"Struck" reading Corlett

This is not an academic blog post, but perhaps a more meaningful one.
Whilst reading about the importance of research data as a tool for self-reflexive practice I found myself thinking of a recent workplace experience.

In this particular situation, a group of information professionals were given recommendations based on the analysis of data accumulated through 1-1 interviews and a number of group workshops. One recommendation that came out of this analysis was that the group need to shift their thinking around delivering information services, particularly around information literacy.

The data indicated that the group had consistently referred to information literacy within the context of on-campus classes and physical presence. With a vast majority of students enrolled at the institution studying off-campus or completely online, the recommendation was that the group needed to address their ways of thinking about delivering and marketing services and resources to be more in line with the realities of the student cohort. On receiving this recommendation, there were cries of, “but I don’t actually spend more time on on-campus students” and “but that doesn’t seem to reflect what we actually do” and other similar comments. This was a perfect moment for reflexive learning. Whether or not as professionals we believe that we address the off-campus and online cohort sufficiently, the data showed that our ‘way of thinking’ about information literacy service delivery was not in line with the current reality of students’ needs.

Although unaware how to articulate my feeling of it at the time, I had a personal experience of being “struck”. Corlett (2013) develps the idea that the uncomfortable moments within a research interview provide moments for reflexivity where subjects can consciously consider their own behaviours and ways of thinking and learning. Corlett (2013, p.457) states that, “the physiological, emotional or cognitive sense of being ‘struck’ is key to critical self-reflexivity and learning because it moves us to question our ways of understanding and being”. This articulates perfectly what happened within my own thoughts in this moment.

In that moment I identified that my beliefs around my own ways of thinking were not reflected in the data. The data revealed that my own patterns of behaviour and thinking were, in fact, out of sync with what I had believed them to be.

Perhaps there is something in this for further development within the information profession.

References:
Corlett, S 2013, Participant learning in and through research as reflexive dialogue: Being ‘struck’ and   the effects of recall, Management Learning, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 453 –469.