Education Commons^™

Website Blocked: Filtering Technology In Schools And School Libraries, Jennifer M. Overaa

School of Information Student Research Journal

This paper investigates the impact of filtering software in K-12 schools and school libraries. The Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, requires that public schools and school libraries use filtering technology in order to receive discounted rates on technology. As a result, nearly all public elementary and secondary schools today use filtering technology. While the provisions of CIPA narrowly define the content to be blocked, filters are often set to block much more than is required. Filtering technology is often ineffective, and many unobjectionable sites end up being blocked, including Web 2.0 sites and tools needed to educate students in …

Thinking Critically About Data Consumption: Creating The Data Credibility Checklist, Lisa Zilinski, Megan R. Sapp Nelson

Lisa Zilinski

As STEM areas increasingly rely on pre-existing data, either to validate or extend the scientific body of knowledge, students who have baseline knowledge of how to find, evaluate, and access data will have an advantage. Accordingly, undergraduate STEM curricula is increasingly focused on research-based group projects that develop professional skills, building the professional portfolio needed for early career scientists, technologists, and engineers. This project works to develop new tools to implement basic data skills within the undergraduate disciplinary curricula. The first step in this process was to identify the competencies that are likely to be needed by those seeking data …

Going The Distance: Best Practices In Designing And Sharing Reusable Learning Objects, Philip Russell

Conference Papers

This paper presents an overview of the suite of online interactive tutorials that have been developed at the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT Dublin); with a particular emphasis on best practices for pedagogy and instructional design in terms of creating eLearning tools. The author also details how these learning objects have been made available for reuse on a national and international basis as open educational resources via online repositories.

Documenting The Information-Seeking Experience Of Remedial Undergraduate Students, Shelley Blundell

Proceedings from the Document Academy

As presented at DOCAM’14, this proceedings paper discusses my ongoing dissertation research: Documenting the information-seeking experience of undergraduate students enrolled in a remedial English course at a 4-year state university in Ohio, United States. Because the information behaviors, needs, and information literacy abilities of these students are understudied areas in library and information science and higher education literature; I chose to investigate these areas in my dissertation research toward contributing research to this gap, using descriptive phenomenological (qualitative) methodology to do so. Although secondary data analysis is still in progress, this paper presents findings from primary analysis (a necessary step …

International Computer And Information Literacy Study 2013: Australian Students’ Readiness For Study, Work And Life In The Digital Age, Lisa De Bortoli, Sarah Buckley, Catherine Underwood, Elizabeth O'Grady, Eveline Gebhardt

ICT - Digital Literacy

The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) is the first international comparative study that examines students’ acquisition of computer and information literacy (CIL): ‘the ability to use computers to investigate, create and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace and in society’ (Fraillon, Schulz, & Ainley, 2013, p. 17). Information and communication technologies (ICT) are an essential part of 21st-century society. As a result, it has become increasingly important for citizens to understand and be able to use ICT in order to effectively participate in life in the digital age. Although students use …

Media Now: A Historical Review Of A Media Literacy Curriculum, Yonty Friesem, Diane Quaglia Beltran, Ed Crane

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The Elizabeth Thoman Archive at the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, has the last complete kit of one of the milestones in the early chronology of media literacy, the 1972 Media Now curriculum. This curriculum was the first of its kind, using self-contained lesson modules that were part of a larger series of kits, text references, and accompanying workbook. Its self-directed learning model gave students the opportunity to learn about the media, by doing, responding to, and reflecting on core concepts of media production. Using physical artifacts from the Media Now kit, historical documents, promotional …

Thinking Critically About Data Consumption: Creating The Data Credibility Checklist, Lisa Zilinski, Megan R. Sapp Nelson

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

As STEM areas increasingly rely on pre-existing data, either to validate or extend the scientific body of knowledge, students who have baseline knowledge of how to find, evaluate, and access data will have an advantage. Accordingly, undergraduate STEM curricula is increasingly focused on research-based group projects that develop professional skills, building the professional portfolio needed for early career scientists, technologists, and engineers. This project works to develop new tools to implement basic data skills within the undergraduate disciplinary curricula. The first step in this process was to identify the competencies that are likely to be needed by those seeking data …

On The Same Page: Combining Service Desks For A Single Point Of Contact, Sally Neal, Susan Anderson, Brian Bunnett, William Weare Jr.

