ILU Meeting
Meeting room 3-211 (MIL)
3rd Floor OISE Building
March 19, 2014, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Attended: Mindy Thuna (acting chair), Sarah Fedko (UTSC), Amber Allen (University College), Heather Buchansky
(Robarts-Library Admin), Silvia Vong (Kelly Library), John Bolan (Bora Laskin), Jesse Carliner (Robarts), Judith Logan
(Robarts), Courtney Lundrigan (Graham Library), Rita Vine (Robarts-Library Admin), Eveline Houtman (Robarts),
Erica Lenton (Gerstein Library), Roma Kail (Pratt Library), Tracy Zahradnik (Dentistry/ Engineering & Computer
Science), Richard Carter (Kelly Library), Suzanne Meyers Sawa (Music Library)
Regrets: Jenaya Webb (OISE), Monique Flaccavento (OISE), Kathleen Scheaffer (Inforum), Nich Worby (Robarts)
1.
Selection of a secretary
Silvia Vong
2.
Minutes of the last meeting
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Information recorded needs correction: Mindy was speaking about her personal work and was not
speaking on behalf of UTM.
Item number 6 - Rita had a preliminary meeting with accounting. They have a new product that allows us
to record statistics in a template in real time. Rita proposes that a small group in ILU to review the tool. If
you are interested in participating, contact Rita.
3.
Business arising from the minutes
No business arising.
4.
Roundtable on ILU initiatives (10 mins)
Kelly Library – Silvia Vong and Richard Carter
 The Undergraduate Research Forum was well received by administrators and would like to continue to
fund the initiative.
 Richard continues to teach in-class.
 Richard organized a Research Scavenger Hunt, 14 registered, 7 participated. Students had passports and
were give 7 tasks to complete. The scavenger hunt was called “The Amazing Trace.”
Bora Laskin Law Library (John Bolan)
 The first year intensive session is winding up for John.
Pratt Library (Roma Kail)
 Roma is done course specific instruction. Pratt is partnered with the Writing Centre for a pilot project for
January and February. Pratt also did some drop in workshops.
Robarts Library (Eveline Houtman)
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Char Booth’s questions – reflect on how instruction went. Eveline has included that into the instruction
statistics form so she can reflect on what she would do differently the next time.
Graham Library (Courtney Lundrigan)
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Courntney will begin planning for the fall. Courtney will be incorporating the flipped classroom concept in
her teaching.
Gerstein Library (Erica Lenton)
 Gerstein is running instructional sessions for faculty on hidden “gems” (resources at Gerstein).
Engineering and Computer Science Library (Tracy)
 APS112 Design Class – They have set up booths outside tutorials to help with students’ research.
 Dentistry –They are doing group consultations with international students.
Music Library (Suzanne Meyers Sawa)
 Advisory committee meeting – They have a good set of activities for undergraduate students and will
focus on graduate students.
 There will be a spring sale on April 2, 2014.
UTSC (Sarah Fedko)
 The digital scholarship unit hosted an event on Wikipedia pedagogy.
UTM (Mindy Thuna)
 Mostly as a unit, there are plans to do drop-in workshops for first year students.
 Mindy will be a judge for the Graduate Poster Competition. She designed the rubric for evaluation.
 GPS session will be at the beginning of March and the beginning of April. Six people have signed up for
each date.
5.
Update from Jenaya (Mindy: 5 mins)
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6.
ILU intranet page is updated with minutes and a new image:
http://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/ilu
 Feedback is welcome. Contact Jenaya if you would like the former image.
Meeting with Larry (April 30th , 1:00 – 3:00 PM) postponed
 No objections to meeting on April 30th for next ILU committee meeting
 The possible dates (meeting with Larry) are May 26, 10-12 or 1-4; May 28, 1-4; May 29,
1-3.
Update from Student Engagement Librarian (Heather B.: 10 mins)
Supporting and improving experience in large classes for 1st year students
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Heather was in contact Associate Registrar for the Faculty of Arts and Science and obtained a list of first
year courses with enrollment numbers (Note: Copies were circulated with 500+ enrollments highlighted).
Heather would like to get ideas on how to support these larger classes and if those individuals can share
what they are doing.
o Judith has visited one section of PYS100 (there are 3 sections). The one section she was invited
to was the smaller session – only 500 students.
o Eveline was in contact with the TA for an ANT100 course. Eveline and Rita had met with the
team of TAs in the past.
o A lead instructor (course director) and additional lecturers rotate in overall authority role. In Arts
and Sciences there are additional TAs, technical support – lectures being taped or technical
wizardry happening. One professor described the experience as being the captain of a ship and
having more than one person involved. There are opportunities for librarians to be on the team.
o Some of the larger classes “cross pollinate” where the College librarians are invited to teach in a
course that has a central liaison.
Collecting information on student-led journals
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Heather is collecting information on practices that librarians might have with student led journals
(undergraduates) or any departments on running them.
7.
