Timing and One-Shot Sessions
I selected Patch 36 – Creating Meaningful Faculty Development and the following passage:
“Select the most convenient timing – In the early years, we received feedback from instructors saying that the workshop should be offered before the semester starts. Unfortunately, this is hard to do, as some of our instructors aren’t hired until very close to the semester start, so we run this workshop during the second week of classes. We also try to make the offering convenient for our instructors, i.e., offer it right before evening classes at our school begin, so that any classroom instructors can attend in person before they teach.”
This advice really resonated with me and reminds me of my experiences when teaching one-shot library sessions for classes. Timing of sessions is incredibly important, but I too have to balance my preferences with the needs and expectations of course instructors.
There is a wealth of research on the timing of one-shot library sessions that shows having sessions timed to when students are actively searching for sources for their assignments leads to better outcomes for the students. Students are able to retain skills and knowledge related to information seeking easier when they are able to apply it right away.
I try my best to convince course instructors of an optimal time for my sessions, and, on occasion, I’m successful, which feels really good. I find I get a lot more meaningful engagement from students and excellent questions during my sessions when they are well timed.
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