Campus Library Inquiry through Collaboration:

Inquiry through Collaboration:

Elements of Interdisciplinary Inquiry


Highlights	Highlights	Highlights
Research clusters of 4-6 students are formed around a particular theme Ongoing re-negotiation of the cluster’s research question emphasizes the recursive nature of the research process Paolo Freire’s “The Banking Concept of Education” provides a theoretical framework for faculty and academic staff, as well as for students’ experience of the course Faculty model the process of scholarly communication Group activities such as concept mapping stimulate topic development Scaffolded research assignments lead up to a final group research proposal	Students shape the class—each research cluster facilitates 3-4 sessions each quarter, focusing on their research findings and the process of their research Librarians, the directors of the writing center and quantitative skills centers co-lead several sessions, teaching the class 10 or more hours per quarter Faculty, librarians, and other academic support staff meet quarterly in “teaching circles” to develop curriculum, share teaching ideas, assess progress, and chart future directions Information literacy assessment is integrated into normal course activities and has included online surveys, post-session meetings with faculty and in quarterly teaching circles, attending presentations, observing student activities in class and on Blackboard	Course design fosters interdisciplinary thinking as students explore the production of knowledge from multiple angles and methods of inquiry Allows discussion and comparison of the continuum of disciplinary interpretations of concepts like “refereed,” “primary source,” “research,” or “evidence" Presents scholarly communication as manifestations of ongoing conversations in the academic community both within and across disciplinary lines

Advantages	Advantages	Advantages
Research proposals emphasize process over product Promotes self-reflexive, collaborative, generative learning over directed content Working in research clusters encourages collaborative problem solving, as well as resource sharing Group presentations foster collaborative, inquiry-based learning Structure allows non-technologically savvy students to get their toes in the water Using an organic rather than a formulaic approach allows students to take intellectual risks without the fear of failure inherent in traditional research paper courses Emphasis on dialog rather than expert opinion releases tension/pressure on students who then feel entitled to enter the conversation	In-class collaboration between faculty and librarians models problem solving in groups Builds relationship with academic support services such as the library and writing/quantitative skills centers from students’ first day	More holistic approach to research nurtures lifelong learning, and equips students to tackle complex problems from multiple perspectives Results in more interesting questions with higher student investment Interdisciplinary perspective allows for more flexibility in setting course content, research activities and readings

Planning Prompts	Planning Prompts	Planning Prompts
Lack of a formal paper can make some students uncomfortable—faculty need to provide clear guidelines	Some faculty are not as comfortable with collaborating in the classroom (may experience a loss of control) Using a course management system such as Blackboard allows for further collaboration among research clusters and allows librarians to stay plugged into ongoing class conversations	Students are more successful finding full-text materials in the lab sessions if they search for contemporary topics Test major themes ahead of time and consult with faculty regarding possible directions student interests might take Introducing general full-text databases provides students with multiple academic perspectives on a subject (for example, to put sociologists in conversation with film critics)

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