Category: ETL501

Throughout this subject, my understanding of the teacher librarian’s role in provisioning dynamic information resources and services has deepened significantly. Developing the research guide prompted me to reflect on how effective design and curation can support students to engage confidently with information, rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.

In creating my guide, I examined examples of research guides and pathfinders, which provided me with valuable insights regarding what to consider when planning the structure and organisation of the guide (Reynolds, 2025, “Evaluating research guides”, para. 6). This process highlighted how excessive text, cluttered layouts, and a lack of white space can lead to cognitive overload. Lee and Lowe (2018, p. 222) recommend limiting the amount of content presented on each page to enhance user experience and reduce anxiety. Applying this principle, I aimed to create a more accessible guide that supports students’ information-seeking processes rather than hindering them. However, this remains an ongoing area for development. Designing for diverse learners in a large school of nearly 2000 students presents a continual challenge. The guide must meet the needs of all students across an entire year cohort, each with varying reading abilities and digital literacy levels. I am continuing to refine my ability to write concise, web-appropriate text. Puckett (2015, p. 12) notes that online readers scan and navigate information differently from print readers, reinforcing the need to craft content suited for digital environments.

Through this process, I also gained a stronger understanding of how the teacher librarian supports students’ information literacy development by modelling and explaining the research process. My goal moving forward is to design guides that explicitly teach aspects of the information process—such as evaluating sources and synthesising findings—within the context of the curriculum. I will continue to engage with peers to broaden my perspective on the evolving digital landscape. My school is currently developing a policy around the ethical and effective use of AI (Reynolds, 2025). As part of this process, I will contribute to professional learning regarding best practices. Lauren Hagan’s blog post on using EduChat to differentiate learning programs provided valuable inspiration (Hagan, 2025, “Reflective Practice: Harnessing Generative AI to Enhance Questioning Strategies in Education”, para. 2). I plan to share these insights in a professional learning session next term, demonstrating how EduChat can be used responsibly to enhance teaching and learning.

Whisken (2015) emphasises the teacher librarian’s vital role in curating the library’s physical and digital collections to support learning needs. This subject has demonstrated that effective curation extends beyond selecting resources—it involves creating meaningful guides that meet clearly meet user needs. I will continue to explore strategies for designing digital resources that reduce cognitive load, promote equitable access, and foster students’ confidence as information users. While I have strengthened my skills in evaluation and design, I recognise there is still more to learn about digital accessibility, inclusive design, and how students interact with AI-enhanced information environments.

 

References

Hagan, L. (2025, September 9). Reflective Practice: Harnessing Generative AI to Enhance Questioning Strategies in Education. Becoming a Teacher Librarian. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/laurenhagan/2025/09/09/reflective-practice-harnessing-generative-ai-to-enhance-questioning-strategies-in-education/

Lee, Y. Y., & Lowe, M. S. (2018). Building Positive Learning Experiences through Pedagogical Research Guide Design. Journal of Web Librarianship, 12(4), 205–231. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1080/19322909.2018.1499453

Puckett, J. (2015). Modern pathfinders: Creating better research guides. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=5888816&ppg=1

Reynolds, J. (2025, September 15). Reflection: GenAI in Education [Online discussion comment]. ETL501, Brightspace. https://learn.csu.edu.au/d2l/le/68841/discussions/threads/176938/ViewPostInContext?postId=437155#post437155

Reynolds, J. (2025, October 8). Evaluating Research Guides. Jo’s Reflective Journal. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/joreynolds/2025/10/08/evaluating-research-guides/

Whisken, A. (2015). Library collections as learning experiences. Synergy, 13(1). https://slav.vic.edu.au/index.php/Synergy/article/view/V1311512/155

The key difference between research guides and pathfinders lies in the additional support and contextual information that research guides provide. While both tools curate resources to help students locate information efficiently, research guides extend further, incorporating explanations, scaffolds, and guidance on the research process to help users develop information literacy skills and effectively undertake research (Lee & Lowe, 2018, p.206).

The Year 8 Geography: Changing Nations research guide (Redlands College, 2024) includes relevant resources from a variety of types such as websites, databases, videos, and images. However, there is limited contextual information provided about each resource. Students must access and evaluate each one independently to determine its relevance and reliability, as there are few annotations or usage suggestions.

The structure of the Changing Nations guide follows a traditional pathfinder format, with resources grouped by type rather than topic (Lee & Lowe, 2018). This has resulted in information-heavy pages that are difficult for students to navigate. The layout may contribute to cognitive overload for users.

A notable strength of the Changing Nations guide is its support for the development of information literacy skills. Brief comments about the reliability of the curated resources will encourage students to consider the quality of their sources. Additionally, the guide provides practical advice for accessing specific databases and digital tools. The Research Ready tab connects information literacy resources to key steps in the research process, helping students understand how to plan, locate, evaluate, and reference information effectively. Ideally, these resources would be connected to the curated resources.

While the quantity of information may be overwhelming for some learners, the guide integrates relevant sources and resources to support students in developing research skills. The inclusion of clearer annotations and more guidance on how to apply resources to specific inquiry questions could further improve this research guide.

This activity was very helpful in preparing for the design of my own research guide for Assessment Item 2. I found it particularly useful to compare the two examples provided to see the strengths and weaknesses of each design. While I know my design will not be perfect, I will hopefully avoid some of the mistakes identified in the structure and organisation of this guide.

