Information Literacy

What is Information Literacy?
Faculty & Librarian Collaboration
Introductory Research Skills
Advanced Research Skills
Additional Resources
Designing Information Literacy Assignments
Information Literacy Assessment of Library Sessions

What is Information Literacy?

"The beginning of the 21st century has been called the Information Age because of the explosion of information output and information sources. It has become increasingly clear that students cannot learn everything they need to know in their field of study in a few years of college. Information literacy equips them with the critical skills necessary to become independent lifelong learners" (Introduction to Information Literacy).

The essential skills that define an information literate person, as identified by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), include the ability to:

• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one's knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

For a more extensive listing of performance indicators and suggested student outcomes for each of these abilities see the Information Literacy Competency Standards developed by ACRL.

The ACRL information literacy standards are incorporated into the accreditation standards adopted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The MSCHE publication, Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education, Eligibility Requirements and Standards for Accreditation, states "information literacy is an essential component of any educational program at the graduate or undergraduate levels." Standards 11 and 12 state specific information literacy requirements for institutional accreditation, including a demonstration of "collaboration among professional library staff, faculty and administrators in fostering information literacy" and "evidence of articulated...information literacy... expectations of student learning outcomes."

Faculty & Librarian Collaboration

Librarians and faculty have complementary roles in facilitating the development of information literacy skills. Librarians have extensive training in information sources and how information is organized, as well as experience in accessing and evaluating information sources. They can guide students in the process of searching, retrieving and evaluating sources of information. Classroom instructors, with their subject discipline expertise and contact with students throughout the course, have the opportunity to guide students in the evaluation and synthesis of discipline specific information.

Library sessions are an effective means of helping students discover quality information resources that are not accessible with Google or Yahoo type search engines. After participating in a library session, students report they are more likely to use library resources. The Alvernia College librarians welcome the opportunity to work with faculty to incorporate information literacy skills into existing courses. This can take the form of one or more instruction sessions, developing class assignments, or team teaching.

Introductory Research Skills

The first library session for freshmen is during their First-Year Seminar or Comp and Research class. First-Year Seminar faculty identified the information literacy outcomes listed below. The instructor scheduling a session with a librarian will identify which outcomes are to be addressed as part of the library session.

First-Year Seminar Information Literacy Outcomes

• Students will be exposed to WebCT and IQ Web through First-Year Seminar.
• Students will demonstrate how to use the library as an academic resource and know how to get help with library research.
• Students will recognize the need to evaluate a resource’s credibility by demonstrating the difference between a resource from the Internet and a proprietary database.
• Students will be able to access information using a variety of resources, including print and computer databases.

Students are also introduced to primary research skills in the Comp and Research and entry-level subject classes. The information literacy learning outcomes for these classes are determined by the type of assignment requiring students to use library resources. A library session can include the following:

• Developing an effective search strategy
• Broadening searches by including synonyms and truncation
• Narrowing searches with an additional concept, setting limits such as date or article type, or limiting an Internet search to education or government Websites
• Exploring library resources, such as CQ Researcher, Opposing Viewpoints, & The Reference Shelf series
• Identifying differences between popular and scholarly publications
• Evaluating sources

Advanced Research Skills

Library sessions in subject-specific courses focus on advanced research skills using discipline specific resources. These sessions can include the following:

• Using a thesaurus to conduct subject searching
• Exploring limits available in specialized electronic resources like CINAHL, ERIC, PsycInfo or Business Search Premier
• Advanced Internet searching and evaluation

Designing Information Literacy Assignments

Library assignments can be an effective way to assist students in learning information literacy skills. Creating Effective Library Assignments links to several Web sites with suggestions on how to incorporate information literacy skills in assignments.

You can contact Leon Weber at x8352 to discuss your interests in incorporating information literacy skills in your course. Together we can identify specific outcomes, how they can be addressed, and the appropriate librarian to work with you.

Additional Resources

Arp, L., Woodard, B., Lindstrom, J., & Shonrock, D. (2006). Faculty-librarian collaboration to achieve integration of information literacy. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(1), 18-23.

Bruce, C. (n.d.). Seven faces of information literacy in higher education. Retrieved May 16, 2007 from http://sky.fit.qut.edu.au/~bruce/inflit/faces/faces1.htm

Cheuk, B. (2002). Information literacy in the workplace context: Issues, best practices and challenges. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from http://www.nclis.gov/libinter/infolitconf&meet/papers/cheuk-fullpaper.pdf

Fisch, K. & McLeod, S. (2007). Shift happens. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

Hardesty, L. (2007). Strategies for designing assignments to support information literacy initiatives. In Hardesty, L. (Ed.), The role of the library in the first college year (Monograph No. 45, pp. 109-120). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Malone, D. & Videon, C. (2007). Models of library instruction for first-year students. In Hardesty, L. (Ed.), The role of the library in the first college year (Monograph No. 45, pp. 51-68). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Rockman, I. (2003). Integrating information literacy into the learning outcomes of academic disciplines. College & Research Libraries News, (64)9, 612-615.

University of Mary Washington. (2007). Discover information literacy. Retrieved June 26, 2007 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWzigkpR7yg

Websites

Creating Effective Library Assignments
Check these Websites for ideas on creating assignments that help students develop information literacy skills.

Developing Research & Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum
This Middle States Commission on Higher Education handbook suggests ways to integrate information literacy skills across the curriculum.

Guidelines for Plagiarism Prevention
This Turnitin site lists tips for structuring assignments in ways that make it difficult to plagiarise.

Information Literacy Competence Course Integration
Sample templates for integrating information literacy standards into general education and discipline specific cources.

Information Literacy in the Disciplines
"links and citations to information literacy standards and curricula developed by accrediting agencies, professional associations, and institutions of higher education".

Information Literacy Rubric
A rubric for assessing information literacy skills developed at St Johns University.

Information Literacy Standards for Science and Technology
This draft document illustrates outcomes that can be used by science educators to assess student competency in the information literacy standards.

Integration of Learning Outcomes

InfoSearch Tutorial
This tutorial, adapted for users of the Alvernia College Library, explores how to access and evaluate information resources. Each of the six modules includes a quiz to assess the ideas presented. A brief description and objectives are listed for each of the modules.

Middle States Commision on Higher Education Publications
Documents available for downloading or purchase.

Research Competency Guidelines for Literatures in English
This draft document lists information literacy outcomes that might be used for undergraduate English or literature courses.

Student Learning Assessment: Options & Resources
This Middle States Commission on Higher Education 2007 handbook has a new Chapter 4, incorporating Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness: Understanding Middle States Expectations.

Updated: March 12, 2008

Your comments are welcome.