I will start this review with a question. Do you know CPR? I am quite certain that at this point in time you are thinking of first aid, but the CPR I am thinking of is a very different one, one that I am going to share with you. This CPR is one that I hope will help you, and me, learn more about Learner‐Centered Teaching. CPR, according to Kaplowitz, is an acronym for collaboration, participation and shared responsibility, the three principles of Learner‐Centered Learning to be shared among participants, teachers and learners. The philosophy outlined in this title comes with a number of such acronyms but it does so in order to allow Kaplowitz to make her point more directly.
The main thrust of this title is an attempt to encourage the transformation of information literacy instruction, to move away from the traditional practices of teaching and towards the modern approach of learning. The principles that it embraces encourage the teacher to interact with the learner and vice versa. They encourage engagement with material, presenting to learners only the material that can be covered in a given lesson, and encourage learners to have confidence and freedom to take ownership of the knowledge that they are to gain. At this moment you may be thinking that this is just another “active learning methodology” but it is more than that. It incorporates traditional ideas and moves beyond them to become a philosophy for teaching which is used for every aspect of the teachers' instruction. Thus, the principle behind this book is very sound, it should make excellent practice for librarians and information professionals who require, wish to or already deliver lessons. It does not just apply to these professionals in a single type of library, it is a philosophy that can be embraced and used across every sector from all levels of the academic, to public and even special libraries. It can be used in any institution that aims to educate its users. It could also be used by classroom teachers to great effect.
The book is divided into five parts. Part 1 is an introduction to the practice of Learner‐Centered Learning, Part 2 helps with the preparation for this style of learning, Part 3 thinks about how to apply what has been learnt, Part 4 uses case studies to show how it can work in action and Part 5 sums it all up looking at how to move forward. It should be noted that the book has an American bias, the reference to learners, particularly in schools are American. This is not a drawback but a point of note.
Kaplowitz uses an informal approach in her writing, drawing the reader in immediately by making them feel that she is speaking directly to them. This method is effective for a book which is at once setting out a philosophy and teaching its reader how to implement this philosophy within their own practice. Her style and tone, however, can make the reader feel as though they are being spoken down to, in parts it is almost patronising and certainly after having waded through Part 1, that is how it felt. I was certain that continuing to read would possibly not enlighten me. There were good aspects to what I was reading, particularly the way in which she closes each chapter not just with a list of references but precedes this with “Explorations” which are references annotated with notes about what the reader might gain from accessing them. Her use of tables to display information can be helpful in some of the chapters though it does feel as if it is an overused device for framing the information being presented. Towards the end of the book, once the reader has worked their way through the philosophy, the styles of learning and so on, come the case studies which really bring the book to life. They show how all the theory can be effectively, and quite simply in some cases, put into practice. It is disappointing that more coverage was not given to this.
For anyone wishing to consider a new approach to their teaching of information literacy skills, in any context, I would recommend elements of this title. If you are a highly experienced information professional I would suggest bypassing some of the earlier chapters which repeat what many of us have been taught. Use the chapters on putting the theory into practice and take note of some of the many useful headings and prompts used throughout the book to divide the information into useful chunks.
The title of this book, I find, is slightly misleading. Perhaps I was wrong to expect a revolutionary method of information literacy teaching but I did not expect to be taught what I already know before being introduced to a concept with much promise which is only examined practically for approximately a quarter of the title. I would recommend this title to information professionals but would add a proviso: be aware of what you will encounter, do not feel offended by the tone and make use of the excellent, extensive “Explorations” and references. An interesting title with promise and potential.
