Education Commons^™

Comics, Questions, Action! Engaging Students And Instruction Librarians With The Comics-Questions Curriculum, Stephanie Margolin, Mason Brown, Sarah Laleman Ward

Publications and Research

In a four-session Summer Bridge programme, we experimented with new curricular and pedagogical ideas with a group of incoming freshmen. We developed the Comics-Questions Curriculum (CQC), which melds students’ question asking with a focus on comics. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale for and ongoing development of the CQC as well as the ways the CQC fosters engagement of students and librarians, builds upon students’ existing skills but propels them forward toward college-level work, and positions librarians as partners in students’ college work. Although it was designed for a specific purpose initially, the CQC in its …

Bridging The Gap: Engaging Business Sophomores To Ensure Information Literacy Competency, Heather A. Crozier, Harry J. Wilson

Heterick Faculty Scholarship

This project showcases a two-week series of assignments that are designed to illustrate the value of information literacy skills to undergraduate sophomore business students. We demonstrate how the project integrates with our business curricula and show how leveraging the expertise of librarians ultimately improves the quality of education for our students.

How To Create A Stunning Video Orientation By Hand, Rachel S. Evans

Articles, Chapters and Online Publications

This article describes the multi-faceted approach UGA Law Library took with their fall 2018 first year student orientation. It describes the process of the creating a virtual tour experience, pairing it with a hybrid face-to-face event, and assessing the impact of all aspects of the orientation. The creation of the video itself involved a multi-media approach using a combination of visual arts and technology to animate a product that has a longer expiration than traditional video or in-person library orientations offer.

Speaking Their Language: Developing A Bilingual Libguide For Chinese Students., Nathan Elwood, Maryalice Wade

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

This article documents the development of a bilingual English/Mandarin library guide for the Chinese student population of Fort Hays State University. Growing international student populations across the country mean that many university libraries need to customize services for unique student groups. At Forsyth Library of Fort Hays State University we serve over 3600 students from China. We sought to develop further services for this student group. Please note that throughout this paper, when referring to “Chinese language,” we are specifically referencing Standard Mandarin, which is predominant among our Chinese students.

The Politics Behind The Library Plagiarism Tutorial: A Case Study, Gloria F. Creed-Dikeogu

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

This article describes the educational politics and processes involved in vetting the creation of an online plagiarism tutorial at a small Liberal Arts college in the Midwest. The first three phases of the ADDIE Instructional Design model was used to develop the course, but its rollout was indefinitely suspended, awaiting a faculty vote. The plagiarism course modules are described along with the pending review which has led to a redesign of the course modules in favor of implementing a reflection course module.

Research For Non-Profits, A Service Learning Class In Grantseeking Research, Alyssa Wright

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This chapter describes Research for Non-Profits a 300/500 level service-learning course that introduces non-profits and grantseeking while teaching research and information literacy skills. Students in the course create a funder research portfolio for a non-profit client with a funding need. As students draft, revise, and polish the portfolios, they hone their research skills as well as engage with larger information literacy concepts, particularly the value of information, information creation as a process, and how authority is constructed and contextual. The chapter describes the course’s long development road as well as how partnerships were built, not only with the campus center …

A Storied Tale: Melding Digital Storytelling, Service-Learning, And Digital And Information Literacy Skills For Pre-Service Teachers, Heather K. Beirne

EKU Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Today’s teachers, a diverse body of individuals with a variety of technological backgrounds and skill sets, often find themselves working from a “digital immigrant” perspective. Even pre-service teachers, who may be classified as digital natives, report “strong positive beliefs in technology, yet moderate confidence and reserved attitude in using technology” (Lei, 2009); Lei reports that, though they are often viewed as “innovative users of available technology and eager adopters of new technology,” pre-service teachers are also not utilizing digital technology to its fullest advantage, self-report that they do not feel comfortable with or proficient at the use of higher level …

Research Resurgence: Supporting Our University Qep With Our Information Literacy Expertise, Amanda Hahn, Hannah Lowder

Amanda Hahn

Championing information literacy has long been the mission of university librarians. When our University chose “Cultivating a Community of Research and Scholarship” as the focus of our Quality Enhancement Plan the Library was invited to join two interdisciplinary course development teams. Librarians collaborated with faculty from various academic departments to design two introductory research courses. These sequential courses lay the foundation of information literacy that springboards students to higher level research.

