UNIVERSITY
OF
1119 M a i n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n B u i l d i n g
College Park, M a r y l a n d 20742-5031
301.405.5252 T E L 301.405.8195 F A X
MARYLAND
OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST
December 17,2015
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Brian Butler
Dean, College of Information Studies
FROM:
Elizabeth Beise
Associate Provost for Academic Planning and Programs
SUBJECT:
Proposal to Modify the Master of Library Science - Youth Experience
Specialization (PCC log no. 15021)
The proposal to modify the Master of Library Science by adding a Youth Experience
Specialization has been administratively approved. A copy of the proposal is attached.
The change is effective Spring 2016. Please ensure that the change is fully described in
all relevant descriptive materials.
MDC/
Enclosure
cc:
Andrew Harris, Chair, Senate PCC Committee
Barbara Gill, Office of Enrollment Management
Reka Montfort, University Senate
Erin Taylor, Division of Information Technology
Pam Phillips, Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment
Anne Turkos, University Archives
Linda Yokoi, Office of the Registrar
Alex Chen, Graduate School
Ann Weeks, College of Information Studies
T H E UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, C O L L E G E PARK
PROGRAM/CURRICULUM/UNIT PROPOSAL
PCC LOO NO.
•
Please email the rest of the proposal as an MSWoid allachmenl
to pcc-submissions@iimcl.edu.
•
15021
Please submit the signed form to the Office of the Associate Provost
for Academic Planning and Programs, 1119 Main Administration Building, Campus.
College/School:
Please also add College/School Unit Code-First 8 digits: 01203500
Unit Codes cati be found at: https://hvpprod.umd.edii/Html
Reports/mits.htm
Dcpa r tm en t/Prog ra m:
Please also add Department/Program Unit Code-Last 7 digits: 1350101
Type of Action (choose one):
X Curriculum change (including informal specializations) •
•
•
Curriculum change for an LEP Program
New academic degree/award
program
New Professional Studies award iteration
•
Remmmg
of program or formal
Area of
O New Minor
Coiicenlraliot)
•
O
Addition/deletion of formal
Suspend/delete program
Area of
• Request to create an online version o f an existing
Concentration
program
Italics indicate thai the proposed program action must he presented to lite full University Senate for cons
Summary of Proposed Action:
The College o f Information Studies (Maryland's iSchool) plans to offer a Youth Experience ( Y X ) specialization, one o f
the informal specializations for the Master o f Library Science ( M L S ) program. This specialization helps prepare
educational leaders and change agents to design and implement policies, programs, and technology to support young
people's learning, development, and everyday lives. Students who follow this specialization complete three "required"
courses and four electives> in addition to the programmatic requirements o f the degree (four core courses and a field
study), for a total o f 12 courses (or 36 credits).
Departmental/Unit Contact Person for Proposal:
A P P R O V A L S I G N A T U R E S - Please print name, sign, and date. U.se additional lines for multi-unit programs.
1. Department Committee Chair
2. Department Chair
3. College/School PCC Chair _
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4. Dean
5. Dean of the Graduate School (if required)
6. Chair, Senate PCC
7. University Senate Chair ( i f required)
8. Senior Vice President & Provost
t
PROPOSAL FOR
NEW SPECIALIZATION (INFORMAL)
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AT COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND
YX: YOUTH EXPERIENCE SPECIALIZATION
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION STUDIES
INTERIM DEAN BRIAN BUTLER
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MASTER OF LIBRARY SCIENCE
I. OVERVIEW and RATIONALE
The Youth Experience (YX) Master’s of Library Sciences (MLS) specialization at the University
of Maryland will prepare leaders, educators, and change agents who deeply understand the
dynamic contexts of youth. Today’s children and adolescents need cultural institutions that can
rapidly evolve their services, spaces, leadership, and programs. The YX specialization in the
MLS program will enable candidates to design and implement policies, programs, and
technology to support young people’s learning, development, and everyday lives.
Why a specialization in YX?
