Abstract
PurposeThe authors teach a three‐credit, upper‐division, information literacy (IL) course to students in various majors. The purpose of this paper is to share the various philosophies and activities the authors use to engage their students and create a cohesive interdisciplinary course and to describe the various assessment tools utilized.Design/methodology/approachIn this case study, the authors give specific examples of engaging assignments and methods for evaluating student work in a credit‐bearing IL course.FindingsIt is found that if students are engaged, and effective assessment tools are employed, library credit instruction in a face‐to‐face setting with upper‐classmen from diverse majors is an impactful way to teach IL.Practical implicationsThis article provides ideas on how to use a topical theme in teaching an interdisciplinary IL credit course; concrete approaches on engaging students in an IL course; and new strategies for assessing an IL credit‐bearing course. Many of the engagement and assessment methods the authors share may also be applied to one‐shot instruction sessions.Originality/valueThe paper provides a practical case study of the authors' experiences engaging students and assessing their work in an upper level, three‐credit, face‐to‐face class, a type of course not well represented in the information literacy literature at this point in time.
Highlights
As librarians offer an increasing number of information literacy (IL) credit courses and develop a more significant teaching role, the breadth of courses they teach may expand from the traditional freshman-level introductory course
There are different ways University of Wyoming (UW) students may achieve their information literacy requirement; for many students, the IL class is embedded within their major and involves one or more visits to the library for instruction within their discipline
The authors offer guidance and practical tips on student engagement and assessment of student learning for librarians who are teaching or developing a credit-bearing class or for librarians who teach mostly one-shot sessions
Summary
As librarians offer an increasing number of information literacy (IL) credit courses and develop a more significant teaching role, the breadth of courses they teach may expand from the traditional freshman-level introductory course. This paper offers a case study of one such course at the University of Wyoming (UW), with a particular focus on engaging students in the learning process and assessing learning throughout the course. The authors provide the context for an upper-level 3-credit IL course, an overview of the course and its learning objectives, the driving principles for the course, specific examples of how students are engaged, and information about course assessment. Evidence of engagement is provided from formal assessments and the authors share their observations as instructors, since not every aspect of student engagement is strictly measurable
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