Teaching Philosophy
Consistent with the ALA nine core competencies for library and information professionals, in my teaching, I am focused on providing students a solid understanding of the foundations and theories of the discipline, the technical knowledge, skills, and methods required of the discipline, and access and understanding to current research which will allow them to continue their education and learning beyond graduation. My teaching is further influenced by George Sieman’s Connectivism Learning Theory, which stresses the creation of distributed networked learning environments that do not end with formal education but instead form the foundation for lifelong learning and which have been shown to be particularly applicable to online learning.
My primary goal in my teaching is to provide students with the ability to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for them to be successful as information professionals. I believe the best way to do this is by focusing on the ALA core competencies and incorporating a connected learning approach, which allows students to build a network of knowledge that they can access and build on after graduation. This approach recognizes that learning happens best when students have ownership over their learning experience, are afforded a variety of ways to access knowledge and skills, and are encouraged to build a network of knowledge, resources, and experiences unique to their needs. It is my hope that my students learn not just the fundamentals of the given topic but also how to take the topic and apply it to other topics and, in other situations, to keep learning throughout their careers and beyond.
LIS Teaching Philosophy (PDF)
Diversity Statement (PDF)