Scholarship and Professional Work

No abstract provided.

Best Practices For Creating Videos For Information Literacy Programming, Rachel Lux, Lucinda Rush

Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

In this poster session, we share our expertise in the development of short videos for use in information literacy programming. Specifically, we address development and assessment of learning outcomes for our One Minute Tips video series, and the relevant subject categories for students at our university. Additionally, we discuss the concept of information layering, and how to successfully incorporate elements of popular culture. We provide tips for promotion and use as well as assessing usage metrics. You can view our videos on the Old Dominion University Libraries' YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDnm8O5CigbS6Cit_mr7xbQ/videos .

Learning Through Play, The Old School Way, Lucinda Rush

Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

Poster presentation at the Virginia Library Association Conference on October 23, 2014. This poster introduces new ideas for instructional design using game structures that students are already familiar with to teach information literacy concepts. It is well documented that millennials enjoy learning through collaboration with peers and self-exploration in a fast-paced, technology rich environment, and game-based instruction can be a great way to engage them in the classroom. While millennials are comfortable with technology and enjoy learning through video and web-based games, it is difficult for libraries with limited resources to compete with the expectations that students have based on …

Technology And Power, Michael J. Paulus Jr.

SPU Works

No abstract provided.

Technology And Power, Michael J. Paulus Jr.

Michael J. Paulus, Jr.

No abstract provided.

Information Literacy Scaffolds In The 9-12 Classroom, Kelly Crisp Paynter

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Despite being dubbed the Digital Generation, information literacy skills do not come automatically to high school students. Teachers and library media specialists must work together to provide quality strategies and scaffolds that help students evaluate sources authentically. Whether modeling the digital search process, creating pathfinders to direct students toward authoritative sources, or initiating discussions with students about quality resources, the library media specialist can become a valuable instructional partner to the classroom teacher.

The presenter, who has served as a high school media specialist, will discuss specific lesson plans she has co-taught with classroom teachers (as time allows). Topics may …

The Information Literacy “Flipped Classroom” – A Lesson Planning Lab, Madeline Cohen, Alison Lehner-Quam, Robin Wright

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This workshop will introduce participants to the “flipped classroom” and provide them with hands-on experience planning a library session that uses this new approach. In the flipped classroom, lectures are replaced with pre-class assignments, usually in the form of videos or online tutorials. Class time can then be used for active learning exercises that deepen students’ knowledge of the material.

Participants will be asked to complete a pre-assignment, which can be finished just prior to the session. Workshop leaders will begin by reviewing the flipped classroom and describing the flipped lessons they have used at their academic library (15 minutes). …

Developing A Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course, Andrew Kearns, Lola Bradley

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Are you considering creating a credit-bearing information literacy course on your campus? Come join us and learn from our experience in creating LIBR 201, Strategies for Information Discovery, the University of South Carolina Upstate Library's first credit course. This interactive workshop will give you the chance to explore how you might create a course that is right for your campus while learning from our experiences. For each topic, we will briefly share how we developed as aspect of LIBR 201 before engaging in an activity that will help you to explore how this aspect of course development might be applied …

Accentuate The Positive, Eliminate The Punitive! - Re-Thinking Plagiarism In Information Literacy Instruction, Christina Chester-Fangman, Gina Garber, Elaine Berg

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Too often, students feel that they are being accused of plagiarism before they have even started their first research assignment! Approaches to discussions of academic honesty (or dishonesty) frequently emphasize negative consequences over making the right choices from the start and do not take into consideration students’ understanding of the research process. At our own university, the majority of referrals to the Dean of Students regarding classroom behaviors were related to plagiarism. At Austin Peay State University, librarians involved in information literacy instruction wanted to address this issue, but in a positive manner. Panel attendees will learn how librarians completely …

Combining Efforts: A Subject Librarian And A Generalist Team Up For Research Instruction, Amy Trendler, Brenda Yates Habich

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Academic librarians often work with students in diverse subject areas who make use of a wide range of the library’s resources and services. In order to best serve user needs, it can be important to look for opportunities to work across the units of the library. In keeping with this approach, an Information Services Librarian in the university library and an Architecture Librarian in a branch library joined forces to offer what they thought was a one-time thesis session for graduate students in architecture and planning. It turned out to be the beginning a collaboration that would take them into …

Developing Partnerships: Be Nimble, Rebecca B. Engsberg

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Under the category of “PARTNERSHIPS between librarians and classroom teachers to teach students research skills,” I will share with attendees how to develop a new partnership (or change an existing one) with a faculty member based on a change in curriculum.

