Abstract:
This presentation will present the results of a collaboration between an academic business librarian and a faculty member to provide adult students an alternative to textbooks in an online, undergraduate entrepreneurship program. Instead of a traditional textbook, students were given prompts to search the library’s e-resources. The benefits of this practice were threefold: it eliminated the textbook costs for students, provided an opportunity to develop information literacy skills, and allowed for active involvement in assignment-design and student engagement for the embedded librarian. Beginning as a pilot project in July 2017, the project was implemented in January 2018 and has been ongoing.
Constructivist learning theory and peer-to-peer learning principles guide this project. These theories are seen through the students’ self-discovery and choice of library resources, and in the prompted discussion and evaluation of the discovered sources. The Association for College Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Framework was also utilized during activity design, to develop students’ search and critical thinking skills.
Having the students use online library databases to access and search for their resources that act as an alternative to texts provides students with current information that can be limited and guided by the professor but also tailored to their specific interests and projects. This process also encourages stronger information literacy and critical thinking skills that will be utilized in future courses and throughout their entire program.
Session outcomes:
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