Effective Information Literacy Programs and Instruction: Collaborating with Faculty, Developing Scalable Models, and Designing Classroom Activities The Education Institute Ontario College and University Library Association Thursday, March Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson

Todays Workshop Topics Background: IL at the University at Albany 3 Models for Faculty/Librarian Collaboration Scalable/Tiered Models for Teaching IL Collaboration Case Studies Developing Strategies for IL Assessment

Background: Information Literacy at the University at Albany

Pre- General Education Mandate at UAlbany –Traditional course- related instruction –Technology classes –Project Renaissance (first-year experience program)

General Education Mandate (1998) –SUNY Board of Trustees –Information Management Requirement Course requirement changed to competency

Information Literacy Requirement (2000) –IL subcommittee established Interdisciplinary Review courses for IL Provide feedback to faculty about IL usered/faculty/newgenco mp.dochttp://library.albany.edu/ usered/faculty/newgenco mp.doc

Information Literacy Requirement (2000) –Course development –Library as resource and as key player –Tutorials t.html

Information Literacy Requirement 1.Credit-bearing quarter courses taught by faculty librarians 2.Credit-bearing discipline-specific courses taught by departmental faculty

Learning Objectives for General Education Information Literacy Courses at the University at Albany, SUNY: 1.locate, evaluate, synthesize and use information from a variety of sources 2.understand and use basic research techniques appropriate to the course discipline 3.understand the various ways in which information is organized and structured 4.understand the ethical issues involved in accessing and using information

Flexible collaborative models that involve Faculty, Librarians, Administrators, and Support Staff. 3 Models for Collaboration

1)Teaching Alliances 2)Campus Partnerships 3)Virtual Collaboration 3 Models for Collaboration

1) Teaching Alliances Understand faculty culture and develop strategies for promoting IL –Need for faculty buy-in –Respond to resistance and enthusiasm –Define needs on campus

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Reasons for faculty resistance: –Lack of time to tackle yet another initiative –Lack of awareness of students information literacy needs –Belief that students learn these skills and gain this knowledge elsewhere, most likely in high school

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Reasons for faculty resistance: –Lack of institutional support for collaboration, information literacy, and/or information technology development –Belief that information literacy instruction is the job of the library

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Reasons for faculty involvement: –Knowledge of their disciplines –Understanding of key resources in field –Awareness of course goals and objectives –Teaching experience –Understanding of student population and campus culture

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Advantages of faculty/librarian collaboration: –determining what course material might be replaced by IL; –deciding how assignments might be revised to become effective information literacy learning tools;

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Advantages of faculty/librarian collaboration: –identifying and making effective use of other information literacy resources on campus; and –addressing possible student resistance to these new components.

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances How to make it work: –Make the time to discuss the IL course goals and objectives, and how this process will benefit from a shared teaching responsibility –Consider team-taught sessions integral to the course and student learning (rather than as a separate or ancillary component)

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances How to make it work: –Develop effective classroom visits by librarians to teach students research skills –Work together on course syllabus before the start of the semester –Collaborate on specific course assignments –Co-develop hand-outs and in-class assignments –Define active teaching roles for both faculty and librarian in classroom and/or computer lab –Faculty must be present and actively involved in IL instruction

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances If team teaching is not an option yet: –Share a copy of course syllabus and assignments with the librarian (if he or she was not involved in the planning process) and discuss goals for the session. –Time the session so that students are familiar with their research assignment and are ready to begin work on it. –If students do not yet know what their assignment will be, or only hear about it for the first time as the librarian is introduced, most will not be motivated to learn.

3 Models for Collaboration 1)Teaching Alliances If team teaching is not an option yet: –Discuss ways team teaching might capitalize upon the librarians involvement. –The librarian might survey students concerns about the research process in order to effectively design the content of his or her instruction. –Ask the librarian to be involved in the course bulletin board or discussion list.

3 Models for Collaboration 1) Teaching Alliances Require students to utilize a range of library resources and encourage follow-up in the library –Databases and library catalog »Government Documents »Books and book chapters »Scholarly Journal Articles –Archives –Interactive Media Center

3 Models for Collaboration 2) Campus Partnerships Collaborative efforts go beyond those of individual faculty members and teaching librarians Developing a larger network on campus for IL will help to counter faculty resistance and may provide opportunities to make IL initiatives a part of the campus culture General Education Requirement is taken seriously and integrates IL throughout curriculum

3 Models for Collaboration 2) Campus Partnerships Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) »Workshops »Assessment strategy »Technology efforts (smart classrooms, instructional technology, WebCT)

3 Models for Collaboration 2) Campus Partnerships Campus-wide committees »General Education Committee »IL Subcommittee »Departmental Curriculum Committee

3 Models for Collaboration 3) Virtual Collaboration Online resources –Integrate web-based resources into course as follow-up to lectures/lab and in support of course materials and assignments »Research guidesResearch guides »Tutorials (on campus)Tutorials (on campus) »Tutorials and Web pages (beyond campus) »Resources for Writing »Plagiarism PreventionPlagiarism Prevention

