Information Literacy Commons^™

Academic Libraries And The Credit-Bearing Class: A Practical Approach, Margaret G. Burke

Communications in Information Literacy

Academic librarians are expanding their teaching roles and increasing numbers are involved in teaching information literacy by means of the credit-bearing class. Librarians at the Axinn Library at Hofstra University have been teaching credit-bearing classes since 2001. While doing research on the subject, the author found that the literature contained very little practical information concerning this important responsibility for academic librarians. In order to answer some questions that arose from Axinn librarians' experiences with credit-bearing classes, a survey was conducted using the Association of College and Research Libraries' Information Literacy Instruction's Discussion List as the study group. Among the topics …

Biology And Nursing Students' Perceptions Of A Web-Based Information Literacy Tutorial, Sharon Weiner, Nancy Pelaez, Karen Chang, John Weiner

Communications in Information Literacy

This study assessed student perceptions about an online information literacy tutorial, CORE (Comprehensive Online Research Education, to plan for the next generation of tutorials. The CORE tutorial includes seven modules: "Planning Your Project," "Topic Exploration," "Types of Information," "Search Tools," "Search Strategies," "Evaluating Sources," and "Copyright, Plagiarism, and Citing Sources." First-year students in biology and nursing courses responded to a survey after they completed the CORE modules. The students liked learning through an online tutorial. They thought that the tutorial could be improved with shorter modules and the addition of video and audio content. Few students reported learning important information …

Closing The Loop: Integrating Snapps Into An Outpatient Morning Report To Foster Self-Directed Learning And Encourage Use Of Evidence Based Medicine, Julia Magana, Jimmy Beck

E-Learning Modules

This resources describes a novel approach to outpatient morning report. This format encourages self-directed learning as well as teaches residents to use the clinical literature to ensure they were providing optimal patient care. Each resident daily chooses a clinical question from that day's patient care, investigates and brings the answer back to the group during morning report. This resource includes a description of the integration and implementation of this format as well as the handout used by the residents.

Since the implementation of our new morning report format, our residents have consistently read about their patients on a nightly basis. …

Information Literacy In The Workplace: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Yuhfen Diana H. Wu

Faculty and Staff Publications

This cross-cultural study has two main purposes: to investigate how information literacy is perceived in the workplace and to discover how employees obtain information to carry out their jobs in an effective and timely fashion. This project applies a mix of research methods, including site visits, interviews, and a survey. More than 120 participants from forty companies were involved in this study. They were from a wide variety of industries in Taiwan and Silicon Valley, in Northern California, where many companies base offices or operations from around the world. Major obstacles in conducting cross-continent research are cost, time demands, scheduling, …

Information Outlook, March/April 2012, Special Libraries Association

Information Outlook, 2012

Volume 16, Issue 2

Graphic Novels In Graduate-Level Library And Information Studies Literature And Materials Courses, Elizabeth M. Downey, Karen Davidson

Publications

Graphic novels and comics have garnered acceptance in recent years, finding their way into library collections, literacy programs, scholarly publications and classrooms. This article examines the use of graphic novels in graduate-level library and information studies programs through a survey conducted of instructors teaching at American Library Association-accredited institutions. The authors wanted to determine whether faculty in library and information studies programs were assigning graphic novels in their literature and materials courses, particularly courses with an emphasis on children’s and ‘young adult’ materials, what graphic novels were being assigned, and how they were incorporated into the curriculum.

Science And Technology Undergraduate Students' Use Of The Internet, Cell Phones And Social Networking Sites To Access Library Information, Lutishoor Salisbury, Jozef Laincz, Jeremy J. Smith

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many academic libraries and publishers have developed mobile-optimized versions of their web sites and catalogs. Almost all database vendors and major journal publishers have provided a way to connect to their resources via the Internet and the mobile web. In light of this pervasive use of the Internet, mobile devices and social networking, this study examines the habits of 290 science and technology students (with majors in biology (51%), chemical engineering (15%), biological engineering (9%), kinesiology (5%), and animal science (4%)), to identify whether they use this technology for library-related activities. The primary objective of this study was to identify …

Going Beyond A Library Tour: Leading One-Shots Using Ipads And Qr Codes, Ngoc-Yen Tran

Faculty and Staff Publications

According to the 2011 ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology report, "institutions and instructors do not fully harness [technologies] to create opportunities for more varied, inspiring, and beyond-the-classroom learning experiences." The challenge for libraries is how to use technologies to excite and provide experiential learning for students so that they can improve their information literacy skills. Using iPads in conjunction with QR codes, a structured fifty-minute session was developed to engage students with information. In groups of 3-5, students completed the activity together. Each group was given the same activity but with different topics and sources to examine. …

