ERIC Number: EJ1240488
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1361-4533
EISSN: N/A
Ethnography in Student-Owned Spaces: Using Whiteboards to Explore Learning Communities and Student Success
New Review of Academic Librarianship, v25 n2-4 p424-445 2019
"Student success" and the "user experience" are terms that have gained prominence in conversations around the ways in which academic libraries support and engage with their student populations. Ethnographic methods provide a unique opportunity to incorporate student voices into these conversations. This study reports on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at two academic libraries in the United States. Through a semi-structured participatory approach using whiteboards, the researchers garnered more than 2,000 responses. By coding that qualitative data, the researchers were able to examine student usage of library spaces, how students create informal learning communities within these spaces, and how students define success for themselves. The research specifically highlights the importance of using transitional spaces within libraries, highly visible communal spaces not specifically set aside for academic purposes to gather participatory data. This article shares key findings to inform both library practice and further research.
Descriptors: Ethnography, Academic Libraries, Library Facilities, Users (Information), Undergraduate Students, Communities of Practice
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Tennessee
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A