3 Models for Collaboration 3) Virtual Collaboration »Example of Web Assignment that integrates Library Tutorial »Web Site EvaluationsWeb Site Evaluations

3 Models for Collaboration 3) Virtual Collaboration Course management systems (WebCT, Blackboard, etc.) –Interactivity with faculty, librarians, teaching assistants, and peers. –IL and IT Skills assessment (at the start and end of course) –Course materials and tests to reinforce concepts

3 Models for Collaboration 3) Virtual Collaboration WebCT Tools »Bulletin board »Chat »Survey instrument »Links to online resources »File Upload (PowerPoint Presentations and hand- outs) »Quizzes and practice exams »Student project proposals »Student Presentation Tool for web teams for collaborative projects

Breakout Session #1

Collaboration in your setting 1. What are your goals for collaboration? 2. How can librarians and faculty members most effectively work together?

15-Minute break!

Scalable/Tiered Models for Teaching IL

1)Art of Annotation 2)Research and Composition 3)Writing for the Web Models for Teaching Information Literacy in Lower and Upper Level Courses

1) The Art of Annotation Teaching students to conduct research in the library and online to synthesize and document information for the development of an annotated bibliography 2) Research and Composition Teaching students to incorporate discipline specific resources (i.e., scholarly journal articles and professional web sites) in properly documented research essays. 3) Writing for the Web Teaching students to develop content for the web with a specific focus on primary and secondary research methods

The Art of Annotation Skills Set: –evaluate an authors expertise –determine the scope and main purpose of the material –recognize any standpoint or bias –identify the intended audience –compare with other sources on the topic –select appropriate information sources.

Research and Composition Skills Set: –access and retrieve discipline-specific sources in the library and online –differentiate between scholarly, popular, and trade sources –develop concept map for topic ideas and essay organization –outline essay structure –participate in peer review and revision –document sources based on discipline-specific style guides.

Writing for the Web Skills Set: –integrate complementary skills in a digital medium that is visual, textual, and potentially collaborative –problem-solving, coding, software applications, and digital imaging –accessing, evaluating, writing about, and documenting information

First-year studentUpper level UGGraduate student Thesis statementScholarly journal critique or research paper Self-directed research 10 info sourcesPopular, trade, and academic sources Primary and secondary sources: Interviews Archives Community resources Web site evaluations Web site evaluations, usability, and web design Scalability: Learning Goals for Evaluating Content Based on Learning Goals across Academic Levels (Figure 2) in Developing Research and Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum (Middle States)

First-year studentUpper level UGGraduate student Annotated bibliography Information Science research paper Final research web site APA style/plagiarism prevention Final presentationCollaborative web site and presentation Web team instructional labs and final presentation Scalability: Learning Goals for Using Information Based on Learning Goals across Academic Levels (Figure 2) in Developing Research and Communication Skills: Guidelines for Information Literacy in the Curriculum (Middle States)

Breakout Session #2

Can you scale one of these models, or another model, to your setting? 1)Art of Annotation 2)Research and Composition 3)Writing for the Web

Lunch Break! 12:15pm-1:15pm

Collaboration in the Classroom Case Studies UNL 205/206: Information Literacy – ISP301: The Information Environment –

Developing Strategies for IL Assessment

External Assessment (for university and university system)

General Education Outcomes Assessment 1)On-going review of existing General Education courses and approval of new ones 2)Regular three year cycle for the assessment of student learning outcomes specific to the General Education category. 3)Regular three year cycle for the assessment of students perceptions of their Gen Ed experience.

General Education Outcomes Assessment Part I (Assessment Form 1): –Define Assessment Tools –Describe assessment measures –Identify mechanism for tracking student learning

General Education Outcomes Assessment Part II (Assessment Form 2): –Describe Assessment Measures –Indicate how assessment measures enabled assessment of learning objectives –Identify number of students who achieved learning objectives

Learning Objectives for General Education Information Literacy Courses at the University at Albany, SUNY: 1.locate, evaluate, synthesize and use information from a variety of sources 2.understand and use basic research techniques appropriate to the course discipline 3.understand the various ways in which information is organized and structured 4.understand the ethical issues involved in accessing and using information

General Education Outcomes Assessment Part III: –University at Albany Student Perceptions of General Education Course Experience Questionnaire

Internal Assessment (for instructor)

–Course Evaluations –Conversations with students – correspondence –Quizzes and in-class assignments –WebCT Surveys: IL and IT Skills Open-ended questions –Start of course –mid-term evaluation –end of semester evaluation Ongoing Assessment Strategies

–If no required assessment: Faculty/librarian collaboration enables the development of an IL assessment component. Ongoing Assessment Strategies

Questions

Thomas P. Mackey, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Information Science & Policy Trudi Jacobson, M.L.S. Coordinator of User Education Programs University Libraries