Library Orientation in a New Era
A Transition in Progress,
Continuing the Conversation
Library Orientation at AMBS
• Information literacy in AMBS
educational outcomes
• Library orientation for new students
• Collaboration with faculty on class
assignments
Information Literacy in AMBS
Outcomes, MA programs
MA: Peace Studies and MA: Theological Studies
Demonstrate the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
information effectively.
MA: Christian Formation
Demonstrate the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
information and resources effectively.
MDiv Educational Outcomes
AMBS graduates…
1.
2.
3.
4.
Are grounded in and formed by the Bible.
Engage historical and theological traditions.
Are formed by encounter with God.
Demonstrate personal integrity and authority in
ministry.
5. Understand/engage their ministry context.
6. Lead the church in fulfilling its mission.
Specific outcomes statements are
grouped in three categories:
• Pedagogy of Knowing
• Pedagogy of Doing
• Pedagogy of Being
Educational
Outcomes
Pedagogy of Knowing
Pedagogy of Doing
Pedagogy of Being
Outcomes in the
Congregation
AMBS graduates …
1. Are grounded
in and are continuously formed
by the Bible.
Understand the biblical story, biblical
theology, theological hermeneutics,
and canon formation.
Preach and teach the biblical story in and beyond
the church.
Nurture hermeneutic community.
Are shaped by Scripture.
See connections between Scripture and
daily life (including prophetic critique).
The congregation …
Is formed by the biblical story.
Serves Israel’s God.
Uses Scripture in formative
ways.
2. Engage their
historical and
theological traditions in the context of the larger
Christian church.
Understand how Anabaptist and Mennonite history and theology inform
contemporary church life.
Understand their theological and historical heritage in conversation with
others.
Understand their denominational polity.
Demonstrate and communicate core Anabaptist
values.
Integrate peacemaking and evangelism in their ministry and their congregation’s ministry.
Foster awareness of the Spirit’s ongoing work in the
church.
Effectively represent the church.
Love the church.
Value the church’s heritage and are
realistic about its life.
Are committed to the church locally
and globally.
Is knowledgeable about its
own theological and historical heritage.
Has a healthy sense of identity
in a larger world.
3. Are formed by a
continuing encounter with God.
Understand Christian orthodoxy historically and theologically.
Understand how spiritual practices
form faith.
Cultivate awareness of God and God’s purposes in
solitude and community.
Offer God’s transforming power in word and deed.
Guide the spiritual formation of others.
Pray and practice spiritual disciplines.
4. Demonstrate
personal integrity
and authority in
ministry.
Understand their personality type,
giftedness, and limitations.
Know when to seek information and
where to find it.
Understand the ethical significance of
boundary maintenance.
Demonstrate confidence in their calling through the
Holy Spirit in the church.
Practice healthy boundary and stress management.
Manage conflict for healing and growth.
Take clear stands without imposing them.
Can disagree without disengaging or disempowering.
5. Understand
and creatively
engage their ministry context.
Understand the social and cultural
environment at both the local and
global levels.
Understand the importance of connecting with other ministry resources in
the local community.
6. Lead the church
in fulfilling its
missional calling.
Understand the dynamics of leadership
in their denominational polity.
Understand systems and organizational dynamics.
Understand the nature and purpose of
the church’s ministries.
Understand church systems.
Are life-long learners who exercise pastoral imagination.
Read, learn from, and lead the church to discern and
engage their ministry context.
Collaborate with other ministry resources in the
community.
Engage in intercultural and inter-church communication and relationships.
Identify and call out gifts of the Spirit in the church.
Articulate the overall purpose of the church.
Orient and call the church to God’s mission in the
world with clarity and resolve.
Are able to influence others and lead change.
Lead in public witness (church and society).
Equip the saints for ministry.
Cultivate an environment of trust and collaboration.
Receive God’s love and grace, are
committed to follow Christ, and live
in the presence and power of the
Spirit.
Are devoted to prayer and other spiritual disciplines.
Trust in God through trial.
Have a healthy sense of self, personal
strengths and limitations, sense of
humor, and curiosity.
Recognize the gifts and challenges of
their social location.
Are committed to the ethical standards
of their denominational polity.
Seek mentoring and accountability.
Is formed by God’s love and
purposes.
Is challenged to follow Jesus.
Forgives.
Embraces differences and
deals well with conflict.
Engages gifts of congregants.
Is maturing in character.
