Competency K: Design collaborative/individual learning experiences based on learning principles and theories.
Introduction
People learn differently. Whether it’s by learning based on what you know, or don’t know, librarians help people of all ages and backgrounds and literacy levels to find information. There are three learning theories – cognitive load theory, active learning theory, and constructivism theory just to name a few. The end goal is to help the library visitor find what they are looking for, whether that is through discovering a new app, through learning how to play Virtual Reality games, or learning new information by connecting what one already knows on top of what they are freshly learning.
Cognitive Load Theory
In order to put an instruction plan into place one must focus and “Research into cognitive load theory [which] has led to practical recommendations about how to design instruction and take these issues into account and hope to improve the effectiveness of instruction by encouraging us to focus on the most important aspects of the material being addressed and by enhancing the organization, chunking, and presentation techniques of to be learned information” (Kaplowitz, 2014). In a learning activity, I was to teach a group of students of all ages how to download and use the Hoopla app. It’s a multi-faceted mobile application that California libraries have for their patrons. It has ebooks, journals, videos and more, for all ages. To assess the most important part of the presentation, I chose to form a summative assessment or look at the end goal of the assignment. In the end, did the students of my class follow each step correctly? Did they find something to read or watch? If they did, they succeeded.
Active Learning Theory
“Active learning includes direct interaction with content but also has a metacognitive element that promotes reflection on learning; many of the techniques emphasize group work and collaboration. In addition to classroom activities, active learning can take place outside the classroom through experiences like internships, service-learning opportunities, and assignments that involve interaction and reflection” (Saunders & Wong, 2020) Playing video games in Virtual Reality is part of the metacognitive element that is showing up in high tech public libraries. The library visitor chooses to move their arms, which are tracked, and legs in a virtual space of ping pong. Then they can play a group game and work together with each other as a team. Active learning outside of the classroom could be playing ping pong in real life. As a librarian, it is our responsibility to keep library visitors entertained but learning at the same time. Helping an intern to teach visitors how to sign in and play Virtual Reality role playing games is just as important as teaching them how to play games in real life.
Constructivism Theory
Librarians must help library visitors “When they encounter new situations, or new information, human beings must find a way to deal with the new information. Similar to the processes described in the section on cognitivism, people will examine their existing knowledge, or schema, to see if the new information fits into what they already know. If it does, they are able to assimilate the information relatively easily” (Leatham, 2025). Library visitors undergo constructivism when they learn an extra layer of knowledge on top of their prior existing knowledge. Constructivism is about building on what one knows and what one doesn’t know. As long as the library visitor is open minded, they will find more knowledge on top of their already existing schema of knowledge. Let’s say, while researching the keyword plants, the search gave me a broad search. I had an open mind to learn more specifically. This time, we looked further into succulents. This came up with more specific search results about succulent plants. Doing the research leads to a broader scope of knowledge. This is when information about a topic that is being researched becomes an example of constructivism.
Evidence
1 – INFO 250: Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals: Instructional Design Planning Worksheet for Step 7: Formative and Summative Evaluation
My first piece of evidence for Competency K, I will discuss cognitive load theory from INFO 250: Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals and discuss the planning and managing of a hypothetical library course. This course was about teaching how to use a real life mobile application called Hoopla. There were many steps to teaching the course and it involved step by step planning and managing and creating an action plan. It had me discuss summative assessments and formative assessments as well. “I choose to use summative assessment. I pick having the student show me from the very beginning of sign in to selection of e-book, music, or video successfully. I then choose only to focus on the ending, or summative assessment to help me with gathering how many students achieved the full downloading of the Hoopla app, plus borrowing of media” (Leatham, 2025). This showed how I would teach and then test the process from the beginning to the completion of using the Hoopla application. Next, I used the formative assessments, “I plan on having the formative assessment method for my information literacy instruction. I chose this method because I would like to check in with my students as they go through the steps. Instead of [only] checking at the very end, I will check in with students as they move through each step, which is for formative assessment” (Leatham, 2025). This showed how I would go through each step by step with the students/library visitors. And discuss how easy or difficult the entire process was, as well as any questions they might have had.
2 – INFO 250: Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals: Guided Conversation for Instructional Design Step 5. Planning Instructional Strategies Module 5
For my second piece of evidence for Competency K, I will discuss active learning theory. In short, active learning is learning by doing. For this assignment I was to answer the question about what modes of instruction are most useful to me as an instructor. I said: “hands-on practice, collaborative group work, and reflection are most useful as an instructional assistant or a teacher. I like face-to-face teaching, learning through videos, and working on paper handouts or workbook methodologies” (Leatham, 2025). As an instructional assistant who works with first through fifth grade students, learning by doing and hands-on education is the best way to approach gaining the student’s interest and having them retain the information. For learning STEAM methodologies we have the learning and instruction portion. Then, we have the arts and crafts hands on activities. The instructional part will often be accompanied by a YouTube video. For example, we were learning about frogs and their habitats. We read information to them and then showed the kids an age appropriate video and then asked them what they learned. After that we had them make masks with tongues with rough film and also colored and cut out bugs and placed sticky film on it for them to catch bugs while wearing masks. It was a younger kids activity but the older kids saw it and wanted to make their own! This is a great example of active learning theory.
3 – INFO 250: Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals Learning Activity 1: Learning Theories (aka Perspectives) in Practice and Peer-Review
For my third piece of evidence for Competency K I will focus on constructivism. “Constructivism is a learning theory that can be applied in designing instruction by means of adding layers of information on top of one another to form concepts of learned material.” (Leatham, 2025) For instance, learning to type on a typewriter and then transferring that learned information onto a computer keyboard. This is a layered approach to learning by using constructivism of typing on a typewriter and then transferring that skill to the computer keyboard. One is constructing and building on what they don’t know and what they do know. As a librarian, if one visitor has a research paper they have a basic understanding of, in this case, plants. If I go search more about plants it’s going to be a broad search term. Instead of that broadness, as a librarian I will ask them about what kind of plant they are looking for. The visitor gives me an answer – about succulent plants. I can then help broaden my visitor’s understanding of their knowledge on succulent plants by using the computers to research that narrower term. By doing this I can also broaden my own knowledge of succulent plants as well.
Conclusion
By learning about the three theories – cognitive load theory, active learning theory, and constructivism theory, librarians can better help the individuals, families, students and visitors that walk through the library doors. Learning through doing is a major learning style thread that weaves through each learning theory. By helping visitors research, I too am building my knowledge about the various subjects and theories. This gaining of knowledge will help my future visitors as well as myself.
References
Kaplowitz, J.R. (2014). Designing information literacy instruction: The teaching tripod approach. Rowman & Littlefield.
Leatham, J. (2024). Instructional design planning worksheet for step 7: Formative and summative evaluation. [Google Doc]. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gB-DBARNVqSIYhQzeQBLGEi84JyohUDXAVGTjAnZ3Q
Leatham, J. (2025). Learning activity 1: Learning theories (aka perspectives) in practice and peer-review. [Google Doc]. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n28aNsdmKa49e3LzGHYBqBRksvsrnezIUA5KPL1kHjA/edit?tab=t.0.
Leatham, J., (2025). Ch. 3: Information literacy instruction: Theory and practice. [Google Doc]. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13MDETTEsaFUI2jMeRzaBu2_mr_azxIEWGWjIo15p0GU/edit?usp=sharing.
Saunders, L. & Wong, M.A. (2020). Instruction in libraries and information centers: An introduction. https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/pressbooks/instructioninlibraries/.
Juanita Leatham e-portfolio 