Excellence in Instruction

This award recognizes an individual (s) for excellence in instructing, training, or making presentations to library users, employees, or to attendees at a professional seminar or conference.  Delivery of instruction modules, systems, or services or providing training or presentations at local, regional, or national seminars, conferences, or workshops meant to instruct, inform or teach, and internal on-the-job training may also be considered. Qualities that are considered in the nominee(s) might include:

• Type, amount, and content of instruction;
• Excellent curriculum design;
• Depth of knowledge of subject area;
• Outstanding communication skills;
• Strong record and demonstrated use of new teaching techniques;
• Innovation and creativity in teaching methods;
• Exceptional teaching style and delivery;
• Utilization and application of information technology;
• Special awareness of the difference in learning styles of users;
• Use of critical thinking skills;
• Possession of sophisticated analytical skills; and
• Successful use of learning assessment techniques.

Caroline Barratt - Reference

Helping faculty and graduate teaching assistants design assignments that develop students’ critical thinking ability is Caroline Barratt’s mission.  As a librarian in the Student Learning Center she sees how often faculty make library or research assignments that do not encourage students to analyze the material they cite.  When these assignments cross the reference desk Caroline uses them as teaching opportunities and contacts the instructor to see if they would be interested in working with her to restructure the assignment.  She also meets with new faculty to explain how she can assist them in research project design.

Perhaps Caroline’s greatest success in this area is with UNIV 1120.  While this class is specifically designed for new students who want to know more about using computers and online resources for their academic and professional careers, Caroline makes sure that computer literacy is not the only skill students acquire.  Caroline and her colleagues meet with students several times during the semester.  The students are responsible for creating a very short documentary on a topic of their choice, using Apple's iMovie or Microsoft's Movie Maker software.  They are asked to find, evaluate, and interpret a variety of scholarly and popular sources for the content of the documentary, compile an annotated bibliography of those sources, and provide a written script.  By the end of this assignment, they have learned:
• How to create a workable research query
• How to search GIL, Academic Search Premier, and LexisNexis to find research sources
• How to use the Web more efficiently to find reliable sources for their academic projects
• How to read and summarize key points in resources
• How to correctly cite their sources and avoid plagiarism
• How to use iMovie on a Mac platform or Movie Maker on a PC platform to create their project

Teaching assistants are the focus of Caroline’s collaborative initiative with the Center for Teaching and Learning.  Together with Paul Quick she designed classes for GRSC 770, Seminar for Graduate Teaching Assistants.  The class is intended to help students plan, organize and lead classes by utilizing a variety of teaching methods.  Caroline helps TAs in specific disciplines brainstorm about assignments and develops projects that will be rewarding for both the students and the instructors.

Jasmine Rizer - Cataloging

Jasmine has great creativity in teaching methods each and every time something needs to be done she doesn’t just say it she also hands a form to reinforce what she says that way if you have forgotten you still have a list or chart to go by. She demonstrates what needs to be done then shows you and hands a chart to employees to reinforce what has been said.  Her student workers and co-workers really appreciate her effective thoroughness. She also is a pleasure to be around and give instruction to others in a pleasant and understanding manner. Having said this above, I nominate Jasmine Rizer for excellence in instruction.

Emily Giles - Cataloging

Emily has outstanding communication skills and Exceptional teaching style which makes for easier understanding of the information at hand.  She is always willing to assist in any type of issue you may have at hand. For these reasons I nominate Emily Giles for excellence in instruction.