Change in the landscape of information seeking and use and its impact on learning among youth
Data from the Pew Research Center show that nearly one-fourth (24%) of teens are on the
Internet “almost constantly” and 56% go online several times a day (Lenhart, 2015). This usage
frequently includes visits to Facebook, the use of a smartphone, and photo sharing through
Instagram or Snapchat. Though the numbers are slightly lower for younger children, researchers
at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found that “at age 3, about one-quarter of
children go online daily, increasing to about half by age 5. And by age 8, more than two-thirds
use the Internet on any given weekday” (Gutnick, Robb, Takeuchi, & Kotler, 2011, p. 16). Given
how ubiquitous technology has become in the lives of youth, the fact that education, learning,
and information-seeking behaviors are changing is not surprising. No longer is education
confined to the school building. Instead, youth are learning across both formal and informal
learning spaces, including libraries, museums, community centers, and online environments,
such as social media. Research shows that interest-driven learning “oriented toward educational,
economic, or political opportunity” is the key to reaching today’s youth (Ito et al, 2013, p. 4).
Those working with youth need to understand that, once motivated, youth seek learning
opportunities that cross the boundaries of formal, structured education, informal social-based
learning through mentors, and play-centric learning with peers (Barron, 2006). Information
professionals must be prepared to meet youth in their own spaces, use technology to facilitate
existing interests, and be in tune with what is personally relevant and motivating to them
(Subramaniam et al, 2012; St. Jean et al, 2015).
Candidates in the YX specialization will have unique, interdisciplinary experiences and
coursework that move beyond the bounds of traditional programs related to youth. We envision
graduates of the specialization to be readily adaptable to the changing needs of youth. YX
graduates will be able to understand the connections among myriad youth-related issues
including learning, personal development, and changing technical and societal contexts. This
interdisciplinarity will position graduates to pursue a variety of potential avenues as educators,
YX designers, technology specialists, youth librarians, researchers, or policymakers. This lies in
contrast to teacher education programs that often focus intently on the practices and concerns of
teaching in school environments, and youth services programs that are bound by the practices of
library settings.
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Candidates in the YX specialization will have opportunities to engage with cultural institutions
(e.g. libraries, museums, archives, government agencies etc.), national policy centers, and
technology innovators via our experiential learning focused coursework and field study
assignments.
Demand is there, supply is scarce
There are numerous youth-specific positions that are available that require the skills that the YX
candidates will possess upon graduation (see the tab “Sample Job Description” in the Digital
Youth Market and Field Analysis Google document). Realizing that there is a need for such
trained individuals, the YX Specialization was developed based on a market analysis and
extensive research on youth-related programs offered at other top iSchools, LIS, learning
sciences, and educational technology schools across the nation (see the tab “Youth Services
Programs”, “School Library Programs” and “Digital youth and Ed Tech programs” in the same
Google document). The committee analyzed course offerings and descriptions from other
institutions, and identified the niche and unique expertise that UMD’s iSchool has and can offer
to candidates who are interested in working with youth in all environments. As a result of the
analysis of course offerings, course description, and examples of jobs, multiple career pathways
and course offerings emerged within the YX specialization (which will be discussed in the next
section). A recent report on the hiring practices of legacy cultural institutions finds that
“…managers [look] for curious generalists, not specialists, when hiring for project leads...”
(Lutman, 2014, p. 12). This is the perfect opportunity for the meta-field of information science –
an interdisciplinary discipline that brings together such diverse subjects as archival work,
education, computer science, communication, human-computer interaction, library science, and
information management to prepare information professionals to work with youth.
II. CURRICULUM
The Proposed Program of Study
Program Approach
The MLS with YX specialization will be implemented as an online program. Non-YX
specialization candidates interested in select aspects of the YX specialization are welcome to
choose courses to fit their individualized program plan (IPP).
