Information Literacy Course Research Articles

Ethical Principles in AI Use for Assessment: Exploring Students’ Perspectives on Ethical Principles in Academic Publishing

Students’ comprehension of ethical principles and their application in the realm of AI technology play a crucial role in shaping the efficacy and morality of assessment procedures. This study seeks to explore students’ viewpoints on ethical principles within the context of AI-driven assessment activities to illuminate their awareness, attitudes, and practices concerning ethical considerations in educational environments. A systematic review of articles on this topic was conducted using scientometric methods within the Web of Science database. This review identified a research gap in the specialized literature regarding studies that delve into students’ opinions. Subsequently, a questionnaire was administered to students at Transilvania University of Brasov as part of the Information Literacy course. Statistical analysis was performed on the obtained results. Ultimately, students expressed a desire for the Information Culture course to incorporate a module focusing on the ethical use of AI in academic publishing.

Student Perspectives on Information Literacy Course Titles

abstract: This study was designed to inform the renaming of a credit-bearing information literacy course. Researchers surveyed librarians to gather existing information literacy course titles. They also surveyed and held focus groups with students to learn what students consider when choosing electives, to understand how well the researchers’ current information literacy course title fits the course content, and to procure suggestions for a new title. Findings indicate that course titles are one of many elements that students look at when selecting courses. Some librarian and student participants indicated that the term information literacy may not be familiar to most students, but that wording is often used in information literacy course titles. Librarians can use the results of this study to create course titles that are descriptive of course content and that appeal to students.

Exploring Professional Identities in Libraries: The Impact of Credit-Bearing Courses Beyond Student Learning

In this essay, we argue in support of library-led information literacy (IL) credit courses, emphasizing the impact that developing, teaching, and managing these courses can have on the professional identity of library faculty and staff. Existing research has indicated that librarians who teach credit courses may more strongly identify as teachers than those who teach only course-integrated sessions. We expand on this research by sharing the perspective of four individuals who are involved in the design, instruction, and coordination of credit-bearing IL courses, including two faculty librarians and two staff members. By providing these differing voices, we give a unique perspective on a critical question in the field: Should libraries offer credit-bearing IL courses?

Application of ChatGPT in Information Literacy Instructional Design

Recent developments in generative artificial intelligence tools have prompted immediate reactions in the academic library community. While most studies focus on the potential impact on academic integrity, this work explored constructive applications of ChatGPT in the design of instructional materials for courses in academic information literacy. The starting point was the use of openly licenced information resources or content infrastructure as facilitators in the creation of educational materials. In the first phase, course teaching material was developed using a prompt engineering strategy, predefined standards, and a prompt script. As a second step, we experimented with designing a custom chatbot model connected to a pre-defined corpus of source documents. The results demonstrated that the final teaching material required careful revision and optimisation before use in an actual instructional programme. The experimental design of the custom chatbot was able to query specific user-defined documents. Taken together, these findings suggest that the strategic and well-planned use of ChatGPT technology in content creation can have substantial benefits in terms of time and cost efficiency. In the context of information literacy, the results provide a practical and innovative solution to integrate the new technology tool into instructional practices.

Empowering through digital skills: A case of alumni in the business services sector

AbstractThis quasi‐experiment examines the self‐assessment of psychological empowerment in the workplace among humanities and social science graduates who completed one of four digital literacy courses and were employed in the business services sector 6 months after graduation. The four courses—information literacy, data literacy, visual literacy, and communication and collaboration—were designed using information literacy and digital skills frameworks and were offered to support students' employability. Psychological empowerment was measured with four dimensions: meaning, competence, self‐determination, and impact. Statistical inference with a probabilistic approach using Bayesian ANOVA was conducted. The four courses varied in their impact on empowerment, with the information literacy course corresponding to the highest empowerment scores. The training also related differentially to the four dimensions of empowerment, with the highest scores on meaning. Evidence indicates that digital literacy instruction supports the psychological empowerment of humanities and social science graduates employed in the business services sector.

