Teaching and Learning Services

In support of the teaching mission of the University, the University Library’s Instruction Program offers a variety of services to support faculty in their teaching and inspire SCU students in their learning. The purpose of the program is to foster comprehensive information literacy and critical thinking skills that contribute to students' success at SCU and as lifelong learners.

SCU librarians and staff provide course-integrated library instruction through in-person instruction and/or through the creation of online instructional materials, such as Camino modules, research guides, and tutorials. We also provide faculty workshops related to various aspects of information literacy and assignment design.

Philosophy

Grounded in our commitment to intellectual growth, critical thinking, and active learning, the Santa Clara University Library instruction program engages students in critical inquiry to discover, evaluate, use, and create information. The purpose of the program is to ensure that every student acquires the expertise required of engaged, competent, and ethical scholars, citizens, and leaders in a complex and interconnected information landscape.

Santa Clara University Library instructors achieve these goals through systematic, integrated, and scaffolded library instruction, focusing on partnerships with faculty in key courses: core curriculum, writing-intensive, graduate research, and required courses for majors. We collaborate with faculty on research assignment design and delivery, course-integrated instruction, and the assessment of student learning. To realize our commitment to high-quality instructional practices, library instructors engage in ongoing reflection on our own pedagogy and actively partner with other librarians and faculty.

Program Learning Outcomes

We develop learners who...

• Strategically explore research problems
• Critically evaluate information sources and systems
• Ethically engage in information communities

Learn more about our program learning outcomes.

Information literacy instruction is most effective when it is fully integrated into the learning goals of your class and assignments.

Here are some ways SCU librarians can work with you to provide effective information literacy instruction, resources, and learning opportunities for your students:

• Tailor teaching to your course, assignment, and context
• Determine appropriate types and combinations of library instruction, from full or partial class sessions, to online research guides, to online tutorials
• Schedule library integrations best aligned with students' progress on research assignments and motivation to learn
• Develop focused session learning outcomes
• Design hands-on sessions with active learning opportunities, held in our library learning labs, your classroom, or on Zoom
• Connect your students to useful, specialized, and accessible resources
• Give feedback on research assignment design
• Provide follow-up assistance to students after library instruction through email and individual consultations

We teach hundreds of sessions each year. To ensure that your students receive information literacy instruction at the needed time in the quarter, please contact a librarian as far in advance as possible (minimum 2 weeks). You can review our library instruction guidelines for more detail.

For a course in your specific discipline, contact the subject librarian for your discipline.

For Critical Thinking & Writing (CTW) courses, consult our list of instructor-librarian partnerships, or contact Jennifer Pesek, Undergraduate Learning Librarian.

For Archives & Special Collections instruction, contact Monica Keane, Archives & Special Collections Librarian.

While we employ a subject-librarian model, our instruction librarians each have a unique subject expertise, teaching style, and instructional philosophy. If you would like to learn more about which librarian might be the best match for your particular course, please contact the Head of Instruction and Assessment, Rachel Wishkoski, to schedule a consultation.