Intentional Reference:
Implementing Formative
Assessment through
Reflective Peer Facilitation
Dale Vidmar
Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/
Education, Communication, Health, Phys. Ed. & Leadership Librarian
Southern Oregon University Library
http://www.sou.edu/library/dale
vidmar@sou.edu
http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/reference_renaissance/vidmar.ppt
Reference Renaissance Conference 2008
Denver, Colorado
August 4-5, 2008
Speaking of Intentions
• Reference is teaching
• Overview of reflective teaching
in the context of reference
• Reflective peer facilitation—
collegial conversations—as a
formative assessment process
• Intrinsic improvement of our craft
• Questioning strategies for
planning and reflective
conversations
The Death of Reference
Reference statistics are
down dramatically!
Reference transactions are
less frequent, but questions
are more complicated and
take place in random
environments.
The Big Question
Do people know more
today than about
accessing and using
information effectively and
efficiently than they did
ten years ago?
. . . Twenty years ago?
Can’t we just
Google it?
or Yahoo! it?
or Blog or Wiki it?
Librarians Teach!!!
Central to our mission as librarians
is our role to promote, facilitate,
and cultivate information literacy.
We must consider our approach to
reference with the same
diligence we consider our
classroom teaching.
Teaching and Learning
“The quality of student learning is
directly, although not exclusively,
related to the quality of teaching.
Therefore, one of the most
promising ways to improve
learning is to improve teaching.”
- Thomas Angelo
from Classroom Assessment Techniques
The Intentional Teacher
A primary characteristic
of an outstanding
teacher is intentionality–
Having a purpose with
which to cultivate
informed reflection.
Why Reflection?
“Experience itself is actually
the ‘greatest teacher,” . . .
What Does Our Experience Say?
Why Reflection?
“Experience itself is actually not
the ‘greatest teacher,” . . .
“we do not learn as much
from experience as we learn
from reflecting on that
experience.”
- Thomas S.C. Farrell
from Reflective Practice in Action:
80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers
Collegial Conversations
Do you ever talk with
colleagues after a reference
or teaching session?
How does this affect your
future sessions?
Do you ever talk with
someone after providing
assistance?
Collegial Conversations
Think – Pair – Share
Think about your next
reference session.
What do you intend to do
to make the session
more productive and
meaningful as a teacher?
Intentional Reference:
Reflective Peer Facilitation
Collegial conversations
that compliment the actual
teaching experience
before and after a
reference session.
Intentional Reference:
Reflective Peer Facilitation
A formative process that
facilitates introspection
and self-awareness
prior to, during, and
after reference as
teaching.
Reflective Peer Facilitation:
Collaborative Conversations
Intention:
Reflection:
Planning conference
Reflective Conference
Reference
Experience
Critical Incidents:
Transformative Events
Reflective Peer Facilitation:
Collaborative Conversations
Teacher:
Facilitator:
Introspection
Elicits critical reflection
Observer:
Moderates the process
and takes notes
Trust & Collegiality
Intentional Reference and
The Craft of Teaching
“Significant, meaningful, and
long-term positive change will
be achieved only when it comes
as a decision from within the
individual . . . based on selfevaluation”
- Lapp, N., Lascher, T., Matthews, T., Papalewis, R.,
& Stoner, M.
from “A Proposal for Formative Assessment Teaching”
References and
Resources
• Angelo, T. (1993), Classroom assessment techniques:
A handbook for teachers, Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco.
• Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a critically
reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Costa, A. & Garmston, R. (1994). Cognitive coaching: a
foundation for renaissance schools. Norwood, MA:
Christopher Gordon.
• Farrell, T. S. (2004). Reflective practice in action: 80
reflection breaks for busy teachers. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
• Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational psychology: Theory
and practice. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
References and
Resources
• Vidmar, D. J. (2006). “Reflective peer coaching: Crafting
collaborative self-assessment in teaching.” Research
Strategies. 20 (3), 135-148.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). “Reflective peer coaching:
Crafting collaborative self-assessment in the classroom.”
Retrieved May 22, 2008, from
http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/reflective_peer_coaching/
index.htm.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). “Collaborative Peer Conversation
Reference Questioning Strategies.” Retrieved August 1,
2008 from
http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/reference_renaissance/
collaborative_peer_conversation_questions.doc.
• Vidmar, D. J. (2008, May). “Collaborative Peer Conversation
Reference Questioning Strategies.” Retrieved August 1,
2008 from
http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/reference_renaissance/faci
litator_and_observer_roles.doc.
Final Thought
Our best intentions will not
improve statistics . . .
Reference is about
relationships . . .
crafting an association with
individuals that extends
beyond desks and
classrooms and walls.
Intentional Reference:
Implementing Formative
Assessment through
Reflective Peer Facilitation
Dale Vidmar
Information Literacy and Instruction Coordinator/
Education, Communication, Health, Phys. Ed. & Leadership Librarian
Southern Oregon University Library
http://www.sou.edu/library/dale
vidmar@sou.edu
http://www.sou.edu/~vidmar/reference_renaissance/vidmar.ppt
Reference Renaissance Conference 2008
Denver, Colorado
August 4-5, 2008