This may also turn into a written project, so I have room for many ideas beyond the workshop format. - Jason P

I don't actually know much about LibGuides, so I'd want to know how learning styles are critical to the build as well as instructional assessment--how does instructional assessment fit in with building a LibGuide? Definitely best practices and maybe copyright issues? I know you can use other libraries' LibGuides when you're building your own, but I wouldn't know if I need to worry about copyright issues of any kind. - MontglaneChess

Assessment would definitely fit and I'm already thinking about how I might approach that. I'm focusing on the instructional theory aspect, so I probably wouldn't cover copyright *too* much aside from "get permission and don't break copyright law." - Jason P

Some things that would be on my mind (but not strictly necessary for me to think it was a useful workshop): • Lightweight assessment, mostly along the lines of "how do I know if this works for the intended audience?" • Disciplinary differences. • Differences between course-based guides and more generic "subject" guides. - bevedog

Now that I think about it, it might be a good topic to talk about how to efficiently reuse content (yours and others'): finding a balance between "specific to this class" and "generic so I can reuse it in other guides" - Jason P

Steve: Exactly the sort of thing I'm thinking about. Thank you! - Jason P

I would really want to see a practical guide to instructional design, as a back door to decent web design, as in "please do not use 45 tabs and/or a menu with 45 items". Instructional design is a huge field, so I think it's helpful to have some pithy overviews and/or reading assignments, with an eye towards creating an action plan. Experienced teachers sort of structure their world through good instructional design, create goals and outcomes and clear messages somewhat implicitly, but I as a librarian may have a tougher time with that. So a very practical "first this then that then this then that" guide may help? Obviously, this is assuming you're going to have a beginner-level audience. - Amandadon't

Oh, and maybe some practice on writing for the web? Use bullet points, inverted pyramid, that sort of thing? - Amandadon't

I agree with Amandadon't that some kind of instructional design primer is necessary, but perhaps not as part of the course? LIke, I kind of know what Instructional Design is, but I also kinda suspect it is a fancy name for Planning to Teach People--a person like me could use a few references to "if you want to know what we mean when we say Instructional Design, read this stuff." - bevedog

Amandon't, I'm expecting probably people who have used LibGuides/A La Carte/Whatever homebrew guides system for a while, and probably have been teaching for a while too, but I'll probably get some absolute beginners too. I think some overview/primers are a good idea, and I could maybe make them optional reading if someone feels that they're too basic. Oh, and definitely a "writing for the web" unit. - Jason P

This isn't a "what" so much as a "how," but I'm finding (as I bootcamp my ass off this summer) that folks want more explicit direction and less explanation than is my usual inclination as an instructor. I personally can get very peeved by "DO IT THIS WAY" sometimes, but honestly? it's what my learners tend to want, especially with highly complex notions like metadata and instructional design. So I somewhat regretfully suggest less theory ("learning styles blah de blah"), more pro tips and examples ("3 great quickie-assessment techniques"). Char Booth is really good at hitting that balance, by the way. - RepoRat

(I say this as I'm madly revamping my metadata slides, because I just Did It Wrong the last time and I want it to go better this time.) - RepoRat

Someday I will be a fraction as good at this as Char Booth is. I'm going to try hard to hit "Here's a concept, and here are specific ways you can put it into practice" for each unit. I am better at it than I used to be, I think. - Jason P

I think RepoRat captured exactly what I was trying to say! I tend to be someone who likes a quick theoretical intro, a quick "do it this way" intro, and then a chance for hands-on practice. Then if possible, re-visiting theory afterwards -- I don't want to under-represent the importance of theory, it's more that often I don't feel like I can critically engage with the theory until I've gotten my hands into the practice. (Not to threadjack and make this entirely about my preferences...) - Amandadon't

I am a bad librarian. I would not want to go to a workshop on this topic, no matter how it was approached. I feel as if I just declared that I refuse to eat my vegetables. - barbara fister

How do I keep it from just being endless lists? Does the "leave feedback" actually work? Weird tricks and tools that I wouldn't muddle through on my own. - Hedgehog

Barbara, I hope you expand on that either here or elsewhere. - bevedog

Barbara, I don't blame you a bit. :) The amount of interest in Libguides/research guides in another workshop I taught this year convinces me that there is an audience. We'll see. - Jason P

We're just moving to LibGuides after several years with LibData (an open source program from the U of MN that is no longer being developed). I'm enjoying playing around with it (was just working on this http://libguides.gustavus.edu/tutoria...) and I've always liked the kind of technical writing that explains library stuff in simple terms without oversimplifying. I would be interested in research on how students use this stuff. But a workshop? It would just make me crazy. - barbara fister

Reminds me of a NYT piece on how our education system would approach learning to play baseball. You'd take quizzes on the rules, study the stats, maybe reenact famous plays of the past in college. But you wouldn't actually play the game until grad school. When it comes to practical things, just give me scissors and glue and I'm happy. - barbara fister

I'm actually a lot like that myself. - Jason P

Me three. But I keep colliding with people who won't stir a step until they've been physically walked all over the baseball field, had their noses rubbed in the rulebook, and had somebody stand behind them with hands over theirs showing them how to wield a bat. You know what I mean? That's the kind of person -- and librarianship seems to have a lot of 'em, $DEITY wot -- who will take Jason's course. - RepoRat

(I will also confess that I find a lot of room in my professional life for people who can convincingly tell me I'm Doing It Wrong, and give me insight into how to fix it. Char Booth is one such. Matthew Reidsma is another.) - RepoRat

And an ever-so-slightly more optimistic take on librarians is that many people don't have the professional network that we in the LSW have. So if they are going to get some ideas about the profession from outside their immediate colleagues, structured workshops and lectures are how it will happen. - bevedog

Thinking of the benefit of having folks tell you you're Doing It Wrong, I would love a workshop where I brought in my LibGuide, the group studied some learning theory and best practices, and then a colleague with fresh eyes just ripped my guide to shreds. Like Hedgehog mentions upthread, I'm afraid I fall into the "endless lists" trap and can't figure out how to get out. It could be hard getting a group of strangers into a space for trustworthy peer feedback and workshopping, though (?) - Amandadon't

I should have said "other people would probably love this workshop and get a lot out of it." It really was just a personal preference kind of response. I am absolutely awful at sitting through anything about technology unless I can be playing along. Which usually means I end up somewhere else ... like here, for example. I would probably flunk out of college if I had to do it again. - barbara fister

informed peer critique would be useful, though. - barbara fister

FWIW, I'm getting to be absolutely awful at sitting through anything in general. - bevedog

I would like a nice concise overview of related usability studies--what do students actually think about these things? - Megan loves summer