The Expert Searcher and Threshold Concepts
Channel: SJSU School of Information
Date: 2013-12-09

Podcast Links:
http://amazon.sjsu.edu/slisPod/colloquia/fa13/collTuckerFA13.mp3
http://amazon.sjsu.edu/slisPod/colloquia/fa13/collTuckerFA13.mp4

Abstract:
Dr. Virginia Tucker will present highlights from her research into the transformative learning experiences and critical concepts—threshold concepts—involved as search expertise is acquired. She will discuss implications for the evolving role of the professional searcher, models of the search experience, search interface design, and how we teach advanced search methods and concepts.

Biography:
Dr. Virginia Tucker is a full-time lecturer at the San José State University School of Library and Information Science and works half-time as a county law librarian in Washington state. She received the SLIS Outstanding Lecturer Award in 2011. Tucker's career in information services began as head librarian at the Stanford University Physics Library. She was recruited by Dialog/Thomson (now ProQuest) to their sci-tech client services and training group and became the manager of client training programs for the company worldwide. Her intense engagement with students and other instructors during that time gave her a deep understanding of how searchers perceive (and misperceive) database structures, search protocols and concepts, and techniques for searching efficiently and cost-effectively. She has developed and written many instructional materials, multimedia tutorials, and self-study user guides. After years working directly with clients, Tucker moved behind the scenes to be an information architect and interface specialist for web-based search products. Her key professional passion is teaching and researching how people learn to search for and find information. As a public law librarian, she is passionate about access to justice and legal information.