Learning Outcomes, Instructional Design, and the

50-Minute Information Literacy Session

Sara MillerInstruction Librarian

Michigan State University

50-minute expectations:

50-minute expectations:

Finding Books

Finding Articles

Popular vs. Scholarly

Evaluating Web sites

Subject-Specific Indexes

Primary Sources

Digital Collections

Boolean Operators

Search Strategy

Subject Headings

LC Call Numbers

Library Tour

Newspaper Articles

Where’s the coffee?

Wikipedia – Why or why not? Plagiarism

Gov’t Documents

50-minute expectations:

Finding Books

Finding Articles

Popular vs. Scholarly

Evaluating Web sites

Subject-Specific Indexes

Primary Sources

Digital Collections

Boolean Operators

Search Strategy

Subject Headings

LC Call Numbers

Library Tour

Newspaper Articles

Where’s the coffee?

Wikipedia – Why or why not? Plagiarism

Gov’t Documents

Assessment

Engagement

Learning Styles

Active Learning

“Too much information can only overwhelm and confuse (students),

and they will 'often tune out’”

-Jacobson and Xu (2004)

What do students actually need the most?

Design Thinking:

Identifying the problem before identifying the

solution

Finding out what student needs are

before planning the instruction session

What do students actually need the most?

Using Google Scholar-but what does scholarly

mean?

EVALUATION

Learning Outcomes

“that which a student should be able to do successfully at

the end of a significant educational experience”

-Spady, 2003

Learning Outcomes

Students will critically evaluate information in order to

determine its acceptability for inclusion in their research

Objectives

What students will specifically be able to do as a result of the session.

Skills, tools, etc.

Instructional Design

Hitting multiple birds with one stone

Designed in: Assessment

ActivitiesLearning Styles

Case Study

20-25 studentsDetailed guide - after session

Whole class is activity

Keyword brainstorming exercise

Class-Length Exercise

Scholarly ArticleBackground Information

Opinion PieceBook

Web site

Web Evaluation Exercise

Advantages

• Insight• Data collection• In-class assessment• Build on students’ prior

knowledge• Fast paced• Authentic environment• Relevancy• Less lecturing!

Disadvantages

• Caution with tone• General• For Beginners

Needs Assessment

• 48% of searches : questionable authorityNeed: EVALUATION

• Search engine used to start 50-100% of the time (except books)Need: AWARENESS

Needs Assessment

• 40% search for book with non-library resource Need: AWARENESS

• Keywords plus “opinion,” “history,” or “background.”Need: EFFICIENCY

Redesign!

Take the timeRethink student needs

Eliminate the extras

Questions?

Sara MillerMichigan State University Libraries

smiller@mail.lib.msu.edu(517)432-6123 x.185

Jacobson, T. E., & Xu, L. (2004). Motivating students in information literacy classes. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Spady, W. G. (Ed.) (2003) Encyclopedia of Education (2nd ed.). New York: MacMillan Reference USA.