Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Enhancing Information Literacy Using Bernard Lonergan's Generalized Empirical Method: A Three-Year Case Study In A First Year Biology Course., Lisa M. Rose-Wiles, Marian Glenn, Doreen Stiskal

Praxis Publications

This paper describes a three-year long collaborative project between a science librarian, a biology professor and a physical therapy professor to improve information literacy in an undergraduate biology laboratory course. The authors used Bernard J. Lonergan’s Generalized Empirical Method (GEM) as a cognitional framework, emphasizing the role of experience, understanding, judgement and action in conducting research. They focused on the selection, integration and citation of scholarly articles in formal laboratory reports. The science librarian became embedded in the course, delivering information literacy instruction sessions, grading and providing feedback on the use of information sources in the lab reports. Overall the …