Alison Hicks | University of Colorado, Boulder (original) (raw)

Papers by Alison Hicks

Journal of Information Literacy, 2016

Research in Learning Technology, 2015

Reference and User Services Quarterly, 2011

First Monday, Apr 19, 2014

ABSTRACT Academic 15 (A15), an interview–based research project, explores the perceptions of univ... more ABSTRACT Academic 15 (A15), an interview–based research project, explores the perceptions of university library and information technology (IT) staff related to the challenges impacting higher education as a result of technological advances. Faced with disruption on many fronts, academic library and IT staff have adapted and adopted a number of tools and processes to cope with accelerating change. This includes seeking out collaborative partnerships, working within financial constraints, discovering alternate funding sources, and experimenting with new roles in the evolving model of higher education. This paper presents findings to guide the future design and implementation of resilient support systems for library, educational technology, and IT staff.

portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2015

First Monday, 2014

Journal of Information Literacy, Jun 2014

This paper explores how a foreign language librarian investigated workplace information environme... more This paper explores how a foreign language librarian investigated workplace information environments of bilingual (Spanish/English) professionals in the United States in order to design more relevant information literacy (IL) instruction. Drawing from interviews and participant observations of professionals whose careers correspond with Spanish language student graduate opportunities, the primary goal of the paper is to provide an initial understanding of the information environments of professionals in bilingual workplaces. The paper will then describe how this data will be used to design appropriate learning opportunities for Spanish undergraduates. Through reflecting on these multilingual information experiences, the paper also considers the role of workplace IL within higher education as well as contributing more broadly to studies on cultural approaches to IL. Accordingly, this paper will be of interest to foreign language librarians, as well as librarians who work with global studies, international relations or bilingual and international populations.

The Plugged-in Professor: Tips and Techniques for Teaching With Social Media, 2013

This assignment is designed to leverage the social bookmarking site, Diigo, to capture the social... more This assignment is designed to leverage the social bookmarking site, Diigo, to capture the social, collaborative, and participatory nature of research. Over the course of the semester students collaboratively bookmark a variety of research sources (experts, organizations, reports and other formal/informal sources) in the class library before critically analyzing and evaluating connections between sources and their contribution to the academic conversation. This allows students to develop a sense of the dynamic and collaborative nature of inquiry, while also training students to negotiate multiple streams of information, to think critically about information and to draw connections and meaning from information to inform personal contributions. Regular reflective prompts develop student ability to self-assess personal growth, an essential element of learning in the 21st century academic environment as well as civic, personal, and work settings.

Research within the disciplines: Foundations for reference and library instruction

Mastering Digital Librarianship

This paper uses the example of foreign languages to explore the integration of critical informati... more This paper uses the example of foreign languages to explore the integration of critical information literacy into the curriculum of various disciplines. By closely examining the practices and values inherent in the foreign language information environment, the paper suggests that a critical vision of information literacy provides the most appropriate approach to help meet campus goals of educating students for transcultural competence. As such, the paper provides an example of the process and role of the librarian in integrating critical information literacy into disciplinary fields and proposes that this approach could be effective in global learning initiatives.

Portal: Libraries and The Academy, 2012

This article details an open card sort study administered to undergraduate students,graduate stud... more This article details an open card sort study administered to undergraduate students,graduate students, and librarians at the University of Colorado at Boulder in order to reveal perceptions of library research guides. The study identifies user group preferences for organization and content of research guides, as well as themes emerging from the collected study data that contrast librarian and user mental models. Interested librarians will gain insights into student perceptions and use of research guides in academic libraries today as well as recommendations for guide design

Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2011

This study employs the case study approach to examine a QR code pilot implemented at the Universi... more This study employs the case study approach to examine a QR code pilot implemented at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CUB) Libraries in Fall 2010 using Microsoft Tag. Through observations and experiences gathered during the pilot, the study seeks to identify effective implementation strategies while also revealing benefits and challenges to be considered when managing similar QR code projects in academic library settings.

This case study explores the implementation of La Cuna, an online mentoring forum in a small, sub... more This case study explores the implementation of La Cuna, an online mentoring forum in a small, subject-based professional association, the Seminar for the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM). Designed using the social network software Ning, the forum functioned as an informal learning community for 38 members and was an innovative response to geographical challenges and changing technological skills.

Reference Services Review, 2010

Purpose – This paper seeks to re-conceptualize Web 2.0 tools within the intellectual and theoreti... more Purpose – This paper seeks to re-conceptualize Web 2.0 tools within the intellectual and theoretical frameworks currently driving changes in academic learning communities and to explore the effect of this paradigm shift on academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores an intellectually rather than technologically driven definition of Web 2.0 and its potential effect on teaching and learning in libraries. Reflections are based on paradigm shifts in learning theories implicit in the adoption and implementation of Web 2.0 technologies. The paper also discusses applications of Web 2.0 designed to improve student and faculty engagement in the research process.

Findings – The paper encourages librarians to think beyond the technology and to consider how Web 2.0 can support intellectual teaching and learning objectives in an academic library.

Practical implications – The paper discusses applications of Web 2.0 designed to improve student and faculty engagement in the research process.

Originality/value – The paper offers insights into rethinking current conceptions of Web 2.0 based on participation in and collaboration with faculty during a summer institute session. It provides a common conceptual framework of teaching and learning theory for librarians to use when implementing Web 2.0 tools and applications.

Learning is a collaborative conversation between different people and different publications, a r... more Learning is a collaborative conversation between different people and different publications, a reality not always taken into account with linear citation management tools. However, several innovative companies are recognizing and responding to these challenges by developing new platforms that aim to meet changing researcher needs. Colwiz (http://www. colwiz. com/), which stands for" collective wizdom," is one of the newest products.