Abstract
There is a clear need for a flexible offer of information literacy learning materials, which can easily be adapted to the needs and preferences of individual curricula and learners (Information-Wise 2019). One way to provide this is through micro-learning. Micro-learning offers focused training material in easily digestible chunks and diverse formats (AllenComm 2019). As this enables just-in-time learning with a great degree of personalization and autonomy for learners, micro-learning is popular for workplace skills learning (AllenComm 2019). Micro-learning is also increasingly recognized as a promising strategy for online teaching of information literacy skills (Krüger 2012, Stark & Peacock 2019, Stark & Stoeckel 2019). It is, however, not trivial to design effective micro-learning material. For example, as specialists, we are easily tempted to try to cover too much in a single micro-learning unit. However, less is more in order to avoid information overload and increase student learning (Cook & Klipfel 2015).
This workshop aims to give you insights into and hands-on experience with designing effective micro-learning material for information literacy skills. After this workshop, participants will have 1) a better understanding of how students learn and why micro-learning suits their needs, and 2) tools to help them design effective and engaging online micro-learning materials.
To this end, an information specialist and an education specialist will explain the process the information literacy team at the UM Library followed in redesigning our information literacy curriculum: from a mapping of student needs to the development of our new information literacy framework (Information-Wise 2019), and the design of our micro-learning materials. Furthermore, participants will engage in activities aimed at raising awareness of which information students need to know (and should therefore be covered in a module) versus which information is merely nice to know (and could therefore be covered elsewhere) and how to present the essential information effectively. Finally, we will wrap up with a brief outline of our plans for further implementation of our micro-learning information literacy material in the faculty curricula at Maastricht University as well as a discussion of take-home messages and tips for implementations in participants' own context.
Note that participants should bring their own laptop or similar device to this workshop.
References
AllenComm, (2019) "What is Microlearning?". https://www.allencomm.com/what-is-microlearning/
Cook, D. B. and Klipfel, K. M. (2015) "How Do Our Students Learn? An Outline of a Cognitive Psychological Model for Information Literacy Instruction", Reference & User Services Quarterly: Vol. 55: No. 1, p. 34-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/rusq.55n1.34
Information-Wise, (2019) "Research results of the Information-Wise project". https://library.maastrichtuniversity.nl/teach/information-literacy/research-results/
Krüger, N., (2012) Micro-E-Learning in Information Literacy", IFLA World Library and Information Congress.
Stark, A. and Peacock, R., (2019) "Microlearning in Academic Library Instruction.", Tips and Trends. ACRL Instruction Section, Fall. http://bit.ly/tipsandtrendsfa19
Stark, A. and Stoeckel, S., (2019) "Librarians as Threshold Guides: Blazing the Trail with Competency-based Micro-courses," LOEX Quarterly: Vol. 45: No. 4, Article 6. https://commons.emich.edu/loexquarterly/vol45/iss4/6
