DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Nichols Hess, Amanda"

Browsing by Author "Nichols Hess, Amanda"

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Academic librarians’ educational factors and perceptions of teaching transformation: An exploratory examination
(2019) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Objective – As information literacy instruction is an increasingly important function of academic librarianship, it is relevant to consider librarians’ attitudes about their teaching. More specifically, it can be instructive to consider how academic librarians with different educational backgrounds have developed their thinking about themselves as educators. Understanding the influences in how these shifts have happened can help librarians to explore the different supports and structures that enable them to experience such perspective transformation. Methods – The author electronically distributed a modified version of King’s (2009) Learning Activities Survey to academic librarians on three instruction-focused electronic mail lists. This instrument collected information on participants’ demographics, occurrence of perspective transformation around teaching, and perception of the factors that influenced said perspective transformation (if applicable). The author analyzed the data for those academic librarians who had experienced perspective transformation around their teaching identities to determine if statistically significant relationships existed between their education and the factors they reported as influencing this transformation. Results – Results demonstrated several statistically significant relationships and differences in the factors that academic librarians with different educational backgrounds cited as influential in their teaching-focused perspective transformation. Conclusion – This research offers a starting point for considering how to support different groups of librarians as they engage in information literacy instruction. The findings suggest that addressing academic librarians’ needs based on their educational levels (e.g., additional Master’s degrees, PhDs, or professional degrees) may help develop productive professional learning around instruction.
Academic librarians’ teaching identities and work experiences: Exploring relationships to support perspective transformation in information literacy instruction
(2020-01) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Academic library leaders have a vested interest in quality library instruction, but strategies to ensure this happens can vary across environments. In this study, the author analyzed data collected using King’s Learning Activities Survey to consider how work demographics impacted instruction librarians’ teaching identity development. Through one-way analyses of variance and cross-tabulation analyses, she found several statistically-significant relationships between how academic librarians’ institution types and times at their institution differently inform their teaching identity development. These relationships offer opportunities for library leaders to offer intentional, data-driven support for academic librarians in developing teaching identities while offering high-quality instruction for learners.
Advancing research data management in the social sciences: Implementing instruction for education graduate students into a doctoral curriculum.
(2017) Nichols Hess, Amanda; Thielen, Joanna
Research data management (RDM) skills are vital yet often untaught in graduate programs, especially in the social sciences. In this article, my co-author and I presented a case study of how a Research Data Librarian and an Education Librarian partnered to provide targeted RDM instruction for a previously unconsidered student group: education doctoral students. We discussed the design, development, and implementation of this focused RDM support. Assessment data from a workshop and in-class sessions were also presented and contextualized. From this information, we offered practical suggestions that other social science librarians can use to create similar workshops at their institutions.
Books, bytes, and buildings: The academic library's unique role in improving student success
(2015-10) Nichols Hess, Amanda; Greer, Katie; Lombardo, Shawn V.; Lim, Adriene
Student persistence and completion are paramount in higher education, and institutions are employing targeted programs and initiatives to address these concerns. The academic library can play an especially important role in these efforts, given its unique interdisciplinary mission and its integrated instructional programs. With a foundation in both higher education and library and information science literatures, this article describes how one academic library engaged in cross-campus programs, partnerships, and initiatives to contribute to student success efforts. Other libraries may find these examples useful as they consider how to frame their work in the context of their institutions’ student persistence efforts.
Byte-Sized Pieces: Equipping Academic Librarians to Integrate Technology into Library Instruction through Manageable, Maintainable, and Meaningful Staff Development
(2014-11) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Technology changes how classroom instruction happens and, unlike K-12 educators who receive pedagogical training, academic librarians are not always experts in teaching information literacy – especially in 21st century ways with technology tools. As such, how to equip on-the-ground academic librarians to effectively teach with technology tools while still addressing the ACRL information literacy competency standards needs to be considered. This article shares how one academic library addressed this need while also considering how to: assess knowledge, competencies, and needs; share information in meaningful ways; and encourage librarians to build their technology knowledge independently and as part of a cohort.
A case study of job-embedded learning
(2016-04) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Librarians recognize the importance of professional learning as their roles and responsibilities evolve in the shifting teaching and learning environments of the twenty-first century. However, the literature on meaningful, job-embedded learning opportunities for academic librarians is scant, and opportunities are especially scarce in the fields of instructional design and instructional technology. Using a qualitative case study approach, the author of this article presents how one group of academic librarians added to their knowledge of instructional design, instructional technology, and the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
Conducting formative evaluation online
(2016-02) Nichols Hess, Amanda; Moseley, James
In this article, the authors explore how to conduct formative evaluation of a freestanding library e-course using online resources.
