Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Research Process Improves The Product: Results Of A Faculty-­Librarian Collaboration, Divonna M. Stebick, Janelle L. Wertzberger, Margaret E. Flora, Joseph W. Miller

Janelle Wertzberger

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the research process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research. We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound research strategies, …

Creating, Sharing And Reusing Learning Objects To Enhance Information Literacy, Philip Russell

Philip Russell

From June 2010 until the present, a suite of online reusable learning objects (RLOs) has been created by staff at the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT Dublin) library covering a range of information literacy (IL) competencies. These RLOs have helped to facilitate student transition from second to third level, advance IL and enrich the student learning experience. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of these RLOs and how the resources have been shared, reused and repurposed to enhance IL progression. A review of recent literature explores some of the key issues around the creation of digital …

Information Literacy For Teaching And Learning: A Course For Teacher Practitioners., Sara Bushong, Colleen T. Boff

Colleen T. Boff, Ed.D.

Teachers are faced not only with standards-based instructional design daily, but with the shortage of certified school library media specialists within their districts. Information Literacy for Teaching and Learning, a graduate level course, was created, in part, to empower teachers with the knowledge, skills and abilities to embed information literacy within classroom learning experiences. In addition, the skills mastered and activities explored in this course logically transfer to research projects assigned in future graduate courses. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

Creating The Il Course In A University Setting, Catherine Cardwell, Colleen T. Boff

Colleen T. Boff, Ed.D.

This book chapter offers suggestions for how to develop a stand alone information literacy course. It takes into account all of the levels of curriculum review at the campus level as well as practical matters such as staffing, course delivery options and budgeting.

Teaching Information Literacy Skills To Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Collaborative Approach, Suzanne Zentz, Kimberly Whalen

Kimberly J. Whalen

Background

An expectation of baccalaureate nursing education is to prepare nurses to implement evidenced-based practice (EBP). This expectation extends far beyond a basic understanding of the research process. BSN prepared nurses must be able to effectively and efficiently identify, analyze, and synthesize evidence (AACN, 2008). The acquisition of information literacy skills is foundational to the development of EBP.

Implementation

The study took place at a College of Nursing within a mid-sized, faith-based university located in the Midwest. Historically, students enrolled in their senior level undergraduate nursing research/EBP course underwent one library instruction session with the nursing librarian to reinforce search …

Addressing Academic Integrity: Perspectives From Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar, Nancy E. Fawley

Nancy Fawley

Understanding the cultural aspects that affect a student’s ability to appropriately use resources is important in developing outreach and instruction in multicultural settings. Differences in educational philosophies, students’ previous scholastic training and cultural differences in individual motivation are all factors that may affect a freshman’s ability to understand an American university’s idea of academic integrity and can inadvertently cause problems where independent work and critical thinking are required. At Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU Qatar), a branch campus of the American university in the Middle East, a special class on academic integrity and ethical behavior was integrated into the …

Cultivating The Librarian Within: Effectively Lntegrating Library Lnstruction Into Freshman Composition, Jesse Ulmer, Nancy E. Fawley

Nancy Fawley

It has become common practice for library instruction to be included in lower-level college composition courses. Students are typically required to visit the library once or twice a semester to receive instruction on how to find books and journal articles for an upcoming writing assignment that incorporates formal research. But does this current model of instruction truly address course outcomes that seek to produce students who are information literate, critical thinkers and life-long learners? Faculty who teach such courses are often reluctant to surrender precious class time to a librarian, but this paper argues that the merging of bibliographic instruction …

Information Literacy Opportunities Within The Discovery Tool Environment, Nancy E. Fawley, Nikki Krysak

Nancy Fawley

Discovery tools such as Primo, EBSCO Discovery Service, Summon, and WorldCat Local aim to make scholarly research more intuitive for students in part because of their single interface for searching across multiple platforms, including the library, fee-based databases, and unique digital collections. Discovery tools are in sync with the way many undergraduates look for information because they offer a more “Google-like” experience in contrast with previous methods of research that required first knowing which database to use, then searching each one differently according to its specifications. However, broad searches across multiple formats with different systems of controlled vocabulary force instructors …

Librarians As Consultants: The Convergence Of Information Literacy, Data Literacy And Scholarly Communication In Undergraduate Research, Lisa Zilinski, David Scherer, Clarence Maybee

