Library and Information Science Commons^™

The Savvy Researcher: Teaching Information Management Skills To Graduate Students, Merinda Kaye Hensley

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

Who better to teach information management skills than librarians? Run-of-the-mill library instruction rarely leaves time to cover topics such as current awareness tools, copyright concerns or scholarly communication education. The Savvy Researcher asks us to reconsider the drop-in workshop as a venue for the inquisitive graduate student. In this interactive session, we’ll demonstrate several active learning techniques including PowerLearn, a form of speed dating for instruction. You will develop a lesson plan to implement a workshop/module customized for the needs of your institution. At the end of this session, don't miss the Pecha Kucha, “Every path has its puddle: We …

Save A Horse, Ride A New Train Of Thought: Using Threshold Concepts To Teach Information Literacy, Lori Townsend, Korey Brunetti, Amy R. Hofer

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

The sun beat down on a high, lonesome hilltop in Hayward... where three librarians at Cal State East Bay were redesigning a credit-bearing first-year Information Literacy course in order to move the content online. They reckoned that creating this online hootenanny would require rustling up some fresh lessons and activities and distilling the class down to a few essential learning objectives, based on ACRL standards. One librarian thundered into town with talk of "threshold concepts," a pedagogical strategy developed by Jan Meyer and Ray Land. Could threshold concepts serve as a lasso for students to snare a deeper understanding of …

The Map Is Useless Unless You Know Where You Are: Information Literacy Pre-Assessment As A Tool For Understanding And Collaboration, Jason Ertz

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

The objective of this presentation is to provide librarians with a potential outline for beginning an information literacy assessment strategy, starting with pre-assessment. Librarians unsure about where to start when it comes to assessment will find that developing a pre-test can be a great way to start such a strategy collaborating with classroom faculty. Pre-assessment also is nonjudgmental pertaining to faculty’s teaching abilities and students’ learning making it an easier sell for collaboration or even initiating collaboration where none existed. If we can’t know where students end up after a class, at least we can get a sense of where …

Many Paths, One Journey: Mapping The Routes To Information Literacy, Margy Macmillan

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

Students gain information literacy skills from a range of sources, not all of which involve direct librarian intervention. These skills grow and diversify over the course of their studies in ways that pre/post test research protocols cannot capture. So how can we understand how they learn what they know? This presentation describes a long-term project using the Information Skills résumé as a case study of gathering, analyzing and using qualitative data to better understand student learning and thereby improve information literacy instruction. The Information Skills résumé tool, used to gather information from journalism students over five years, showed development of …

Git Along Li’L Dogies: A Collaborative Approach To Library Instruction For First-Year Writing Students, Jim Kinnie, Kerry Caparco

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

This presentation outlines the collaboration between URI Libraries and the URI Department of Writing and Rhetoric that has been designed to improve library skills for first-year writing students who all come to the library for an information literacy session. In ongoing discussions, URI librarians and Writing chairs updated the goals and outcomes of the library sessions and during the spring 2008 semester piloted a concept mapping pre-activity for students to enhance their research projects & prepare them for library research. The project design and assessment are detailed as well as the overall URI library instruction program for writing students.

Wikipedia, Ipods, And Chickens: An Active Learning Exercise To Teach Evaluation Of Information, Latisha Reynolds, Anna Marie Johnson

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

Librarians at the University of Louisville developed an evaluation of information exercise that is completely interactive. Students learn evaluation skills by participating in a small-group exercise, after which, the groups teach their classmates what they have learned.

Each small-group is assigned a different publication to evaluate such as a book, a website, a scholarly article, magazine or newspaper. They also have questions to answer in order to evaluate each source. After they evaluate the sources, each group chooses a student to present the information in front of the class.

