Abstract
To develop information literacy (IL) skills of Arab students enrolled in a first year premedical programme of an American branch campus in Qatar, the Education and Research Librarian designed a blended IL curriculum that was integrated in the English for Academic Purposes course. The IL curriculum used the flipped classroom modality that combined e-learning materials with face-to-face sessions taking place every other week. The e-learning materials consisted of biweekly online modules and practice quizzes that students needed to review and submit prior to the face-to-face sessions designed to engage students in class discussions and hands-on activities. While a few students showed a modest level of engagement during the face-to-face sessions, the majority did not seem to be fully engaged or aware of the content in the online modules. To find out why, this study sought to research the reasons for this disengagement by investigating studentsâ perceptions of their engagement. A case study methodology consisting of a survey and three in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of students was used to collect data. The study concludes that studentsâ perceptions of a blended IL curriculum are impacted by the importance they attribute to the topics covered in IL. Results also suggest studentsâ preference for just-in-time, online, and asynchronous access to content with an optional face-to-face attendance that would help them learn about a skill when they need to use it.Keywords: information literacy; e-learning; student engagement; first year Arab students; premedical educationPart of the Special Issue Technology enhanced learning in the MENA region <https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.1fd869f8>
Highlights
In the fall of 2013, the Education and Research librarian had the opportunity to design and integrate an information literacy (IL) curriculum in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course for premedical students
The survey results are followed by the interview results that focused on three main themes: improving the IL curriculum, including new IL skills, and preference for online modules over face-toface sessions
Today’s learners need to be equipped with skills to critically evaluate the endless deluge of information and effectively use it in their educational pursuits and for lifelong learning. To contribute to this endeavour, this study investigated Arab premedical students’ perceptions of a blended IL curriculum integrated in an EAP course at a branch campus of an American medical college in Qatar
Summary
In the fall of 2013, the Education and Research librarian had the opportunity to design and integrate an information literacy (IL) curriculum in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course for premedical students. The course was part of the premedical curriculum of a branch campus of an American medical college in Qatar. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge base of college students’ readiness by exploring a relatively under-researched area: students’ engagement in an information literacy blended course. The results of this study hope to generally inform teachers, librarians, and administrative staff of other Transnational Higher Education (TNE) institutions of the challenges and opportunities of designing an integrated blended IL curriculum for first year non-English speaking students.
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