Congratulations to SJSU SLIS faculty member Dr. Michael Stephens, who recently received a $11,786 grant award from the university, which will allow him to conduct a preliminary study of the Learning 2.0 professional development program and its implementation at U.S. libraries.

Since its debut five years ago, nearly 1,000 libraries worldwide have offered the Learning 2.0 professional development program to their staff. The self-paced, online program aims to educate library personnel about emerging technology, generate a willingness to explore and adapt to technological change, and gain new knowledge regarding how to use emerging technology to better serve their communities.

In this one-year study, Stephens will initiate an exploration of how this widespread professional development program is impacting library staff and library services in the United States, how the program model can be refined to improve long-term outcomes, and how it can inform further research regarding self-directed online professional development models. The research conducted during this preliminary study will focus on the program’s impact at public libraries in one region and lay the foundation for a broader nationwide study regarding the efficacy and impact of the Learning 2.0 program model.

Stephens conducted the only in-depth examination of the Learning 2.0 program model to date, as he studied Learning 2.0 programs in academic libraries in Australia and published his findings in 2011. With this grant award, Stephens will extend his research by exploring implementation of Learning 2.0 programs at diverse types of libraries in the United States.

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