Spotlight on Embedded Librarian: Scaffolding Research Skills in an Online Child Development Capstone Course

(Submitted by Julie Cornett)

In Lisa Fuller’s CHDV C203 Capstone class, students are required to develop, implement, and evaluate an Action Research Project in the preschool centers where they are interns. To complete this high-stakes project, students must develop manageable topics, research extensively, and build an APA annotated bibliography. For several years, Lisa has had Julie Cornett join her class as an Embedded Librarian to provide support to students as they embark on this time-intensive project. Julie works with students in several weekly forums to scaffold research activities that lead up to the final project. In reflecting on the collaboration, Lisa had this to say: 

“When I first assigned the Action Research Project, students did not seem to understand the research component of the assignment and often saved the project until the last few weeks of the course, which meant they did not have the time to complete a thoughtful, reflective project over time. Now that the research forums are built into the course structure starting in week 5, everyone who completes the final assignment has been successful. I attribute this to the embedded librarian who helps students develop a research question, find appropriate resources, and develop the annotated bibliography.” 

Julie finds that students are very appreciative of the support, especially as they learn to differentiate between various information formats and to search our vast yet complex databases for valuable articles. She has been able to more intentionally curate collections specific to the course topics as a result of her deep exposure to the course content. The newly acquired SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary Childhood Education and the Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood are two new purchases that have been highly utilized.  

According to Fuller, the embedded librarian support that Julie provides has been crucial and she is in discussion with her department about incorporating the Embedded Librarian program in courses students take earlier in the program.  

If you’re interested in having a librarian join your online class, contact Julie Cornett (jcornett@cerrocoso.edu) or Sharlene Paxton (sharlene.paxton@cerrocoso.edu)!