13 Things in Blackboard

What is 13 Things in Blackboard?

13 Things in Blackboard at George Mason University Libraries is a distributed learning initiative for faculty librarians and library classified staff who have been tasked to provide information literacy (IL) instruction and research support to online students. While the relevant skills need not be evenly developed by all members of the University Libraries community, the cultivation of a shared set of experiences among library staff facilitates development of a robust institutional knowledge of how best to support online IL training. 13 Things in Blackboard’s design is an adaptation of the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County’s 23 Things model. It is a self-paced extended learning opportunity designed to encourage library staff to experiment with unfamiliar learning technologies and foster understanding of best practices in online pedagogy in a collaborative space before implementing them in real time. 

Incorporating 13 Things in Blackboard at Your Library

While the program was developed and implemented for George Mason University Libraries, a universal syllabus and course facilitator's guide were created for any library to adapt. Both documents have a CC BY-NC-SA license.