Theory into Practice: Applying David Jonassen’s Work in Instructional Design to Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries

Abstract

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) recently updated the guidelines for instruction programs in academic libraries. This revised document includes the use of active learning techniques and instructional design tools for program development. Research in education currently contains a wealth of theories and strategies in these areas that are useful to instruction librarians. In particular, the work of David H. Jonassen is rich with guidance on designing active learning environments for problem solving and information retrieval. This article outlines how Jonassen’s research can provide a working context for using the ACRL guidelines to create successful instruction programs.