Learning in the General Education Classroom? A Multi-Disciplinary and Collaborative Research Project,” they spent three years investigating student- generated visual projects. In particular, they examined how such products not only help the learning of key disciplinary concepts but also provide valuable evidence of student learning that can be used for assessment purposes. Carrie worked closely with a sociology faculty member to determine best practices for introducing students to the research and information-seeking process through visual methods. Carrie was part of a team that approached teaching as a process of inquiry that could inform the development and application of new pedagogy. Instead of being involved in only one aspect of a course as she typically had been in the past (e.g., assignment design, library instruction sessions, etc.), she was able to participate in the development of course outcomes, assignments, and assessments, as well as being a part of their implementation. In working alongside faculty to guide student learning and assess student work, she gained insights into discipline-focused thinking and the foundational knowledge that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Having a better understanding of the issues facing teaching faculty has improved her understanding of the current academic environment in terms of the potential for information literacy education and assessment at the course level and curriculum-wide. To quote Carrie, “So, when I think about information literacy now, I am able to see it as a learning initiative, rather than simply a library initiative.” Carrie’s work represents a great example of a librarian becoming an integral part of the teaching and learning process. But, above all, both of these examples give me great hope that academic libraries are developing “a diverse group of library professionals who have the expertise and knowledge to lead and participate in new partnerships with researchers and university faculty.”12 1 “ARL Strategic Plan 2010–2012,” Research Library Issues: A Bimonthly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC, no. 268 (Feb. 2010): 16, http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/rli/archive/rli268.shtml. 2 Ibid., 17. 3 John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, and Lang Davison, The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion (New York: Basic Books, 2010): 90, 158. 4 Ibid., 47. 5 Ibid., 32. 6 Ibid., 9. 7 Brenda L. Johnson and Laurie A. Alexander, “Reaching Beyond the Walls of the Library,” in The Desk and Beyond: Next Generation Reference Services, ed. Sarah K. Steiner and M. Leslie Madden (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2008): 31. 8 Ibid., 29. RLI 272 14 Transforming Roles for Academic Librarians: Leading and Participating in New Partnerships ( C O N T I N U E D ) OCTOBER 2010 RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES: A BIMONTHLY REPORT FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC
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