Inquiry 101 centers on the themes of the value and relevance of research, introduction to the application of research, and an introduction to information literacy skills. As a major …

Passing The Baton: Digital Literacy And Sustained Implementation Of Elearning Technologies, Lauren Herckis

Current Issues in Emerging eLearning

Evidence-based eLearning tools have proliferated in recent decades, but adoption at scale remains elusive. Educator buy-in is important for successful implementation of eLearning tools, and is often engaged through peer discussion, learning communities, and other educator network engagement. These non-expert sources of motivation and support for adoption, however, rarely embed specific implementation-related knowledge which eases initial phases of adoption and pedagogical integration. Such information is rarely missed but often missing from casual, technological, and pedagogical support. This represents a special kind of digital literacy which is integral to successful dissemination of educational innovations. The presence of implementation models or detailed …

Library Instruction, Learning Outcomes And Assessment: A Compliance Strategy For Sacs Assessments., Kory A. Paulus

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Ethel K. Smith Library’s Reference and Instruction Librarians, Kory Paulus and Isaac Meadows began a venture to improve the library instruction assessment tools in Fall of 2017 under the guidance of their Library Director and Director of Institutional Effectiveness and SACS Liaison.

Using the book entitled “Classroom Assessment Techniques for Librarians” published by ACRL as a proven example set of learning outcomes, the librarians customized these outcomes to meet the institutional needs.

An essential motive for this initiative was to obtain quantitative data to pair with learning outcomes to ensure bibliographics instruction’s alignment with both SACSCOC and Wingate University’s core …

Scalable Scaffolding For Information Literacy Instruction: A Tale Of Two Frameworks Collaboratively Applied, Jessy Polzer, Sylvia Tiala

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Novice researchers experience significant cognitive load to perform research tasks. Entrenched in linear research processes, beginning students struggle to move beyond shallow engagement with information. Teaching research and information literacy skills based on past paradigms are inadequate given the immersive nature and lightning-fast development of the information eco-system. The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy (2015) articulates what was previously implicit – the threshold concepts underpinning a flexible and nuanced information consumer ready for engaged professionalism and citizenship. In practice, we are still wrestling to design and scaffold dynamic yet digestible learning experiences while also satisfying bloated instructional mandates. Searching for …

Fighting Fake News And Biases With Cognitive Psychology, Marlee Givens, Seth Porter, Karen Viars, Liz Holdsworth

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Fake news, faulty data, and questionable research outputs: how do we find the truth when so much information is uncertain? Part of this problem is cognitive biases in our decision-making process. The mind will create a durable narrative around knowns and ignore unknowns. Scholar Daniel Kahneman (2012) refers to this phenomenon as, "What you see is all there is" or WYSIATI. Another common heuristic, the "availability cascade," causes the mind to prefer immediate examples that come to mind over more reliable information that is less easily recalled. These biases limit the accuracy of the information that people understand, as well …

Analogy As Pedagogy: Using What Students Already Know In Library Instruction, Maggie Helen Murphy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Science teachers often employ analogies to help students understand new ideas and complicated processes. Orgill and Bodner (2004) write that “effective analogies can clarify thinking... and give students ways to visualize abstract concepts” (p. 15). Students are much more attentive in science class when instructors speak “a language that is more familiar and accessible” by using analogies and other similar rhetorical strategies (Lemke, 1990, p. 136).

Brandt (1996) wrote about developing a library instruction activity for “teaching the internet” to college students through analogy in the early days of the web: “It does not focus on the technical details of …

Disciplinary Literacy And Information Literacy: Parallels And Paradigms, Ginni Fair

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Current literature on the teaching of reading and writing in the context of a content area has transitioned from “content area literacy” to “disciplinary literacy.” Content-Area literacy focuses on students’ ability to use reading and writing in order to learn the subject matter in a content area classroom. It emphasizes reading strategies that are generalizable for reading informational texts across multiple content areas. Disciplinary literacy, on the other hand “emphasizes the unique tools that the experts in a discipline use to participate in the work of that discipline” (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008).

Often, educators differentiate between “learning to read/write” and …

Deep Thoughts: Incorporating A Self-Reflection Prompt For Improved Instructional Practice, Malia Willey, Brian Sullivan, Liz Thompson, Alyssa Valcourt

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This interactive workshop introduces reflective practice through the use of self-reflection prompts by information literacy instructors. Activities will be interwoven throughout the workshop to allow participants to develop and document their own strategies. We will begin by providing an overview of the benefits of reflective teaching (5 minutes). The facilitators will briefly explain their institutional context and their participation in a departmental initiative to foster intentional teaching (5 minutes). To better understand the perspectives of the participants, the audience will engage in a poll indicating their type of institution and their role. Participants will take a moment to record the …

You Deserve The Truth: Helping Students Understand The Causes And Consequences Of Fake News, Ngaire I. Smith, Heather Cyre

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Can dandelions cure cancer? Is Bill Murray running for President? Was a pizza place in New Jersey running a human trafficking ring? In this age of digital and social media it may be difficult for students to differentiate between authoritative information and fake news.