Coursework
The college’s MLS degree requires the completion of 36 credit hours with a minimum 3.0
average. A candidate pursuing the YX specialization will take the following courses:
Type of course
Number of courses
Number of credits
MLS Core Courses
4 courses
12 credits
3
Field study
1 course
3 credits
YX Required Courses
3 courses
9 credits
YX Electives
4 courses
12 credits
12 courses
36 credits
MLS Core Courses
1. LBSC 602 (Serving Information Needs) An introduction to the skills necessary to
interact directly with individuals through the exploration of user behavior theory,
strategies to locate and evaluate information from print and electronic resources, and
policies and procedures to ensure that all individuals can become information literate.
2. LBSC 631 (Achieving Organizational Excellence) Overview of the principles,
practices, and techniques required for effective leadership and management. The
innovative strategies, management responsibilities, and skills needed to achieve and
sustain high organizational performance in information-based cultural institutions.
3. LBSC 671 (Creating Information Infrastructures) Foundations of acquiring and
managing collections, information structures, indexing and discovery systems needed by
information professionals. An introduction to the theoretical concepts, trends, systems,
and technologies central to the information field.
4. LBSC 791 (Designing Principled Inquiry) Critical analysis of roles of information
professions and institutions in integrating theory, methods, practice, policies, and values
of the field, and applying them to the design of future information systems and services.
Field study
LBSC 707 (Field Study in Library Science) - Supervised experience within library operations
and/or the opportunity to perform a study to solve a specific problem in a suitable library or other
information agency.
YX Required Courses
Two existing courses LBSC 640 and LBSC 642 (required for school library and YX
specialization) have been modified to cover YX in multiple settings and will now be offered as
INST courses. These courses will have new course descriptions and course names. Additionally,
a new course INST XXX (YX Design Thinking & Youth) has also been added as a YX required
course.
1. INST YYY (Facilitating Youth Learning in Informal and Formal Environments)
Foundational concepts in YX programs and services. Principles in working with youth
and children. An introduction to theory, approaches to inquiry (standards/guidelines),
resources, and services related to the information needs and interests of youth and
children. [previously LBSC640]
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2. INST ZZZ (Promoting Rich Learning with Technology) This course will introduce
candidates to key theories about how people learn, and develop an understanding of how
to integrate technologies to facilitate rich learning experiences. [previously LBSC642]
3. INST XXX (YX Design Thinking & Youth) Topics will include youth as makers,
participatory design with youth, and learning theories and approaches (e.g.,
constructionism) that inform design experiences with youth. Additionally, YX
professionals will reflect on their roles as designers through exploring topics such as
research by design, and Human-Computer Interaction design principles.
YX Electives (choose 4):
Although the candidate can combine any four courses to complete the program, the committee
has developed a selection of career pathways that the candidate might choose to follow. These
pathways – education, social justice and diversity, information policy and leadership, and
building and design – are listed in Appendix A with a variety of pre-existing courses suggested
to fit within each pathway.
New electives will be made available as the specialization grows.
III. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT
We expect that candidates in the YX specialization will:
● Design and implement policies, programs, and technology that benefit young people’s
learning, development, and life endeavors;
● Become change agents for youth development which supports learning with new media;
● Adopt a design thinking approach and undertake youth projects that emphasize creating
with youth for youth;
● Identify best practices and methods to be inclusive of all youth’s needs including youth
from disadvantaged populations;
● Apply core theories and models from information science and learning sciences to
address needs of youth;
● Conduct research on the emerging issues concerning youth and their daily lives; and
● Partner with schools, libraries, or cultural institutions to help with youth programming,
education, and other projects related to youth development.
IV. IMPACT ON COLLEGE
There will be a minimal impact on college resources. Recruitment and web updates for the
program will be handled by existing staff. The required YX courses will be taught by Drs. Mega
Subramaniam, June Ahn and Tammy Clegg. Candidates will take the core courses according to
the schedule offered by the College of Information Studies. Electives for the program are all
existing courses and candidates will take the elective courses according to the schedule offered
by the College of Information Studies and College of Education.
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V. REFERENCES
Barron. B. (2006). Interest and self-sustained learning as catalysts of development: A learning
ecologies perspective. Human Development, 49, 193-224.