Bridging The Gap: Transitioning Information Literacy Skills For Student Success, Jennifer L. Fabbi, David Forgues

Library Faculty Presentations

Context: UNLV, University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes, Inquiry & Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, iSkills Assessment

Mobile Information Literacy Let’S Use An App For That!, Stefanie Havelka, Alevtina Verbovetskaya

Publications and Research

Presentation at 3Ts 2012: Engaging Students with Transliteracy, Technology, and Teaching conference,

Soothing Citation Irritation: Approaches To Teaching Students About Bibliographies And References, Priscilla Finley, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Presentations

When we work with classes, we are often asked to “cover” MLA or APA style – what they hear from us does not meet their needs.

We have two approaches to share today: one takes a metacognitive tack that encourages students to make an individual plan to address what they find frustrating, and the other is a rubric that an instructor can use to clarify the expectations and to emphasize what elements of citation conventions are most important when they are grading.

You Say You Want An E-Revolution?: Helping Our Patrons Benefit From Developments In Personal Technology, Beau Steenken

Law Faculty Popular Media

In this article, the author provides advice on how libraries and patrons can adapt to changes in technology and the prevalence of personal tech devices.

Citation Help In Databases: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same, Mary Van Ullen, Jane Kessler

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

In 2005 the authors reviewed citation help in databases and found an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation. This article describes a follow-up study which revealed a modest improvement in the error rate to 3.4 errors per citation, still unacceptably high. The most problematic area was retrieval statements. The authors conclude that librarians should include citation features in the evaluation of databases, and should open a dialogue with vendors about the importance of providing accurate, reliable information about citations to students.

Bridging The Information Literacy Gap: First-Year Students Reflect For Success, Jennifer L. Fabbi, Dan Gianoutsos, David Forgues

Library Faculty Presentations

UNLV Context

• Fall 2011: 22,138 undergraduate students; 72% were fulltime; 5135 freshmen with a 76.4% first-yr retention rate (2010 to 2011); 40.6% six-year graduation rate

• Budget-induced movement to large-enrollment classes – Program eliminations and consolidations underway

• General Education Reform developments – Articulation of University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes, especially Inquiry and Critical Thinking – New general education requirements extending vertically throughout the curriculum

• Focus on enhancing the first-year experience for incoming students

Ipad 2s For Everyone! Catching Students’ Attention In Library One-Shots, Ngoc-Yen Tran

Faculty and Staff Publications

“You are an exercise science major and you have a mid-term essay due in two weeks. You’ve chosen to write about the benefits of yoga. The assignment requires you to find at least 2 peer-reviewed articles (also known as scholarly articles).” This is the scenario that I have given to students during one-shots and although that does not excite them, seeing iPads being distributed in conjunction with the activity certainly does. But, instead of using the iPad as a parallel to a computer (meaning that students use the web app to find materials), the students use the iPads to scan …

Information Outlook January/February 2012, Special Libraries Association

Information Outlook, 2012

Volume 16, Issue 1

Nature Or Nurture? Case Study Perspectives On Developing A Team Of Passionate Instruction Librarians At The Li Ka Shing Library, Singapore Management University, Rajendra Munoo

Research Collection Library

Developing and sustaining a team of passionate instruction librarians willing to conduct training and go the extra mile is hard to do, especially with limited resource. Successful instructional programmes depend on teamwork and collaboration especially in academic libraries. In this paper the author who is Head of Instructional Services at the Li Ka Shing Library, Singapore Management University, will share how this has been done with a team of thirteen, each with different levels of skills and competencies. The first part of the paper will cover some of the new ways information literacy programmes are being delivered at the library. …

Seeing College Students As Adults: Learner-Centered Strategies For Information Literacy Instruction, Sarah P C Dahlen

Library Faculty Publications and Presentations

Information literacy instruction is a responsibility of many academic librarians and much has been written about approaches to this endeavor. This article explores ways in which pedagogy from the field of adult education can inform information literacy instruction in higher education. A review of the literature on adult learning is followed by suggested ways that academic librarians can incorporate these learning strategies into their instruction. A case description examines how librarians at one institution have addressed adult learning styles and classroom realities by using surveys for instructional pre-assessment. While further research is needed to assess the impact of these techniques, …

Using Fun To Teach Rigorous Content, Mary Francis

Research & Publications

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 …

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-fifth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2012.

