Informed Learning, Information Literacy, and Scholarly Communication: Library Pedagogy as a Bridge to the Disciplines

This paper explores collaboration between librarians and faculty in higher education to construct connections between informed learning theory, information literacy practice, and disciplinary scholarly products to foster reflective and deep engagement with information. Increasing digital innovations in communication and pedagogy, the need for various literacy capabilities, and the potential wisdom gained from considering diverse methodological perspectives have driven the need for interdisciplinary collaboration (Witt, 2012). There have also been several calls for a relational approach to teaching and learning, changing the roles of librarians (Farrell and Badke, 2015; Gunton et al, 2014; Jaguszewski and Williams, 2013), and scholarship which examines informed learning theory as practiced in information literacy pedagogy (Lloyd and Bruce, 2011; Maybee et al, 2013; Webber et al, 2014). This paper reports on collaborative attempts to incorporate informed learning into courses in Communication Studies, Photography, and Advertising/Public Relations, set in Grand Valley State University’s School of Communications. Colleagues created and redesigned courses which incorporate secondary research, re-fashioned library instruction, developed new library subject guides, and crafted rubrics. Initial student evaluations showed an improvement in student attitudes toward library sessions; informal anecdotes reinforced the sense of increased student enthusiasm for research. Qualitative assessment, along with additional changes in pedagogical methods will take place during 2016