Abstract:
To improve the quality of our instruction, and to contribute to student success, we
designed an instructional development program using peer mentoring and observation
grounded in evidence-based practices. We identified three methods of peer observation and
mentoring to create an innovative progressively in-depth program that helps librarians
understand what is happening in the classroom, and works within a community of practice to
identify ways to improve the quality of our instruction. These tools, used in higher education,
were then customized to work for information literacy instruction: Teaching Squares, the
Teaching Practices Inventory - Information Literacy Instruction, and the Classroom Observation
Protocol for Information Literacy. These tools help librarians identify evidence-based practices,
understand what occurred in their classrooms, and lead to student-focused teaching. This article
discusses the development of these tools and initial findings