The librarian acts as a facilitator to guide the students and …

To The Instruction Cave, Librarian! Graphic Novels And Information Literacy, Steven Hoover

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

Graphic novels emerged as highly visible additions to many academic library collections over the last few years. Much has been written about the pedagogical value of graphic novels in K-12 settings, but their potential applications in relation to information literacy in higher education have not been seriously addressed. Graphic novels provide an ideal backdrop for teaching students a variety of skills, especially with regard to the ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standard Three and visual literacy. In addition, graphic novels are excellent source material for projects that require students to conduct research, evaluate source quality, engage in reflective writing, compare versions …

Instruction 2.0: Engaging Students And Faculty Through Course Wikis, Kristine Esch Kasbohm, Hazel A. Mcclure

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

Merriam-Webster online defines a "wiki" as "a Web site that allows visitors to make changes, contributions, or corrections". Librarians at Canisius College have used a variety of web-based collaborative resources such as wikis, Google applications, and Angel course management software to improve student engagement and faculty interest in information literacy instruction. These collaborative resources offer instructional support beyond the one-shot session in the library. They also provide an avenue for librarians to interact with students and faculty.

We have used wikis in several different ways. When students do not completely understand something discussed in the library session, or when they …

Letting The Inmates Run The Asylum: Student Engagement In The Progressive Classroom, Tracey Mayfield, Katy Farrell French

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

One of the biggest challenges in library instruction today is engaging students in the one-shot library instruction setting. Students are bored, incommunicative and motivating them to participate proves difficult. These challenges with students beg the question: how do we initiate and maintain student engagement in the one-shot library instruction?

Our approach is a simple one: let the students set the learning agenda.

This presentation will address how librarians can partner with students during the library instruction session to chart a unique and customized path towards learning. The presenters will demonstrate their method of letting students set the agenda that identifies …

Developing An Online Credit-Bearing Information Fluency Course: Lessons Learned, Rebecca Blakiston, Yvonne Mery, Leslie Sult

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

This presentation will focus on the University of Arizona Libraries’ development and implementation of its first online one-credit information fluency course, the Skillful Researcher. This course is taught entirely online and has allowed the Library to reach new students who have little experience with the Library and its resources. The presentation will be aimed at librarians who are currently planning their own online or credit-bearing courses. Attendees will learn how we developed the course from its inception to its evaluation and how they can avoid the same mistakes and pitfalls in their own development.

Using A Pre- And Post-Survey Method To Assess The Effectiveness And Usability Of An Online Information Literacy Tutorial, Lesley M. Moyo

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

The presentation is a case study reporting on the assessment of Virginia Tech’s online Information Skills Modules (ISM): http://info-skills.lib.vt.edu/. The ISM is an information literacy tutorial developed for use either as a teaching tool or independently. The evaluators used a pre and post survey method to determine the ISM impact on research skills of agricultural economics students who used the tutorial as a textbook for a component of their course. The session will cover methods and instruments employed in collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, and how the data was analyzed. Discussion will include detailed findings and recommendations.

A New Model For Evaluating The Online Tutorial: Does Your Tutorial Reflect Your Mission?, Paulette Kerr, Jana Valejs

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2009

The online tutorial has emerged as a ubiquitous representation of information literacy instruction and often is the visible face of these programs. Academic libraries currently boast an expanding array of tutorials which are presented as effective alternatives and supplements to face-to-face instruction. A growing body of literature exists about the design and evaluation of the online tutorial (Atwater-Singer & Metcalf, 2006; Dewald, 1999; Hrycaj, 2005; Tronstad, Phillips, Garcia, & Harlow, 2009). Typically, evaluations focus on the quality of the tutorial or its effect on student learning. Quality questions ask whether it is engaging, easy to navigate, and up-to-date. Effectiveness questions …

Librarian Perceptions And Information Literacy Instruction Models, Erin Davis, Kacy Lundstrom, Pamela N. Martin

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Purpose – This paper aims to explore both instruction librarians' attitudes on teaching and how they identify themselves as teachers. Particular attention is to be paid to teaching librarians' views on the effectiveness of two types of instruction models: for-credit courses and course-integrated library instruction.

Design/methodology/approach – To investigate librarians' attitudes towards these two models, a survey was constructed targeting librarians who teach information literacy (IL).

Findings – The results indicate that there is an important relationship between the IL instruction model employed and feelings towards campus politics, perceived effectiveness of IL models, and librarians' self-identification as teachers.

