Let Your (SoTL) Librarian In: Using Social Annotation as an Approach to the Transfer of Information Literacy Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this reflective essay is to present an innovative approach to teaching the transfer of information literacy (IL) skills using social annotation. Drawing from my experiences as an IL teaching librarian in an English Writing course and applying Mia O’Brien’s SoTL Compass to a pedagogical redesign, I propose that IL librarians incorporate social annotation tools in all one-shot pedagogy. Traditionally, IL is taught as a librarian-led single session in a semester-long course, commonly called a "one-shot." However, by incorporating social annotation for course readings, discussion, and analysis, this essay offers pedagogical considerations for instructors and teaching librarians when teaching the transfer of IL skills. Furthermore, I share students' survey responses about the transfer of IL skills while using social annotation in an English Writing course. While this proposal is reflexive in nature, further research is necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of social annotation in IL one-shots and beyond.