Lisa Zilinski

Undergraduate research has been identified as a high impact educational practice by the LEAP Report. At Purdue we support undergraduate research through various library-driven initiatives such as information literacy (IL), data literacy (DL) and scholarly communication (SC). Although these initiatives can be utilized to support undergraduate research individually, librarians are beginning to recognize a need to provide a service model that offers a more complementary/holistic approach that better utilizes the full capability of these initiatives. This was illustrated in the March 2013, ARCL Committee on Research and the Scholarly Environment White Paper, “Intersections of Scholarly Communication and Information Literacy”. The …

Librarians As Consultants: The Convergence Of Information Literacy, Data Literacy And Scholarly Communication In Undergraduate Research, Lisa Zilinski, David Scherer, Clarence Maybee

Lisa Zilinski

Undergraduate research has been identified as a high impact educational practice by the LEAP Report. At Purdue we support undergraduate research through various library-driven initiatives such as information literacy (IL), data literacy (DL) and scholarly communication (SC). Although these initiatives can be utilized to support undergraduate research individually, librarians are beginning to recognize a need to provide a service model that offers a more complementary/holistic approach that better utilizes the full capability of these initiatives. This was illustrated in the March 2013, ARCL Committee on Research and the Scholarly Environment White Paper, “Intersections of Scholarly Communication and Information Literacy”. The …

Serving Those Who Serve: Outreach And Instruction For Student Cadets And Veterans, Nancy E. Fawley, Nikki Kyrsak

Nancy Fawley

Student cadets and veterans new to college have unique academic needs, and the abrupt switch from civilian to Corps life for new students at a military university can be challenging. Likewise, transitioning from military life to civilian life as a veteran student can be overwhelming. The libraries at Norwich University and The University of Alabama are supporting programs to assist new students in the transition from civilian to Corps life and from military to civilian life, respectively. While these students are at different stages of their military careers, cadets and veterans have common attributes that inform library support and instruction, …

Being Like Both: Library Instruction Methods That Outshine The One-Shot, Teresa M. Bean, Sabrina N. Thomas

Sabrina Thomas

Marshall University librarians' efforts to improve library instruction are explored. A history of the libraries' Digital Learning Team (DLT) and its developmental phases is provided, as well as interpretations of evaluative data collected from embedded students. Data from the iSkills assessment of student information literacy skills are considered. The results suggest that library instruction best facilitates student learning when it aligns with specific research goals, utilizes a variety of learning styles, and allows time for practice and assessment. Student feedback suggests the need for additional instruction on citation and emphasis on increasing students' confidence in their research skills.

The D.B. Weldon Library's Instruction Portfolio: A Grassroots, Team-Based Approach, Kim Mcphee, Melanie Mills, Marg Sloan

Marg Sloan

In an effort to address ever-shifting staffing levels and evolving service demands, staff in the Research & Instructional Services department of The D.B. Weldon Library at Western University developed and implemented a new and strategic approach to structuring their work. The ‘Portfolio Model’ provides a framework for organizing the primary functions of the department - collections, instruction and reference - while at the same time preserving liaison at its core. Through a close examination of this grassroots effort and in particular, the achievements realized and challenges faced by the team of librarians and library assistants who together comprise the ‘Instruction …

Using A Research Log And Reflective Writing To Improve Ebp And Information Literacy Skills Of Bsn Students, Suzanne E. Zentz, Kimberly J. Whalen

Kimberly J. Whalen

Baccalaureate nursing educators must prepare nurses to implement evidence-based practice (EBP). BSN nurses must be able to effectively identify, analyze, and synthesize evidence (AACN, 2008). In a nursing research course, students conducted group projects which required searching for the best evidence. Project evaluations revealed that students were not searching systematically. To facilitate EBP and information literacy skill development, a collaboration between the College of Nursing and Library Services emerged. Targeted Learning Outcomes 1. Formulate a strategic search using databases and Internet resources 2. Evaluate and select the ‘best available’ evidence 3. Document systematic search (keywords, subject headings, limiters, and results) …

Using A Research Log And Reflective Writing To Improve Ebp And Information Literacy Skills Of Bsn Students, Suzanne E. Zentz, Kimberly J. Whalen