Information literacy of higher vocational college students in digital age

The digital age presents greater challenges to information literacy. However, the level of information literacy in different regions and populations is still controversial, especially for students in college or university. To investigate the information literacy level of college students in Guangzhou area of Guangdong Province, China, and provide a basis for guiding students to improve information literacy. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2023. The information literacy questionnaire was used to evaluate student’s information literacy, which included basic information and information literacy scale. Statistical description, non-parametric testing, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. A total of 1700 participants, 57.6% of the students had medium information literacy, and average score of information literacy was 226.84 ± 39.83. The number of students using laptops and mobile phones reached 83.8 and 86.5%, respectively. 45.7% of the students had their first contact with mobile phones in junior high school, 49.9% in primary school, but their information literacy is not ideal. The lowest score was 3.74 for information management and communication, followed by 3.75 for information retrieval and acquisition. The results of regression analysis demonstrated that grade, place of high school study, information literacy course, the time of first contact with mobile phones and the type of using electronic information equipment affected students' information literacy ( p < 0.05). The information literacy of students in higher vocational colleges is in the middle level. Although the use of electronic information equipment is popular, the overall level of information literacy still needs to be strengthened, especially for attach importance to information retrieval and acquisition, management and communication literacy. Students’ systematic learning process requires colleges to provide systematic and professional information literacy curriculum teaching.

The Influence of eHealth Literacy and Self-Efficacy on Online Health Information-Seeking Behaviour among University Students: Cyberchondria as a Mediator

COVID-19 has seen an increased reliance on online health information, raising concerns over cyberchondria, a condition characterised by excessive worry about health based on online information. This quantitative survey study examines the prevalence of cyberchondria and its correlation with eHealth literacy among 168 university students and their online health information-seeking behaviour. The results showed a significant negative correlation between eHealth literacy and cyberchondria, revealing that individuals with higher eHealth literacy were less likely to experience cyberchondria. This study also found that demographic factors such as age, gender, and education level were associated with cyberchondria. The findings suggest that eHealth literacy is an important protective factor against cyberchondria as individuals with higher eHealth literacy may be better able to critically evaluate online health information and avoid becoming overly anxious about their health. Thus, public health interventions should focus on improving eHealth literacy, especially for those with a heightened risk of cyberchondria, through online health information literacy courses and training healthcare providers on how to discuss cyberchondria with patients.

Predicting Transfer of Generic Information Literacy Competencies by Non-Traditional Students to Their Study and Work Contexts: A Longitudinal Perspective

Rapid developments in contemporary societies not only ask for lifelong learning but increasingly also for training in generic competencies suitable for multiple contexts and life stages. An indicator of training success is the transfer or application of new learning, a longitudinal process influenced by various theory- and evidence-based factors. The present study combined a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach by investigating non-traditional distance education students’ intention to transfer newly acquired generic information literacy competencies to their study and work contexts before, directly after, and three months after training. Three surveys, using a combination of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and Holton et al.’s Learning Transfer System Inventory model, measured the influence of performance outcomes expectations, organizational openness to change, and performance self-efficacy on intention to transfer and transfer behaviour. The participants were 82 adult educational professionals enrolled in an online information literacy course at the Open University. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed the value of employing a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach within this specific setting. Furthermore, notably, self-efficacy appeared to predict pre-training intention in both study and work contexts and transfer behaviour in the work context. Educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

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.

Investigating curriculum integrated information literacy

Information literacy has become an essential element of the student learning process due to the current information overload that university students face. The world is in the information age where the options for access to information is changing daily. University students need to be information literate to be able to use information responsibly and ethically. This article describes the third cycle of an action research study that sought to investigate the merit of integrating information literacy that is aligned to an acceptable framework into the curriculum of an institution of higher learning by assessing students' perceptions before and after an information literacy intervention. First-year undergraduate students at a [institution name] responded to an online questionnaire and participated in online interviews to share perceptions of their information literacy competencies during the second semester of academic year 2021/2022. SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data and the qualitative data was coded to identify common themes. The results of the study revealed information literacy courses positively impacted students' perceptions of their information literacy self-efficacy, skills, and attitudes.

Integrating Tableau into a First-Year Information Literacy Course: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Data Science Education

Integrating Tableau into a First-Year Information Literacy Course: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Data Science Education

Designing A general information literacy course for first-year postgraduate students: Improving academical and innovative abilities

Designing A general information literacy course for first-year postgraduate students: Improving academical and innovative abilities

Information-seeking Strategies Used and Challenges Encountered by Art and Design Students in Uganda When Seeking Information

