The purpose of the study was to ascertain the degree of similarity between the expectations for student learning as expressed by faculty, host librarians and students on practica in library and information studies; and the learning outcomes experienced as expressed by students. An attempt was also made to assess the bearing that preparation for and organisation of the practicum might have on learning outcomes. The study thus had four aims: (a) To discover whether the three stakeholders (faculty, host librarians and students) were working towards the same or similar objectives, (b) To ask students what they experienced and learnt in their individual practica, and to compare this with their previously stated expectations, (c) To assess the relationship between preparation by faculty of host librarians and of students, and a successful practicum. (d) To gather information on the importance of aspects of organisation related to practica, such as timing and duration. To meet the purpose and aims of the study five groups of research questions were framed. The first three dealt with the expectations for student learning and learning outcomes in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains, as defined by Krathwohl, Bloom and Masia (1964) in their taxonomy. To meet the third and fouth aims of the study two other groups of research questions were framed which dealt with preparation and organisational aspects of the practicum under study. From these five groups of research questions specific interview schedules were designed, appropriate to each stakeholder interviewed and the inter-related investigations which the study comprised. A qualitative approach was chosen as the basis for carrying out the study. The Department of Library and Information Studies at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University of Technology) was selected as the study site. A sample was drawn to represent each of the stakeholders: the DLIS faculty, the host librarians and two cohorts of students. Student samples represented those undertaking a practicum at the end of their course in 1985 (an end-on practicum) and those undertaking the component mid-course in 1986 (a sandwich practicum). A total of 69 respondents were interviewed which produced 88 separate interviews. Personal interviews which were tape-recorded were conducted with each of the respondents between 19 September 1985 and 8 August 1986. A method of collating and analysing the data collected was devised by the researcher and is presented in Appendix V of this thesis. The following conclusions were reached from the analysis of results. While there was congruence between the expectations held by stakeholders for the learning outcomes of students, there was a lack of congruence between the expectations held by students pre-practicum, and their learning outcomes postpracticum. However, there was no marked difference between the outcomes of the end-on practicum and sandwich practicum students. This implies that the timing of the practicum might not be as important to learning outcomes as the individuals' experiences in their host library.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219231 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | Mulder, Ursula E., n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Liberal Studies |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Ursula E. Mulder |
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