After a brief presentation on the history of fake news and its prevalence in social media, workshop participants (acting as an early college seminar class) will watch a video about the PizzaGate incident and discuss the phenomenon of fake news, why people create it, and why people share it. Next the class will develop a fake …

The Reasons For A (Sometimes) Change Of Mind, Imani Beverly

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Often we experience a “change of mind” on some issue for which, at the time it was made, we are certain of its correctness. The central question we investigate in this presentation is: What valid reasons can be made for a “change of mind”? For example, scientific progress is made because older theories are replaced by better theories with the major reason being new evaluations and analyses of data and methodologies. We examine and discuss a broad range of issues for which a “change of mind” provides useful insights on the relevant topics. Examples include the interpretation and appreciation of …

Learning From Failure: Making The Feedback Loop Work, Natalie Bishop, Pam Dennis, Janet Land, Hannah Allford

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

“I spend hours providing feedback, but I have no idea if my students read it” is a common phrase echoed across college campuses. While best practices in teaching pedagogy laud the feedback cycle, many instructors question the impact their feedback has on their students’ writing. As the feedback loop continues to be a trending cog in the machine of formative assessment and authentic education, an essential component of the loop is often overlooked: the conversation.

Presenters will focus on providing easy-to-implement “conversation” opportunities for students to respond to instructor feedback. This reflective practice provides insight into a student’s learning processes, …

How Do We Teach Authority In A Culture Where Everyone’S An Expert?, Renee L. Berry, Lauren Mcmillan

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

As one of the cornerstones of the CRAAP test to evaluate the validity and usefulness of sources, we rely on the idea of “authority” to inform our evaluation of the source, to decide if it is trustworthy. In the long history of authority, we’ve variously relied on royalty/aristocracy, the Church, professors/the University, the printed word, and the “cultural elite.” In today’s world, all knowledge is available to all people (who are literate and have access to technology) at the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger. The concept of authority has been destabilized and democratized. Credentials don’t …

Sharpening Your Aim: Building An Instructional Assessment Toolkit, Karen Doster-Greenleaf

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Faced with the challenge of unifying consolidated library instruction programs with varying missions Georgia State University Library formed the Library Instruction Outcomes and Assessment Working Group (LIOAWG). Tasked with developing standard learning outcomes and leading the implementation of a common instruction program targeting first year students, the working group developed a sandbox of assessment activities, each mapped to a specific learning outcome.

In this workshop, participants will work to develop performative learning outcome aligned assessments that can be modified to meet varying levels of information literacy competency. Working in small groups, participants will be assigned a specific learning outcome, then …

Information Literacy Of Online Health Consumers In Minnesota, Shanda Hunt, Nicole Theis-Mahon, Katherine Chew

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In the United States 72% of Internet users look online to find health information, with some being high quality and other information dangerous. The University of Minnesota is a land grant institution, and the Health Sciences Libraries have a strong outreach role, educating health information consumers across Minnesota about high quality resources. In 2016, we conducted a study at the Minnesota State Fair to identify where Minnesotans find online health information, how they use it, their confidence in assessing it, and what they think is missing. Convenience sampling yielded a total of 255 participants who valued the ability to access …

“Partnering To Understand Undergraduate Research And Writing Longitudinally”, Donna Scheidt, Cara Kozma, Holly Middleton, Kathy Shields

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In her longitudinal case study of a single undergraduate, College Writing and Beyond (2007), Anne Beaufort investigates several knowledge domains contributing to students’ development as writers. As a team of librarians and writing faculty in research and teaching partnership, we hope to build on Beaufort’s work by examining and elaborating the role of research with respect to writing development by sharing findings from our own longitudinal study of undergraduates’ development as writer-researchers. Specifically, we are interested in the ways in which undergraduates’ research interfaces with their writing practices as they advance through their general education coursework and various disciplines. How …

Improving Student Success: Arkansas State’S Partnership With Credo Reference And Regional High School, April Sheppard, Jeff Bailey

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Are new students coming to your university ready to succeed or are they being overwhelmed by the college experience? Does faculty complain that they spend more time, with increasing frustration, providing basic research instruction to new students? Is your institution being challenged to increase 1st and 2nd year retention rates? Two librarians from Arkansas State University (A-State) will discuss their innovative collaboration in which A-State and Credo are working together to bring information literacy resources and instruction to local high schools in support of college readiness.

