Identifying evidence-based medicine instructional opportunities in health science curricular documents for librarians and information specialists

Abstract

We invite colleagues who provide instructional support to participate in an interactive workshop to learn a qualitative technique, with an inductive approach, to extract data from curricular documents. Participants should bring their institution’s curricular documents to practice the techniques during the workshop.

To develop this technique, we reviewed our university’s human and veterinary health science programs’ curricular documents and clustered similar concepts among the documents. This allowed us to create a rubric to categorize the curricular documents into codable units. Finally, we evaluated the action verbs within the coded units to identify nuanced language.

We developed this technique to advance library instructional support practices for evidence-based practice. The technique allows for the identification of opportunities, standardization and strengthening of library support, and alignment of library instruction with program goals based on published outcomes.

With our guidance, participants will develop a tailored coding rubric and categorize types of data from their curricular documents. We will illustrate how to identify nuanced language embedded within curricular documents using verbs. Participants will and then evaluate elements of language to extract nuance within the individual coding units of their curricular documents. During open work time, participants will discuss and share ideas.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have learned a technique to analyze curricular documents to identify instructional support opportunities. At the end of the workshop, we will brainstorm how to use data from these curricular documents to advance instructional support practices.

As key component of this workshop is participants working with peer groups to share ideas, ask questions, and participate in open discussion.

Examples for the workshop will be in English. However, individuals do not need to translate their curricular documents if they are in a language other than English because participants will be working with their own curricular documents.

The reference for the article about developing this technique:

Waltz MJ, Moberly HK, Carrigan EE. Identifying information literacy skills and behaviors in the curricular competencies of the professional health programs. JMLA. 2020;108(3). doi:10.5195/jmla.2020.833