Information Literacy Instruction Research Articles

Media and Information Literacy for All: An Analysis of the Content and Pedagogy in a University-Level Course

Media and information literacy (MIL) education is seen to be one of the solutions in dealing with concerns regarding information disorder. While there exists an MIL course in the Philippine senior high school curriculum, it is undeniable that strengthening peoples’ knowledge on the topic is essential. As such, the inclusion of a course on information literacy to the undergraduate curriculum in the School of Library and Information Studies of the University of the Philippines Diliman is a step in the right direction in ensuring that students consciously and continuously practice ethical engagements with information. Officially included in the curriculum in 2018, a year later, research focused on the course’s development was conducted. This research builds upon the researcher’s earlier work on course development. This time, the researcher who is also the one teaching the course, examines the teaching and learning practices employed in the delivery of the course, through an autoethnographic approach. Reflections were thematically analyzed and mapped against the Media and Information Literacy Core Educator’s Competencies released by UNESCO in 2021. The goal of this research is to serve as reference allowing MIL educators to reflect on and have an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses in terms of content and pedagogy. Findings could also contribute to the development of course materials related to the teaching of MIL.

Research on the Reform of Information Literacy Education Based on the OBE Concept

This paper elucidates the necessity of integrating the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) concept into information literacy education within university libraries. It begins with a clear definition of the OBE concept and proceeds to analyze its relevance to information literacy education. Based on a thorough review of related research, the paper proposes strategies for developing an OBE-aligned information literacy curriculum in university libraries. These strategies encompass offering tiered, differentiated courses tailored to various educational stages, designing diverse instructional activities, and enhancing continuous assessment to comprehensively evaluate educational outcomes. By embedding the OBE concept throughout the entire information literacy curriculum, the paper emphasizes the importance of assessing students’ practical skills, aiming to provide innovative approaches to the reform of information literacy education in university libraries.

Teaching information literacy in online psychology courses: Effects on student performance and self-reported confidence

Using the Framework for Information Literacy published by the Association of College & Research Libraries, we developed an online intervention to increase information literacy. Specifically, we hypothesized that undergraduate students in an information literacy intervention group would increase in information literacy performance and confidence compared to a control group which did not receive asynchronous online information literacy instruction. We used a non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest design and measured students’ ( N = 101) information literacy performance and self-reported confidence before and after asynchronous information literacy instruction. We compared the intervention with a non-intervention control condition using two existing undergraduate psychology courses offered online across two semesters. Partially confirming our hypotheses, we found that providing asynchronous information literacy instruction not only increased students’ information literacy performance but also helped students to evaluate their own information literacy skills more accurately. In contrast, our intervention did not selectively increase confidence in information literacy as both information literacy intervention and control groups similarly increased in information literacy confidence over time. Nevertheless, these findings show that we managed to develop an online, theory-based intervention to increase information literacy. This intervention has the potential to build the foundations for students to engage in scientific conversations by elevating their understanding of how scientific information is produced and how science affects their daily lives.

“In the Greater Context of the Field”: What Undergraduate Reflections on the Research Process Tell us about Information Literacy

abstract: This study examines undergraduates’ research practices, as described in reflective essays submitted in applications to a library research award. Thematic analysis of 24 student award essays identified three strong themes in student reflections about their research experiences. Students experienced research as a social process, made meaning closely tied to disciplinary ways of knowing and practicing, and underwent a transformative process from beginner to apprentice researchers. Through a discussion of these themes, the authors highlight implications for information literacy instruction and suggest this instruction be closely connected to disciplinary practices.

Impact of Information Literacy on Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of information literacy on academic performance among undergraduate students in Nigeria.
 Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
 Findings: A study on the impact of information literacy on academic performance among undergraduate students in Nigeria found a significant positive correlation between information literacy skills and academic achievement. The research highlighted that students with higher levels of information literacy were more likely to demonstrate better performance in their coursework, exams, and overall academic outcomes.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social cognitive theory, information processing theory& constructivist learning theory may be used to anchor future studies on the impact of information literacy on academic performance among undergraduate students in Nigeria. Integrate information literacy instruction into the university curriculum across disciplines, ensuring that students acquire essential skills for locating, evaluating, and utilizing information effectively. Develop national guidelines for information literacy instruction within Nigerian higher education institutions, outlining standards and best practices for integrating information literacy into the curriculum.

