How to integrate Information Literacy

into your classes

Going Global

Information literacy helps form the basis for lifelong learning.

It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education.

It enables learners to master content and:extend their investigations become more self-directedassume greater control/responsibility over

their own learning

What is Information Literacy?

Information Literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to effectively locate, evaluate, and use the information.

Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and

efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically Incorporate selected information into one’s

knowledge base Use information effectively to accomplish a

specific purpose Understand the economic, legal, and social issues

surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

ACRL - Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm#ildef

An Information Literate student should be able to:

Increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, credibility and reliability.

In addition, information is available through multiple media formats, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it

The changing face of Information

Using the LibraryComputer skills – how to use a computerJust finding facts to fill in the answerOne 50-minute orientation to the LibrarySimply having Access to resourcesBeing told what piece of information to

find…in what exact source…and copying it onto a paper

What Information Literacy is NOT

A person that understands with increasing

sophistication what technology is, how it is

created, how it shapes society, and in

turn is shaped by society is technologically literate.

A technologically literate person is comfortable with and objective about the use of technology - neither scared of it nor infatuated with it.

A technologically literate person has a range of hands-on skills, such as using a computer for word processing and surfing the Internet.

International Technology Education Association: Standards for Technological Literacy http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/PDFs/Execsum.pdf

What about the "Technical Literacy"?

Implies evaluation or use of critical thinking skills

What is a student’s definition of a credible source?

What is an instructor’s definition of a credible source?

"You are to use credible sources…”

Their version of credible may not be your version of credible

Sometimes research requires GoogleEncourage students to use at least one web

source in their projects…this isn’t a bad thingInvite the librarians to come and talk about

credibilityRequire students to use an evaluation

rubric/matrix for one of their sourcesPartner with the librarians to help evaluate

student sources

"Well, I think it's credible…”

http://www.martinlutherking.org/

SCORE:

http://www.thekingcenter.org/

SCORE:

Test your credibility scoring ability

Have students write a 5-page research paper about Global Warming. They are to find information from at least 4 different sources and cite their sources at the end of the paper.

Students should address the causes of global warming, the past and future trends, the effects on a specific country or region of their choosing, and what can be done to slow the effects.

Better yet…look at this!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_global_warming.htm

http://environment.about.com/od/faqglobalwarming/f/globalwarming.htm

http://globalwarming-facts.info/50-tips.html

…..And here is what you get:

Have students write a 5-page research paper about Global Warming. They are to find information from at least 4 different sources and cite their sources at the end of the paper in proper APA format. The sources used should include one of each of the following: 1 newspaper article, 1 scholarly/peer-reviewed journal article, 1 book, and 1 website.

Students should address the causes of global warming, the past and future trends, the effects on a specific country or region of their choosing, and what can be done to slow the effects.

Or you could try this:

Cascio, J. (2009, May/ June). Last-Resort Solutions to Global Warming. The Futurist, 43(3), 8-9. Retrieved from http://168.156.198.98:2048/

login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/ login. aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=37809125&site=ehost-live

Johansen, B. E. (2006). Global warming in the 21st century. Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers.

National Geographic Society. (2010). Environment Section. In What Is Global Warming? The Planet Is Heating Up—and Fast. Retrieved July 21, 2010, from National Geographic Society website: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/ environment/ global- warming/ gw-overview.html

Riddoch, L. (2009, July 24). Meltdown ‘to open Arctic tanker route’. The Guardian, p. 6. Retrieved from http://168.156.198.98:2054/

pqdweb?did=1799739961&sid=1&Fmt=3&clien tId=5581&RQT=309&VName=PQD

…..And here is what you could get:

The Big 6 (or 7 in this case)

Steps to great researchFollow the Info Lit Rubric

1.   What is the task and end product?2.   What is the problem to be solved (do I fully

understand the assignment)?3.   What information is needed to solve the

problem?4.   Choose topics that interest you (if they let

you)5.   Form a thesis statement around your topic6.   Create questions to guide your research7.   QUESTION!!!!

Task Definition:  QUESTION!!!!

1.   How will you search for the information?2.   What are all the possible sources of

information?3.   What are the best of all the possibilities?4.   Web or Print sources?5.    PLAN!!!!

Info Seeking Strategies: PLAN!!!!

1.  Where are these sources?2. Where is the information within each

source?3.  Are my sources Biased? Scholarly?4.  Locate sources (intellectually and

physically)5.  Online databases, Web, Books, Print

sources, speeches, etc. – are they able to be cited?

6.  Start to narrow your focus.7.  GATHER!!!!

Location and Access:  GATHER!!!!

1.  How can I best use each source?2.  What information does the source

provide?3.  What specific information is worth using?4.  What fits my focus?5.  Engage with the content (listen, read,

watch, etc.)6.  Extract relevant information for your work

through note-taking, paraphrasing/summarizing,

7.  SORT, SIFT, ANALYZE!!!

Use of Info: SORT, SIFT, ANALYZE!!!!

1.  How do you want to present your results?2. What will the final product look like?3.  How does the info from all sources fit

together? 4. Organize your information.5.  How is the information best presented?6.  Who is the audience?7.  BRING IT ALL TOGETHER!!!!

Synthesis: BRING IT TOGETHER!!!!

1.  How effective have you been? 2. Does the final result match your task?  Did

it change focus along the way?3. Was the problem solved?4. How could you have done better?5.  Judge for effectiveness and efficiency.6.  How can I use what I learned in this

process in other ways/areas/classes?7.  WHAT’S MISSING???

Evaluation: WHAT’S MISSING???

1.  Did I seek/use enough information from diverse sources?

2.  Did I practice ethical behavior and respect when using the intellectual property of others?

3. Did I plagiarize?4.  Did I provide bibliographic sources so that

others may use my work properly and to their advantage?

5.  Did I fact check, check for bias, timeliness, accuracy, etc.?

6. Did I use it ethically –credit where/when due???

Social Responsibility: (the hidden #7 in

this Big 6): Did I use it ethically???

Task Definition = QUESTIONInfo Seeking Strategies = PLANLocation and Access = GATHERUse of Info = SORT, SIFT, ANALYZESynthesis = BRING IT ALL TOGETHEREvaluation = WHAT’S MISSINGSocial Responsibility = DID I USE IT

ETHICALLY

Review the Big 7 – We all do this daily

Partner on evaluating sources and bibliographies used in papers

Help add Info Literacy components into your existing assignments

Identify library resources for your classes that avoid copyright issues and work under “Fair Use”

Identify Open Education Resources to assist in teaching

Purchase the needed materials for the library collection that you need for your classes/assignments (heads up)

Provide orientations…these work best if we have your assignment to build from

Deliver online/video tutorials and streaming live orientations for all classes (online or face-to-face)

What we (librarians) can do to help you

Schedule more than one, 50-minute orientation (2 workshops are better than 1) to divide material

Be clear about your assignment mandates and the resources/parameters you expect your students to useIf you don’t know how to use/find it, we can help

Be willing to share your students’ work with us so we can score their bibliographies on our rubric…only way we know if we are doing a good job and what can be done better

Stay with your classes during orientations so we can bring your input into the discussions

What you can do for/with us