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Full-Text Articles in Library and Information Science

How Aasl Learning Standards Inform Acrl Information Literacy Standards, Lesley S. J. Farmer Dec 2013

How Aasl Learning Standards Inform Acrl Information Literacy Standards, Lesley S. J. Farmer

Communications in Information Literacy

ACRL and other academic librarians are currently re-examining the tough questions of learning, literacy, and education -- and the librarians' role in addressing these issues. They can use AASL's learning standards as one springboard for thought, particularly in terms of articulating learning. The result is a developmentally appropriate set of standards that reflects lifelong engagement with, and creation of, recorded information.


Transforming Information Literacy In The Sciences Through The Lens Of E-Science, Elizabeth Berman Dec 2013

Transforming Information Literacy In The Sciences Through The Lens Of E-Science, Elizabeth Berman

Communications in Information Literacy

In 2011, the ACRL Science & Technology Section (STS) completed its five-year review of the Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology. Predicated by the evolving nature of scholarship and research in the sciences, the reviewing task force strongly recommended that the standards be revised. This paper considers the broad recommendations of the task force, using the framework of e-Science – team-based, data-driven science – to address areas of necessary transformation in information literacy: an advanced team-based model that crosses disciplinary boundaries; a recognition that individuals and groups not only consume information, but also produce it; and stronger interplay between …


A Threshold Concepts Approach To The Standards Revision, Amy R. Hofer, Korey Brunetti, Lori Townsend Dec 2013

A Threshold Concepts Approach To The Standards Revision, Amy R. Hofer, Korey Brunetti, Lori Townsend

Communications in Information Literacy

This article describes how threshold concepts can inform the revision of ACRL's Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.


Information Literacy And Digital Literacy: Competing Or Complementary?, Rosanne Marie Cordell Dec 2013

Information Literacy And Digital Literacy: Competing Or Complementary?, Rosanne Marie Cordell

Communications in Information Literacy

Digital Literacy is a more recent term than Information Literacy and is used for multiple categories of library users in multiple types of libraries. Determining the relationship between Information Literacy and Digital Literacy is essential before revision of the Information Literacy Standards can proceed.


Demonstrating Leadership In Open Access, Robert Schroeder, Stewart Brower, Christopher V. Hollister Aug 2013

Demonstrating Leadership In Open Access, Robert Schroeder, Stewart Brower, Christopher V. Hollister

Communications in Information Literacy

The editors of CIL comment on the recent news that the editor and the editorial board of another library science journal have resigned in protest over their publisher's policies on authors' rights. The CIL editors put forth this event as an important demonstration of leadership in the open access movement, and they challenge the CIL readership to follow suit by adopting additional professional practices in support of open access.


Keeping Pace With Information Literacy Instruction For The Real World: When Will Mls Programs Wake Up And Smell The Lilacs?, Kimberly Davies-Hoffman, Barbara Alvarez, Michelle Costello, Debby Emerson Aug 2013

Keeping Pace With Information Literacy Instruction For The Real World: When Will Mls Programs Wake Up And Smell The Lilacs?, Kimberly Davies-Hoffman, Barbara Alvarez, Michelle Costello, Debby Emerson

Communications in Information Literacy

For over thirty years, numerous studies have discussed the contradiction between the growing importance of information literacy instruction to the Library's core mission and lack of pedagogical training for new librarians. This article reviews the more recent contributions on the topic, presents a survey of New York State MLS curricula and describes initiatives of pedagogy training offered in that region outside of MLS programs. The authors focus on the Library Instruction Leadership Academy (LILAC), an innovative, semester-long training program created in Western New York State to offer instruction in the pedagogical foundation and practical experience essential for teaching information literacy …


Special Collections, Primary Resources, And Information Literacy Pedagogy, Melissa A. Hubbard, Megan C. Lotts Aug 2013

Special Collections, Primary Resources, And Information Literacy Pedagogy, Melissa A. Hubbard, Megan C. Lotts

