The Learning Commons as a Locus for Information Literacy

Abstract

Locus for Information Literacy 193 learning commons as a focal point for enhancing student learning, pedagogy, and information literacy, (2) how a library administrator can create and communicate a vision that focuses on information literacy and student learning,(3) how a practicing librarian can promote information literacy, pedagogy, and student learning through a learning commons, and (4) engaging all stakeholders to promote consideration of pedagogical approaches through the learning commons. Finally, there are recommendations for research and practice about the learning commons and information literacy.

Learning commons reference collections in ARL libraries

“…In the early days of the information commons/learning commons, it was thought that reference collections and services would play a prominent role in this new type of learning space and many libraries placed them accordingly (Haas and Robertson, 2004; Bailey and Tierney, 2008). Just as learning commons have changed, so too has the role of the collections and services within those environments: “A learning commons space is not created and then completed; it is a continually and often organically developing space” (Weiner et al , 2010, p. 207). This study revealed that academic research libraries are continuing to deliberate over the types of collections most useful to these spaces.…”

The researcher's view: context is critical

“…The data revolution and corresponding revolution in scholarly communication and publishing will have an impact on the library comparable to the education revolution in the 1990s, which replaced 'sage--on--the--stage' pedagogy with student--centred resource--based learning and enabled librarians to develop and professionalize their educational role as learning facilitators, learning advisers, instructional designers and teachers of information literacy (Breivik, 1999;Bewick and Corrall, 2010), and also reposition their services and spaces as 'learning resource centres', 'learning centres' and, latterly, 'information commons' or 'learning commons' (Roberts, 2007;Lewis, 2010;Weiner, Doan and Kirkwood, 2010). E--science uses high--capacity global networks to access very large--scale shared resources, including high--performance simulation, observation, computation and visualization equipment and massive distributed datasets.…”

“…Spaces for people and technology should be expanded and reconfigured to provide more visible, effective and efficient support for research across the institution by adopting the research commons model. Our vision of the research commons is a one--stop shared space--as--service facility for researchers, similar in its design philosophy and staffing model to leading examples of information and learning commons, which have demonstrated how careful and innovative user--centred design aligned to institutional needs and pedagogies can successfully integrate resources provided by the library into the working and social lives of students with support from other campus units (Lewis, 2010;Weiner, Doan and Kirkwood, 2010) and rebrand the library as a central, essential and vital facility.…”