Assignment Overview

Assignments are practical exercises in applying concepts and ideas related to The Hyperlinked Library.

Assignment Overview Video

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Progression of Thought and Reflection

The Hyperlinked Library course is designed to be a reflective journey. As you work through the modules and tackle each assignment, you will experience a progression of thought while you reflect upon the readings and lectures. You will begin by building an awareness of course themes through your reflection blogging: your awareness will continue to evolve throughout the semester. With Assignment X, you will demonstrate your developing competency as you examine a selected aspect from the course at a deeper level. You will then demonstrate your literacy with the course themes by completing the Innovation Strategy and Roadmap, wherein you develop a plan for implementing an emerging trend or participatory service. With the Inspiration Report, you will exhibit your mastery of course themes by researching and proposing an emerging trend for a specific information environment. You will complete your journey with the Hyperlinked Library by displaying your coursework and reflecting upon the course themes through creation with the Virtual Symposium. By the end of the course, you will be equipped to incorporate #hyperlib into your own information environments.


Assignment Overview

With each assignment, you will find a brief description, a section on the Progression of Thought and Reflection that is applicable to that assignment, and potential core competencies for which the assignment may be used as evidence for your ePortfolio. 

Reflection Blogging:

After establishing a blog through our site, you will be using this electronic publishing medium to share your thoughts and ideas on participatory service as you progress through the course. Reflection blogging will allow you to explore course modules and apply your own critical take on the topics. After reading and exploring a module, write a blog post about the experience and how you believe the issue/topic impacts library service. What might change? What could we do differently? Where do the readings/videos/sites take you in your thinking about library or information work? Feel free to reflect on the module as a whole, a selected article that resonated, or anything that sparked your thinking about the module topic.

Progression of Thought and Reflection for Reflection Blogging:

This evaluates the learner’s ability to absorb course content and expand upon the ideas presented to demonstrate awareness of course themes. Blog entries demonstrate awareness of most of the key issues raised through readings and/or class activities. Blog entries show evidence of the learner’s evolution with the course content over the semester, integrating course themes into their understanding of the profession.

Potential Core Competencies: B, C, F, H, M, O

Assignment X:

This assignment offers a deeper dive into one of the foundational aspects of our course. Students can select any aspect (concept, idea, or resource) covered in the first four modules of our course and write/create a blog post that expands their knowledge of the selected aspect. Then write a short reflection on how the aspect might inform your future practice as an information professional.

Progression of Thought and Reflection for Assignment X:

This evaluates the learner’s ability to absorb course content and expand upon the ideas presented to demonstrate competency with course themes. Assignment demonstrates the learner’s understanding of a foundational aspect of the course and ability to integrate course themes into their understanding of the profession. Assignment acts as a catalyst of the learner’s innovative thinking that will progress throughout the semester. 

Potential Core Competencies: C, F, H, O

Innovation Strategy & Roadmap:

For this assignment, you will craft a roadmap for incorporating an emerging trend, technology or participatory service into a library or information setting of your choice. The goal is to engage with your community via technology, service or some other human-focused innovation. Imagine your institution has already been granted funding (or has a newly-available space), and you selected an up-and-coming service or technology that interests you—and your user population—most. This planning-centered action brief can be an entirely virtual service or one that augments a physical service.

Progression of Thought and Reflection for Innovation Strategy & Roadmap:

This evaluates the learner’s ability to absorb course content and expand upon the ideas presented to demonstrate literacy related to course concepts and themes. Assignment demonstrates the learner’s proficiency with the chosen topic and supporting resources. Progressing along a trajectory of innovative thinking, the learner now demonstrates a level of literacy with course themes and the ability to integrate those themes into their understanding of the profession.

Potential Core Competencies: C, D, F, H, M, N, O

Inspiration Report:

The Inspiration Report gives you the opportunity to hone in on a technology-enhanced service or a trend in participatory libraries from course content or lectures or in conversations with your peers.  Situated as a report-of-sorts for a library director or administrative team, you’ll be crafting a brief that informs your administrator of its origins, related terminologies, application in LIS environments, and addresses both positive and negative aspects. This will be your most polished, detailed and well-presented work of the semester.

Progression of Thought and Reflection for Inspiration Report:

This evaluates the learner’s ability to absorb course content and expand upon the ideas presented to demonstrate a mastery of course themes. The learner demonstrates a master of course themes through critical thinking and effective visual presentation. Report shows evidence of the learner’s evolution with the course content, fully integrating course themes into their understanding of the profession and skillfully translating that understanding into a professional presentation. 

Potential Core Competencies: C, D, F, H, M, O

Virtual Symposium:

The symposium is a way to share your learning with the other members of our hyperlinked community. Imagine strolling around a beautiful space where each of you have created something that represents your takeaways or insights from The Hyperlinked Library. Focus on this question: What are you taking away from the Hyperlinked Library course? Explore your insights in any creative manner you’d like. It can be anything! Let your imaginations play!

Progression of Thought and Reflection for Virtual Symposium:

This evaluates the learner’s ability to absorb course content and expand upon the ideas presented to demonstrate mastery through creation. The learner demonstrates a mastery of course themes through creation and thoughtful reflection. Assignment shows evidence of the learner’s evolution with the course content, integrating course themes into their understanding of the profession.

Potential Core Competencies: C, F, H, M

Full rubrics linked here.