My primary academic interest is information literacy. A series of research questions interest me as they relate to effective teaching of information literacy, access to and impacts of information literacy on student outcomes, and evolving user needs.

Background

My teaching experiences as a teacher assistant in France, at Auraria Library, and Arapahoe Community College, and University of Colorado Boulder are combined with coursework in library instruction and research methods. These experiences have inspired questions related to faculty and student engagement, the effectiveness of problem-based learning for information literacy assignments, building information literacy skills for the workplace, and supporting students transferring from community college to four-year institutions.

Effective Teaching of Information Literacy

• How can information literacy instructors build on students’ lived experience to increase relevance and student engagement?
• How can information literacy instructors used elements of critical inquiry to examine authority and structures of academic publication?
• Are motivational design principles effective means of reducing library anxiety and engaging adult learners?
• How can Problem-Based Learning be integrated into information literacy workshops?

Information Literacy Access and Outcomes

• What are the connections between librarian-student interaction, research skills, and student retention and persistence?
• What gaps in information literacy exist for students transferring from community colleges to four-year schools?
• What are the experiences of first generation students in Colorado academic libraries?

Understanding Evolving User Needs

• What are the information literacy needs of learners across language, ability, class, race or ethnicity, and gender?
• How are student and faculty research workflows evolving with changing technologies?