This session will cover a number of issues, including how the library engaged and …

Research Resurgence: Supporting Our University Qep With Our Information Literacy Expertise, Amanda Hahn, Hannah Lowder

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Championing information literacy has long been the mission of university librarians. When our University chose “Cultivating a Community of Research and Scholarship” as the focus of our Quality Enhancement Plan the Library was invited to join two interdisciplinary course development teams. Librarians collaborated with faculty from various academic departments to design two introductory research courses. These sequential courses lay the foundation of information literacy that springboards students to higher level research.

Inquiry 101 centers on the themes of the value and relevance of research, introduction to the application of research, and an introduction to information literacy skills. As a major …

Working Information: Developing A Qep For Campus-Wide Information Literacy Infusion, Susan N. Moore

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

When Spartanburg Community College was looking for a new QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) for their reaccreditation, the SCC Library saw a great opportunity to widen our faculty collaborations across the curriculum. The Library wrote the proposal that eventually became the College’s new QEP and worked with a diverse team to develop a college-wide information literacy program entitled WIn: Working Information.

Now in its second year, this five-year program aims to make information literacy part of the institutional culture by having faculty work with librarians to infuse information literacy skills and assignments throughout their curriculum.

The overall goal of …

Thinking Outside The Building: Developing A Library Ambassador Program Across Campus(Es), Lydia C. Gwyn

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In an effort to address declining university retention rates and to reach students who may not make it to the library for research help, the Sherrod Library at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is in the process developing a peer-mentoring program. This program is one way the library can help the institution in its efforts raise student retention rates and improve student success. Peer learning programs have proven successful in tutoring centers and elsewhere in the university for decades, and research has shown that trained undergraduates are ideal candidates for delivering general reference and information literacy instruction to their peers …

More Powerful Than Paper: Using Libwizard Surveys In Information Literacy, Sarah E. Keil

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This fall, Waggoner Library at Trevecca Nazarene University began utilizing the Surveys feature available through Springshare’s LibWizard Lite in face-to-face information literacy sessions. Initially these surveys simply substituted for the paper worksheets previously used for in-class activities and assessments. However, it soon became apparent that LibWizard Surveys provided a more meaningful medium for students to practice new skills and a better tool for librarians to gauge student progress.

As a solo instructor working with large classes, adding interactive elements to information literacy sessions can be hard since it is difficult to assist students concurrently. The ability to include links and …

Set It And Forget It! A Self-Sustaining Semester-Long Literature Assignment For An Undergraduate Genetics Class. Now With A Bonus Reference Game To Emphasize Boolean Operators!, Brian Odom

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Biology is the largest undergraduate major at Wingate University and Molecular Genetics is a required course for all biology majors. Some of the goals of this course are to provide technical training in skills required to function in the modern workforce. In addition to the gaining of molecular laboratory techniques, training in the use of library resources is also included in the laboratory curriculum. This training, taught by the course instructor, is a follow-up to an intensive library introduction provided by reference and instruction Librarians as part of the foundational molecular biology course taken during the freshman year.

This additional …

What Does It Mean To Be Embedded?, Elena Rodriguez

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Having helped develop one type of Embedded Librarian Program at a Technical College, and then transitioning to a four-year college with an already established program, it has become more apparent that there is not one universal definition of an Embedded Librarian. The reason for these differences can be seen in the number of students and programs at an institution, the number of staff available, and other responsibilities that librarians have within their library organizations. What this shows is that careful consideration should be given when an academic library is considering starting their own Embedded Librarian Program to ensure their specific …

Who’S Evaluating The Evaluators? Cognitive Biases, Fake News, And Information Literacy, Jon C. Pope, Kim Becnel

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In response to the increased attention to “fake news” and “alternative facts” as information challenges in the wake of the recent election cycle, librarians and educators have dramatically stepped up efforts to cultivate basic information literacy skills, especially prioritizing the careful evaluation of online sources of information. While these critical source evaluation skills are an essential component of functional information literacy, the recent emphasis on them is predicated on a model of communication that assumes that the readers of these online sources are capable—and desirous—of making informed, objective judgments about the credibility of an external information source. Rhetorical theories, however, …