Focusing on Faculty Facilitator Needs for Small Group Case-Based Learning: Where Might Librarians Fit in?

Objectives: The hypothesis for this study is that increased librarian involvement in case-based small group learning will improve faculty facilitators’ assessment of students’ use and citation of information resources in learning objective presentations. Our aim is to determine a role for librarians as collaborators to improve student use of high quality evidence-based information resources for small group learning.

Methods: This presentation describes findings from a survey administered to faculty facilitators for small group case-based learning for undergraduate medical students. The aim of the survey was to identify gaps in knowledge and/or skills on the part of faculty facilitators surrounding information resources, and to ascertain whether they perceive of librarian participation as valuable for small group case-based learning.
A link to an online Qualtrics survey was sent via email to faculty facilitators on two campuses (N = 70). The survey was composed of 20 questions, including Likert scales and narrative responses. Selected topics included: comfort in use of library resources, confidence determining appropriate resources to answer clinical and basic science questions; top information resources both facilitators and students consult; whether facilitators review and give feedback about students’ citations of resources; and whether or not they see value in librarian participation.

Results: There was a 68% response rate (n=48) to the survey. The majority of respondents had 2 or more years of experience as facilitators. A high percentage felt somewhat or extremely comfortable using library resources and expressed high levels of confidence in determining appropriate information resources to answer clinical or basic science questions. Results indicated that there was a wide variety of information resources used by both faculty and students. While over half of the respondents stated they have not consulted or collaborated with a librarian, 83% see the value of librarian participation in small group case-based learning.

Conclusions: Faculty facilitators see value in librarian participation in small group case-based learning. While faculty facilitators say they provide feedback to students on their use of information resources, librarians can provide additional expert advice about appropriate resources to use, and how to cite them properly. Facilitators indicate that students’ use of information resources should be included as part of small group case-based learning evaluations. Future librarian participation could include assistance with on-the-fly fact finding during small group sessions, offering orientation sessions for new faculty facilitators, and promotion of librarians as resources for small group case-based learning.