Rebecca K. Miller
ITMA Domain: Research
Definition. Fraenkel and Wallen (2003) define research as “a desire to find out how and why things happen, including why people do the things they do, as well as whether or not certain ways of doing things work better than other ways” (p. 7).
Reflection. As a research librarian in an academic institution, I have always viewed research as investigating any topic or question by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing relevant information. Most of us conduct "research" nearly every day of our lives; however, the VT IDT program certainly distiguishes scholarly research from the daily inquiry with which we might engage. The examples of research that I've linked below fall into this category of scholarly research. Both of these examples tie my research in the IDT program back to my role as a research and teaching librarian. By making these connections, I have been able to strengthen my practice and increase my impact in the library setting.
Organizational Learning and Innovation in the Academic Library (PDF)
This paper, largely literature review and analysis, was written for EDIT 5234: Intro to the Learning Sciences. It identifies and explains connections between organizational learning and the Learning Sciences, and reviews the literature related to how academic libraries can utilize organizational learning theories to prepare information professionals to embrace new roles within their work.
Information Literacy Instruction for Dietetics Students (PDF)
Written for EDIT 5774: Learning Theories for Instructional Design, this application paper argues that using different techniques--such as authentic learning tasks and situated learning--in information literacy works for undergraduate dietetics students at Virginia Tech will improve instructional effectiveness. It includes a literature review, and applies concepts from the literature review to a specific instructional context.
Social Media, Authentic Learning, and Embedded Librarianship (web link)
Furthermore, the research conducted for the paper (above) written for EDIT 5774: Learning Theories for Instructional Design influenced my writing, and the ultimate acceptance, of a peer reviewed article for the field of librarianship, which was published in the Journal of Information Literacy. While not completed as part of my coursework in the IDT program, this article was published in December 2012, and provides evidence of scholarship for my role as a librarian faculty member at Virginia Tech.
Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2003). How to design and evaluate research in education. New York: McGraw Hill.