Using Synchronous Posting to Locate Student Pain Points

Abstract

The nature of undergraduate library instruction sessions means we often do not see the same students more than once. We rarely begin the class knowing students’ names, their majors, their confidence levels or how they’re feeling that day. I will discuss beginning my instruction sessions with a student activity featuring synchronous, anonymous posting in an effort to create a safe space and to empower students by centering their voices, particularly the voices of students from marginalized communities who may not feel safe in the typical classroom environment. I will discuss how I assess student needs, pain points, and confidence levels in the beginning of class rather than at the end.