Teaching and Instruction

Information Literacy Instruction 

Each year, the University of Maryland Libraries teach information literacy sessions for nearly 20,000 students. Teaching is integral to our mission and continues to be one of the most important services we offer our campus community. We offer options for learners of every level, from first-year students to doctoral students. We meet learners where they are by utilizing synchronous online and in-person instruction to asynchronous learning modules and resources.

  • Faculty should coordinate with their subject librarian to design the best instructional experience for their course and students. To work with a librarian, please visit the Subject Specialist Directory and contact the librarian assigned to your school or college.
  • In addition to our subject area instruction, we also offer specialized programs for the Academic Writing Program (ENGL101), Living Learning Communities, and Special Collections. 
  • For faculty who would like to integrate the library into their course, but do not have the time in their syllabus for a traditional instruction session, our Information Literacy Toolkit features a variety of asynchronous resources that cover everything from introducing library resources to citing sources. 

Resources for Instructors

  • The Information Literacy Toolkit features a variety of asynchronous resources that can be easily incorporated into an ELMS space or lesson. 
  • Request course materials be made available to students via Course Reserves
  • Open and Affordable Educational Resources
    • Request a consultation to discuss how the Libraries can support your instruction through Open and Affordable Educational Resources
    • Incorporate Open Educational Resources (free to use, adapt, and share) in your instruction
  • Learn about our Top Textbooks Program -- textbooks on reserve for the highest enrollment courses on campus

Learning Outcomes

The UMD Libraries' Learning Outcomes are mapped to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. 

  • Authority is Constructed and Contextual. Learners will be able to differentiate between types of authority, such as subject expertise, societal position, or special experiences. Learners will identify which type of authority is best suited to their individual information need. Learners will be able to determine if a source is authoritative in the context of their subject discipline or research topic.
  • Information Creation as Process. Learners will be able to differentiate between information formats by examining elements such as writing style, editing and review processes, and presentation of information. Learners will recognize these elements as indicators of quality. Learners will identify which type of format is best suited to their individual information need.
  • Information has Value. Learners will be able to recognize the inherent societal, intellectual, and legal values of an information source. As creators of information, learners will apply the attribution process appropriate for their specific discipline and information need.
  • Research as Inquiry. Learners will be articulate a research question through an increasingly sophisticated process including posing and refining simple questions, engaging with debates and dialogues, and seeking diverse perspectives within their discipline. Learners will determine a scope of investigation appropriate for their specific discipline and research question.
  • Scholarship as Conversation. Learners will be able to recognize and engage with sources of evidence, methods, and modes of discourse within their discipline. Learners will contribute to the scholarly conversation within their discipline at the appropriate level.
  • Searching as Strategic Exploration. Learners will be able to recognize that research is an iterative process which includes defining an information need, initiating and refining a search strategy, and seeking alternative points of view on a topic. Learners will employ increasingly sophisticated and varied search strategies and will recognize how their own perspective influences their search process.

Mission

We empower the UMD community for academic, personal, and professional success. We prepare learners to discover and synthesize information in order to create and disseminate knowledge. We create engaging, innovative, and flexible learning environments. 

Vision

We seek continual improvement of our teaching through creative, affirmative, and evidence-based practices. We strive to create socially responsible and civic minded leaders of our local and global communities, prepared to effect change through exploration, creation, and dissemination of knowledge. We collaborate with departments and groups across campus. 

Values

  • Lifelong Learning. We value lifelong learning, which empowers our community members to be independent thinkers and doers and fosters the development of civic-minded leaders. 
  • Social Responsibility. We view libraries as collaborative and inclusive environments. Our actions are guided by a sense of social responsibility to our local and global communities.
  • Ethical Practice. We respect academic integrity. We empower our community members to be ethical participants in the scholarly conversation both as creators and consumers of information.
  • Inclusivity. We contribute to the building of an inclusive community of learners by facilitating flexible, creative, and approachable teaching spaces and practices, both physically and virtually.
  • Evidence Based Practice. We ensure that our expertise is complemented by engagement with professional literature, use of evidence-based principles, continual evaluation of our teaching practices, and assessment of learning.

The McKeldin Library has five instruction spaces. For more information on their location, purpose, and reservation policies, please see Instruction Lab Policies. 

 

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