Access to relevant information is crucial for Art and Design students to meet their information needs and achieve their educational goals. This paper explores the information-seeking strategies used by Art and Design students in diplomaawarding institutions in Uganda, and the challenges they encounter when seeking information to meet their information needs. This is part of a doctoral study that investigated the information-seeking behaviour of Art and Design students in diploma-awarding institutions in Uganda. The study population comprised Art and Design students in the four Art and Design institutions, library heads in the same institutions, and directors at the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). Data was collected using questionnaire, interview and observation methods. Data was collected from February to August 2022. The study revealed that Art and Design students use various information-seeking strategies to locate and access information. Browsing online images, photographing activities in the environment, recording videos of activities in the environment, and consulting Art and Design librarians were the most used. The least used strategies included browsing art and design collections on library shelves, using keywords, and using Boolean operators. The study found that Art and Design students encountered varied challenges when seeking information. The key challenges were lack of Internet at the institutions, inadequate and outdated information materials in the library, slow Internet, high cost of Internet data, and lack or inadequate knowledge to evaluate the quality of information on the Internet. The key recommendations included the need for Art and Design institutions to invest heavily in ICT infrastructure, including Internet connectivity, and also to develop information literacy courses for the students; the need for the NCHE prioritise monitoring of the study institutions to ensure compliance with library standards; and the need for the Government of Uganda zero-rate the Internet in the study institutions.

Application of ChatGPT in information literacy instructional design

Recent developments in ChatGPT have initiated a prompt response in the academic libraries’ community. This includes discussions on possible applications of AI text generators (Fernandez, 2023) and the implications of ChatGPT for academic libraries (Cox and Tzoc, 2023). In various segments of library services, ranging from reference services, cataloguing and metadata creation to content creation, ChatGPT can be used for natural language processing activities.In this paper, our aim is to investigate a specific application of ChatGPT in relation to Open Educational Resources (OER): instructional design for information literacy courses in academic libraries. The starting point for our research is using openly-licensed informational resources, i.e. ‘content infrastructure’ as facilitators in creating educational resources. It is widely recognised that large language models (LLMs), which use deep learning techniques to generate text based on prompts, greatly contribute to the speed of creating informational resources which comprise the content infrastructure (Wiley, 2023). However, ensuring the quality of the generated output and the requirement for review and improvements is an issue.Our analysis of the model will be conducted in three stages: 1. developing a strategy for producing information literacy syllabus using ChatGPT; 2. training the model according to predefined standards; 3. conducting the review process. In the first stage, the following guidelines will be applied: assign the model the role of a subject-matter expert (SME); provide context; instruct the model to use specific standards, i.e. “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education” (ALA/ACRL, 2000) and direct the model to use a specific output format. The second stage, or model training, will consist of a series of structured prompts, including feedback and reflection prompts. In the third stage, two external reviewers will be included in the process, with the following profiles: 1. an academic library information literacy programme coordinator; 2. English language specialist (assistant professor, PhD level). The purpose of the review is twofold: to check for pedagogical accuracy and psychometric validity, as well as usability in the actual academic environment.The results will provide some insight into the benefits of strategic and well-planned use of ChatGPT technology in creating content, while also considering responsible and ethical use of the new technology in the academic library sector.

Quality Matters Review of LIB 2210: Applying the QM Rubric for Higher Education to an Information Literacy Course

This article discusses the use of the Quality Matters Rubric for Higher Education, 6th ed. to self-review an asynchronous information literacy course. In this instance, the authors acted as reviewers and subject matter experts (SME). The Rubric proved to be a useful tool that encompasses several instructional design best practices. After the official self-review period, the QM Rubric influenced the enhancement and updates to the course. The authors recommend more use of the QM Rubric by teaching librarians, collaboration with instructors going through a QM Review, and training for online teaching in Library and Information Science graduate programs.

Expanding the Core Competences of Librarianship through Designing a Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course for Social Work

In contemporary knowledge society, the impact of library and information professions has expanded to practical workforce preparation in many adjacent fields, including social work, that heavily rely on information competencies to promote community well-being and public good.This poster adds a practitioner perspective to the ongoing conversation about the need to reimagine LIS education to better align curricular priorities with the demands of the increasingly interconnected information landscape. Through a tale of a subject librarian and Social Work faculty partnership to develop a tailored credit-bearing information literacy course for Social Work pre-majors, the author illuminates the evolving role of librarians who are called upon to educate members of other information-intensive professions in the use of general and subject-specific resources essential for their field. The poster highlights the shared values that inform the practice of both librarianship and social work in response to the issues faced by communities in times of uncertainty and change. Built around the ALA’s Core Competences of Librarianship and the Social Work Competencies established by the Council on Social Work Education, the project reflects on the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating information literacy education into a domain where advanced information literacy skills are an indispensable component of the current professional practice. Finally, the project discusses several implications for LIS programs keen on creating a better connection between the LIS foundational values and other professional competency frameworks today’s librarians lean on, particularly in such vital areas as user services, lifelong learning and continuing education, and social justice.

