areas covered include: learners and learning styles motivating learners auditing: finding out what your learners need planning a learning experience delivery assessment feedback and evaluation building a teaching team using technology to empower learners.

About the Author :
Jo Webb MA MLib MBA ILTM MCLIP is Business Law and Humanities Team Leader at De Montfort University in Leicester, where she is involved in the design and delivery of information skills courses, and Hon. Secretary of CILIP's University, College and Research Group. Jo is a University Teacher Fellow and in 2005 was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy. Chris Powis BA MLib MCLIP is Learning Support Co-ordinator at University College Northampton, where he has strategic responsibility for teaching and learning within Learning Resources. He is well known as a speaker and trainer on information skills and has published articles on the role of academic librarians in learning and teaching. In 2004 he was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy.

Review :
'Above all, this book manages to motivate and enthuse, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone working in this area.'LTSN-ICS 'I found this book extremely easy to read because of its informal and very approachable style as well as its clear exposition of the case studes which fully illustrate the points explored.' PROGRAM 'This book provides information professionals with the background theory, and a range of techniques, that will enable them to deliver well founded and effective information skills sessions for a variety of audiences.'Library Review 'For information professionals who are involved in the teaching of information skills in a workplace setting, the theories and methods discussed in this book are a valuable adjunct to the less 'scientific' methods of informal delivery that are often used in the workplace.'Information World Revie