More than three years ago, instructional technologists and reference librarians at Hamilton College responded to encouragement from their respective department heads to analyze where services might overlap, and or become collaborative, to provide better access to resources for the community. A cross-departmental, collaborative unit, HILLgroup: Hamilton Information and Learning Liaisons, was formed. As we worked together, we realized the need to integrate and carefully time the offering of information and technology resources in support of course goals, and to be proactive in our outreach to faculty about how these coordinated, integrated services would result in better access to resources for their students.
In spring of 2002, HILLgroup and the Oral Communication Center supported pilot courses for a curricular change, the sophomore seminar program, structured to emphasize interdisciplinary studies and public presentations. Students in these courses were required to research interdisciplinary connections in course theme, and then present their findings in a public presentation. In working with faculty and students during these courses, HILLgroup and the Oral Communication Center began to recognize a "learning path" as students progressed through their assignments. This path had three identifiable, but interrelated phases: research to find information; manipulation of the information with technology; and the development and delivery of their public presentations. The transition points for these phases were critical in the students' "learning path". Recognizing this, it was a natural step for the three support groups providing resources to coordinate their services within a course to best support students through all phases of the "learning path.
Faculty were pleased with the results of this new collaborative support given to both them and their students. As a result of their response, and prior to the official launch of the new curriculum, the HILLgroup and Oral Communication offered a faculty development workshop in May 2002. In this workshop we explained our coordinated support service model, and worked with faculty members in small groups to develop services tailored to their course goals. Feedback from the faculty after the first semester of sophomore seminar offerings clearly indicated that the students' level of success was significantly influenced by the extent to which the faculty member had integrated our collaborative support into the course. This experience was the springboard for our now working model of coordinated academic support. Coordinated academic support is now integrated across the curriculum.
Outcomes
Our efforts have been developed and tested over the past 2 years and have led to increased facilities as well as additional services and collaborative support activities. The following can be directly attributed to the efforts of HILLgroup and the Oral Communication Center:
- A working model of coordinated support that operates as a feedback loop increasing communication among all constituencies.
- Increased communication facilitates greater awareness of cross-curricular needs, allowing for the anticipation of resource and service needs
- Faculty participation in long-term course development at workshops sponsored by MANE through CET.
- Increased interactions with faculty about workshops/discussion forums and resources that can support their instructional goals on campus.
- The creation of a public access state of the art multimedia presentation center in a prominent location in the library.
- Additional multimedia facilities in existing public labs.
- Increased, intensive, and ongoing training of Student Technology Consultants who are the first line of service in these labs.
- Pilot development of an Information Commons - a joint physical service point and referral service in the Library.
Importance or Relevance to Other Institutions
Curricular changes can significantly affect library and information technology services. Our proactive model of interdepartmental, integrated course support reduces the impact of an ever-changing curriculum on our resources and services. We accomplish this through increased, formal communication among ourselves, and with faculty, which serves to support course goals and help predict workflow and resource use.