Construction and application on the training course of information literacy for clinical nurses

DesignA two-round Delphi survey was conducted to seek opinions from experts about the index system for the evaluation of training courses of clinical nursing staff’s information literacy. Besides, a non-randomized controlled experimental study was adopted to check the application effect of the training courses.AimsThis study intended to construct a training course of information literacy for clinical nurses, train nurses in order to improve their information literacy level and provide theoretical reference for the training of information literacy courses for clinical nurses.MethodsTwo rounds of Delphi study were conducted for the study among 26 clinical medical and nursing experts as well as educational experts from 5 different provinces and cities in China. From July 2022 to October 2022, a total of 84 clinical nurses from two hospitals were selected by the convenience sampling method, of which the nurses in one hospital were the control group and the nurses in the other hospital were the observation group. 42 nurses in the observation group were trained by the constructed information literacy training course. Questionnaire evaluation was used to compare the differences in the level of information literacy of nurses and the training effect between the two groups.ResultsThe results of the Delphi consultation showed that the expert’s judgment coefficient was 0.958, the expert’s familiarity was 0.946, and the expert’s authority coefficient was 0.952. Finally, a training course of information literacy for clinical nurses with 4 course categories and 45 specific course contents was formed. Among them, nursing information awareness included 7 courses, nursing information knowledge 15 courses, nursing information ability 19 courses, and nursing information ethics 4 courses. The results of the empirical study showed that the information literacy level of the nurses in the observation group after the training of the information literacy course was improved, and the scores in nursing information awareness, nursing information knowledge, nursing information ability, and information ethics were significantly higher than those in the control group after training (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe constructed information literacy training courses for clinical nurses were clearly targeted and systematic. Empirical research showed that the course contents were scientific and reasonable, which could provide reference for the training of clinical nurses’ information literacy.

Assessment of information literacy course for undergraduate students in higher education

This study assessed an information literacy skills course that has been running over two decades at the University of Cape Coast. The study established the usefulness of the course using data from questionnaires administered to 278 final year students mandated to conduct research projects at the end of their four-year programme. The results showed that irrespective of students’ competence in IL, they are sometimes confronted with information behaviour challenges in accessing relevant information for academic work. Based on this revelation, it is recommended that advanced hands-on training be introduced to enhance students’ skills in using search strategies to ensure low recall and high relevancy in the information retrieval process.

Scaffolding the Open: Transforming an International Studies Course using Open Pedagogy

This case study describes how two librarians transformed an international information literacy course by creating a scaffolded open pedagogy experience for students to build transferable skills while exploring how information is produced, disseminated, and interpreted across the world. The authors discuss how we collaborated on the project to incorporate open pedagogy, tools, and strategies to enhance learning. The result was a scaffolded course using open pedagogy to help students engage with global information issues. Using Pressbooks, students published multimedia content exploring topics including global news media, censorship, misinformation, and digital divides. Then students chose to either openly license their work, share it publicly while retaining their copyright, or hide it from public view. Additionally, students used Hypothesis to socially annotate reading assignments outside of class. We reflect on our experience revising this course, what worked and what did not, and how we will adapt the course in the future.

Information literacy and recent graduates: Motivation, self-efficacy, and perception of credit-based information literacy courses

The present study aimed to explore graduate students' motivation, self-efficacy, and perceptions of credit-based information literacy (IL) courses at a research university in China. A mixed-methods approach was employed, with 405 questionnaires and ten follow-up interviews conducted. The findings indicated that graduate students displayed high levels of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy toward the IL course. In other words, they were conscious of the importance of IL in their future academic pursuits. However, only a small portion (18.76 %) of students perceived librarians as the most appropriate person for the course. Moreover, in terms of the format of course format, the majority of participants preferred a blend of lectures and group activities over online learning. There was also agreement among the participants that the focus of IL courses should go beyond basic information search skills and include training in learning strategies. The study also found that gender played a role in shaping motivation and perception levels, with female students generally scoring higher. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for librarians to enhance their credit-based IL courses, catering to the specific needs and preferences of graduate students.