Abstract:

Group learning had been a focus area in the Master’s of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies from 2018-2020. In 2021, the online MLIS program shifted to an accelerated academic calendar in which each course was condensed from 14 to seven weeks. For each course, content, lectures, and assignments were modified to fit the new schedule; learning outcomes and total work hours stayed the same.

Group learning was dropped entirely from the curriculum in the conversion because it requires time. Students need time to meet and get to know their groupmates, find a way to work together, and begin work. Group work typically took two weeks at the beginning of a course to set up groups and have them meet and collaborate on a group contract that detailed how and when they would work, their desired level of work quality, communication plans, etc. The accelerated calendar does not allow for devoting two weeks to group gelling so, at the onset of the accelerated MLIS program, faculty felt that group learning could not be achieved successfully in a 7-week-long course.

Group learning benefits students in myriad ways. Work is divided so that each student has a lighter burden, students have peers to rely on for support, and students gain practical skills in collaboration, communication, and other key skills critical to their professional careers. This is especially true for future leaders. One of the tracks in the MLIS program is Libraries, Leadership, and Transforming Communities (LLTC). Group work had been critical to that track prior to the accelerated conversion, built into two required track classes: LSC 502: Lead, Manage, Connect Library & Information Services and LSC 517: Community Relations for Libraries.

The accelerated program launched in Fall 2021. After teaching nine sections of multiple courses over fall, spring, and summer of 2021-2022, including two sections of LSC 502 and one section of LSC 517, this author felt that group work could be reintroduced to one course as a pilot test of reimplementing group work across the LLTC track. Group work was built into the new course LSC 519: Advocacy for Libraries. One cannot advocate in a vacuum. Advocacy work requires collaborations, partnerships, communication, conflict management, and various other group-related skills.

LSC 519 will run in Fall Session 2, 2022 (November-December) with a combination of individual and group projects. The individual work will contribute to the group work. Students will complete a Group Contract in Week 1, individual Community Needs worksheet in Week 2, individual Justifications worksheet in Week 3, group Advocacy Plan in Week 4, individual Infographic worksheet in Week 5, individual Advocacy Story in Week 6, and Advocacy Campaign in Week 7. The strategy of individual work contributing to a group project is designed to mitigate the challenge of group work on a short timetable. Students will also complete Peer Evaluations after each group assignment.

This paper will report how well group work was implemented in an accelerated online course and discuss best practices for group work operations on a condensed timetable.

Keywords:

Group work, collaborative learning, distance learning, online learning, accelerated online education, library and information studies, master’s degrees.