Information Literacy Commons^™

Don't Get Left Behind: Moving Library Instruction Online, Christina Hillman, Katie Sabourin

Lavery Library Faculty/Staff Publications

With the growing number of online courses and programs across the higher education spectrum, the need to train faculty to effectively design and deliver online courses has become essential to many institutions. However, many professional development options do not include information or support in order to transition the same library services and resources faculty might use in their face-to-face classes to this new environment. The following case study describes professional development for faculty preparing to teach online at one small, private, doctoral-granting institution; how library resources and services were incorporated into the professional development experience; and the overall impressions from …

Reinvigorating A Library Workshop Series: Moving Workshops Into The Online Environment, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

More than ever, college students engaging with their institutions’ libraries are distance students who may never physically set foot in the library building. Even on-campus students have hectic schedules which often prevent them from taking advantage of library assistance and instruction. For these and other reasons, librarians at Cleveland State University decided to reinvigorate their in-person information literacy workshops by supplementing them with an asynchronous online plagiarism workshop. In the process, the coordinating instruction librarian solicited help in designing the online workshop content from a number of stakeholders on campus, including other subject specialist librarians, a representative from the Office …

Identifying Threshold Concepts For Information Literacy: A Delphi Study, Lori Townsend, Amy R. Hofer, Silvia L. Lin Hanick, Korey Brunetti

Publications and Research

This study used the Delphi method to engage expert practitioners on the topic of threshold concepts—core ideas and processes in a discipline that students need to grasp in order to progress in their learning, but that are often unspoken or unrecognized by expert practitioners—for information literacy. A panel of experts considered two questions: First, is the threshold concept approach useful for information literacy instruction? The panel unanimously agreed that the threshold concept approach holds potential for information literacy instruction. Second, what are the threshold concepts for information literacy instruction? The panel proposed and discussed over 50 potential threshold concepts, finally …

Application Of Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (Ca) To Library Instruction, Elizabeth K. Tompkins

Publications and Research

The cognitive apprenticeship model, which links apprenticeship-learning techniques and classroom practices, offers a flexible framework for planning and implementing library sessions. Originally developed by educators Collins, Brown, and Newman, cognitive apprenticeship illuminates the thought process of teachers and other experts while they deliver instruction in problem solving, close reading, critical thinking, or other higher order reasoning. This paper discusses how librarians can employ the cognitive apprenticeship model to collapse the thought process associated with library research into components that are comprehensible to all levels of students.

Eyes Toward The Future: Framing For-Credit Information Literacy Instruction, Emily P. Frank, Amanda B. Macdonald

Faculty Publications

LSU Libraries recently redesigned its one-credit hour information literacy course taught by librarians for undergraduate students. This redesign coincided with a shift from face-to-face to online course delivery at a local level alongside the implementation of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) on undergraduate research that would lead to increased course enrollment at the university level. At the national level, there was a transition to ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Framework). The Libraries’ Instruction Committee engaged in a holistic reconceptualization of the course, beginning with debating and designing new student learning outcomes (SLOs) and attributes before considering …

What Standards Do And What They Don't, Emily Drabinski, Meghan Sitar

Brooklyn Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Librarians’ Use Of Instructional Design Methods In Creating Information Literacy Instruction, Michael W. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to determine whether instruction librarians in the United States and Canada were using instructional design (ID) methods, and to identify potential explanations for their adoption or rejection of those methods. The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985) served as the theoretical framework for the study. Research questions examined the relationship between respondents’ reported use of ID methods and the following factors: (a) behavioral, normative, and control beliefs, (b) demographic factors, and (c) professional identity as teachers. A survey adapted from Ajjan and Hartshorne (2008) and from Julien and Genuis (2011) …

Moving Students To The Center Through Collaborative Documents In The Classroom, Maura A. Smale, Stephen Francoeur

Publications and Research

Collaborative document creation allows groups of people to create and edit text in a shared space, and educators across all subject areas have embraced these tools in their classes. Library instructors are no exception—the authors have used collaborative documents with students in multiple instructional settings. We believe that collaborative documents can embody critical pedagogy in the library classroom. Creating and editing collaborative documents can acknowledge students’ prior experiences with research and the library and de-center the library instructor as the sole research expert in the room.

Case Studies And Pervasive Instruction: Using Journalism Education Techniques In The Information Literacy Classroom, Jennifer Noe

Publications and Research

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether journalism education techniques can be adapted for use in the information literacy classroom as a means of teaching the ethical use of information. The author uses personal experience as a journalist and graduate of journalism education programs to examine the similarities between journalism pedagogy and information literacy and whether any aspect of journalism pedagogy is transferrable to the information literacy classroom.

