No assignment? Just flip it: The flipped classroom in first-year library instruction

Abstract

Receiving library instruction is essential for first-year students. In many colleges and universities, students enroll in an orientation-type class and receive library instruction. However, at William Paterson University, students taking this class do not have a research-based assignment – a challenge for librarians in making the content meaningful to students. To remedy this situation, the librarians implemented the flipped classroom in which students watched instructional videos prior to their library class and participated in active learning activities in class. This method proved to be an engaging way for students to learn information literacy skills, even in the absence of a graded research assignment.