 

References

Lee, Y. Y., & Lowe, M. S. (2018). Building Positive Learning Experiences through Pedagogical Research Guide Design. Journal of Web Librarianship, 12(4), 205–231. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1080/19322909.2018.1499453

Redland’s College. (2024). Resources – Year 8 Geography – Changing Nations – LibGuides at Redlands College. https://redlandscollege.libguides.com/year8geography

Our school library is heavily used by students, both before school and at break times, as well as by senior students during their study periods. We are so full sometimes that we have a roster for our Junior year groups, requiring students in other year groups to borrow a ‘library pass’ at their non-roster break times in order to come to the library. While this is a fantastic problem to have, as it means the library is an important and valued resource in the school, it requires some creative thinking to maximise the space to meet different student needs.

 

To include student voice in the re-design process, student interviews and surveys would be a useful strategy. We already utilise surveys to gain feedback from our students regarding their Library lessons, including questions in these surveys to gather data on our students’ thoughts and preferences for the physical library space (Hughes, 2019). This would be an efficient and effective method to include students in the design process. Informal interviews with our regular library users would also provide more detailed feedback and ensure that the redesign was informed by student perspectives, and encourage ownership and a greater sense of belonging (Nastrom-Smith & Hughes, 2019).

 

We regularly communicate with the school community through a number of platforms. Our school newsletter, which is published via our Parent Portal fortnightly, would be a key avenue to update parents on progress (Hughes, 2019). We utilise Google Classroom as an internal communication tool, and student updates, in addition to seeking feedback throughout the design process, could be facilitated through this medium.

 

References

 

Hughes, H. (2019). (Re)Designing the library through school community participation. Connections, 111. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-111/re-designing-the-library-through-school-community-participation/

 

Nastrom-Smith, C. & Hughes, H. (2019). Participatory principles in practice: Designing learning spaces that promote wellbeing for young adolescents during the transition to secondary school. In Franz, J., Hughes, H., & Willis, J. (Eds.), School spaces for student wellbeing and learning: Insights from research and practice (pp.199-219). Springer.

Since commencing in the role of TL at the beginning of this year, I have developed programs of Library lessons for the current Year 7 and Year 9 cohorts, supporting the English teaching program and integrating elements from the Information Fluency Framework, Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities. Opportunities for collaboration have been embedded in these lessons. As the Year 7 Library program comes to a close and I reflect on its successes and areas to improve for next year, the need to enhance the physical space in the Library used for the delivery of these lessons has become clear.

The present teaching space provides very limited flexibility, consisting of ten tables that sit four students each and are not easily manoeuvrable. Ideally, this space would have a variety of furniture options, allowing for students to distance themselves from the group when focusing on specific individual tasks but easily able to come together for planning and discussion, creating an area that is “both differentiated and integrated” (Lippmann, 2015). Addressing the need for a library space that functions as an area for effective collaboration supports General Capabilities from the Australian Curriculum, particularly in the area of Personal and Social capability. Collaborative learning tasks help students to work productively in groups, contributing to decision-making, communicating with peers, and overcoming challenges.

Additionally, the wider school community would benefit from a library space that enhances collaboration. At non-class times, this space would enhance the role of the library as a “third space” for students (Lehmann, 2024). During Senior Study periods, this space would also serve as an alternative study area for small group study, ensuring these students did not disturb students undertaking independent quiet study. Given the current focus for NSW DoE schools on HPGE, the creation of a space more conducive to collaboration could allow for an alternative teaching space for classroom teachers to provide an adjusted learning environment to better meet the needs of their students.

References

ACARA. (2025). F-10 Curriculum | V9 Australian Curriculum. Australiancurriculum.edu.au. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/personal-and-social-capability?element=0&sub-element=PSCSEAA

Lehmann, S. (2024). Reimagining the library of the future. From social condenser to community hub to regenerative design. Public Library Quarterly, 43(2), 223-259.

Lippman, P. (2015b). Designing collaborative spaces for schools. The Education Digest, 80(5), 39-44.

NSW Department of Education. (2023, October 6). Differentiation adjustment tool. Education.nsw.gov.au. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/high-potential-and-gifted-education/supporting-educators/implement/differentiation-adjustment-strategies

New South Wales Department of Education. (2022). Information Fluency framework. New South Wales Department of Education. https://education.nsw.qov.au/teachinq-and-learninq/curriculum/school-libraries/teachinq-and-learninq

The school library of today looks very different to the school library of my own secondary schooling experience. As I teach students how to access the library catalogue using their device or demonstrate how to navigate online research databases, I often find myself regaling classes with stories from when I was in high school. Inevitably, these conversations end with them looking at me, jaws open wide, and asking me just exactly how old I am – the idea of there only being two computer terminals in the whole library is simply unthinkable to Gen Alpha!

 

Having previously spent almost 20 years in a classroom teacher and later Head of Department position before undertaking my Teacher Librarian role, I have experienced the pedagogical shift that reframed the classroom teacher as a facilitator of learning, rather than a director, as described by Bodnar (Harasim, 2017). The school library and the Teacher Librarian were essential resources that I called upon as I navigated this change. As a Teacher Librarian now myself, I am experiencing first-hand the extraordinary but rewarding challenge of ensuring that students and staff are aware of the wealth of resources available.

 

In considering what a dynamic school library looks, sounds and feels like, I reflected on our school behaviour framework – Cooperation, Achievement, Respect, Learning and Ownership, known as the CARLO Way. When I imagine the learning and information environment, I envision a library that fosters cooperative learning, celebrates achievements — whether academic or socio-emotional — promotes respect, facilitates learning, and inspires ownership. This is encapsulated in my Y Chart.