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Teaching and Learning

  • 905-525-9140 ext. 21156
  • liblearn@mcmaster.ca
Overview Request a Class Request a Consultation Our Team

Teaching and Learning Overview

INFORMATION LITERACY AND RESEARCH SKILLS FOR STUDENTS

The Teaching and Learning team (formerly Learning Support) can provide synchronous or asynchronous information literacy instruction sessions for your courses, and can provide guidance on integrating information literacy and active learning into online learning environments. Teaching and Learning librarians will also create customized course research guides, and learning objects that can be integrated into your course on Avenue to Learn. 

The Library is your partner in teaching, learning and research.

Vision:

Empower and support all members of the McMaster community in developing the skills necessary for critical thinking, information fluency, and other modern literacies needed to skillfully navigate the complexities of an evolving information landscape.

 Mission:

In order to support McMaster University Library’s’ vision of advancing knowledge and discovery, fostering creativity, and building community, the Library’s Teaching and Learning Program seeks to develop critical thinking and support effective contributions to public and scholarly discourse through:

-   Providing one-on-one research consultations for students and faculty

-   Delivering classroom-based research skills instruction

-   Creating learning objects and tools for self-directed learning

-   Opportunities to work with and learn from primary sources and historical artifacts

-   Teaching use of new tools and technologies as they emerge

-   Collaboration with faculty and instructors to develop and implement new approaches to pedagogy

-   Outreach and partnership with the broader communities of which McMaster is a part

Information literacy skills are common to all disciplines, and support lifelong learning. They enable learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning.

An information literate individual is able to:

Objective Outcomes
  1. Determine the nature and extent of information needed
  1. Articulate a well-formulated question
  2. Understand the context in which information is created
  3. Understand how information is organized, indexed and accessed
  1. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
  1. Identify and access appropriate search tools
  2. Use search tools to identify appropriate information sources
  3. Locate and obtain the information in a timely manner
  1. Evaluate information and its sources critically
  1. Determine if the information found is relevant to the information need
  2. Develop and use criteria in order to assess the information found
  3. Assess the search process and revise as needed
  1. Incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base
  1. "[Relate] disconnected pieces of information to discover patterns or make generalizations"
  2. "[Integrate] previously held beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge with new information" [Gilchrist]
  1. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
[Since the purpose is unique to each program, course or activity, outcomes should be identified by the parties involved at the initial planning stage.]
  1. Understand many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of academic integrity and avoid plagiarism
  2. Use information in compliance with Canadian copyright laws

Request a Class

Request a class

The Librarians from Teaching and Learning offer course-related and course-integrated instruction on effective research and critical information use to McMaster faculty and students. Teaching and Learning can provide synchronous or asynchronous information literacy instruction sessions for your courses. We are here to provide guidance on integrating information literacy and active learning into online learning environments.

Request an Information Literacy (Research Skills) class:: https://library.mcmaster.ca/forms/request-information-literacy-research-skills-class

We can:

  • Provide advice on creating effective library and information research assignments.
  • Teach your students how to critically think about their research needs, and how to use library resources. 
  • Create a course guide to help your students understand how to use library resources for their assignment.
    • See our Course Guides page: https://libguides.mcmaster.ca
  • Educate students about plagiarism and the ethical use of information.
  • Teach students how to correctly cite sources in their papers and bibliographies.

Request a Consultation

Request an appointment with a Librarian

Teaching and Learning offers research consultations and drop-in office hours for all students, faculty and staff in person, via phone, email, Teams, Zoom or Skype.

Submit a Research Consultation Form or Book an Appointment

Research consultations can help you:

  • get started on developing your research question
  • decide on which databases are most relevant to your topic
  • create a better search strategy
  • critically think about which resources to use, and why
    and so much more!

 

Jeannie An

RJC Research Services Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 20561
anjean@mcmaster.ca
MBA Research Support at the Ron Joyce Centre , Teaching and Learning

Sarah Cairns

Interim Graduate Studies Librarian

cairnss@mcmaster.ca
Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Fellows Study Room, Mills Memorial Library, Teaching and Learning

Nicole Doro

Teaching and Learning Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 23085
dorone@mcmaster.ca
H.G. Thode Library of Science & Engineering, Mills Memorial Library, Teaching and Learning

Anna Flak

Teaching and Learning Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 23023
flaka1@mcmaster.ca
H.G. Thode Library of Science & Engineering, Mills Memorial Library, Teaching and Learning

Katie Harding

Teaching and Learning Librarian, Engineering

905-525-9140 ext. 20370
kharding@mcmaster.ca
H.G. Thode Library of Science & Engineering, Teaching and Learning
Helen Kula

Helen Kula

Associate University Librarian, Teaching and Learning

905-525-9140 ext. 21156
kulah@mcmaster.ca
H.G. Thode Library of Science & Engineering, Teaching and Learning

Carly McLeod

Interim Graduate Studies Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 20370
carly.mcleod@mcmaster.ca
Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Fellows Study Room, Mills Memorial Library, Teaching and Learning
Ines Perkovic

Ines Perkovic

Business Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 21359
perkovic@mcmaster.ca
Mills Memorial Library, Teaching and Learning
Abeer Siddiqui

Abeer Siddiqui

School of Interdisciplinary Science Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 20733
siddia33@mcmaster.ca
H.G. Thode Library of Science & Engineering, Teaching and Learning

Ariel Stables-Kennedy

First Year Experience Librarian

905-525-9140 ext. 23300
stablesj@mcmaster.ca
Teaching and Learning, Mills Memorial Library
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