Communications in Information Literacy

Literature suggests that teaching Information Literacy (IL) as an intellectual framework, rather than a set of computer-based tools, can be challenging for numerous reasons. At the same time, other articles describe the unique value of using hands-on investigations of special collections materials to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills and IL in discipline-specific contexts for upper-level students. This article reports on a collaboration between an IL instructor and a special collections librarian to create a hands-on special collections experience for entry-level IL students. We found that exposing these students to these materials can improve their IL and research skills. …


Teaching Web Evaluation: A Cognitive Development Approach, Candice Benjes-Small, Alyssa Archer, Katelyn Tucker, Lisa Vassady, Jennifer Resor Whicker Aug 2013

Teaching Web Evaluation: A Cognitive Development Approach, Candice Benjes-Small, Alyssa Archer, Katelyn Tucker, Lisa Vassady, Jennifer Resor Whicker

Communications in Information Literacy

Web evaluation has been a standard information literacy offering for years and has always been a challenging topic for instruction librarians. Over time, the authors had tried a myriad of strategies to teach freshmen how to assess the credibility of Web sites but felt the efforts were insufficient. By familiarizing themselves with the cognitive development research, they were able to effectively revamp Web evaluation instruction to improve student learning. This article discusses the problems of traditional methods, such as checklists; summarizes the cognitive development research, particularly in regards to its relationship to the ACRL Information Literacy Standards; and details the …


Cultural Shifts: Putting Critical Information Literacy Into Practice, Alison Hicks Aug 2013

Cultural Shifts: Putting Critical Information Literacy Into Practice, Alison Hicks

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper uses the example of foreign languages to explore the integration of critical information literacy into the curriculum of various disciplines. By closely examining the practices and values inherent in the foreign language information environment, the paper suggests that a critical vision of information literacy provides the most appropriate approach to help meet campus goals of educating students for transcultural competence. As such, the paper provides an example of the process and role of the librarian in integrating critical information literacy into disciplinary fields and proposes that this approach could be effective in global learning initiatives.


Teaching Matters: An Integrative Lesson On Searching, Tracking Citations, And Evaluating A Scholarly Article, Patrick P. Ragains Aug 2013

Teaching Matters: An Integrative Lesson On Searching, Tracking Citations, And Evaluating A Scholarly Article, Patrick P. Ragains

Communications in Information Literacy

This column describes a lesson in a credit-bearing information literacy course, focusing on evaluation of a scholarly article and finding citing references.


Promising Practices In Instruction Of Discovery Tools, Stefanie Buck, Christina Steffy Aug 2013

Promising Practices In Instruction Of Discovery Tools, Stefanie Buck, Christina Steffy

Communications in Information Literacy

Libraries are continually changing to meet the needs of users; this includes implementing discovery tools, also referred to as web-scale discovery tools, to make searching library resources easier. Because these tools are so new, it is difficult to establish definitive best practices for teaching these tools; however, promising practices are emerging. A promising practice is "a program, activity, or strategy" that shows early promise for being effective in the long term and generalizable across institutions (Dare Mighty Things, n.d.). The researchers used three methods to develop a list of promising practices for teaching discovery tools— a review of the current …


Using Fun To Teach Rigorous Content, Mary Francis Feb 2013

Using Fun To Teach Rigorous Content, Mary Francis

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper will offer a position on the place of fun within education and learning. It will place fun as an important component of learning. The intent is not to espouse the belief that it is the duty of teachers and instructors to entertain students. Unlike a movie or TV show that provides passive entertainment, fun in this context relates to actions and techniques that aid students in learning new material. So rather than fun being associated with ease, fun is associated with rigor. In drawing together research on the successful impact of fun in education, this paper hopes to …


Student Use Of Library Research Guides Following Library Instruction, Mardi Mahaffy Feb 2013

Student Use Of Library Research Guides Following Library Instruction, Mardi Mahaffy

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians often provide students who attend one-shot library instruction sessions with research guides they can refer to once class is over. These guides, whether in paper or electronic form, serve to remind the students of key points and resources addressed during the session. It is unclear, though, if and how students refer to these guides once leaving the classroom. This article reports on the results of two focus groups made up of students who attended a basic library instruction session as part of a survey art course. The students shared how they used a paper and electronic research guide, delivered …


Teaching Matters: Reshaping The Role Of Information Literacy Instructional Services, Patrick P. Ragains Feb 2013

Teaching Matters: Reshaping The Role Of Information Literacy Instructional Services, Patrick P. Ragains

Communications in Information Literacy

This column provides an overview of emerging trends in information literacy instruction.