Data Management 101 (Research Data Management presentation for SEHS)
(2017) Thielen, Joanna; Nichols Hess, Amanda
This presentation was given to graduate students in OU's School of Education and Human Services (SEHS) doctoral program during the Winter 2017 semester. It provides a general introduction to research data management and practical advice for implementing these practices. Topics covered include data discovery and re-use, data documentation and organization, and data storage and security.
Designing for engagement: Using the ADDIE model to integrate high-impact practices into an online information literacy course
(2016) Nichols Hess, Amanda
In this article, the authors share how a team of librarians used the ADDIE instructional design model to incorporate best practices in teaching and learning into an online, fourcredit information literacy course. In this redesign process, the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ high-impact practices and e-learning best practices were integrated as scaffolds for course content. The authors' experience with this systematic process and the concepts of instructional design suggest that the ADDIE model can be used to achieve several different ends in information literacy instruction. First, it can provide a structure around which librarians can develop a variety of instructional interactions. Second, it can help librarians consider student engagement, learning, and assessment more intentionally. And third, it can help to marry information literacy-specific standards and other learning guidelines, such as high-impact practices and e-learning best practices. From the authors' experience, other academic librarians may find applications for instructional design constructs into their own teaching practices, both in online and face-to-face learning environments.
Equipping academic librarians to integrate the Framework: A theoretical application
(2015-11) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Academic librarians are increasingly charged with providing instruction in conducting research and using library resources to students, faculty, and staff in higher education. In early 2015, the Association of College and Research Libraries released the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education and this new set of guidelines significantly impacts how academic libraries and librarians approach library instruction. However, little meaningful research has been done on how to equip this particular group of educational professionals through job-situated or job-related learning to reframe their instructional practices to fit this new mold. In seeking to best address these changing instructional needs, the author proposes that those involved in designing professional learning for academic librarians – such as conference planning committees, instructional designers, and library leaders charged with providing and supporting professional learning on information literacy instruction – design and deliver learning experiences that incorporate transformational learning theory, use principles of social learning theory, and consider learners’ goal orientation and motivation. Incorporating these theories into professional learning practice, academic librarians can more effectively and meaningfully integrate the ACRL Framework into their instruction.
From information experts to expert educators? Academic librarians' experiences with perspective transformation and their teaching identities
(2017) Nichols Hess, Amanda
As information formats, needs, and access change, post-secondary students need to be prepared to make sense of the morass of content they encounter – for academic, professional, and personal purposes. Academic librarians can serve a key role in meeting these needs, especially if they see themselves as educators. In this research, I sought to examine whether academic librarians reported experiencing the phenomenon of perspective transformation around their senses of themselves as professionals; I particularly examined whether they reported developing an identity as an educator. In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study, participants responded to a modified validated survey instrument; I then conducted follow-up interviews with a small sub-set of these respondents to further understand their experiences. From these data, I assert that academic librarians report having such experiences, and I argue that they can develop teaching identities as part of their professional self-concept. From this basic understanding, I also examined what factors influenced academic librarians’ experiences in this transformation process; they indicated that different kinds of interpersonal relationships and hands-on experiences were key to shaping how they viewed themselves as educators. I used more advanced statistical analysis through one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression to further consider whether relationships existed between demographic variables and the factors that academic librarians reported as influences in their perspective transformation processes. The areas where these statistically significant relationships exist offer jumping-off points for future researchers interested in exploring academic librarians’ transformative experiences around teaching.
General Education Assessment Committee Annual Report 2022-2023
(2023-06-28) Oakland University. Senate. General Education Assessment Committee; Nichols Hess, Amanda; Laam, Kevin
How Faculty Use Online Social Spaces to Develop Their Teaching Practices: An Ethnographic Study of The #Ungrading Online Community
(2021-11-09) Moore, Christina Marie; Nidiffer, Jana; Sule, Thandi; Nichols Hess, Amanda
In higher education, faculty often teach in isolation, wondering if their practices reach and inspire students. If their institutions have teaching and learning centers, faculty might engage in discussions with colleagues within and beyond their disciplines, complemented by programming that builds their pedagogical knowledge. But many faculty members either do not have access to such programming because their institution lacks it, their schedule does not allow for it, or the programming does not connect with their interests and needs. Some faculty turn to online spaces such as social networking sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) to listen to and connect with other faculty, exchange teaching ideas, and refine practices accordingly. My study analyzed the conditions in which online teaching-based communities thrive and the experiences of faculty within them, focusing on two questions: how do faculty develop their teaching practices and identities in online communities of practice and personal learning networks, and why do they engage in this teaching development in online spaces. This digital ethnography observed an active Twitter-based conversation on ungrading, the practice of minimizing, eliminating, and critically examining grading constructs. Complemented with observing a related book club’s activities and analyzing faculty’s personal blogs, publications, and presentations, this dissertation described the culture of “Teaching Twitter” generally and #ungrading specifically. Results found that faculty on Twitter valued participating on the periphery of these communities, sometimes engaging more in these spaces over time and other times using Twitter as a starting point to engage in smaller communities of practice. They gravitated toward Twitter to find other teaching-centered faculty practicing ungrading, as such faculty can be difficult to find at one’s institution alone. Twitter and related online spaces provided faculty the autonomy and flexibility they need in teaching-related professional development. Faculty and faculty developers can apply the results of this study to create more online, social opportunities for teaching development.
