INTEGRATING INFORMATION LITERACY INTO YOUR CLASSROOMRachel Borchardt and Michael Matos, AU LibraryNancy Sachs and Bonnie Auslander, Kogod School of Business

Objectives What is information literacy (IL)and why

does it matter? IL in General Education and Subject-

specific IL implementation at other universities How AU is implementing IL across

campus How you can implement IL in your

classroom

What is Information Literacy? Information literacy is the ability to

recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use it efficiently.ACRL (American College and Research

Libraries) Information Literacy standards definition

Why is information literacy important? The shift towards Internet-based research

requires a higher level of scrutiny of sources then in the past.

Developing strong information literacy skills enables students to succeed in their academic and professional careers.

Middle States Commission has accreditation requirements related to information literacy Middle States Standard 11: “Several skills, collectively referred to as

‘information literacy,’ apply to all disciplines in an institution’s curricula. … information literacy is an essential component of any educational program at the graduate or undergraduate levels”

General and subject-specific Information LiteracyGeneral information literacy concepts (i.e.,

finding, evaluating and using information) are tailored for individual disciplinesGeneral Education

College Writing – Introduction to information literacy concepts

Specialized Disciplines Business – Using specialized resources and data Sciences – Using and creating primary research

papers History – Integrating primary documents

How other universities have implemented ILUniversity of Rhode Island

Freshman/sophomore credit classes Upper level seminar in biological literature

James Madison Integrated into General Education classes Information Literacy workshops for faculty held

yearlyOhio State

Online for-credit courses integrated with general education classes

Implementation at AUFormal relationships

College writing, general IL

SIS Kogod

Informal relationships Government Art History

Other One-shot instruction

sessions throughout campus

College Writing and Information Literacy Partnering Writing Instructors with Librarians

Information literacy instruction tailored to each class

Librarian works with class College Writing Library committee

Goal: Standardize IL learning outcomes in all college writing classes and develop continuity

Establish specific IL-related learning objectives Create database of learning objectives, specific

library activities, assignments that focus on IL Define difference between IL-related learning

outcomes in CW100 vs. CW101

Seven Things Business Students Discover

1. Google isn’t God.2. Business databases are beneficial.3. Company websites are biased.4. Even company websites need citations.5. APA isn’t MLA.6. Team members (do)n’t lie.7. Business librarians know their business.

Case study: Information Technology (ITEC) 200Assignment:

You and your teammates work for the information technology (IT) department of a company. Your supervisor has asked you to identify an interesting IT that can add business value.

Criteria (from syllabus; one of three):A successful IT review will be one in which the team demonstrates good research: you should show what the IT does, how the IT works and its impact on business.

Project Timeline Topic exploration & analysis Draft Faculty-Team meeting In-class visit by business librarian &

Kogod Center for Business Communications staff

Final report & presentation Best-of-Best-in-Class Competition

How you can implement IL in your classroom! Develop assignments that require specific sources/tools Steer students toward appropriate resources for their

assignment Create methodology to evaluate information literacy

concepts (see other side) Contextualize information the student acquires Consider IL concepts – which do you want to cover? Designate an appropriate citation style Treasure hunts are discouraged without library consultation

Learning the ins and outs of the library is great, but can be frustrating for the student and the library

Overall, be as clear as possible so that the students focus on the research component, not the details

A librarian is your ally and can help you formulate an appropriate assignment and strategy for your class

Conclusions Information literacy at AU

should be more standardized Most students not receiving

general and specific information literacy instruction

Librarians can work with individuals, departments and programs to tailor information literacy programs

Questions and Discussion