ACRL’s Immersion Program allows you to embrace your educational role by embarking on a path of teacher development and pedagogical inquiry in a community of practice for academic librarians devoted to collaborative learning, individual renewal, and instructional effectiveness.

ACRL offers four unique tracks of the Immersion Program each year.  The long-standing Teacher and Program Tracks are offered together in summer; the Intentional Teaching and Assessment Tracks are offered in fall. The Immersion Program tracks are not sequential; individuals can apply for and attend whichever track(s) are best for them.

“This was definitely a career-transforming experience.” — Past Immersion Participant
“I can honestly say I have never experienced a more holistic learning experience! WOW! — Past Immersion Participant

Invitation to Apply

Applications are currently being accepted for the Immersion ’12 Assessment and Intentional Teaching tracks.

Immersion Program Schedule

Teacher Track

Program Dates: July 22-27, 2012
Program location: Champlain College – Burlington, Vermont
Application Materials: Now available
Applciations due: December 2, 2011
How to apply: The application deadline has passed.

Program Track

Program Dates: July 22-27, 2012
Program location: Champlain College – Burlington, Vermont
Application Materials: Now available
Applciations due: December 2, 2011
How to apply: The application deadline has passed.

Assessment Track

Program Dates: November 14-18, 2012
Program location: Scarritt Bennett Center – Nashville, Tennessee
Application Materials: Program details and application materials are available
Applciations due: May 7, 2012

Intentional Teaching Track

Program Dates: November 14-18, 2012
Program location: Scarritt Bennett Center – Nashville, Tennessee
Application Materials: Program details and application materials are available
Applciation due: May 7, 2012

Immersion Program Curriculum

Teacher Track

This track focuses on individual development for those who are interested in enhancing, refreshing, or extending their individual instruction skills. Curriculum includes classroom techniques, learning theory, leadership, and assessment framed in the context of information literacy. Participants selected for the Teacher Track will prepare a description of an instructional situation and a related presentation in advance of the Immersion program. During Immersion, participants will revise the presentation based on feedback from colleagues and faculty.

Program Track

This track focuses on developing, integrating, and managing institutional and programmatic information literacy programs. Participants selected for the Program Track will develop individual case studies in advance of the Immersion program. Change dynamics, systems thinking, institutional outcomes assessment, scalability, and the integration of teaching, learning, and technology will be brought to bear on analyzing the various programmatic challenges presented in the case studies. Immersion participants will be expected to develop the case studies into an action plan for implementation at the home institution.

Assessment: Demonstrating the Educational Value of the Library Track

(Formerly titled Assessment Immersion) This program is intended for experienced academic librarians (5+ years teaching experience) active in teaching and learning and those with leadership roles for information literacy program development who want to improve their knowledge and practice of both classroom and program assessment. This program will approach assessment from a learning-centered perspective; participants will emerge with a broader understanding of assessment and how to use assessment as an important tool to guide evidence-based classroom, curriculum and program development. Participants will develop a plan for their assessment activities which will form the basis for future engagement with these issues both individually and as a leader of IL initiatives at their institutions.

Intentional Teaching: Reflective Teaching to Improve Student Learning Track

(Formerly titled Intentional Teacher) This program is aimed at the experienced academic librarian (5+ years teaching experience, in a library or other setting) who wants to become more self-aware and self-directed as a teacher. This program facilitates the process of critical reflection through peer discussion, readings and personal reflection as a pathway to professional growth and renewal. The program offers a mixture of structured and co-constructed learning segments such as peer discussions, individual reading and reflection times, and participant-led communities of practice.

Questions? Contact Mark Szarko (szarko@mit.edu) or Margot Conahan (mconahan@ala.org).