by Torrie Raish, World Campus and Penn State Online librarian

As part of the strategic goal for the World Campus and the Libraries to increase instruction and a librarian presence in World Campus courses, I created an embedded librarian program. The drive behind this program comes from the ACRL standards for distance learners that emphasize equivalent access to library instruction, services, and resources. Through this program, I reach out to various programs and departments on campus to see if they have higher-level World Campus courses that expect students to conduct research outside of the materials assigned in class. This program has received great interest and feedback from numerous departments on campus.

A systematic effort to have librarians not only involved with developing materials for courses or holding research consultations, but to actually have an active role while the course was being delivered, did not exist prior to this program. The recently created librarian role in Canvas is intended to have the librarian with a place within the learning management system and to have the student easily identify who to contact for library-related questions. A course for librarians will be available starting spring 2017 to develop and improve their professional development with online learning.

Over the remainder of the fall 2016 semester you will see reflections from librarians who are embedded, program directors who believed in the program, and faculty who are working with a librarian in this role. I am also embedded in a course, EM SC 302, and wanted to be the first to give my reflections.

Being embedded in an online course is different than delivering a face-to-face instructional session. While you are still interacting with students, it often extends beyond a traditional session, and changes the way you communicate with students. You change from being the one delivering the main points of the lesson for that day to serving as a support for students through managing discussion boards or creating videos for the courses. Being embedded in an online course also is different because you will be working closely with an instructional designer and the faculty member rather than only a faculty member. Being embedded gives you the opportunity to see student development over time and come away with more thorough assessments about what students are understanding when it comes to components of information literacy.

I have really enjoyed being embedded so far. Getting the chance to design learning objects for the students and then assess their work in response to extended interactions with information literacy concepts has been quite informative. I encourage all of you to look into taking the asynchronous class I am creating and then think about giving being an embedded librarian in Canvas a shot!