Welcomes and incorporates a
variety of people and exhibits a healthy diversity.
Value cultural diversity.
Open to God’s movement in and beyond the church, locally and globally.
Is welcoming and ecumenical.
Engages its context.
Demonstrates a global awareness and vision.
Is a sign of God’s reign.
Have the courage to claim their call to
ministry in their present setting.
Have a growing capacity to embody the
ministerial office with authority and
accountability.
Practices a missional purpose
and identity.
Is systemically vital and continually transforming.
Connects with and is accountable to its denomination.
Information Literacy Outcome
4.Demonstrate personal integrity and authority
in ministry
Pedagogy of Knowing
• Understand themselves as both fallen and
redeemed.
• Understand their own giftedness and limitations
• Understand the ethical significance of boundary
maintenance.
• Know when to seek information
and where to find it.
The MDiv. degree requires
satisfactory demonstrations of….
• information literacy
• completion of a ministry case study paper
• senior presentation based on significant
learning during the seminary experience with
a faculty interview
• faculty recommendation for graduation
AMBS Information Literacy Rubric
Introduction
Students demonstrate sufficient information literacy skills by
recognizing when information is needed and locating, evaluating,
and using it effectively.
Requirement
Students will demonstrate competency in all five areas with
a score of 2 or better.
4-excellent
1-barely acceptable
3-above average
0-unacceptable
2-good
Area 1. Ability to determine the nature
and extent of the information needed.
0
The student
failed to use
resources to
clarify basic
information
needed.
1
The student
had some
difficulty in
determining
resources to
clarify basic
information
needed.
2
3
The student
demonstrated
adequate
ability in
determining
resources to
clarify basic
information
needed
The student
demonstrated
above average
ability in
determining
resources to
clarify basic
information
needed
4
The student
demonstrated
excellence in
determining
resources to
clarify basic
information
needed.
Note: Basic information includes definitions, general facts, significance of
events/people/ideologies, insights and/or questions generated by the text or topic,
difference between primary and secondary sources for this research, manageable
theses statement, etc.
Area 2
2. Ability to locate appropriate
information, including its authority,
accuracy, and quality.
Note: Appropriateness includes authority, accuracy,
objectivity, academic rigor, and currency. Key library
and discipline specific resources are not overlooked.
(Descriptions of the five levels are omitted from this slide.)
Area 3. Number of sources
0
1
The student did
not include a
sufficient
number of
sources, given
the subject
matter and
assignment
The student
located some
sources, but
they were
fewer or
briefer or too
simplistic than
normally would
be expected for
the subject
matter and
assignment.
2
Generally
adequate.
Adding three
or four more
sources, given
the subject
matter and
assignment
could have
strengthened
the research.
3
Above average.
Adding one or
two more
sources, given
the subject
matter and
assignment
could have
strengthened
the research.
4
The student
included a
sufficient
number of
sources, given
the subject
matter and
assignment.
Area 4
4. Variety of sources (drawing on a
wide range of publication types)
Note: Material types include books, essays,
reference sources, internet resources, audiovisual
materials, interviews, research findings, etc.
(Descriptions of the five levels are omitted from this slide.)
Area 5. Citations follow Turabian
0
Incomplete
information,
inconsistent
format
1
Complete
information;
inconsistent
format
2
Only a few
typographical
errors
3
Only one or
two minor
typographical
errors
4
Citations in the
footnotes and
bibliography
are correctly
and
consistently
formatted. No
mistakes.
ACRL Information Literacy
Competency Standards (2000)
The information literate student…..
1. Determines the nature and extent of the information
needed.
2. Accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.
3. Evaluates information and its sources critically and
incorporates selected information into knowledge…
4. Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific
purpose.
5. Understands economic, legal, social issues….
Library Orientation (-2012)
• Self-guided tour (20 – 30 min.)
– A print booklet
– Questions for assessment
• Groups of 5-10 students in library lab (90 min.)
– Demonstration of library resources and search
systems (45 minutes)
– Hands on practice of features just demonstrated
– Worksheet of answers handed in for librarian’s review
Teaching Faculty Survey
1. Name one course you teach in which you
require students to do independent research
in the library.
2. If you teach this course in an online format to
students who are unable to come to the
AMBS Library, will you modify the assignment
requiring independent research? How?
Responses
 Provide all the readings so that students can
complete the assignment without doing
independent research.
Continue to expect independent research,
even if students cannot come to the AMBS
Library.
 Other. Please comment.