Redundancy Of Instruction : Library Instruction In First-Year Courses, Jeffrey Henry

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The first-year experience that students have with the library is integral to their success in college and beyond. This poster explores the critical relationship students have with the library and how to nurture it in the first year. Redundancy of material covered in instruction sessions could be off-putting and diminish the perceptions these students have of the library and its offerings. Collecting student feedback to determine the redundancy that students may be experiencing in these first-year course library instruction sessions and the usefulness of the information presented to them can help to inform us about future materials covered.

Personal Research Sessions: A Consultation-Based Program For Research Support, Jennifer L.A. Whelan

Staff publications

A gradual decline in reference questions at the Holy Cross Libraries prompted research librarians to offer Personal Research Sessions. The PRS program allows students to meet one-on-one with a research librarian by appointment. Established in 2011, the PRS program has become increasingly popular and successful.

Collecting Cats: Library Lessons From Neko Atsume, Kelly M. Blanchat, Megan Brooks

Publications and Research

This blog post is the culmination of a Twitter conversation between librarians talking about their experiences playing a phone game. The game is called Nekoatsume and it involves taking care of digital cats in a virtual backyard. Nekoatsume is entirely in Japanese, a key fact that actually started the Twitter conversation (and not the fact that the game involves cats, as might be expected). Despite the language barrier, Nekoatsume is remarkably user-friendly; library databases should be just as user-friendly as a game in a foreign language, but too often they’re not. With so many variables in acquiring research — design, …

Social Media As Game Strategy: Twitter In The #Infolit Instruction Session, Kelly M. Blanchat, Lydia Willoughby

Publications and Research

The lure of distractions can entice even the strongest of student wills in a computer classroom. Research requires strategic thinking and ordered planning to drown out the noise of online distractions. This poster demonstrates a unique way to capitalize on the natural overlap of research, communication, and social media by employing game strategy to lead learning outcomes for undergraduate student research. Instead of silencing social media, this activity incorporates Twitter as a platform to introduce information literacy concepts and participatory practices of scholarship.

Play A Game, Make A Game: Getting Creative With Professional Development For Library Instruction, Maura A. Smale

Publications and Research

Using games in the library classroom is an active learning strategy that can increase student engagement. However, not all librarians are equally familiar and comfortable with bringing game-based learning to the library. Game On for Information Literacy is a brainstorming card game to help librarians create games for information literacy and library instruction. Inspired by other successful brainstorming card games, this game was developed, playtested, and iterated over several years in workshops, graduate-level MLIS courses, and professional development programs. Game materials are all available to download, use, remix, and share.

Using Student Performance To Evaluate An Online Tutorial: Is Flipping Really Worth It?, Michael C. Goates, Gregory M. Nelson

Faculty Publications

How effective are online tutorials at providing library instruction? Are students really getting as much out of these tutorials as we think they are? What advantages, if any, do students and librarians gain from incorporating online tutorials into information literacy sessions? This presentation will describe a study comparing two library instruction models for an undergraduate advanced writing course at Brigham Young University. The first model follows a traditional instruction session while the second model uses a flipped classroom approach to deliver instruction in the form of an online tutorial. Results from student assignments, evaluations, and focus groups will be discussed …

From Pints To Barrels: Helping Topic-Focused Students See The Bigger Picture, Beth Fuchs, Debbie Sharp

Library Presentations

Research projects have the potential to engage undergraduates in an understanding of the complexity of knowledge, but what stymies many students as they attempt to frame their research, according to Project Information Literacy's inaugural report in 2009, is an understanding of the larger context of their topics. What teaching techniques can we use to help students understand that database results don't have to be exclusively on their topics to be useful? Using cognitive science and assessment results to inform our methods, we'll share active learning activities that can assist students in gaining insight into the broader landscapes of their topics. …

Integration Of Information Literacy Skills To Mechanical Engineering Capstone Projects, Farshid Zabihian, Mary L. Strife, Marian G. Armour-Gemmen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Searching for information and using that information appropriately is an essential part of every engineering design project. It has been reported that design engineers spend about 30% of their time searching for information. Experience shows that even senior level students have not received proper training, either directly or indirectly, in information literacy (IL). They usually search for information intuitively. For mechanical and aerospace engineering students at West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech), the Mechanical Engineering System Design I and II courses (MAE 480 and 481) are probably the last chance to teach students about IL. In this project, …

The Flipped Classroom For Library Instruction: A Student Focused Assessment, Michael C. Goates

Faculty Publications

Librarians at Brigham Young University conducted an assessment to evaluate student performance in developing effective search strategies between flipped classroom and traditional library instruction models. In the flipped classroom model, students completed an interactive online tutorial prior to attending a face-to-face instruction session in the library. During the face-to-face session, students collaborated on projects designed to reinforce concepts explained in the online tutorial. In this presentation, participants will learn about the history of the flipped classroom teaching model for library instruction. Next, the presenter will explain the process of developing a flipped library instruction session for undergraduate students in the …

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points: Distance Learning Library Instruction, Lugene Rosen

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

This presentation offers advice on providing effective library instruction for distance learners, and discusses the benefits of using a federated search tool such as EBSCO Discovery Service.