Suzanne E Zentz, DNP, RN, CNE

Baccalaureate nursing educators must prepare nurses to implement evidence-based practice (EBP). BSN nurses must be able to effectively identify, analyze, and synthesize evidence (AACN, 2008). In a nursing research course, students conducted group projects which required searching for the best evidence. Project evaluations revealed that students were not searching systematically. To facilitate EBP and information literacy skill development, a collaboration between the College of Nursing and Library Services emerged. Targeted Learning Outcomes 1. Formulate a strategic search using databases and Internet resources 2. Evaluate and select the ‘best available’ evidence 3. Document systematic search (keywords, subject headings, limiters, and results) …

Unite And Conquer! Our Experience Using A Team-Liaison Approach To Integrating Library Services Into A New Medical Education Curriculum, Barbara C. Harvey, Timmi Johnson

Barbara C. Harvey

Objectives:

To illustrate our team-based approach to further integrate health sciences liaison services into a new medical education curriculum. Two full-time librarians are assigned to several departments as liaisons; duties for the school of medicine are shared between the two liaisons. Here, we describe several techniques employed to increase the library’s presence for information literacy in the new curriculum.

Methods:

The health sciences liaison librarians assigned to the school of medicine have for the past several years had a marginal role in the medical school curriculum. First-year medical students are required to take a “Scholarship and Research in Medicine” course, …

Sketching Success: Assessing Learning Outcomes With Concept Maps, Heidi Gauder, Fred W. Jenkins

Fred W Jenkins

Learn how one library uses concept maps to conduct both quick and in-depth assessments of student learning. This technique evolved into a more formal assessment with pre- and post-testing for both one-shot instruction sessions and semester-long research classes. After transcribing the concepts to spreadsheets, librarians standardize the terms and map them to ACRL Information Literacy Standards for more rigorous analysis and assessment. Discover how concept maps can be easily utilized for assessment.

Common Ground At The Nexus Of Information Literacy And Scholarly Communication, Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Merinda Kaye Hensley

Stephanie Davis-Kahl

Common Ground at the Nexus of Information Literacy and Scholarly Communication presents concepts, experiments, collaborations, and strategies at the crossroads of the fields of scholarly communication and information literacy. The seventeen essays and interviews in this volume engage ideas and describe vital partnerships that enrich both information literacy and scholarly communication programs within institutions of higher education. Contributions address core scholarly communication topics such as open access, copyright, authors’ rights, the social and economic factors of publishing, and scholarly publishing through the lens of information literacy. This volume is appropriate for all university and college libraries and for library and …

First Steps In Planning A College Department Curriculum To Incorporate Information Fluency, Claudia J. Dold

Claudia J. Dold

Creating an information fluency curriculum for a specific discipline requires preliminary work: assessing what students already know in their discipline; what they need to learn to be successful in their current course; and then what they will need to be functional in the field when they complete the remaining classes in their discipline, when they start working in their field, and/or when they move on to graduate school. This session addresses how one librarian approached faculty in a particular discipline, assessed the current teaching agenda, and planned to determine the information fluency demands of the courses.

The Rubric: An Assessment Odyssey, Elisa Slater Acosta, Susan [Gardner] Archambault

Elisa Slater Acosta

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Online Information Literacy Tutorials For Millennial Undergraduates, Carrie C. Leatherman

Carrie C Leatherman

This article reports on the findings of a study that evaluated the effectiveness of redesigning online information literacy tutorials in order to meet the learning needs and preferences of Millennial students. Using both quantitative and qualitative measures, this study compared two different online tutorials – a static, HTML-based tutorial and a dynamic, interactive, audio/video tutorial. This study found that, contrary to generalizations made in the library and education literature, Millennial students learned equally well from both tutorials. However, students expressed a much higher level of satisfaction from the tutorial designed to be “Millennial friendly.”