Braun, L., Hartman, M., Hughes-Hassell, S. & Kumasi, K. (2014). The future of library services
for and with teens: A call to action. Available:
http://www.ala.org/yaforum/sites/ala.org.yaforum/files/content/YALSA_nationalforum_Final_w
eb_0.pdf
Druin, A. (2010). Children as codesigners of new technologies: Valuing the imagination to
transform what is possible. New Directions for Youth Development, 128, 35–43.
Gutnick, A. L., Robb, M., Takeuchi, L., & Kotler, J. (2011). Always connected: The new digital
media habits of young children. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
Available: http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/jgcc_alwaysconnected.pdf
Hughes-Hassell, S. (2013). Some thoughts on the future direction of library and information
science education. Young Adult Library Services, Fall, 38-43.
Ito, M. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with
new media. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA.
Ito, M., Gutiérrez, K., Livingstone, S., Penuel, B., Rhodes, J., Salen, KatieK., Schor, J., SeftonGreen, J. & Watkins, S.C.(2013) Connected learning: an agenda for research and design. Digital
Media and Learning Research Hub, Irvine, CA, USA.
Jenkins, H. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the
21st century. The MacArthur Foundation. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA.
Lenhart, A. (2015). Teen, Social Media and Technology Overview 2015. Pew Research Center:
New York. Available:
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/04/PI_TeensandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf
Lutman, S. (2014). Like, link, share: How cultural institutions are embracing digital technology.
Wyncote Foundation. Available:
http://issuu.com/andeemazzocco/docs/wyncote_final_web/27?e=1730530/10452773
St. Jean, B., Taylor, N.G., Kodama, C., Casciotti, D., & Subramaniam, M. (2015). Impacts of the
HackHealth after-school program: Motivating youth through personal relevance. Paper to be
presented at the 2015 Association for Information Science and Technology annual conference in
St. Louis, MO.
Subramaniam, M., Ahn, J., Fleischmann, K. & Druin, A. (2012). Reimagining the role of school
libraries in STEM education: Creating hybrid spaces for exploration. Library Quarterly, 82(2),
161-182.
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APPENDIX A: YX SPECIALIZATION PATHWAYS
Education Pathway - General
LBSC 622 Information and Universal Usability
LBSC 641 Selection and Evaluation of Resources for Learning
LBSC 742 Collaborative Instructional Design and Evaluation
EDCI 633 Teaching for Cross Cultural Communication
Education Pathway – Reading
LBSC 645 Children’s Literature and Materials
LBSC 646 Literature and Materials for Young Adults
LBSC 745 Storytelling
EDCI 634 Methods of Teaching ESOL
Education Pathway - STEM
INFM 747 Web-enabled Databases
• Suggested pre-requisite: INST 733 Database Design
Social Justice/Diversity Pathway
LBSC 620 Diverse Populations, Inclusion, and Information
LBSC 622 Information and Universal Usability
LBSC 735 Legal Issues in Managing Information
INFM 605 Users and Use Context
INST 612 Information Policy
EDCI 633 Teaching for Cross Cultural Communication
EDCI 634 Methods of Teaching ESOL
Information Policy/Leadership Pathway
LBSC 713 Planning and Evaluating Information Services
LBSC 735 Legal Issues in Managing Information
INST 607 E-government: Information, Communication, and Policy
INST 610 Information Ethics
INST 612 Information Policy
INST 627 Data Analytics for Information Professionals
INST 660 21st Century Leadership
INST 706 Project Management
• Pre-requisite: LBSC631 Achieving Organizational Excellence (Core Course)
INFM 600 Information Environments
INFM 605 Users and Use Context
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INFM 706 Project Management
Building/Design Pathway
INST 627 Data Analytics for Information Professionals
INST 733 Database Design
• Pre-requisite: LBSC671 Creating Information Infrastructures (Core Course)
INFM 747 Web-enabled Databases
• Suggested pre-requisite: INST 733 Database Design
Design Your Own Pathway
You may also pick any combination of four LBSC, INST, or INFM courses that make sense for
your future career path.
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