‘Scientists Like Me’: Using Culturally Relevant Information Literacy Instruction to Foster Student STEM Identity

In this case study, two librarians reflect upon our efforts to design STEM-focused information literacy instruction for undergraduate students at an R1, land grant university. Designed around the principles of culturally relevant pedagogy, our curriculum integrates community-focused and regionally specific topics reflecting our students' lived experience, features the work of scientists from diverse backgrounds, and fosters discussions about equity in the library classroom. Our experience shows that this approach can help foster STEM identity development in students while strengthening inquiry-based learning through information research.

Teaching Intersectionality in Instructional Librarianship: Asynchronous Information Literacy Instruction in the Health Sciences

This article explores the topic of intersectionality and its applications in teaching graduate students at a health sciences university. The case study examined the creation of an asynchronous information literacy module that centered intersectionality in the research process. Summative assessment data indicated that students were able to critically reflect on gaps in their knowledge to address health inequities, learn the narratives of multiply-marginalized patients, and make connections between research and intersectional justice. The study also revealed areas for improvement such as restructuring the assessment component of the module to better evaluate student success, strengthening the module as a socially engaging learning space for students, and integrating other metrics to measure the student experience. Findings from this study demonstrate how instructional librarians can create equitable and engaging learning spaces through an asynchronous instruction model as well as teaching intersectionality in STEMM-specific disciplines.

Investigating the Impact of Modern Educational Technology on Improving Human Resources with the Mediating Role of Information Literacy of Physical Education Teachers in the 2nd District of Karaj

The aim of the research was the effect of modern educational technology on the improvement of human resources with the mediating role of information literacy of physical education teachers in the 2nd district of Karaj. The descriptive-analytical research method was field method. The current research community is 265 physical education teachers of Karaj District 2. The sample size of the present study was determined to be 265 people. The measurement tools included modern educational technology questionnaires (Yavuz, 2005), human resource improvement questionnaire (Volba and Jansen, 2010) and information literacy questionnaire (Siamak & Daverpanah, 2015). The content and form validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by the professors, and then Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the modern educational technology questionnaire was 0.70, Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the human resource improvement questionnaire was 0.81, and Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the information literacy questionnaire was 0.76. In order to analyze the data of the present research, structural equation modeling method was used. The entire process of analysis was done using spss19 and Amose23 software. The findings of the research showed that information literacy plays a mediating role in the impact of modern educational technology on the improvement of human resources. Therefore, it can be concluded that if human resources have sufficient information literacy, modern educational technology can create an environment that enriches the educational environment, skills, behavior, learning style and improvement of human resources.

Information literacy in the digital age: information sources, evaluation strategies, and perceived teaching competences of pre-service teachers.

Information literacy has become indispensable in navigating today's fast-paced media environment, with teachers playing a pivotal role in fostering reflective and critical digital citizenship. Positioned as future gatekeepers, pre-service teachers are the key to teaching media skills and especially information literacy to future generations of pupils. Given the particular challenges facing educators today compared to previous generations, it is important to determine whether the next generation of teachers feel adequately prepared and perceive themselves as competent to pass on these skills to their future pupils. However, previous research has highlighted deficiencies in formal learning opportunities at universities, underscoring the need for further investigation into pre-service teachers' information acquisition, evaluation practices as well as their perceived relevance to teaching, and person-related factors associated with their perceived competence in teaching information literacy. An online questionnaire was presented to participants, employing a mixed-method approach. We qualitatively examined the sources of information used by pre-service teachers and the evaluation strategies they employ, while quantitatively analyzing relationships between pre-service teachers' person-related factors and their perceived teaching competence. Participants assessed their perceived teaching competence, perceived learning opportunities, self-efficacy (general and related to information assessment), perceived informedness, selective exposure, need for cognition, need for cognitive closure, and mistrust in media coverage. Data from 371 participants revealed digital media dominance in information acquisition over traditional sources, albeit with a prevalence of surface-level evaluation strategies over reflective approaches. Two distinct dimensions of perceived competence in teaching information literacy emerged: one focusing on information assessment while the other centers on the understanding of news creation processes. Perceived competence in teaching information literacy was significantly associated with self-efficacy in information assessment, perceived informedness, selective exposure to information as well as perceived learning opportunities focusing on information evaluation. Moreover, pre-service teachers employing diverse information evaluation strategies demonstrated a heightened sense of perceived competence in teaching information assessment. Our results provide valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of pre-service teachers' perceived competence in teaching information literacy. Theoretical implications for future research as well as practical implications for teacher education and the structure of future curricula are discussed.

