We design with industry in mind! Bridging the gap between industry practitioners and academics

Abstract

We design with industry in mind! Bridging the gap between industry practitioners and academics in the design and development of Library and Information Studies courses. Taking the pulse of a course. This poster describes the trial of a new method for incorporating diverse stakeholder input into the course development for LIS502 Navigating and Using Information. ‘Taking the pulse’ for each module in the new course facilitated the incorporation of a diversity of viewpoints and strengthened the relevancy of the course to each sector of the industry. A high -level programme review was conducted to inform the architecture and redesign of the Library and Information Studies portfolio, and to produce a curriculum redesign that aligned with industry needs and focused on graduate skills in digital technologies and communication, bicultural and cultural competencies, and community engagement. Curriculum renewal needed to include transferable skills across the sectors of libraries, archives and records and information management. This provided a unique opportunity for in-depth partnership with stakeholders in the design, development and delivery of the courses. The Open Polytechnic is an internationally recognised tertiary education provider in the open and flexible learning, with well-established systems, processes and pedagogy for designing and delivering quality assured programmes.