Information Literacy in Music History: Fostering Success in Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACT

The article describes the collaborative process between the authors in adapting course assignments in undergraduate music history courses to demonstrate actual learning of content and information literacy skills. Although the inclusion of the information literacy standards is an important step in developing critical thinking skills, other factors impede students to perform well such as lack of knowledge on how to structure a research paper or not understanding how to properly cite the information. By monitoring student performance, the faculty and instruction librarian can make changes to improve student learning and the acquisition of critical thinking skills.     

You Can Lead Students to Sources,but Can You Make Them Think?

ABSTRACT

In developing and teaching a new first-year psychology course that integrates information literacy skills, a librarian and a psychologist learned the importance of teaching critical thinking skills explicitly, rather than implicitly. Students learned how to use the library resources and learned concepts in psychology, but until critical thinking was taught explicitly, students did not understand the value of what they were learning. In this article, implicit versus explicit learning is defined, and psychological principles are applied to demonstrate how critical thinking can be used to teach library and information skills.     

Teaching TEI to undergraduates: A case study in a digital humanities curriculum

ABSTRACT

This case study describes two iterations of a Digital Humanities (DH) “Studio” course on scholarly text encoding as a model for a DH curriculum at a small liberal arts college. Designed to accompany a three-credit humanities course, the one-credit DH Studios are taught by library faculty. The paired courses share a final project—a digital edition of a short work of literature encoded in the Text Encoding Initiative. The DH Studio creates a methodology-focused environment for students to practice information and digital literacies.     

Mapping curriculum learning outcomes to ACRL's Framework threshold concepts: A syllabus study

The aim of this study was to align information literacy instruction with curriculum learning outcomes as defined by teaching faculty in their syllabi. Using a syllabus study, a cross-disciplinary collection of 180 course syllabi were reviewed for learning outcomes, assignments with research components, and references to library resources and services. Key faculty-defined learning outcomes were mapped to the Association for College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Framework for Higher Education threshold concepts. Based on learning theory, introducing information literacy concepts is most effective when done at the time of need, guaranteeing that students utilize the skills immediately, and are more likely to retain the knowledge and skills learned. The author proposes a tiered approach to information literacy instruction, with novice skills introduced in lower-level courses and expert skills for upper-level and graduate courses to meet learning outcomes. Suggestions of how each of the threshold concepts can be applied to develop instructional activities to achieve learning outcomes are presented.     

Building Alliances:

College librarians are convinced that using the library is an essential part of a college education, a conviction not necessarily shared by faculty. Integrating library research into courses can be especially difficult at community colleges where faculty have heavy course loads and the curricula are very practical. However, at Hudson Valley Community College, library skills are now part of the College Objectives as well as the English Composition syllabus. Library assignments occur in most general education courses and are the means for adding general education concepts to courses in technology, sciences, business, etc. The librarians have found that by building alliances with the faculty, they can take advantage of opportunities to build library skills into the curricula.     

FROM THE EDITOR

Abstract

This paper reports on a survey of faculty perceptions of the role of the library in online distance education. The study is second in a series of related studies exploring The Pennsylvania State University's library services to patrons at a distance. In 2004, faculty of the World Campus (Penn State's online distance education program) were surveyed on their perceptions of e-learners' research needs. The faculty responded to questions on how their students access research information for their courses, whether they require their students to use the library as part of their courses, and their expectations of the library as an academic support service. The survey revealed that 60% of the responding faculty supply all of the required research information to students in their courses, and 62% do not require students to use the library as part of their course(s). The study concludes that online, distance-education faculty members have minimal to moderate expectations of the library in supporting their teaching and their students' research needs. Moreover, the study shows a significant lack of faculty awareness of existing library services and resources available to the e-learning community.     

The Evolution of Critical Thinking Skills in Library Instruction, 1986–2006: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography and Review of Selected Programs

ABSTRACT

Undergraduate students are increasingly being asked to conduct higher-level research in their areas of study. In order to address undergraduate needs, many academic librarians, especially those charged with crafting instruction, take critical thinking as a given in the teaching of information literacy skills. However, this review of the literature has revealed that, though there was some discussion of critical thinking in a library context in the mid 1980s, the concept did not really take hold until the 1990s, when higher education reform began to appear on many campuses. Additionally, the literature regarding critical thinking skills during this period exhibits four themes: (1) a lack of agreement among librarians and others on what critical thinking is and how it can be defined, (2) the importance of subject and course integration in the teaching of critical thinking skills in libraries, (3) the necessity of reaching undergraduate students, and (4) the special challenges of teaching critical thinking skills in an age when technology is changing so rapidly.     