Research limitations/implications …

Click Or Poll Your Way To An Interactive Library Instruction, Sarah Gewirtz

Libraries Staff Publications

Many of us have gotten the blank stare when we ask students, “Do you have any questions?” or “Can anyone give me a search term to try?” This might be the only time we see them. We want to make a positive impression but also make sure they learn something during their short time. How can we do all of that? Easy! Use Clickers (Audience Response Systems) or an online version like PollEverywhere.com. During this presentation, Sarah discussed the questions she’s asked and responses she’s gotten from classes she’s taught using both Clickers and PollEverywhere.com. She discussed feedback from each …

Strategies For Teaching 21st Century Skills To Tomorrow's College Students, Ann Marie Smeraldi, Kenneth J. Burhanna, Joanna Mcnally, Jennifer Schwelik

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

Today’s first year college students arrive on campus underprepared for the academic demands that await them. Despite the dedicated efforts of high school librarians, research continues to illustrate that students lack basic information literacy skills crucial to their academic success in higher education. In this session high school and academic librarians will explore this issue with participants to identify key deficits in students’ 21st Century Skills.

The presenters will share their insights on college professors’ expectations and offer best practices for educating tomorrow’s college students. Presenters will provide ideas for lesson plans and assessment; actual college assignments will be shared.

Visualizing History: Using Museum Skills To Teach Information Literacy To Undergraduates, Sandra Roff

Publications and Research

Baruch College began an information studies minor that reinforces the principles of information literacy. However, it did not employ the visual to teach information literacy skills. To fill this gap, a new course, using the process of researching and preparing an exhibit script to teach undergraduates information literacy skills, was developed. In this course students have the opportunity to become creative, while at the same time learning the organizational and research skills needed to compose exhibit proposals, write labels and press releases and finally to produce exhibit script.

Critical Thinking As Information Literacy: A Model For The Core Curriculum?, Lisa P. Smith, Phyllis S. Dallas

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

Presentation Description

The presenters will share the history of the new critical thinking requirements adopted by Georgia Southern University, which are based upon information literacy goals. In addition, the presenters will briefly examine models for developing and measuring critical thinking skills from other USG institutions. Finally, an opportunity for input from the participants will be welcomed and facilitated through questions from the presenters that focus on assessment of critical thinking.

Online Instruction For Art History Research, Ching-Jung Chen, Amrita Dhawan

Publications and Research

At the City College of New York (CCNY), the Art and Architecture Visual Resources Librarian (VR Librarian) teamed up with the Information Literacy Librarian to design an online tutorial for conducting library research in Art History. The tutorial is created using Google Sites and is linked to the College’s Blackboard site for ease of access by students.

The Impact Of Computer Literacy And Library Anxiety On Students' Library Experience, Terry Dwain Robertson, Lauren Matacio

Faculty Publications

Despite growing up with technology, are college freshmen well prepared for library research, or does their computer savvy actually put them at a disadvantage? Do other factors such as library anxiety affect students’ research experience? How can secondary educators better prepare their students for the leap from a small school library to a large college or university library? How can college librarians make new students’ first library experience a positive one? These questions are addressed in this article.

Strategically Leveraging Learning Space To Create Partnership Opportunities, Tomalee Doan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The Management & Economics Library at Purdue University began a major physical and conceptual renovation four years ago. The conceptual renovation involves a rethinking of library faculty and staff roles and responsibilities based on the library’s and university’s strategic directives. The LearnLab space is being used as a springboard to create new partnerships, to implement our new roles, and to transform the perspective of an academic library’s present capability. This article will highlight the variety of opportunities that have arisen by leveraging the Learn Lab space.

Ua51 Preparing Information Literate Students At Wku: Report Of The Task Force On Universal Information Literacy, Bryan Carson Chair, John C. Gottfried, Amanda Hardin, Jonathan J. Jeffrey, Sara Mccaslin, Tammera Race, Amy J W Slowik, Wku University Libraries

Library Annual Reports, Reports, and Statistics

Purpose:

The Task Force on Universal Information Literacy was formed in the fall of 2010 and charged with reviewing the advisability and viability of providing information literacy instruction to every student at WKU.