Adapting And Using Instruction Proficiencies To Encourage Reflection, Goal Setting And Professional Development, Uta Hussong-Christian Feb 2013

Adapting And Using Instruction Proficiencies To Encourage Reflection, Goal Setting And Professional Development, Uta Hussong-Christian

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians at Oregon State University undertook a teaching competency project to lay the foundation for practices that improve teaching by adapting the core teaching proficiencies in the ACRL Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators. This article describes one model for locally adapting those proficiencies, the Oregon State University Libraries (OSUL) Framework for Teaching Excellence. This framework promotes reflection on, goal setting for, and professional development around teaching. The project team utilized a survey to determine the proficiency categories most valued by OSUL instruction librarians. The development and inclusion of context material for each proficiency category included in the …


Information Evaluation Instruction: A Three Term Project With A First Year Experience Course, Steve Borrelli, Corey M. Johnson Feb 2013

Information Evaluation Instruction: A Three Term Project With A First Year Experience Course, Steve Borrelli, Corey M. Johnson

Communications in Information Literacy

In response to the recognition that work world success is dependent on locating and effectively utilizing information, the academy has acknowledged the need to produce information literate graduates. There needs to be more focus on how to develop the most effective collaborative programs with teaching faculty and benchmark the progress toward research skill mastery. This paper outlines a multiple term collaborative effort targeting student evaluation skill development. Librarians taught hybrid (mostly online with some in-person interaction) lessons to groups of lower undergraduates enrolled in a first year experience seminar. A pre-test/post-test assessment package revealed that students' strongest area of proficiency …


Information Literacy Instruction For An Honors Program First-Year Orientation: Lessons Learned Over 15 Years Of A Sustainable Partnership, Anna Marie Johnson Feb 2013

Information Literacy Instruction For An Honors Program First-Year Orientation: Lessons Learned Over 15 Years Of A Sustainable Partnership, Anna Marie Johnson

Communications in Information Literacy

The information literacy literature contains many articles highlighting new instruction initiatives but few articles documenting sustainable ones. This article examines the literature on library partnerships in general and Honors Programs specifically and reports on the evolution of an ongoing fifteen year partnership between the University of Louisville Honors Program and the Ekstrom Library. It then discusses the development of this partnership and the changes in the information literacy program engendered by this partnership. It ends by defining some of the elements that made the partnership sustainable, ones that could potentially be transferred to other such partnerships.


"Turn Your Cell Phones On": Mobile Phone Polling As A Tool For Teaching Information Literacy, Andy Burkhardt, Sarah Faye Cohen Feb 2013

"Turn Your Cell Phones On": Mobile Phone Polling As A Tool For Teaching Information Literacy, Andy Burkhardt, Sarah Faye Cohen

Communications in Information Literacy

While mobile technologies are ubiquitous among students and increasingly used in many aspects of libraries, they have yet to gain traction in information literacy instruction. Librarians at Champlain College piloted mobile phone polling in a first-year classroom as a less expensive and more versatile alternative to clickers. By utilizing a technology that virtually all students have in their pockets librarians found that it increased engagement from previous iterations of the session. In addition, by asking poll questions about students' experiences, librarians were able to facilitate in-depth inquiry into information literacy topics. Ultimately, from direct experience in over 30 different classes, …


Rethinking Information Literacy In A Globalized World, Laurie Kutner, Alison Armstrong Dec 2012

Rethinking Information Literacy In A Globalized World, Laurie Kutner, Alison Armstrong