Critical race digital literacy rubric for assessing mis/disinformation literacy instruction lesson plans

While librarians have been at the forefront of the fight against fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, offering invaluable guidance and tools through information literacy instruction, there is a noteworthy gap in the adoption of pedagogical approaches rooted in critical theory within mis/disinformation literacy lesson plans. This suggests there may not be well-defined or standardized frameworks for incorporating these theories into library instruction. The enclosed article explores Critical Race Digital Literacy (CRDL) as a pedagogical approach to mis/disinformation literacy education by proposing a rubric for assessing mis/disinformation lesson plans. The rubric is grounded in the principles of critical race theory, emphasizing the importance of addressing power dynamics, ideology, and systemic white supremacy in the digital landscape. Through the application of the CRDL rubric instructors are able to employ critically reflexive teaching and engage in continual self-assessment, fostering a culture of pedagogical deconstruction and reflection that shifts the focus from scoring to meaningful reflection and growth. The CRDL rubric has the potential to be used as a tool for transformative praxis, empowering librarians to navigate, question, and reshape the narrative within the ever-evolving landscape of information literacy.

An Empirical Study on Information Seeking Anxiety and Influence Factors of the Chinese Residents

With the development of technology and the exponential growth of information, information seeking anxiety has been demonstrated as a fundamental, ubiquitous and persistent psychological characteristic. This feeling has caused different cognitive, affective and behavioral effects in information users, which has been identified as one of the biggest impediments to successful completion of information tasks. This paper aims at assessing individual’s emotional experience and its causes in the information seeking process and evaluate the relationship between information seeking anxiety and information task. Additionally, the paper also provides empirical support for public information services and information literacy education.

Critical open access literacy as a strategy to confront the challenges in scholarly communication

PurposeThe paper seeks to introduce the “critical open access literacy” construct as a holistic approach to confront the challenges in open access (OA) as a dimension of scholarly communication.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first introduces the concepts of information literacy (IL) and OA in the context of transformations in the scholarly information environment. Via a theoretical-analytical exercise on the basis of a literature review of the intersections between the two concepts and of the criticisms of OA, the paper discusses the role of critical IL in addressing the challenges in OA and lays the theoretical-conceptual groundwork for the critical OA literacy construct.FindingsThe structural nature of the challenges and transformations in the scholarly information environment require new foci and pedagogical practices in library and information studies. A more holistic, critical and integrative approach to OA is warranted, which could effectively be achieved through the re-conceptualization of IL.Practical implicationsThe paper specifies the avenues for putting the theoretical conceptualizations of critical OA literacy into practice by identifying possible foci for IL instruction alongside a transformed role for librarians.Originality/valueThe paper extends deliberations on the role of critical IL for scholarly communication and attempts to advance the research fields of the two domains by proposing a new construct situated at the junction of OA and IL.

A Review of Research on Chinese University Foreign Language Teachers’ Information Literacy

Information technology has been deeply integrated in and widely applied to various fields of society, including education. The continuous informatization of higher education means that university teachers will face new challenges of information technology. The requirements for a teacher’s information literacy imply a higher ability to teach with the aid of information technology. The connotation of information literacy and the improvement of information technology ability of foreign language teachers in Chinese universities have been deeply explored. This article reviews the previous research of the information literacy of foreign language teachers in Chinese universities, points out the limitations of the research, and makes some suggestions for further study.

