Asking Questions in the Classroom - An Exploration of Tools and Techniques Used in the Library Instruction Classroom

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay

This study explores tools and techniques used in the library instruction classroom to support a conversation about teaching practices. Researchers examined questioning methods by librarians and students, focusing on the number of questions asked and answered. Classroom observations tracked a team of librarians working toward standardized learning outcomes while independently designing lesson plans. Measures included oral discussion, worksheets, and polling, alongside visual aids and storytelling to engage students in dialogue.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background

Asking Questions in the Classroom: An Exploration of Tools and Techniques Used in the Library Instruction Classroom Sara Maurice Whitver, University of Alabama Libraries Leo S. Lo, Old Dominion University Abstract This study explores the tools and techniques used within the library instruction classroom to facilitate a conversation about teaching practices. Researchers focused on the questioning methods employed by librarians, specifically the number of questions asked by librarians and students. This study was comprised of classroom observations ofa team of librarians working towards standardized learning outcomes; members of the team had the freedom to independently develop lesson plans and choose teaching approaches for each class. Observations measured the frequency of questions asked of and answered by librarians and students in library instruction sessions via oral discussion, worksheets, and polling. Researchers also noted the use of visual aids and storytelling as tools to engage students in conversation. The variety of tools and techniques observed in this study indicate that librarians exercise a great amount of autonomy in the classroom while working towards standardized learning outcomes. Keywords: pedagogy; engagement; library instruction Whitver, S.M. & Lo, L.S. (2017). Asking questions in the classroom: An exploration of tools and techniques used in the library instruction classroom. Communications in Information Literacy, 11(1), 185-203. Copyright for articles published in Communications in Information Literacy is retained by the author(s). Author(s) also extend to Communications in Information Literacy the right to redistribute this article via other scholarly resources and bibliographic databases. This extension allows the authors'copyrighted content to be included in some databases that are distributed and maintained by for-profit companies. All other rights of redistribution are licensed by Communications in Information Literacy under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BYNC-SA 4 .0) . Asking Questions in the Classroom: An Exploration of Tools and Techniques Used in the Library Instruction Classroom Introduction Librarians have a responsibility to study classroom practices in order to more effectively support and develop teaching within the field of library instruction. When classroom research is conducted, it is important that methods and techniques are analyzed as tools employed by teachers; the successful application of a technique or methodology has less todo with the fidelity of the tool itself than with the skill of the teacher. This study seeks to identify basic techniques employed by librarians to facilitate active student participation within the one-shot instruction classroom. The researchers were interested in observing how librarians ask questions in the classroom and how students respond. Of specific interest was the number of questions and answers exchanged between librarian and student, the categories of“scripted” and “improvised” questions asked by the librarian, and the technique used by the librarian to initiate each question. This study took place among a team of librarians who participate in a shared community of practice, which makes the observed difference in techniques and tools used striking, as it highlights the autonomy each librarian exercised to achieve common learning outcomes. Background This study took place at the University of Alabama, where undergraduate enrollment hit 31,958 during the 2015-2016 academic year, with 7,211 full-time first-time first-year students. In addition, 1,567 transfer students were enrolled. Nineteen percent of these students were over age 25 (as compared to the national average of 12%) . The University’s Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library has a long-standing commitment to effective teaching and outreach to the First-year Writing Program. Gorgas Information Services, a department of six instructio

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study in the library instruction classroom?

The study focuses on the tools and techniques used to facilitate classroom conversation about teaching practices, especially how librarians and students exchange questions.

How did researchers measure questioning in the classroom?

They used classroom observations to measure the frequency of questions asked and answered through oral discussion, worksheets, and polling.

What teaching autonomy did the librarians have during the observations?

The librarians on the team worked toward standardized learning outcomes but were free to independently develop lesson plans and select teaching approaches for each class.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by jay