Communications in Information Literacy

As a profession, librarians have an important and unique role to play in higher education in producing information literate students equipped to be successful in a complex, twenty-first century global society. It is our contention that our guiding professional information literacy definitions and standards need to be reconsidered in order to remain relevant within the global learning context. Our preliminary conclusion is that the predominantly skills-based approach facilitated by the current ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, is not sufficient to facilitate teaching of twenty-first century "deep information literacy," which we feel encompasses additional content-based engagement with the …


Information Literacy On The Web: How College Students Use Visual And Textual Cues To Assess Credibility On Health Websites, Katrina L. Pariera Dec 2012

Information Literacy On The Web: How College Students Use Visual And Textual Cues To Assess Credibility On Health Websites, Katrina L. Pariera

Communications in Information Literacy

One of the most important literacy skills in today's information society is the ability to determine the credibility of online information. Users sort through a staggering number of websites while discerning which will provide satisfactory information. In this study, 70 college students assessed the credibility of health websites with a low and high design quality, in either low or high credibility groups. The study's purpose was to understand if students relied more on textual or visual cues in determining credibility, and to understand if this affected their recall of those cues later. The results indicate that when viewing a high …


Considering Information Literacy Skills And Needs: Designing Library Instruction For The Online Learner, Swapna Kumar, Marilyn Ochoa, Mary Edwards Dec 2012

Considering Information Literacy Skills And Needs: Designing Library Instruction For The Online Learner, Swapna Kumar, Marilyn Ochoa, Mary Edwards

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper reports on a library instruction needs assessment conducted with incoming doctoral students (n=34) in two online programs in education. The differences in the prior skills and experiences of the two groups highlighted the importance of both needs assessments and learner analysis as well as course- or program-specific instructional design in information literacy instruction for online students. Based on students' reported skills, education librarians structured both the content and format of instruction to help students succeed in online activities in the doctoral program.


Collaboration And Problem-Based Learning: Integrating Information Literacy Into A Political Science Course, Peg Cook, Mary Barbara Walsh Dec 2012

Collaboration And Problem-Based Learning: Integrating Information Literacy Into A Political Science Course, Peg Cook, Mary Barbara Walsh

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper details the collaborative efforts of a reference librarian and a political science professor to seamlessly meld the study of politics with the acquisition of information literacy skills using a problem-based learning approach. Students in an introductory American Government class were engaged in a group project in which they acted as media consultants for the political candidate of their choice. Two information literacy sessions were embedded into the project. ACRL Information Literacy Standards were used to generate and assess performance outcomes. Student feedback, as well as pre-test and post-test results, indicate that a problem-based approach to enhancing information literacy …


Notes From The Field: 10 Short Lessons On One-Shot Instruction, Megan Oakleaf, Steven Hoover, Beth Woodard, Jennifer Corbin, Randy Hensley, Diana Wakimoto, Christopher V. Hollister, Debra Gilchrist, Michelle Millet, Patty Iannuzzi Dec 2012

Notes From The Field: 10 Short Lessons On One-Shot Instruction, Megan Oakleaf, Steven Hoover, Beth Woodard, Jennifer Corbin, Randy Hensley, Diana Wakimoto, Christopher V. Hollister, Debra Gilchrist, Michelle Millet, Patty Iannuzzi

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians teach. It might not be what they planned to do when they entered the profession, or it may have been a secret hope all along. Either way, librarians teach, and one teaching scenario remains quintessential: the one-shot library instruction session. In recognition of the centrality of the "one-shot," this article shares several authors' "notes from the field." The notes provide a range of strategies for developing pedagogically sound one-shot library instruction sessions, grouped loosely into three categories: planning, delivery, and integration. The authors offer these insights in their own words in hopes that other teaching librarians may benefit from …


Teaching Matters: The Necessity And Challenge Of Teaching Information Ethics, Patrick P. Ragains Dec 2012

Teaching Matters: The Necessity And Challenge Of Teaching Information Ethics, Patrick P. Ragains

Communications in Information Literacy

This issue's column provides an overview of issues related to academic integrity in higher eduction.