RESEARCH ON INFLUENCING FACTORS AND STRATEGIES OF UNIVERSITY INFORMATION LITERACY EDUCATION - TAKING UNIVERSITIES OF YUNNAN PROVINCE IN CHINA AS AN EXAMPLE

With the application of modern information technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence in real life, people's lives have become inseparable from information. Society needs more interdisciplinary talents who "understand both majors and information." Universities are an important position for personnel training, and research on university information literacy education has become a research focus. This study takes universities in Yunnan Province as an example, conducts research through the literature research method, interview method, and questionnaire survey method, takes 984 students from three universities in Yunnan Province as the survey object, and conducts a questionnaire survey on university information literacy education. Organize and analyze, explore the influencing factors of university information literacy education, analyze the problems existing in university information literacy education, and put forward targeted countermeasures and suggestions, hoping to attract the attention of universities in Yunnan Province, China, to university information literacy education.

Research on the Construction of Information Literacy Education System in Universities under AI Environment

Traditional information literacy education in China focuses on using an information literacy course to cultivate students' theoretical learning such as information source collection. Students have a single learning channel and weak abilities in self-directed learning and innovation. The research on the cultivation system of information literacy in universities in China is still incomplete. Resulting in a low overall level of information literacy and insufficient information knowledge among college students, which greatly undermines their innovation and entrepreneurship abilities; There is a lack of information ethics education, and students often participate in situations such as online violence and attacks. This article studies the technical and application characteristics of AI smart education environment, explores the education system model of information literacy in universities, and improves the overall information literacy level of university students.

Research on the Path of Information Literacy Competence Enhancement for College Students

With the continuous development of information technology, the Internet has become an important way for college students to obtain information and make interpersonal communication, especially in today’s era of high human rights and comprehensive informatisation, what is the information literacy level of college students, and how to effectively improve the information literacy of college students is a problem that needs to be solved in the digital era of the present time. Of course, this also puts forward higher requirements for college students’ information literacy education, and also highlights the importance of information literacy. Based on the above background, this paper analyses the current evaluation index system related to information literacy through the literature research method, and designs and develops a suitable information literacy assessment system for college students based on the evaluation index system, so as to provide scientific and accurate assessment for college students’ information literacy ability, which is more conducive to the enhancement of college students’ information literacy ability.

Constructing an innovative system of management and education in colleges and universities based on artificial intelligence technology

Abstract At this stage, the information literacy of teachers and students is constantly improving, and the “digital campus” represented by artificial intelligence is landing in various regions and schools. This paper accurately constructs a college management and education innovation system based on artificial intelligence technology, including institutional mechanisms, a one-stop service platform, and an early warning mechanism. The early warning mechanism has an early warning model constructed. The construction of an academic early warning model for students is based on multivariate linear regression. A model for early warning of student activity safety was constructed using multiclassification logistic regression. The impact of fusing the two models was evaluated, as well as the impact of practical application. The ROC value of the first-level warning is 0.9533, and the ROC value of the second-level warning is 0.9428, and both values are close to 1, which verifies that the model can be practically applied. By analyzing the F1-score value through practical application, the average value of the F1-score throughout the semester was as high as 84.68%, and the number of warnings of the early warning model was higher than the number of feedback from teachers. It has been verified that the early warning model in this study can effectively and efficiently manage student activities and academic anomalies in colleges and universities.

Exploring Social Media as an Information Source in IL Instruction

Exploring Social Media as an Information Source in IL Instruction

Research on Self-Improvement in Information Literacy of International Chinese Teachers

Research on Self-Improvement in Information Literacy of International Chinese Teachers

The Study of TPACK Ability Training for Student Teacher Specializing in English— A Case Study of Huainan Normal University

It is a necessary requirement to enhance the information literacy of university teachers and students in an all-round way to adapt to the development of information society. At the heart of the work is an understanding of the framework Matthew J. Koehler and Punya Mishra proposed, TPACK—Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This study takes student teacher specializing in English of Huainan Normal University as an example and aims to understand the current situation of developing the TPACK ability of the student teachers specializing in English through a survey. To investigate the relevant factors affecting the development of English teacher trainees’ TPACK ability, and to explore new ideas for revitalizing the TPACK ability of English teacher trainees to contribute to higher levels of teacher education accreditation and to cultivate higher quality student teachers specializing in English education.