Information Literacy Commons^™

Developing And Applying An Information Literacy Rubric To Student Annotated Bibliographies, Erin E. Rinto

Library Faculty Research

Objective – This study demonstrates one method of developing and applying rubrics to student writing in order to gather evidence of how students utilize information literacy skills in the context of an authentic assessment activity. The process of creating a rubric, training scorers to use the rubric, collecting annotated bibliographies, applying the rubric to student work, and the results of the rubric assessment are described. Implications for information literacy instruction are also discussed.

Methods – The focus of this study was the English 102 (ENG 102) course, a required research-based writing course that partners the instructors with the university librarians …

Engaging The Homeless Through Technology And Information Literacy, Fannie Cox

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The University of Louisville (U of L) Libraries' outreach mission is to encourage the development of information literacy (IL) and critical thinking in individuals. In March 2010, a community engagement partnership began between Ekstrom Library and the Wayside Christian Mission for the libraries to provide a basic computer skills class to its clients (referred to as students), many of whom had never used a computer. Now in its fourth iteration, the class named Wayside 100 provides students an opportunity to develop skills that may assist them with increasing their educational level, succeeding in college, as well as overcoming homelessness.

The Problem And Prospect Of Getting Information Literacy Into The Academy: Keynote Address For The Annual Conference Of The Association Of Christian Librarians, June 11, 2013, Tami Echavarria Robinson

The Christian Librarian

ACL was most fortunate to listen to a distinguished thinker in the field of Information Literacy at the 2013 Annual Conference. William Badke, who hails from Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia, is a librarian and a professor who has been thinking well about the conundrum of teaching and learning information literacy since 1985 when he began teaching this subject. He shared his most current thoughts about getting information literacy into the academy with the Association of Christian Librarians assembled at Point Loma Nazarene University on June 11, 2013.

The Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom Hierarchy Goes To Seminary, Terry Dwain Robertson

Faculty Publications

In Information Science studies, the Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom (DIKW) hierarchy is a conventional construct for making sense of the terms. However, when examined with any rigor, the distinctions become challenged and the hierarchy appears to fail. I suggest that the reason for this is the tacit classification of this hierarchy as a disciplinary ontological narrative. With context-appropriate definitions and delimitations, the DIKW hierarchy can still be useful as a model for specific applications in information literacy pedagogy. This is illustrated in the context of theological education by using the construct to differentiate the identification of primary sources in the Seminary disciplines.

Critical Information Literacy And The Technology Of Control: The Case Of Armenia, John Carey, D. Aram Donabedian

Publications and Research

As direct providers of information literacy, librarians can help patrons analyze the social and economic forces involved in the creation and use of information. This chapter will discuss why critical information literacy and critical pedagogy are especially important in the Armenian context, with its unique historical, cultural, and geopolitical concerns. The authors will document how the Armenian government has used cutting-edge Internet controls to block online content or misdirect users. We will also examine how Armenians perceive the independence of their available media and explore current efforts by telecom, publishing, and governmental concerns to restrict Internet freedom. The authors suggest …

An Assessment Of The Information Dissemination Channels Used By The Zimbabwe Women’S Resource Centre And Network In The Provision Of Hiv/Aids Information To Women., Nancy Nhendodzashe, Collen Nhendo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In light of a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among women in Zimbabwe, this study sought to assess the extent to which the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) was effective in disseminating HIV/AIDS information to combat the pandemic among women. Literature reviewed that in as much as information was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS; there are other strategies that should be employed in combating HIV/AIDS to complement information dissemination activities such as economic empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality. The evaluation research design was used to accomplish the research objectives. The population of the study consisted …

Parent Participation In Family Programs: Involvement In Literacy Interactions, Adult And Child Instruction, And Assessment, Andrea D. Parecki, Sabra B. Gear

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to describe optimal parent participation in family literacy programs and parent-child literacy interactions, most specifically during interactive reading. Family literacy can be interpreted in many ways, resulting in diverse models of implementation that take place in Head Start programs, community agencies, schools and other venues. Since early literacy starts in the home environment where parents, across cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, want their children to learn successfully, family literacy programs that enhance parent-child interactions can directly assist many parents in supporting their children to become proficient readers. Implementation and outcomes of program activities on …

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

Health & Wellness Page, Ilana A. Mesnard

Blogging the Library

Where is health on your priority list? Good health is crucial for all people, but especially for musicians (or athletes) who need their bodies in top performance shape. Musicians in the conservatory need to be aware of how to stay healthy. The purposes of the Health and Wellness Page are to promote good health, and to create awareness of reliable resources on healthy lifestyle choices as musicians. [excerpt]

Information Outlook, November/December 2012, Special Libraries Association

Information Outlook, 2012

Volume 16, Issue 6

Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences For First Year Students, Ann Marie Smeraldi, Claudia Lilie

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

With only 55.5% of U.S. college students graduating with a bachelor’s degree within 6 years there is an obvious need for interventions that will help students adjust to college culture and teach learning habits that foster students’ abilities to persist to graduation. This presentation will illuminate the process of weaving together study skills, a common reading book and life on a college campus to design a cohesive first year seminar that facilitates student success.