Predictors Of Student's Attitudes Toward Science Literacy, Irina I. Holden Dec 2012

Predictors Of Student's Attitudes Toward Science Literacy, Irina I. Holden

Communications in Information Literacy

Being information and science literate are crucial in an age when scientific developments influence the political arena and vice versa. In order to become active and responsible citizens, students must understand such issues as global warming and stem cell research. Furthermore, they must be lifelong learners, capable of researching and educating themselves about new scientific developments. These are some of the complex issues that information literacy educators must address. This article reports on the results of a survey of student's attitudes towards science literacy and lifelong learning, and on variables associated with their attitudes. Most of the students' attitudes were …


Engineering Integration: Building A Quick And Effective Faculty Seminar, Kate Peterson, Jon Jeffryes Dec 2012

Engineering Integration: Building A Quick And Effective Faculty Seminar, Kate Peterson, Jon Jeffryes

Communications in Information Literacy

In the spring of 2010, the Science & Engineering Library of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities partnered with the Information Literacy Librarian and offered a faculty seminar to the College of Science and Engineering. The seminar's goals included 1.) refreshing and expanding faculty's knowledge of information and 21st century literacies and 2.) creating a community of faculty committed to developing student skills in finding, evaluating and synthesizing information in their academic coursework and into their professional careers. Overall, the seminar increased faculty understanding of services and expertise of the libraries, and 21st century literacies. It also developed and strengthened ties …


Measuring The Impact Of Library Instruction On Freshmen Success And Persistence: A Quantitative Analysis, Jason M. Vance, Rachel Kirk, Justin G. Gardner Dec 2012

Measuring The Impact Of Library Instruction On Freshmen Success And Persistence: A Quantitative Analysis, Jason M. Vance, Rachel Kirk, Justin G. Gardner

Communications in Information Literacy

This study examines the relationship between formal library instruction and undergraduate student performance and persistence in higher education. Researchers analyzed two years of academic and demographic data collected from first-time freshmen at Middle Tennessee State University in an attempt to quantify the effect of librarian-led one-shot classroom instruction on students' grade point averages and their likelihood of returning to school for the sophomore year.


Embedding Affective Learning Outcomes In Library Instruction, Ellysa Stern Cahoy, Robert Schroeder Dec 2012

Embedding Affective Learning Outcomes In Library Instruction, Ellysa Stern Cahoy, Robert Schroeder

Communications in Information Literacy

While information literacy in higher education has long been focused on cognitive learning outcomes, attention must be paid to students' affective, emotional needs throughout the research process. This article identifies models for embedding affective learning outcomes within information literacy instruction, and provides strategies to help librarians discover, articulate, and address students' self-efficacy, motivation, emotions and attitudes. Worksheets to assist in creating affective learning outcomes are included to bring structure to an area of learning that is often challenging to articulate and measure. Also included in the article are the results of a recent survey of instruction librarians' familiarity and inclusion …


Guiding Students From Consuming Information To Creating Knowledge: A Freshman English Library Instruction Collaboration, Carolyn B. Gamtso, Susanne F. Paterson Apr 2012

Guiding Students From Consuming Information To Creating Knowledge: A Freshman English Library Instruction Collaboration, Carolyn B. Gamtso, Susanne F. Paterson

Communications in Information Literacy

In this paper we examine how faculty and librarians' own approaches to and attitudes toward library tools, as well as their assumptions about student research practices, impede students' ability to view learning as a recursive, creative, and ongoing inquiry. We propose first that librarians and faculty examine the assumptions of knowledge that characterize their respective university constituencies; second that they dismantle some of the disciplinary boundaries that separate these constituencies; third that they collaborate to craft analytical assignments that stress knowledge as process; and fourth that they transform library instruction from tool-based demonstrations to analytical, problem-based learning exercises. Finally, we …


Teaching Matters: Is There A Text In This Class? E-Readers, E-Books, And Information Literacy, Janelle M. Zauha Apr 2012

Teaching Matters: Is There A Text In This Class? E-Readers, E-Books, And Information Literacy, Janelle M. Zauha

Communications in Information Literacy

This column explores current issues with e-books and e-readers in academic classrooms. It suggests ways the academic library can explore and meet the information literacy needs of students, faculty, and staff who are using these new devices or seeing them in use in their classrooms.