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Digital Advocacy Stories: a Pedagogical Tool For Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool for Communicating and Strengthening Library Values Judi Moreillon School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, P. O. Box 425438, Denton, Texas 76204-5438. Email: [email protected] Ruth Nicole Hall School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, P. O. Box 425438, Denton, Texas 76204-5438. Email: [email protected] Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool for Communicating and Strengthening Library Values is a case study conducted in LS5633: The Art of Storytelling. The purpose of this study was to investigate graduate student candidates’ development of library val- ues through the use of digital tools to create and disseminate advocacy stories. While discussing, creating, sharing, revising, and reflecting on digital advocacy stories, candi- dates gave voice to values based on ALA and other competences. They also increased their expertise in communicating those values to library stakeholders via electronic and Web 2.0 tools. The researchers conducted a content analysis of several assignment data sources, including candidates’ online discussions, advocacy stories, and digital re- flection scripts. The findings suggest this pedagogical process strengthened candidates’ library-related values as well as shored up their ability to advocate for those values and use social networking and digital tools to do so. Keywords: LIS education, competences, digital storytelling, advocacy, reflective prac- tice, social media Introduction that supports student achievement (Mar- zano, 2007). tandards are used to prescribe “what” Adopting and embodying the values of Sshould be taught and assessed (Heck, library science is one important part of an Banilower, Weiss, & Rosenberg, 2008; LIS education and can be viewed as en- Stiggins & DuFour, 2009; Tomlinson, culturation into a profession or community 2000). ALA has developed standards, of practice (Wenger, 1998). It is an aspect or competences, that form a framework of professional preparation that can lead to for assessing the achievement of library passion for, and sustainability in, the pro- professionals who earn their Master’s fession (Schön, 1987; Welch, Reynolds, & degrees in ALA-accredited programs Carroll, 2013). Candidates may begin their (ALA, 2010). Librarian educators use the coursework with little or no knowledge of competences to guide program decision- the core tenets of librarianship. Educators making and course-level student learning of pre-service librarians intend candidates outcomes. In addition, each ALA division to increase their understanding of the foun- has standards and guidelines for pre-ser- dations on which their future careers rest vice librarian educators to consider. When as they matriculate through the program, educators align student learning outcomes learn about the history of library science, and instruction with standards, they strive and develop the competences set out by to achieve a guaranteed, viable curriculum the profession. In the process, candidates J. of Education for Library and Information Science, Vol. 55, No. 2—(Spring) April 2014 100 ISSN: 0748-5786 © 2014 Association for Library and Information Science Education Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool 101 can learn to tell a “library story” that reso- enrolled in a 15-week online course dur- nates with the values of the profession. ing spring 2013. The course is designed Advocacy is a story. The aim of advo- with a constructivist learning framework cacy is to influence outcomes. In order to in which candidates take responsibility achieve their goals, advocates make a case, for their own learning by building on their an argument or a claim about a decision prior experiences, interacting with course that needs to be made or a direction that materials and one another, and developing should be taken. Effective advocates sup- skills as storytellers. For the study, three port their claims with data and evidence. candidates gave full consent to use all data They then tell their story in order to help sources for the project: online discussion others see the problem, issue or solution postings, digital advocacy stories and digi- from their point of view in order to enlist tal reflections. Three additional candidates others to take up the cause and join the ef- gave consent to post their digital advocacy fort. Being able to frame a story in such stories and reflections on the course wiki a way that others respond positively is an at http://tinyurl.com/LS5633-DAS-DR. essential advocacy skill (Lakoff, Dean, & Candidates used creativity and critical- Hazen, 2007; Reinsborough & Canning, thinking skills to navigate this complex 2010). Advocacy is mentioned twice in assignment. They identified their library the ALA Core Competences: Competence values based on standards in librarianship. I: H and Competence 5: E (ALA, 2009). Candidates discussed their values in three As librarian educators who are commit- separate online forums. They shared their ted to sustaining the profession, the au- ideas, beliefs and considerations and re- thors of this paper, an assistant professor sponded to at least two other classmates’ and a doctoral student/graduate assistant, postings. The candidates also discussed are interested in pre-service librarians in- the audiences for their stories, reaching tegrating the values of librarianship into out for feedback via social media and se- their worldviews during their library sci- lecting appropriate tools for telling their ence education. Taking those values and stories. turning them into advocacy stories was a Candidates selected Web 2.0 tools way to address competences in the profes- from a menu to build their storyboards sion. Using digital tools to do so, situated http://tinyurl.com/LS5633-DS. Candidates candidates in current practices in librari- thought critically about the visual and au- anship. In developing this assignment, the ditory media that would appeal to their tar- researchers hoped to support candidates get audiences. Candidates were asked to in doing professional work during their post their memes or slogans, one-sentence preparation program. This effort attests to themes, audiences, and social networking the fact that the university classroom is a venues to the class wiki. The instructor laboratory for the practice of librarianship. responded with ideas and questions about In this context, what is learned is the direct the direction for their stories to help them result of what learners “do” during their narrow their audiences and hone their foci coursework (Jeng, 2011). before drafting an initial version of their advocacy stories. Study Context, Problem, and Candidates used various tools to cre- Purposes ate their digital stories. In order to receive feedback, they shared their stories with One goal of LS5633 is for graduate targeted audiences via social networks. student candidates to consider storytell- Based on feedback, the candidates re- ing as a vehicle for their advocacy work. vised their scripts, stories, and published The case study participants were public final versions on the Web. At the end of and school librarian candidates who were the assignment, the candidates produced 102 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE a digital reflection using a Web 2.0 tool ist university classroom, a community of that addressed three main components: practice, professors develop assignments the content of their story (values), the pro- and students become co-constructors of cess of developing the story and selecting knowledge as well as active, collabora- media, and finally, eliciting and respond- tive and passionate participants in their ing to audience feedback. The researchers new [librarian] culture (Yukawa, 2010). aligned candidates’ digital reflection ques- When LS5633 candidates participated in tions with the research questions for this the digital advocacy story project, the in- study. structors had a goal of igniting their pas- sion for library values, digital storytelling Research Questions and advocacy work. Social networking tools help adult 1. How did candidates determine on which learners to become more engaged and library value to focus their digital advo- motivated to learn (LeNoue, Hall, & cacy stories? Eighmy, 2011). Applied in the univer- 2. What were their considerations as they sity classroom, these tools can facilitate determined the content used to commu- meaningful, communicative and col- nicate their selected values? laborative practices. Since social media 3. How did they use social media or par- allows users to build networking rela- ticipatory culture to reach an audience tionships, it provides an excellent way in order to disseminate their work, seek to share beliefs, passions or values and feedback and/or revise their stories? to reach wider audiences with content, ideas and opinions (Berger, 2010). When The researchers’ intent for this assign- learners connect with others inside and ment was to help candidates articulate outside of class, their experiences deepen their professional values and increase their (Jenkins, Purushotma, Clinton, Weigel, passion for the profession. One way to in- & Robison, 2009). By publishing their spire and sustain the profession may be to advocacy stories to social media, these construct passionate practitioners during candidates had multiple chances to build preservice education (Reynolds, Welch, a larger network for advocacy and assess & Carroll,
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