Jeff's e-portfolio

It was with some interest that I noted the term immersion being applied in this module in a way that did not suggest a trip to Quebec. (Not sure what the situation is here in BC, but in Ontario, kids would go off on French immersion programs there if their grades were good enough.) According to the blurb on the AACRL website, the immersion program it offers “will provide your instruction librarian with the intellectual tools and practical techniques to help your institution build or enhance its instruction program.” It seems like an interesting program; I am particularly curious about the ‘intentional teacher track’ mentioned. But I find it odd that they would call it immersive; it sounds more like the usual workshop approach to skill development to me. The program is in an F2F format, not in any virtual world, so it doesn’t appear to relate to immersion- or even simulation- as I know it. It also doesn’t jibe with most language immersion programs which are basically built around the ‘sink or swim’ (using your language skills in an environment where they are necessary) model. In my mind, immersion whould mean real chances to perform in an authentic setting where performance matters.

In language education, there are a number of certificate programs wherein you teach in a real classroom as you learn. While instructor training is not something foreign to library science (I believe we have one course devoted to the topic here at SLAIS), I am not sure it gets enough attention. Does it not seem like these skills are mostly left to develop in on-the-job training?  Of course, in courses like this one, we are often called upon to ‘teach’ our peers through presentations. There, we have a captive audience, and instructors seem to emphasize the content rather than the skills displayed in putting it across.

I wonder what a true immersion program for instructional librarians would look like? Training in the morning, while teaching a group of undergrads at the library in the afternoon; your instructor there to watch and give feedback. And then, off to the nearest sidewalk cafe, because you are in Quebec.