Breathing Life Into Information Literacy Skills: Results Of A Faculty-Librarian Collaboration, Divonna M. Stebick, Janelle L. Wertzberger, Margaret E. Flora, Joseph W. Miller

Education Faculty Publications

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the research process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research. We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound research strategies, …

Teaching Information Literacy To Undergraduate Students: Reflecting On The Past, Present And Future Of Library Instruction, Scott Juskiewicz, Conor Cote

Library

The need to teach information literacy skills to undergraduate students is often framed as a 21^st century concern, but debate over the value and practice of teaching this set of skills can be found as far back as the early 1900’s. This article reviews the history of information literacy instruction in academic libraries from its origins to the present, examines the current state of information literacy instruction in academic libraries, and explores possible future directions that this instruction may take. Looking to the past, present and future shows that while library instruction has evolved, many central concerns remain unanswered.

Using The Flipped Classroom Model In Your Library Instruction Course, Eduardo Rivera Jr

Post Library Faculty Publications

In the flipped classroom model, the pedagogical paradigm is reversed and the students learn the class lesson at home and do homework in class. Although much of the focus of the flipped model has been on the secondary education level, this model could be a viable way to teach library instruction sessions to college-level students as well as a way to preserve scarce class time. This article examines a project that was done at LIU Post, where an instructor of the Library Competency Workshop course flipped the classroom and compared test results to sections where the class was run in …

The Flipped Library Classroom At Georgia State University: A Case Study, M. Leslie Madden, Ida T. Martinez

Georgia Library Quarterly

Although the flipped classroom concept has gained attention in the media and professional literature in the past year, versions of this instructional delivery method have existed for some time. Librarians and other educators have created tutorials and other learning objects as a means of supplementing and supplanting traditional face-to-face instruction. Librarians at Georgia State University are experimenting with using learning objects to teach basic skills, while scheduling face-to-face workshops and instruction sessions to delve deeper into discipline-based research processes. This paper details those efforts, highlights an established “flipped classroom” practice with the Psychology department, and presents evidence of improved student …

Acrl Instruction Section Website: Primo Bonus Site Of The Month, Kimberly Willson-St. Clair, Claudia Irla, Amanda Clossen

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

Interview by Amanda Clossen about the site, Analyze Your Research Strategy Tutorial

Project description: Part of a suite of five tutorials developed to provide online research support for freshman just learning academic research skills, as well as sophomore and junior transfer students who might need remedial instruction about the research process and academic library services. This 25-minute tutorial helps students identify a paper topic that is not too narrow or too broad, select evidence that will answer their research question, and brainstorm keywords to find pertinent resources.

Integrating Information Literacy, The Pogil Method, And Ipads Into A Foundational Studies Program, Carrie Moore, Jennifer Black, Barbara C. Glackin, Margie Ruppel, Elaine Watson

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

This article provides an overview of the design, implementation, revision and informal assessment of an information literacy curriculum embedded in a new University Foundations (UF) program at a mid‐sized public university. The library information literacy sessions incorporated teambased learning and Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) elements using iPads. Each session provided students an opportunity to develop and apply information literacy skills, and included critical thinking questions which led students to think about underlying concepts. A focus group with the librarians assessed the UF library curriculum, its impact on student engagement, and the training activities for librarian teaching preparation.

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). …

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, …

Building A Unified Data And Information Literacy Program: A Collaborative Approach To Instruction, Megan Bresnahan, Andrew Johnson

Library Instruction West 2014

As information literacy needs of graduate students change and expand, library initiatives should respond with approaches that align holistically with users’ perspectives by incorporating areas like research data into existing information literacy instruction programs. This presentation will provide a model for subject and instruction librarians to use to promote their skills and expertise within their organizations’ existing or yet to be developed research data efforts. For institutions that already have positions dedicated to research data, subject and instruction librarians can learn how to market their value in enhancing research data instruction. At libraries where research data services are nascent or …