Powerful pedagogy: Facilitating a faculty learning community in special collections

Abstract

Facilitating a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) in Special Collections is an excellent way to introduce faculty to unique primary resources and teaching materials. As a faculty librarian, I facilitated an FLC in which classroom faculty participants explored the university library’s Special Collections to identify resources for enriched pedagogy and original student research. This article outlines the setting, objectives, planning, activities, outcomes, and a discussion about this Special Collections FLC.

FLCs have been defined as “cross-disciplinary faculty and staff group(s) of six to fifteen members . . . who engage in an active, collaborative, yearlong program with a curriculum about enhancing teaching and learning . . . with frequent seminars and activities that provide learning, development, the scholarship of teaching, and community building.” Examples of FLC topics include assessment, blended classrooms, online teaching, and the first-year seminar.