Collaboration between Library,Faculty, and Instructional Design to Increase All Open Educational Resources for Curriculum Development and Delivery

ABSTRACT

Students at universities spend an average of $1,250 yearly on textbooks and course materials. Can a collaboration between the Library and the Instructional Design Department create value for student populations by incorporating OER into the course development process? This is a case study of one University with a large online and distributed network with controls over the course design, timeline and curriculum delivered by the faculty. This University’s team tested whether the entire course could be designed in a scalable format using OERs collaborating with a librarian to organize the resources so students will have ready access to OER every time the course is offered. The result was an internal recommendation on structuring collaboration with the Library and course developers and presentation of the selected OERs in the Learning Management System. The result explored how adopting OERs redesigned course assignments and assessments in courses and fostered the development of original OERs in discipline-specific topics and content. The impact was a greater use of library resources by faculty and students and an economic impact to the student who does not have to purchase costly course materials. This process also supported course authentic assessment creation that are not dependent upon paid resources.     

A multidisciplinary approach to information and critical appraisal instruction

The formulation of clinical decisions based on evidence requires the ability to locate information and evaluate it critically. A ten-week critical appraisal course for third-year medical students, taught cooperatively by library and Department of Medicine faculty, integrates education in the selection, evaluation, and application of information to patient care. The course is distinctive in that information management skills are taught by a multidisciplinary team in a problem-based format as part of the compulsory medical curriculum. Medical faculty provided instruction in reading and evaluating research methodology, as well as statistical analyses in published reports, using clinical scenarios and related journal articles at weekly sessions. Library faculty provided instruction in locating pertinent research on a sample clinical problem using standard printed and computerized indexes and local library resources, and presented criteria for selecting the most useful and significant works from those retrieved. Library faculty also met individually with students to provide instruction in online literature searching. Based on formal evaluation and informal feedback, the course was well received; it effectively presents the literature search as an integral part of critical appraisal of the medical literature and of the clinical decision-making process.     

Step by Step through the Scholarly Conversation: A Collaborative Library/Writing Faculty Project to Embed Information Literacy and Promote Critical Thinking in First Year Composition at Oregon State University

ABSTRACT

At Oregon State University, writing instructors and librarians collaboratively teach research writing and information literacy in first year composition courses. A four-week unit focuses on the connections between critical thinking, writing and learning, and information literacy. This article describes the process of developing, implementing, and refining this collaborative curriculum. By using assignments and texts that model a recursive critical research and writing process for students, librarians and writing instructors help students think more deeply and critically about their topics.     

A Library Research Course for Graduate and Professional Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders

SUMMARY

This article describes the formation and content of a required library and information research course for graduate and professional students enrolled in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Master of Arts degree program at Western Washington University. The course was created as a result of library assessment, student feedback, and faculty observations. In place since 2003, the curriculum continues to evolve and is sustained through the collaborative efforts of the library and the department faculty.     

We Won't Be Fooled Again: Teaching Critical Thinking via Evaluation of Hoax and Historical Revisionist Websites in a Library Credit Course

ABSTRACT

At Central Michigan University, librarians teach multiple sections of an eight-week, one-credit research skills class to hundreds of undergraduate students each semester. While the main focus of the course is to teach students how to find, use, and properly cite library resources, librarians also address critical thinking skills by designing lessons to teach World Wide Web organization and how to analyze the information found via search engines. Showing student's obvious hoax sites about “tree octopi” and “male pregnancy” introduces the concepts of critical thinking and Website analysis. Most students quickly refute the information on such sites. However, students have a more difficult time assessing social, historical, or political revisionist Web sites' validity. Contrasting those claims with evidence accepted by international courts, historians, and scientists is useful in pointing out the flaws of seemingly well documented but one-sided revisionist sites. There are dangers in exposing students to these groups via their Websites. Yet, it is important to do so in order to convey the importance of critical analysis of information. The authors discuss students' pre- and post-test (CMU's online assessment tool, the “research readiness self-assessment” [RRSA]) scores to determine whether critical thinking skills have improved.     

If They Build It Will They Come? Cooperation and Collaboration to Create a Customized Library

SUMMARY

The core mission of Arizona State University (ASU) East Library is electronic delivery of resources and services accompanied by a strong commitment to personalized service and to facilitating the campus educational goals through cooperative and collaborative partnerships with faculty and programs. The Library and the Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication Program (MWTC) have developed and implemented an instructional program in information skills and system design. The MWTC Program emphasizes information access, management, and design as some of the primary skills taught. The Program's applied nature attempts to give students as much practical experience as possible in environments which approximate the workplace. The Library-MWTC partnership combines the expertise of the Library and the faculty to meet the educational goals of the Program in a real-world setting by facilitating the creation and design of a customized MWTC library information system. The faculty and librarian are collaborating to integrate coursework and activities into the new MWTC online degree curriculum to prepare students to take a proactive and decision-making role in information resource and service selection, organization, and system design. The resulting product will be a truly user-centered designed library portal and an educational methodology which may be used for the design of portals for other campus programs.     