Intersections Of Scholarly Communication And Information Literacy: Creating Strategic Collaborations For A Changing Academic Environment, C. Jeffrey Belliston, Polly Boruff-Jones, Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Barbara Defelice, Mel Desart, Erin L. Ellis, Terri Fishel, Julia Gelfand, Merinda Hensley, Kara Malenfant, Sarah Mcdaniel, Kevin Smith, Jean Zanoni

Teresa A. Fishel

"Intersections of Scholarly Communication and Information Literacy: Creating Strategic Collaborations for a Changing Academic Environment, a white paper published by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). Written by a working group of leaders from many parts of the association, this white paper explores and articulates three intersections between scholarly communication and information literacy. The paper also provides strategies for librarians from different backgrounds to initiate collaborations within their own campus environments between information literacy and scholarly communication." From the website where an online version is available for comment. http://acrl.ala.org/intersections/

Geospatial Thinking Of Information Professionals, Bradley Wade Bishop, Melissa P. Johnston

Bradley Wade Bishop

Geospatial thinking skills inform a host of library decisions including planning and managing facilities, analyzing service area populations, facility site location, library outlet and service point closures, as well as assisting users with their own geospatial needs. Geospatial thinking includes spatial cognition, spatial reasoning, and knowledge discovery. A lack of understanding of librarians’ geospatial thinking called for some preliminary investigation into the geospatial thinking skills of information professionals. Findings from this pilot study’s performance task indicate geospatial thinking skills improved for ten information professionals tested after some training with geospatial technologies. A summary provides recommendations on how to both improve …

The Role Of Librarians In Academic Success, Claudia J. Dold

Claudia J. Dold

Librarians address all levels of information needs for the university: its acquisition, its production, its storage, and instruction for its safe and gainful use. Most of today’s college students have a high degree of computer literacy but are weak in their abilities to determine the quality of the information that is so readily available. Students need to be taught to find, evaluate, and use information in an academically-oriented manner in order to solve complex problems. Good library skills are integral to academic success. In conjunction with research and teaching faculty, librarians create a framework for knowledge acquisition in the evolving …

The Postmodern Shift In Library Instruction, Terry Dwain Robertson

Terry Dwain Robertson

Fifty years ago, prior to the digital revolution, library instruction consisted of a knowledgeable librarian guiding students through the various classes of documents, with examples of recognized authorities. Each bibliographic tool was handcrafted by competent individuals, published by reputable publishers, and recommended by disciplinary practitioners. While working through these various tools was time consuming, and getting access to materials not held locally often proved slow, the student researcher could reasonably assume the sincerity and integrity of the sources. With the digital revolution, much has changed. Now, instead of bibliographic instruction, librarians engage in “information literacy”(IL) training. Rather than point students …

Teaching Information Literacy Skills To Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Collaborative Approach, Suzanne E. Zentz, Kimberly J. Whalen

Suzanne E Zentz, DNP, RN, CNE

Background

An expectation of baccalaureate nursing education is to prepare nurses to implement evidenced-based practice (EBP). This expectation extends far beyond a basic understanding of the research process. BSN prepared nurses must be able to effectively and efficiently identify, analyze, and synthesize evidence (AACN, 2008). The acquisition of information literacy skills is foundational to the development of EBP.

Implementation

The study took place at a College of Nursing within a mid-sized, faith-based university located in the Midwest. Historically, students enrolled in their senior level undergraduate nursing research/EBP course underwent one library instruction session with the nursing librarian to reinforce search …

Information Literacy In The Discipline, Mellon Grant For Biology 499 Partnership With W. Jaeckle, Crystal Boyce, William Jaeckle

Crystal Boyce

Biology 499 (Independent Research) is a course that has no common grading rubric among the Biology faculty. To objectify the awarding of a letter grade for research students, a generalized grading scheme was developed by Will Jaeckle and then collaboratively described by Will Jaeckle and R. Given Harper (see Appendix). This rubric is applied to Jaeckle’s research students and those students co-mentored by Harper and Jaeckle. With this tiered grading in place each student understands how a particular grade is earned.

Information Literacy In The Discipline, Mellon Grant For Math 405 Partnership With A. Shallue, Crystal Boyce, Andrew Shallue

Crystal Boyce

The goal of the assignment was to familiarize students with what it means to learn mathematics outside of a classroom environment. This is connected to the main goal of the course, which is to develop skills in proof writing and in technical presentations.

Information Literacy In The Discipline, Mellon Grant For Math 310 Partnership With D. Roberts, Crystal Boyce, Daniel Roberts

Crystal Boyce

As of now, MATH 310 has neither a required writing component nor an assignment that deals with information literacy. We are proposing the implementation of a new assignment that would incorporate both of these components. This assignment would have multiple stages spread over approximately a one-month time period.