Purpose
Library assessment and performance measurement have turned to qualitative approaches including narrative and ethnographic methods for more meaningful demonstrations of the value and impact of services and facilities. Reflective practice, including analytic reflection and particularly reflexivity, is a core characteristic of qualitative inquiry, but has received minimal attention in literature related to assessment, evaluation and research in the library and information domain. Research methods texts in our field acknowledge the need for reflection when designing an investigation, and recognize the importance of active reflection in qualitative field work and data analysis, especially in ethnography, action research, and case studies; but they offer little or no practical guidance on how to engage in reflective practices or what it means to be reflexive and to “read” qualitative data reflexively (Mason, 2002). Discussions of assessment librarian competencies are similarly deficient, although Oakleaf (2013, p. 128) mentions reflective practice as a required ability. Gaps in the research and assessment literature of our discipline are reflected by a similar shortage of frameworks, models and tools to facilitate reflective practice in other areas of our professional life: numerous publications promote the concept of the reflective practitioner, but typically reference models from other fields, or offer only rudimentary guidelines (Booth, 2010; Booth, 2011; Forrest, 2008; Goodsett, 2014); the Sheffield SEA-CHANGE model is a rare example of a homegrown tool developed to support library management learning and information literacy assessment, but has not been tested in other contexts (Sen & Ford, 2009; Sen & McKinney, 2014).
Other professions have domain-specific handbooks promoting reflective practice in the context of their discipline (Bulman & Schutz, 2013; Knott & Scragg, 2016; Taylor, 2010), and recent research in our field points to an urgent need for comparable provision (Greenall & Sen, 2016). Our project targets this gap, using participatory action research to explore development of a reflective practice toolkit for the library and information field, with the information literacy and library assessment communities as our primary testbeds. As library and information science educators and researchers we habitually work with new professionals and experienced practitioners to build capacity for reflection. We have surveyed the social science literature and public domain resources to collect and analyze existing definitions, typologies, frameworks and models within and beyond our discipline, and assessed their potential for reflective practice in LIS. The proposed workshop will present examples and adaptations emerging as candidates for our envisioned toolkit, and field-test their suitability by having participants engage with our handouts, participate in reflective and reflexive activities, and evaluate prototype tools from their perspectives as assessment practitioners.
Findings
As a result of attending the workshop, participants will gain:
- fuller understanding of reflective practice and its relevance to library assessment;
- practice in reflective thinking, reflective writing, and reflective dialogue;
- raised awareness of tools supporting reflective practice in particular contexts;
- continuing access to bespoke documentation, including early sight of project findings.
Design
Our workshop will start with introductions to the leaders and participants, explanation of the objectives and content of the session, definitions of key terms and concepts, and orientations to the models and tools selected for testing. Next we shall move into small groups for participants to review and explore the models and tools, and engage in practical exercises based on the tools and handouts provided, including individual and group activities. Group members will then be asked to reflect collectively on their experiences with the tools (using trigger questions) and to capture their findings on flipchart sheets for display as posters. The session will conclude with presentation of the group posters, followed by Q&A, plenary discussion, and summary and wrap-up by the workshop leaders.
Proposed tools for the workshop include adaptations of Michael Quinn Patton’s (2015, pp. 72, 604-605) triangulated reflexive inquiry framework, which uses self-questioning to help researchers understand, articulate, and own their perspective and voice; Patton’s (2011, pp. 266-299) reflective practice process for developmental evaluation – a data-based, story-based, engagement-based interactive approach to investigating an issue or evaluating an initiative; and Jennifer Mason’s (2002) model of literal, interpretive, and reflexive reading of data, which encourages reflection and reflexivity in analysis and reporting.
Conclusion: Originality and value of the proposal
Experts have recognized the need for a reflective approach to evaluation and assessment in libraries and information services but existing guidance is minimal. The proposed workshop will contribute towards closing this gap.
References
Booth, A. (2010). Upon reflection: Five mirrors of evidence-based practice [Using evidence in practice]. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 27(3), 253-256.
Booth, C. (2011). Reflective teaching, effective learning: Instructional literacy for library educators. Chicago: American Library Association.
Bulman, C., & Schutz, S. (Eds.) (2013). Reflective practice in nursing (5th ed.). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Forrest, M. E. S. (2008). On becoming a critically reflective practitioner. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 25(3), 229-232.
Goodsett, M. (2014). Reflective teaching: Improving library instruction through self-reflection. The Southeastern Librarian, 62(3), 12-15.
Greenall, J., & Sen, B. A. (2016). Reflective practice in the library and information sector. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 48(2), 137-150.
Knott, C., & Scragg, T. (Eds.) (2016). Reflective practice in social work (4th ed.). London: SAGE.
Mason, J. (2002). Qualitative researching (2nd ed.). London: SAGE.
Oakleaf, M. (2013). Building the assessment librarian guildhall: Criteria and skills for quality assessment. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 39(2), 126-128.
Patton, M. Q. (2011). Developmental evaluation: Applying complexity concepts to enhance innovation and use. New York: Guilford Press.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Sen, B., & Ford, N. (2009). Developing reflective practice in LIS education: The SEA-change model of reflection. Education for Information, 27(4), 181-195.
Sen, B. A., & McKinney, P. (2014). The SEA-change model in information literacy: Assessing information literacy development with reflective writing. Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher Education, 6(1), 23-38.
Taylor, B. J. (2010). Reflective practice for healthcare professionals: A practical guide (3rd ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
