Understanding Academic Librarians' One-shot Instructional Design Process Via a Delphi Study

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Abstract

Academic librarians have long been responsible for teaching information literacy competencies on college campuses, even as many are hesitant to accept the title of teacher. With inadequate instructional design preparation and one-shot sessions serving as a popular, if limited, instructional medium, librarians' design processes are often developed on the job and infrequently explored in the literature. Previous research has examined specific design models and instructional strategies, but few studies were found that determined how academic librarians select and implement these design decisions within the context of a one-shot. This Delphi study described academic librarians' design processes in an effort to develop practical takeaways for training and design of one-shot sessions using expert consensus. This study found (1) academic librarians find their master's degree curriculum lacking in instructional preparation; (2) participants preferred professional development that allowed for observation and direct experience; (3) consensus centering objectives in design decisions; (4) backward design was a frequently used model due to its ease of use, flexibility, and emphasis on objectives; and (5) the one-shot environment significantly impacted participants' design processes leading to modifications in their teaching. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for practitioners and recommendations for future research directions.

Keywords

Academic librarian teaching preparation
One-shot session
Instructional design processes
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