Issue 13

With several universities offering external study facilities, T/Ls have a choice of educational institutions when juggling employment and professional upgrading.

Charles Sturt University was the first academic institution in Australia to offer external courses in librarianship.

Teacher Librarianship at CSU: What's happening?

There has been more interest in courses for teacher librarianship at CSU over the past few years than at any other time since 1982. In response, courses are being continually revised and currently include:

• Grad Dip Ed (TL) course to fee paying students in response to growing demand for student places.
• Teacher Librarianship Certificate to two year trained teachers, as a non award course and may be used by students as the third year in a BEd.
• A Teacher Librarianship method within the Grad Dip Ed (Secondary) for qualified librarians to gain teaching qualifications.
• A Teacher Librarianship strand within the Master of Applied Science (Information Studies) degree - a composite course work and research award.
• Collaboration with the Northern Territory University to provide them with a major in teacher librarianship as part of their BEd program. Subjects are taught by CSU staff with residential schools conducted in Darwin.
• Securing sponsorship from the NSW Department of Education for selected students. • Offering optional residential schools in most subjects.
• Offering 'off-campus workshops' in Sydney and Wollongong as an alternative to attendance at the Wagga Wagga Campus.
• Offering selected subjects during the Summer Session (Dec -Feb).

During 1994/5 efforts have been concentrated on revising the GOE (TL) course and towards developing a MEd (Teacher Librarianship). It has been recognised that the graduate diploma is not a particularly attractive award for teachers who hold four year qualifications. The MEd (TL) will be introduced from Autumn 1996 and will consist of 8 academic subjects and two practical subjects. It will be a total coursework degree and will be available via HECS funding and as a full fee paying award. Three year trained teachers will continue to undertake the Grad Dip Ed (TL) course.

At the present time we are working on a proposal to introduce a coursework Master of Applied Science (Teacher Librarianship). This award will consist of 12 academic subjects: the first 8 of these (or Part A) is the Grad Dip Ed. Teacher-librarians who already hold a Grad Dip in Teacher Librarianship will be able to claim up to 8 subjects credit depending on the recency of their award. It is anticipated that this award will be introduced in Spring 1996 to students who are eligible for maximum cred it and to other students from Autumn 1997. This award will be available to HECS students as well as a fee paying program. However, it is anticipated that students coming into the program with credit will pay fees.

Those not familiar with the difference between HECS payments and Full Fee Paying arrangements need only know that if you are in full time employment there is no significant difference between the bottom lines. Those looking for a coursework / thesis option may seek entry into the MAppSci (Info Studies) and those who want t o undertake research alone and have a first award teacher librarianship may consider undertaking either a MAppSci or PhD.

Other Universities offering external courses include:

Monash University
(Clayton Camp)
ph: 03 9053787 fax: 03 9053054
(Gippsland Camp)
ph: 03 9026200 fax: 051 226300

Curtin University of Technology
ph: 09 3512000

Edith Cowan University
ph: 09 2738333 fax: 09 3877095

Northern Territory University
ph: 089 466666 fax: 089 270612