Update from Rita (Rita: 5 mins)
Crowdmark, PeerScholar, etc. as options for formative assessment
o There is interest in alternative marking options that improve efficiency of formative assessment
by faculty. Electronic tools exist that make it easier to mark. If any librarians’ unit are
approached by faculty, consult with CTSI about options.
Update from VP Academic's Teaching and Learning Technology Advisory Committee meeting (Feb. 27, 2014)
o The group is comprised of Deans, the CIO, associate Deans who come together to discuss
initiatives on technology and teaching.
o The group have a few concerns:
 More creative learning spaces are needed, especially in larger classes. There are
exploratory spaces that have been re-configured to allow creative learning (ex.
moveable chairs and tables). If you are thinking about modernizing learning spaces,
connect with OSM early in your thinking.
 Need to improve learning analytics that can provide an understanding on what is
working or not. There are companies that sell systems for education analytics.
 There are overarching questions of scale – how do we take small innovations and scale
it?
o The Ontario government has allocated $43 million over 3 years to develop an online learning
strategy for Ontario. Universities were submitting proposals for courses that could benefit from
funds. UoT submitted 9 and funded 7. All 7 courses already exist as online courses. The list of
courses is on the OpenUtoronto website. We will be looking at how we can incorporate
librarians in these courses.
Marketing
 If you are planning an event, it can be helpful to contact Rita and Heather, who can help promote the
event and increase attendance.
8.
Update from CTSI seconded librarians (John: 5 mins)
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The ACRL draft of the Information Literacy Standards in Higher Education has been a big discussion. The
seconded librarians (Whitney Kemble, Mindy Thuna, John Bolan, Silvia Vong, Rita Vine) and Jenaya Webb
have been in contact with Ryerson (Don Kinder) and York (Sophie Bury, Kim Stymest and Sarah Shujah).
On April 8th there will be a practice exchange on organizing poster sessions.
CTSI and the seconded librarians will be offering librarian observations and can request one. It is
formative feedback in a low pressure environment. It is a great tool on getting feedback on teaching. You
can choose to be videotaped. This will be offered year round.
9.
Discussion: ACRL framework feedback (Mindy: 30 mins)
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Big picture focus draft – we can rethink our teaching and IL
How does this change our interaction with faculty? Does it affect?
Identifying TC and distinguishing TC from pieces of information people don’t know
Opportunity to increase learner centered focus – what matter most? Are we teaching too much contact
Furniture re-approach/design/re-arranging
Internal discussion/debate
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Addition of another pieces in our toolbox approaches
Lots of questions about one shot vs. on-going (these can be adapted and scaled)
It’s about how you use it. A larger framework that can be applied in different environments but there are
conflicting opinions
IL is not a discipline. So disjuncture between our TC and those of discipline we support
How do we connect our threshold concepts with disciplines that have their own TC
Tomorrow one meeting at UTM and one will be at UTSC for faculty.
Comments:
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There was a discussion about Information Literacy as a discipline. Some view IL as a discipline and some
see it as a set of skills. Literature in this area is also split as well.
Science literacy is not a discipline, it depends on the approach and audience. Are visual and data literacy
considered a discipline? Disciplines have concrete theories. In addition, would making IL a discipline limit
us?
IL is trans-disciplinary. We want to be in different disciplines.
IL is flexible and we should let it be what it is rather than define it. Last ACRL standards attempted to do
that and it was only useful for a short time.
IL could be like Ethics. You can study ethics but can differ in different disciplines.
The desire to make something a discipline may indicate the desire for high status.
Does the concept “Scholarship as a Conversation” apply the same or differently in Music and Biology?
o Depends on the sub-discipline. If you are a composer, the scholarly conversation is an element
but does not drive creativity.
o Evidence based medicine – There is scholarship as a conversation engrained in the discipline but
students may not see it that way.
IL seems to fall within Education. Some view IL as an approach within Education.
o IL is a part of learning and different disciplines approach it in different ways.
o Kristen Groust (sp?) defines IL as information used for learning.
o Some think of IL from an Education perspective and applies it to their teaching.
Document makes it around IL in information science and not pedagogy (Education).
More recent library graduates discussed their definition of IL:
o The approach is taken from an educational point of view. They set up learning outcomes and
curriculum, there is an educational approach.
We are the center of the universe. When we look at the threshold concepts, disciplines feed into us and
we feed into them. We are a source of knowledge, the beating heart of the University.
How is IL a discipline if we cannot cohesively come together? IL standards vary around the world but
Biology is the same in Italy and America. How are we speaking as a discipline (IL) if we cannot agree with
our counterparts in the southern hemisphere?
10. Other business
a.
b.
Next ILU meeting April 30th, 2014, room 728, Faculty of Information. Is everyone okay with
keeping this time and location? – No objections.
CAPAL – conference is at Brock University May 25-26, 2014
http://capalibrarians.org/2013/12/capals-preliminary-program-at-brock-university-may-25262014-chss/