Instructional modalities and perspective transformation: How academic librarians’ experiences in blended/hybrid, and online instruction influence their teaching identities
(2020-01) Nichols Hess, Amanda
As librarians’ instructional responsibilities diversify, it is useful to consider what factors influence how they see themselves as educators. In this research, the author used a survey instrument grounded in transformative learning theory to explore what factors librarians who provided online or blended/hybrid instruction felt had impacted their teaching identities. She found statistically-significant differences between these librarians and their peers who provided face-to-face instruction in the relationships, experiences, and professional components that influenced their educator identities. By better understanding these influences, we can more intentionally support academic librarians who teach online or in blended/hybrid environments.
The librarian leading the machine: A reassessment of library instruction methods
(2016-05) Greer, Katie; Nichols Hess, Amanda; Kraemer, Elizabeth W.
This article builds on the 2007 College and Research Libraries article, “The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Both.” Since that time, Oakland University Libraries implemented changes to its instruction program that reflect larger trends in teaching and assessment throughout the profession; following these revisions, librarians undertook a new study to assess the effectiveness of online library instruction in face-to-face courses in comparison to the hybrid model that had been in place. The study’s design and its results serve to contribute to discussion of best practices in information literacy pedagogy, online learning, instructional design, and the role of the librarian therein.
The MAGIC of Web Tutorials: How one library (re)focused its delivery of online learning objects on users
(Taylor and Francis, 2013-11-20) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Oakland University (OU) Libraries undertook an assessment of how to leverage its resources to make online tutorials more focused on users’ needs. A multi-part assessment process reconsidered web tutorials offerings through the lenses of faculty and staff feedback, literature review, and an analysis of other universities’ online tutorial offerings. From there, OU’s e-Learning and Instructional Technology Librarian developed the MAGIC guidelines (Manageable, Available, Geared at users, Informative, Customizable) to resituate OU Libraries’ online tutorials and place users at the center. Putting MAGIC into practice meant integrating web tutorials at points-of-need, identifying and sharing essential information, and engaging students in the learning whenever possible.
Online and Face-to-Face Library Instruction: Assessing the impact on upper-level sociology undergraduates
(Routledge, 2014-08) Nichols Hess, Amanda
Online information literacy instruction: can it impact learning as effectively as face-to-face instruction? Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined that in relation to upper-level sociology students; it also considered whether library instruction affected participants’ perceptions of learning formats’ (i.e., online or face-to-face) effectiveness and the academic library’s place in their research. Using a pretest/posttest design, no significant learning difference was found between the two instructional delivery formats. However, data suggested that instruction did impact online participants’ perceptions of the academic library as a place for research. Implications of this research and future directions for inquiry are discussed.
Preserving Patron Privacy in the 21st Century Academic Library
(2015-01) Nichols Hess, Amanda; LaPorte-Fiore, Rachelle; Engwall, Keith D.
For libraries large and small, patron privacy is an important ethical issue. While librarians may espouse privacy and confidentiality as an inalienable individual right, ensuring this right is upheld across library departments can be challenging, especially when 21st century technology tools are considered. For all libraries, developing a privacy policy or statement is an essential initial step in ensuring patron privacy and confidentiality are consistently in force. This article examines how one large Midwestern academic library remedied its lack of a public privacy statement; this case study presents a series of strategies that other libraries can consider for evaluating -- or establishing -- their own public privacy policies.
Scheduling research consultations with YouCanBook.Me: Low effort, high yield
(2014-10) Nichols Hess, Amanda
This news article examines how one academic library used YouCanBook.Me, a free scheduling tool, to better provide research consultations to faculty, staff, and students.
To search or to browse: How users navigate a new interface for online library tutorials
(2016-07) Nichols Hess, Amanda; Hristova, Mariela
As academic libraries create online learning objects, it is important to consider whether such resources actually reach and answer the questions of intended users. This study considers three points of inquiry for one academic library: how its users make their way to the library’s tutorials; user preference for searching or browsing for resources, when given both modes of access; and, the kinds of online learning objects or tutorials users are seeking. A close examination of web analytics and users’ search terms within the tutorials interface helped to illustrate patterns of access and highlighted users’ needs for tutorials and online learning objects.

Browsing by Author "Nichols Hess, Amanda"

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