Responses
 Provide all the readings so that students can
complete the assignment without doing
independent research.
Continue to expect independent
research, even if students cannot
come to the AMBS Library.
 Other. Please comment.
New 80-hour MDiv Degree
• AMBS Campus
– A residential program centered on the AMBS
campus in Elkhart, Ind. Students can complete the
program in 3years.
• AMBS Connect
– A distance program with online courses and
hybrid courses that combine online and oncampus learning. Students can complete the
program in 5½ years.
Hybrid Orientation Courses, 2013
• Leadership Education in Anabaptist Perspective
(LEAP)
–
–
–
–
for all MDiv students, both Connect and Campus
Two weeks of online study Aug. 13-23.
Intensive week on campus, Aug. 26-31.
Three small assignments to complete by October.
• MA Symposium for students in MA in Theological
Studies and MA in Peace Studies.
– Same schedule as LEAP, some shared sessions on
campus.
• Fall semester (campus and online) began Sept. 3.
Library Assignments
1. Examine Library Orientation LibGuide.
2. Use the AMBS Library website to locate the
following e-book chapters and online journal
article. Both are required readings for
upcoming LEAP assignments.
hooks, bell. Teaching Critical Thinking. p. 7-11, 19-22. (For Session 8)
Saner, Eileen K. “The Anti-Racism Journey at AMBS” ATLA Summary of
Proceedings 64, (Jan. 1, 2010): 132-138. (for Sessions 7 & 10)
3. Complete the Library Orientation Survey.
Library Orientation: LibGuide
http://libraryguides.ambs.edu/LEAP
(This link is to the Fall 2014 guide. The following screen shots are from the
2013 guide.)
Student Survey Responses
• 71% of students had no difficulty finding and
reading the assignments (17 of 24 students)
• 50% could have located the texts without the
instructions in the guide
• 87% read every page of the guide
– 8% (2 of 24) only read some of the pages
– One person was excused.
Value of the Orientation Guide
Essential for getting started as an
AMBS student
A helpful refresher
58%
+29%
87% Helpful or Essential
Daily Themes for LEAP Week
Mon. God’s Reconciling Mission in Our Lives
Tues. God’s Reconciling Mission in Our Learning
Community
Wed. God’s Reconciling Mission in Our
Neighborhoods
Thu. God’s Reconciling Mission in the Church and
Creation
Fri. Leadership in God’s Reconciling Mission
Sat. Called to God’s Reconciling Mission
Tuesday p.m. Library Activities
• Group introduction to library collections and
features of primary search tools. (30 minutes)
• Three small group activities (30 minutes each)
– Computer orientation and Zotero hands-on
– Scholarly journals and multi-author works
– Reference books and searching catalog
• Pauline views of women in ministry
Survey: “I Take Responsibility…”
• I have read the syllabus for this course, will
use it as my guide as the course progresses,
and have noted the assignments, their
requirements, and their due dates.
• I will check my AMBS email at least twice
every week, and know how to attach files to
messages I send.
Survey: “I Take Responsibility…”
• I am able (or willing to learn) to use Moodle to
get readings, submit assignments, and
participate in discussions. I will upload a photo
of myself to complete my Moodle profile.
• I am able (or willing to learn) to open Adobe
Acrobat (.pdf) open and Microsoft PowerPoint
(.ppt,.pptx) documents.
Survey: “I Take Responsibility…”
• I have visited the AMBS Library Guides
website and will return to it when I have
questions about finding library materials.
• I am able (or willing to learn) to open, read,
and save full text journal articles that I find
using the library databases, and e-books that I
find using the library catalog.
Valuable Now and After Graduation
• Use ATLA Religion Database to find articles and
essays on a specific scripture text.
• Find a book review using the ATLA Religion
Database.
• Establish an EBSCOhost alert to receive an email
when a new journal issue is posted. (For courses
that assign monitoring current periodicals .)
• Evaluate a free website for academic use.
Essential for Student Success
• Use an online Bible commentary.
• Use the “Journal Titles” tab to determine
online and/or print access to specific journals.
• Obtain a book and/or journal article from
another library by interlibrary loan request.
From Alumni Library Guide
From Alumni Library Guide
Questions
• Does your school have information literacy in
degree outcomes?
– How is it expressed? Evaluated?
• How do you provide library orientation to
primarily distance students?
• Is library instruction linked to course
assignments?
• What challenges do you face in encouraging
library use? How have you responded?