IL and adult learners

Back to School: Teaching Information Literacy to Adults in Public Libraries, Academic Libraries, and Adult Distance Learning Centers.
Saturday, June 25, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Three speakers discussed adult learning, a public librarian and two academic librarians.

Brook Berry of the New York Public Library described the Click on @ the library computer classes. Offering about 200 classes a month, the program has, to date, provided computer training to over 60 thousand patrons. They have had good attendance from every demographic except one--19 to 34 year-old black and Hispanic males. A special marketing effort raised awareness of the program in that group but did not get them in the door.

Elizabeth Mulherrin is the Instructional Services Librarian from the University of Maryland University College. UMUC has had a long-term commitment to distance learning, including classes for overseas service personnel. Their faculty includes adjuncts from all over the world teaching both face-to-face and on-line classes. They have discovered that adults, who tend to be self-motivated learners, will take an on-line library class with tutorials and exercises, even when it is not tied to any course.

The Library Instruction Coordinator at Long Island University, Robert S. Nelson, conducted a study recently of adult learners during library instruction. He discovered that one of the most effective presentations was demonstration software--where what the teacher does on the computer happens simultaneously at the student computers. This allows the students to observe and, most importantly, take notes. They will later use their own notes (rather than handouts) for replicating the activities.

A second strategy that worked well with adult learners at Long Island University was to assign a research counselor to each student. This strategy, in fact, snowballed. A student would have a good interaction with his or her research counselor and then would tell friends to contact the same librarian for assistance.

Nelson said that these two strategies work for adult learners because they use their life experience. Adult learners were taught to take notes and prefer to work from notes. Adults, unlike traditionally-aged college students, are used to making appointments for individual consultation (doctor, insurance agent, stock broker, etc.) and were comfortable with the same set-up for working with a librarian.

These last observations made me more confident that I can work with adult learners--just teach them the way I like to be taught. But they left a big question in my mind about how to teach 19-year olds. If they won't take notes and they won't meet with me, what is the best way to reach them?     #

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