REAL LEARNING
CONNECTIONS PROJECT:
THE NEW INTERNSHIP
Nora Bird, Asst Professor, DLIS-UNCG
Mike Crumpton, Asst Dean, UL-UNCG
Traditional Model of Internship/Practica
Librarian
Student
Faculty
Reflection on process is primarily done by the student
Student Employee Model
Librarian
Student/employee
Learning goals defined by the practitioner
Teacher-Librarian Pilot
 All
parties are considered equal learning partners.
Locus of control and knowledge is shared. Each
party has their own goals.
 Interaction between all three parties is explicit. The
proposal is that some research component be
added to the internship and the end product might
be a co-authored publication/presentation.
 The proposal also includes reflection by all parties.
Real Learning Connections Project




Pilot to examine new model on internship
Curriculum (theory) vs. practice (work)
Student as catalyst
Product(s) produced
Collaborative Learning
Dept of Library and
Information Science
University Libraries


Students learn
practical application
of librarianship skills
Librarians learn about
trends and
technologies impacting
libraries today


Students learn theory,
technical overview and
historical reasoning
behind the values of
librarianship
Faculty learn how it is
being applied
Theoretical Base
Experiential Learning




Creating meaning in learning via direct activities
Learning through reflection on learning
Engages learner at a more personal level
Creating an experience where learning can be
facilitated
"For the things we have to learn before we can do
them, we learn by doing them."[--Aritotle
David Kolb on Experiential Learning

Learner must
 be willing to be actively involved in the
experience;
 be able to reflect on the experience;
 possess and use analytical skills to
conceptualize the experience; and
 possess decision making and problem solving
skills in order to use the new ideas gained
from the experience.
Donald Schön


"In some fields, the question of professional artistry has
come up in the context of continuing education.
Educators ask how mature professionals can be helped
to renew themselves so as to avoid 'burnout,' how they
can be helped to build their repertoires of skills and
understandings on a continuing basis." p. 15
"In the terrain of professional practice, applied science
and research-based technique occupy a critically
important though limited territory, bounded on several
sides by artistry." p. 13
Critical Reflection – DEAL Model

Describe Experience Objectively
 Big

picture, significant experiences
Examine from personal perspective
 Feeling
generated
 Past experiences, expectations, bias
 Personal skills, strengths and weaknesses

Learning
 What
was learned and how
 What was important and why * need reference
Reflective Writing


Vehicle for reflection
on practical
application of learning
It helps you to reflect
on your thinking, how
you think and how to
put your emotions
down in words.
Amy Archambault
Library and Information Studies
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
a_archam@uncg.edu
More than a GAship:
The Teach/Library Project Defined
Abstract
The Teach/Library project is a joint venture
between UNCG’s Library and Information
Studies department and Jackson Library to
foster an innovative exchange of ideas,
knowledge sharing and goal-defined
outcomes
between
faculty
member,
practitioner and student. During the course of
one academic year, the student works with a
librarian in a chosen specialty area. They
collaborate to create projects that align with,
not only the practitioner’s needs, but also with
the student’s interests and career objectives.
The faculty member contributes fundamental
understanding, theory and/or learning
objectives through either a course or regular
meetings. All contribute to the shared
knowledge by electronic journal, in this case,
a wiki. The overall objective is that all three
parties are sharing, learning and meeting
individual goals.
Each is an equal
stakeholder in the learning process. The
desire is to produce a body of work that can
be shared with others outside the institution
when the project is completed.
The Difference
Faculty
Learner
Librarian
Learner
Student
Learner
Shared Knowledge
The DEAL Method: (Ash, 2009)
• Describe
• Examine
• Articulate Learning
Each member revisits this process
each week and places it in context
with experiences learned or
observed.
The wiki journal
provides a collaborative space not
only to share, but also to engage in
a meaningful dialogue among each
other.
The Benefits
• Practical experience while
learning “the basics” of library
studies
• Networking alliances
• Academic financial support
(Student)
• Communicate academic
initiatives and needs
• Practitioner viewpoint
encouraged
• Collaborative and open – no
hierarchy
Ash, Clayton & Moses. (2009). Learning Through Critical Reflection. A
Tutorial for Service-Learning Students. Raleigh, NC.
Pilot’s Projects
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS/ARCHIVES




Five collections
processed
Student participated in
dept reference activities
Processed oral histories
Supervised undergrads
Instructional Toolbox




Redesign DE website around new
tools developed
New tutorials and usability
testing included
Conference presentations with
librarian and student (resume
builder)
http://library.uncg.edu/info/dep
ts/reference/instruction/tech_too
lkit_homepage.aspx
Pilot’s Lessons Learned




Development of roles and responsibilities has direct
relationship to product(s) produced
More attention needed on choosing applicants and
development of project goals
Higher level of reflective work needed to monitor
and share experiences
Present different models of faculty side such as
independent study, or seminar courses focused on
related projects.
A Case in Point (Year Two)
Fine Tuning Logistics
The position requirements:
You must be a full-time LIS graduate student.
You must be able to work 20 hours/week at the internship.
You must participate in the Real Learning Connections project including
meetings, assessment, and ongoing journaling.
You must be willing to take specific courses in the LIS Department that will be
tied to the internship described in the project descriptions above.
Second Year Projects
The projects:
1) Special Collections and University Archives working primarily with Beth Ann
Koelsch on the Women Veterans Historical Project. [LIS 688-07, Advanced
Archives (Fall), LIS 688-06, Preservation Management].
2) Digital Projects. Working primarily with David Gwynn on the Bernard
Greenhouse Project, to display artifacts, oral histories, and other materials
related to cellist, Bernard Greenhouse. [Coursework: LIS 640 or LIS 644 (Fall), LIS
688, Music Librarianship (Spring).]
3) Administration and Assessment. Working primarily with Kathy Bradshaw,
Human Resources Librarian and the Assessment Committee. [LIS 650 - Fall, LIS
652 or 656 - Spring].
Second Year Potential Products
Mid-term Feedback





Course curriculum
suggestions
Job preparation
experience
Higher quality project
work
Student perspective
Learning resources
broadened
Community College Partners



Each member of the class is linked with a
practitioner in a community college.
Checking theory being learned from articles with
what is being done in libraries.
They will write about the connections and
disconnections.
Let Go of My Lego

Lego (trademarked in capitals as LEGO) is a line of
construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a
privately held company based in Denmark. The company's
flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking
plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. Lego bricks can be
assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such
objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots.
Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and
the pieces used to make other objects. The toys were
originally designed in the 1940s in Denmark and have
achieved an international appeal, with an extensive
subculture that supports Lego movies, games, video games,
competitions, and five Lego theme amusement parks.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
It is a copolymer made by polymerizing styrene
and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene.
Let’s Build Something
Lego City
REFERENCES
Ash, S. L. and Clayton, P. H. (2004). The articulated learning:
An approach to guided reflection and assessment. Innovative
higher education, 29 (2): 137-154.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the
source of learning and development, New Jersey: PrenticeHall.
Schön, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Todd, L.T. (2007). NYS Library Development: Making It REAL!
Teaching Library Model,
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/imls/teachlib.htm
Questions??????
Nora J. Bird, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
School of Education
Dept. of Library and Information Studies
1300 Spring Garden St., P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
njbird@uncg.edu
336-541-6571
Michael Crumpton
Assistant Dean for Administrative Services
University Libraries
The University of North Carolina - Greensboro
PO Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
phone (336) 256-1213
macrumpt@uncg.edu