An Information Literacy Summer Assignment: Digital Learning Materials For The First Year Experience, Jeremy W. Donald

Library Faculty Research

Trinity University enrolls approximately 2400 undergraduate students, with an entering first-year class of ~600. As part of a campus-wide summer reading assignment, librarians and technologists were tasked with creating an online information literacy assignment, in which students were to complete an annotated bibliography related to the summer reading selection. The end result—an interactive website--combined instructional design, assessment, and usability design, and student work on the assignment was (optionally) incorporated into First Year Seminars.

A Few Thoughts On Evidence In Social Work, Gary Holden, Ellen Tuchman, Kathleen Barker, Gary Rosenberg, May, Sofie Kuppens, Katie Watson

Publications and Research

Social work practitioners must act every working day in the face of uncertainty. This uncertainty arises in part because knowledge is often difficult to locate or sometimes lacking regarding: the systems context the population being served; the particular client system; the set of problems the client system is experiencing; as well as the various interventions that could be selected. It seems reasonable to explore ways to reduce the experience of uncertainty, and narrow, if not eliminate, the knowledge gaps that arise in such situations. The generic idea of evidence based practice has been advanced for some time as an approach …

Create Your Own Cephalonian Method Adventure: An Interactive Session, Amanda Izenstark, Mary Macdonald

Public Services Faculty Publications

The Cephalonian Method has garnered much interest for its possibilities for engaging students in what could be an otherwise one-sided orientation program. This workshop will help attendees determine how and when to incorporate the Cephalonian Method into their sessions, how to discuss the technique with colleagues, and, most importantly, develop a set of Cephalonian Method questions that can be used in orientation and instruction sessions at their home libraries.

Medical E-Reference: A Benchmark For E-Reference Publishing In Other Disciplines, Terese Desimio, Ximena Chrisagis

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Electronic medical information retrieval systems and reference sources were some of the first discipline specific e-resources to be developed, due to physicians’ need to access the most current and relevant clinical information as quickly as possible. Many medical publishers and information aggregators have been incorporating the features their users demand for years. Thus, medical e-reference publishing could serve as a benchmark for e-reference publishing in other fields. Yet medical e-reference is not without its challenges. Today’s physicians and medical students expect immediate and user-friendly electronic access to media rich and value added clinical references, particularly via their mobile devices. Publishers, …

Libraries And General Education: New Strategies To Enhance Freshman Orientation, Faculty Collaboration, And Curriculum Development, Carl R. Andrews

Publications and Research

My research will attempt to re-evaluate the academic library's role in supporting a general education program. The emphasis will focus on student centeredness, faculty collaboration, outreach and curriculum support. In the short time that I have worked in academic libraries I have learned that quality customer service and reference desk work is far from the list of priorities in some settings. Coming from the public library I found this to be unacceptable. We are service providers and the way in which we communicate with students and faculty is important. As professionals we should do more in the way of making …

Addressing Academic Integrity: Perspectives From Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar, Nancy E. Fawley

Library Faculty Research

Understanding the cultural aspects that affect a student’s ability to appropriately use resources is important in developing outreach and instruction in multicultural settings. Differences in educational philosophies, students’ previous scholastic training and cultural differences in individual motivation are all factors that may affect a freshman’s ability to understand an American university’s idea of academic integrity and can inadvertently cause problems where independent work and critical thinking are required. At Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU Qatar), a branch campus of the American university in the Middle East, a special class on academic integrity and ethical behavior was integrated into the …

Libraries Atwitter: Trends In Academic Library Tweeting, Darcy C. Del Bosque, Sam A. Leif, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Research

Purpose – This paper aims to present an overview of how libraries are using Twitter in an academic setting.

Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed the current state of 296 Twitter accounts from a random sample of academic libraries. A total of 19 different criteria were explored, with an emphasis on the following three categories: layout and design, content and number of tweets, and account followers.

Findings – Only 34 per cent of libraries in the study had a Twitter account and characteristics varied widely among libraries, however it is evident that it is possible to successfully communicate with patrons via …

Mobile Information Literacy Let's Use An App For That!, Stefanie Havelka, Alevtina Verbovetskaya

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Books And Websites, E-Journals Or Print: If The Source Fits, Use It, Todd J. Wiebe

Faculty Publications

Despite the ever-growing range of media types, formats, and information-access options, students are often instructed to only use specific sources in their research. They are sometimes even given strict guidelines, prescribing how many of each they need to, or may, cite. It is important not to lead students to believe there is a formula for the ideal works cited for all research topics. In contrast, students should learn to think critically about the content and appropriateness of each potential source rather than choosing it only because it is a book, a journal article, a Website, etc. This article argues that …

Analyzing La Cuna: New Approaches For Mentoring In Professional Associations, Alison Hicks

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.