As the Liaison Librarian for the English Language Institute (ELI)—an intensive English language program for international students who are preparing to begin undergraduate or graduate studies in the US—I regularly taught the library component of ELI Research Skills classes.

Recently, however, the curriculum changed. Now, there is no longer a formal ELI class called "Research Skills." However, components of …

Librarians As Information Trainers: Using Training Techniques To Improve Information Literacy Instruction, Olivia Reinauer

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Just as a trainer addresses the continuing education needs of employees in the workplace, librarians teach research skills needed to improve academic performance. Like trainers, librarians are frequently asked to meet specific learning objectives within the span of a single session, and they must navigate the challenge of meeting and motivating a new group of participants each time. There is a wealth of information available on designing and delivering training, yet a review of the library literature shows little evidence of direct adoption of these techniques for library instruction.

This presentation will outline best practices in training design, delivery, and …

Design With Diversity In Mind: Online Information Literacy Instruction For Nontraditional Students, Holly Mabry, Natalie E. Bishop

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Web-based, online learning options through Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, and other learning management systems are increasingly popular for students and library patrons who are unable to attend traditional face-to-face courses on a college campus due to geographical, financial, or family obligations. Librarians are also retooling their information literacy courses to adapt to the rapidly evolving online learning environment. Just like in a physical classroom or library that provides assistive technology and interpreters, online information must be accessible for a variety of backgrounds and abilities. Inaccessible online courses that aren't developed with plain language, good color contrast, captions or alternative text formats, …

Partnerships For Outreach: Center For Student Learning And Library Study Skills And Information Literacy Program, Jolanda-Pieta Van Arnhem, Melissa Hortman

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This poster session is a case study of the College of Charleston Libraries and Center for Student Learning partnership to design and deliver a series of complementary study skills and information literacy workshops during 2013-2014 academic year. Workshops in the “101” series were designed for the general undergraduate student population wanting more information on study skills. Workshops pairings in the “201” series were designed with information literacy topics geared toward upperclassman, graduate students, faculty, and staff interested in more advanced skills. Sessions were facilitated by campus instructors with unique insight, interesting experiences, or special knowledge and capability in workshop topics.The …

Beyond Library Resources: How To Implement Integrated Learning Across The Curriculum With Information Literacy Components Using Hybrid Delivery, Bernadette Maria Lopez-Fitzsimmons

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

As an academic librarian at Manhattan College, Riverdale, New York, I collaborate with teaching faculty and academic support centers on campus to provide holistic support to students. In the last year a cross collegial group including teaching faculty, library faculty and Instructional Designers has been created to explore ways in which to provide a “flexible structure” in curriculum across disciplines (e.g., Arts, Science, Engineering, Education, Information Literacy, etc.). Two instructional designers and a faculty member from the English Department lead the monthly in person workshops. After each workshop, scholarly and professional articles are posted in Moodle for all participants to …

Preparing Thoughtful Leaders: Promoting Critical Thinking Through Authentic Learning Activities, Melissa N. Mallon

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Some of the most important characteristics employers look for in new hires is the ability to solve problems and critically examine information in diverse workplace environments, making critical thinking an important, transferable 21st century skill and a crucial component of lifelong learning. One of academic librarians’ most crucial roles is to challenge students to think beyond their individual circumstances while helping them develop the skills necessary to succeed in college and in their professional lives.

This presentation covers strategies for collaborating with faculty members to design research assignments that focus on critical thinking, including scaffolding and the development of rubrics. …

Building Community In The Library: Partnerships For Outreach, Jolanda-Pieta Van Arnhem, Melissa Hortman

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

During the 2013-2014 academic year the College of Charleston Library and Center for Student Learning partnered to design and deliver a series of complementary workshops in order to build community, increase workshop attendance, and provide outreach at the Library. This was the first time that the two organizations had teamed up to co-design, sponsor, and market a year long program of complementary information literacy and study skills offerings.

