Teaching and Learning Support
Western Libraries’ teaching and learning support is guided by the values of teamwork, social justice, respect, and lifelong learning. Our team works collaboratively with campus partners to:
- Embed the library's learning outcomes into course or program curricula, pedagogy, and assessments.
- Integrate library expertise, collections, and resources into the learning experience.
- Develop and integrate e-learning strategies and modules into course content.
- Enable and expand undergraduate and graduate research.
What we teach
Library curriculum
Western Libraries undertook a curriculum revision in 2022, reorienting our learning outcomes toward knowledge justice. Faculty and instructors are invited to partner with Western Libraries and embed these learning outcomes into your courses and programs.
We teach students to:
- Respect others by considering the value and limitations of all forms of knowledge.
- Reflect on the scope of their ownknowledge and investigate perspectives that can broaden that scope.
- Search for new and diverse knowledge in inclusive and ethical ways.
- Critically evaluate sources of knowledge before using them.
- Make culturally respectful choices about their use of others' knowledge.
- Acknowledge their power to responsibly influence others when sharing ideas.
Learn more about our library curriculum and see sample lesson topics.
How we teach
Instructional Philosophy
Western Libraries' Teaching and Learning team is committed to using a relationship-based approach in our teaching. With the library curriculum as our foundation, we aim to create empowering and safe spaces where our partners can use their unique strengths to build connections with people, knowledge, and the world around them. We recognize that research and learning can be emotional experiences and see it as our responsibility to care for our relationships with partners and remain open and flexible to their needs.
Partnership opportunities
Western Libraries' Teaching and Learning team brings significant experience with library instruction, academic research, e-learning and instructional design, and curriculum development to our partnerships with faculty and students.
We can:
- Develop and deliver customized instruction sessions to meet specific course needs.
- Create asynchronous and online learning resources for courses or programs.
- Offer advanced-skill workshops or one-on-one consultations with learners.
- Consult on course assignment or reading list redesign.
Contact
The Teaching and Learning team is your initial point of contact for teaching and learning partnerships with Western Libraries.
- Fill in our instruction request form for in-class or virtual teaching and learning support from Western Libraries.
- Email wlteach@uwo.ca to request a curriculum consultation or for general inquiries.
After receiving your request, we collaborate with our Western Libraries colleagues to ensure you receive the library expertise you need:
- Research and Scholarly Communication provides teaching support on copyright, open access publishing, GIS and statistical data, data management, and research impact.
- Archives and Special Collections partners with faculty to create course lesssons or assignments using the Archives' unique resources.
- User Services and Student Engagement staff out six Western Libraries Info Desks as well as our online Ask a Librarian chat service; they also prepare your course reading material.
Western Libraries also partners with the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on curriculum innovation and review and faculty programming.