Information Literacy in Subject-Specific Vocabularies: A Path to Critical Thinking

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the benefit of library instruction to increase critical thinking skills among business students in the form of a vocabulary skill-building workshop. This learning opportunity represents collaboration between business librarian and classroom faculty to improve students' ability to articulate a research problem and identify information needs in order to proficiently analyze business information and make sound business decisions. Business schools increasingly rely upon standards set forth by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) to formulate curricula and embed learning outcomes to prepare students to meet workplace expectations. These standards were utilized during workshop planning stages to implement critical thinking learning outcomes into the educational experience. Workshop curricula also relied heavily on the Guidelines for Information Competency set forth by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to emphasize specific learning outcomes more commonly associated with the teaching of library instruction.     

Library Research Project for First-Year Engineering Students: Results from Collaboration by Teaching and Library Faculty

SUMMARY

This article will discuss three years of collaboration between the Freshman Engineering Program and the Engineering Library of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh. This collaboration has resulted in a library research project that is integrated into the freshman curriculum. The project ultimately provides the students with a research structure for presentations in an annual mock professional conference. The mission of the Freshman Engineering Program's academic and advising components is to create a first-year experience that promotes the student's continued pursuit of an engineering degree through commitment to clearly understood and self-declared goals. The goal for the Engineering Library is to introduce library research as a necessary skill-set for successful engineers. The successful outcome of all of these goals requires the collaboration between “teaching” faculty and “library” faculty and results in better prepared, more focused students. Developing and integrating a library research project into the freshman engineering academic curriculum is a significant opportunity for library instruction, and the approach demonstrated here may be transferable to other disciplines.     

Alternatives to the Term Paper:

The inadequacies of the traditional term paper are well-known to reference and instruction librarians. Term papers often fail to develop appropriate and mature research habits in undergraduates. Unless carefully monitored by teaching faculty, students procrastinate, do not formulate appropriate search strategies, fail to think critically about library sources consulted, and, in some cases, engage in academic dishonesty. Librarians can offer teaching faculty alternative assignments to the traditional term paper, assignments that encourage better use of library materials, stimulate student interest, develop a more holistic perspective on the artificial divisions of academia, and perhaps most important, facilitate growth in critical thinking. Robert Ennis' critical thinking goals are offered as a foundation for planning alternative library assignments - goals that include such behaviors as focussing on an issue, analyzing arguments, asking clarifying questions, evaluating reliability of sources, and examining assumptions. Alternative library assignments should be designed with these overarching goals in mind, so that students are challenged to grow intellectually. Library assignments that encourage critical thinking will foster multiple perspectives on "real world" issues, increased awareness of the assumptions used by various academic disciplines, and a questioning, thoughtful attitude toward printed information. Librarians who develop such assignments will contribute greatly to the current movement to revitalize undergraduate education.     

Free or Fee Based Library in the Year 2000

ABSTRACT

With the rapid rise in distance education and online courses, the need to provide effective library services to the faculty and students involved in online courses is vitally important. Traditional services cannot always be transferred easily to the online environment and may need to be modified, or new services may need to be created to meet the needs of online users. This article examines the needs and wants of faculty involved in offering online courses. A Web-based survey was administered to faculty teaching an online course within the past 2 years at the authors’ organization. Faculty were asked a series of questions including their use of current library services, their emphasis on students using library services, and the services and resources they would like the library to provide in the future. Questions for the survey were inspired by LibQual comments received during our 2005 and 2007 surveys as well as comments received from both faculty and students while teaching and participating in online courses. Faculty who took the survey teach in a variety of disciplines and have different experience levels with teaching online courses. Results of the survey will be presented along with inferences from the current literature. The audience will be invited to share their innovative service ideas. Participants will gain ideas for updated or new services to faculty teaching online courses.     

When Life Hands You Lemons: Overcoming Obstacles to Expand Services in an Embedded Librarian Program

ABSTRACT

Having launched a pilot program of embedding librarians in faculty Blackboard courses, a team of university regional campus librarians reviewed their library services to faculty teaching online, off-campus, and traditional courses, and returned for Round 2. Just as the library services offered in this collaborative effort were taking off, conditions worsened. A storm of staff reductions, budget cuts, and administrative reorganization hit. Despite the climate of uncertainty and challenges, the embedded librarians persevered as they are convinced of the value of collaborating with faculty in Blackboard as active academic research consultants to further students’ information literacy skills. Project Information Literacy's findings validate this strategic solution. Consequently, the embedded librarians assessed users and implemented sustaining practices to the program to maximize its impact. Moving in the right direction is essential and doable, no matter the difficulties.