Workshops in the “101” series were designed for the general undergraduate student population wanting more information on study skills. Workshops pairings in the “201” series were designed with information literacy topics geared …

Using Rubrics To Assess Authentic Learning Products From One-Shot, Course-Integrated Library Instruction, Jennifer Stout, Laura Gariepy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Librarians face numerous challenges when designing effective, sustainable assessment methods for student learning outcomes in one-shot, course-integrated library instruction sessions. In this presentation, we will share how librarians at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) use a rubric to assess students’ authentic learning products from one-shot instruction sessions for a research and writing course required for all undergraduate students. We will share how rubric-based assessment enhances student learning and explain how we use this type of assessment to demonstrate our information literacy program’s effectiveness.

University 200: Inquiry and the Craft of Argument is a sophomore-level writing and research course required for all …

The Proof Is In The Worksheets: Assessing Information Literacy Outcomes From Library Instruction In An Evolved Fye Program, Robin Johns Grant

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In the past, Middle Georgia State College’s assessment of library instruction mainly consisted of post-instruction evaluations in which students answered questions about the class’s usefulness and gave comments. However, we wanted to be able to tie our library instruction sessions to learning outcomes based on ACRL Information Literacy Standards—not just student impressions of the class. For three years, the college had been conducting two library instruction sessions for each section of our new First Year Experience class, and we were using a standardized instruction outline and worksheet for each of those classes already. The FYE program, therefore, was the ideal …

When Will We Use This In Real Life?: Problem-Based Learning And Its Use In Effective Information Literacy Instruction, Bridget S. Farrell, Adelia B. Grabowsky

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Chances are that at some point in your career, you have heard a student ask, “When will we use this in real life?” For most instructors, those can be hard words to hear, especially after careful thought and planning has gone into developing a library session geared toward a class assignment or project. One way to decrease questions about real world applicability is to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning in library instruction. Problem-based learning (PBL) has been defined by Berkel and Schmidt as “an approach to professional education that stresses the use of real-life problems, encourages learners to discuss them, …

The Best Laid Plans Of Librarians And Faculty: Information Literacy Instruction In A General Education Literature Course, Difficulties And Successes, Kelly Diamond, Lisa Weihman

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Members of this panel (a librarian and faculty member) began collaborating to create information literacy sessions for English 272: Modernist Literature. Assuming that students enrolled would be English majors or similar, we created sessions and assignments focused on higher-order research skills, such as working with and analyzing primary sources.

However, this section of English 272 fulfilled a General Education Curriculum (GEC) requirement. At our institution, students take 43 credit hours to fulfill GEC requirements, courses from a broad range of disciplines. Unfortunately, many students enroll in GEC courses for which they are under-prepared, have no personal interest, and are not …

Spanning Boundaries To Identify Archival Literacy Competencies, Sharon A. Weiner, Sammie L. Morris, Lawrence J. Mykytiuk

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This paper is a report of a collaborative research project that identified the competencies undergraduate history majors should have related to finding and using archival materials. The boundary-spanning collaboration involved archivists, librarians, and history faculty.

Historians have long relied upon archives as essential source material, and recent studies confirmed the continued significance of archives to research in this field. However, there is no detailed listing of the archival research competencies that college history students should attain. Without a clearly defined list upon which history faculty, archivists, and library liaisons to history departments agree, teaching about archives research is difficult and …

Tutorials: Resource Instruction For Distance Learners, Pam Greenlee

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

Academic librarians, devoted to providing resources and services for learners, find both opportunity and challenge in the continuing growth of online programs in higher education. The technology tools available for online courses are also available to librarians seeking to support those courses with research and information literacy skills instruction. Researchers have delineated factors necessary for achieving defined learning outcomes with online tutorials. These factors include assignment relevance, faculty collaboration, and student interaction. A fourth issue emerges as equally critical; there must be a single iteration of the tutorial, posted in an unique online location, and subject to dynamic revision. There …