ACRL’s Professional Development Committee is hosting a free presentation 11 am (PST) on Friday, February 12 via Zoom. As an instructional librarian, this is something that I’ve been struggling with and I’m really excited to hear about how others have been handling ideological differences in critical library instruction! Presentation details and registration information can be found below.

Critical Information Literacy in Ideologically Pluralistic Classrooms: Exploring Challenges and Possibilities

Presenters: Andrea Baer, Rowan University; Sara Miller, Michigan State University; Claudia Vergara, Michigan State University; Gabe Ording, Michigan State University

Time: 1-2 pm (CT) Friday, February 12, 2021

Register here
Sponsored by the ACRL ULS Professional Development Committee

About: Critical pedagogies that invite students to reflect on their personal and shared experiences and to engage with social, political, and ethical issues have greatly enriched information literacy education, particularly in the past decade. Critical pedagogies can also present unique challenges that tend to receive less attention. Critical pedagogy discourse often works from the assumption that students share a similar political ideology and similar goals with the instructor, but what happens when this is not the case? How can librarians and educators in ideologically pluralistic classrooms cultivate positive climates and encourage critical thinking and critical consciousness? Presenters on this panel (two librarians and two science faculty members who collaborate closely with one of the librarian presenters) will share their experiences with teaching in ideologically pluralistic classrooms.

Andrea Baer, a librarian since 2011 and a teacher since 2002, is the History and Political Science Librarian at Rowan University. Andrea’s work in libraries and education is informed by her prior teaching experience in writing, literature, and language and by her interests in writing studies, critical pedagogy, and reflective practice. Sara Miller is the Librarian for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Initiatives at Michigan State University, partnering with the general education (Integrative Studies) programs for information literacy integration. Her interests include faculty development, reflective practice, and critical pedagogy

Dr. Claudia Vergara is an academic specialist in curricular design and evaluation and a teacher. She directs the program evaluation and assessment of student learning in the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science (CISGS) at Michigan State University. Her scholarly interests focus on the improvement of STEM teaching and learning processes in higher education. Dr. Vergara has expertise in educational research methods, program evaluation and curricular development including assessment of student learning. She is actively involved in the CISGS curricular reform efforts including collaborations with various institutional partners.

Gabe Ording is a faculty member in the Department of Entomology and is the Director of the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science (CISGS) at Michigan State University.  In this capacity he provides leadership in shaping the future of general education at MSU through coordinated efforts with academic, administrative, and student success stakeholders across campus.  These efforts include helping to change the culture of teaching general education courses at MSU to include assessment of student learning through formalized collaborative programmatic assessment, and then applying best pedagogical practice to improve student achievement. 

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If you can’t make this session but wish to view a recording later, please register so that you’ll receive an email that includes a link to the video of the presentation. Please direct questions and concerns to Laura Gariepy or Sam Harlow, co-chairs of the ACRL ULS Professional Development Committee. A full list of the committee’s past and future programs are available here.