The Evolution Of An Embedded Information Literacy Module: Using Student Feedback And The Research Literature To Improve Student Performance, Allison Kavanagh

Articles

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and evolution of the embedded information literacy (IL) module for first year BSc in Marketing students in Technological University Dublin (DIT) over a three year period between 2007-8 and 2009-10. It describes the pedagogical theories underlining the teaching and assessment of the course in its original format, the reflective practice in which the library team engaged, and the subsequent changes made to the teaching and assessment of the course, informed by the research literature. The study uses performance in the assessment task, student feedback drawn from survey questionnaires and a …

Summary Of May 2, 2011 Information Literacy Reading And Scoring Of First Year Papers, Information Literacy Committee (Trinity University)

Information Literacy Documents

No abstract provided.

Using A Media Technology Showcase To Bridge The Gap Between K-12 & Higher Education: Creating A Professional Development Workshop, Sonya S. Shepherd

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

Why should students spend time navigating to find the library tools needed to search? Why not provide direct links to library resources so more time is spent finding, evaluating, and synthesizing information? These were questions asked by some academic librarians trying to help students locate resources for assignments.As a result, these academic librarians created online tutorials for using persistent links to library resources. Teaching faculty learned how to use the links in web pages and WebCT Vista. These tutorials were also shared at conferences. Attendees encouraged the presenters to develop a hands-on workshop. Attendees also suggested the workshop as a …

Beyond The Basics: How Can Librarians Teach What We Truly Care About?, Christopher Sweet

Scholarly Publications

Most research instruction sessions do very little in the way of inspiring creativity among students. The great majority of these sessions engage students only at the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (Remembering and Understanding). This often occurs by necessity- someone has to teach students research basics before they can ever hope to use research as part of a creative process. At the same time, we didn’t become librarians because we were passionate about Boolean operators! How can librarians move beyond the basics and begin to teach big-picture information literacy concepts such as intellectual freedom, critical thinking, and ethical use of …

Why Not Just Google It? An Assessment Of Information Literacy Skills In A Biomedical Science Curriculum, Karl Kingsley, Gillian M. Galbraith, M. Herring, Eva Stowers, Tanis Stewart, Karla V. Kingsley

Library Faculty Research

Background: Few issues in higher education are as fundamental as the ability to search for, evaluate, and synthesize information. The need to develop information literacy, the process of finding, retrieving, organizing, and evaluating the ever-expanding collection of online information, has precipitated the need for training in skill-based competencies in higher education, as well as medical and dental education.

Methods: The current study evaluated the information literacy skills of first-year dental students, consisting of two, consecutive dental student cohorts (n = 160). An assignment designed to evaluate information literacy skills was conducted. In addition, a survey of student online search engine …

Information Is Social: Information Literacy In Context, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

This paper aims to discuss traditional conceptions of information literacy as created within an academic context to address information needs within this context. It seeks to present alternative realities of information use outside the academic sector, and to suggest that information literacy instruction within academia does not go far enough in preparing students for the information society beyond university. The aim is then to follow this by discussion of appropriate information literacy models to prepare young people for information use in a variety of workplace environments.

Teaching With The Situation: Jersey Shore As A Popular Culture Example In Information Literacy Classes, Amy Springer

Libraries Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Oral History Interview With Ruth Pagell: Conceptualising Smu, Ruth Pagell

Oral History Collection

The interview covered: first involvement with SMU, new library, city campus, role and responsibilities, academic librarians, research support, digital library, PYXIS, changing role of librarians, challenges.

Biography:

Founding University Librarian, SMU, 2005–2011

Ruth A. Pagell served as SMU’s first University Librarian from June 2005 until February 2011. During her time at SMU she led the effort to create a 21st century academic library recognised for enabling university research and teaching. She oversaw the implementation of the digital library (PYXIS) and the institutional repository (InK), and the development of the oral history site. After leaving SMU in February 2011, she moved …

Helping International Students Succeed Academically Through Research Process And Plagiarism Workshops., Yu-Hui Chen, Mary K. Van Ullen

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Workshops on the research process and plagiarism were designed to meet the needs of international students at the University at Albany. The research process workshop covered formulating research questions, as well as locating and evaluating sources. The plagiarism workshop focused on acknowledging sources, quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing materials, citation styles, and avoiding plagiarism. The effectiveness of the workshops was measured by administering pre-and post-tests and by interviewing students several months after the workshops. The results showed that students achieved significant improvement for both the research process and plagiarism by attending the training, and they continued to apply new skills several …