Information Literacy Instruction Research Articles

Examining the Role of School Librarians in Teaching Young Children to Detect and Avoid Misinformation

This study investigates the imperative for implementing an informational literacy curriculum in K-5 school libraries to equip students with essential skills for detecting and avoiding misinformation. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 141 school librarians across the United States. Quantitative analysis revealed significant gaps in information literacy instruction frequency and resource availability. Qualitative analysis identified four overarching themes: Awareness, Identification, Resources, and Risks/Harm. Together these results highlight the pressing need for curriculum development in this area, emphasizing critical thinking skills through age-appropriate resources. The findings underscore the importance of advocating for dedicated instructional time and the creation of tailored teaching materials to empower students as discerning consumers and responsible citizens. This research contributes valuable insights to the fields of school libraries and information literacy, informing future initiatives aimed at enhancing students' ability to navigate the complexities of the digital age.

Curriculum SIG: The Ethics and Evolution of Truth and Information

The Curriculum SIG will examine how library science education curricula can prepare future librarians to engage with the ethics and evolution of truth and information. The session will begin with presentations of each paper, followed by an interactive discussion inviting attendees to participate in an open dialogue and Q&A with the presenters about the issues raised by the papers, implications for practice, and potential areas for future research. Dr. Natalie Taylor will deliver a presentation titled “Core Competencies, Core Courses: How Accredited MLIS Programs Interpret the ALA’s Core Competencies through their Curriculum.” This paper aims to examine the way that the 66 accredited degree programs describe their programs’ relationship with the ALA Core Competencies (ALACCs) and whether these descriptions can demonstrate a measurement of the influence of the ALACCs on curriculum. This finding will serve two purposes: 1) a representation of the strength (or weakness) of the connection between the library profession (as represented by the American Library Association) and MLIS degree programs and 2) a better understanding of how the curriculum of these programs represents the competencies called for by ALA. Dr. Cynthia Stogdill and Dr. Elizabeth Burns will present “Information Literacy: A Case Study in Inquiry Instruction.” Information literacy is a set of skills we expect school librarians to teach K-12 learners. AASL embeds these competencies within their instructional standards for learners and school librarians however, there is little agreement on a model of inquiry that should be used with K-12 learners. Further, there is little consistency in pre-service school librarian information literacy instruction. This exploratory case study examines the information literacy instructional models used with one cohort of pre-service school librarians. Findings discuss practices that can be shared and further developed for LIS education. Dr. Rhonda Clark, Dr. Xiaofeng Li, and Dr. Angela Jones will present “A Study of US Public Library Strategic Plans: Trends and Trajectories.” This paper reports the results of a content analysis, reviewing strategic plans from public libraries across multiple states in the U.S. The presenters will make recommendations based on their analysis to help library educators teach an effective writing style for strategic plans. They will also advocate for the importance of strategic planning as a necessary skill in the curriculum. Additionally, they will invite attendees to discuss how library schools implement curriculum development through strategic planning. Overall, these presentations will provide valuable insights into how library science education programs address core competencies, information literacy instruction, and strategic planning to better prepare future librarians for the evolving challenges of the profession.

Creative Pedagogy in Information Literacy

Creative pedagogy is not well defined and has not yet received much attention in the field of library and information science. This research employed constructivist grounded theory, through semi-structured interviews conducted with library information literacy instructors, to better understand the role of creative pedagogy in information literacy. The aim of the research was to synthesize findings into a theory to better understand how and to what extent creative pedagogy is being applied in the teaching of information literacy. The findings show that although they do not necessarily use the language of creativity, many library instructors are integrating elements of creative pedagogy into their teaching. Perceived challenges, such as being a guide or guest in someone else’s classroom and in connecting with students around information, as well as opportunities in both the physical and virtual classroom spaces, seem to require a shift in the way information literacy engagement takes place. Library instructors recognize the need for these shifts but many struggle to implement an alternative approach in the information classroom. At the same time, library instructors face several barriers, including a lack of preparation for their teaching role and the limitations of the one-shot instruction session.

The Role of Theory in the MLIS Curriculum

This panel explores the integration of theory into the master’s curriculum for library and information studies. Balancing theoretical focus with more practical emphasis can be a challenge, and engaging students in theory by tying it to practice can be complicated. The panel will provide opportunities to explore these challenges in the specific contexts of reference and information literacy instruction courses, but also more generally throughout the LIS curriculum.

Information Literacy Education in University Libraries: A Comparative Study in Taiwan and South Korea

ABSTRACTThis study aims to compare the information literacy education practices of university libraries in Taiwan and South Korea using the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (ACRL, 2016). The result shows that while Taiwanese institutions demonstrate comprehensive coverage across all six frames, South Korean university libraries lack some frames. The identified gaps will be analyzed thoroughly with ongoing research. This research will contribute to understand the shortcomings in the information literacy education provided by university libraries and suggest how we can further research and improve in the future.

Discipline as Context: Arts and Science Students' Views on Key Concepts in the ACRLFramework

ABSTRACTThe introduction of the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL, 2016) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, or “the Framework,” has fostered efforts to apply the document's concepts to information literacy instruction (ILI) to meet the needs of post‐secondary students across faculties. However, little research has directly compared students' perspectives on the Framework's concepts by discipline. This poster presents findings from a larger, mixed‐methods project investigating student perspectives on the Framework in which participants in the faculties of arts (n = 123) and science (n = 90) expressed distinct views and rankings. Their perspectives particularly diverged around perceived roles in assessing the authority of information sources and how “relevant to their experience in school” they found most Framework frames. This project expands upon emerging learner‐centered research aiming to meaningfully improve Framework‐based ILI through its direct disciplinary comparisons and use of the recently developed Information Literacy Reflection Tool (ILRT; Robertson et al., 2022).

TEACHING INFORMATION LITERACY: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES

Being information literate is crucial for today's pupils if they are to become tomorrow's self-directed learners and innovative employees. Current information literacy (IL) pedagogical practices, however, have not necessarily been effective in providing students with the tools necessary for thorough research and memory recall. Therefore, effective instructional strategies are of utmost importance in IL education. The working hypothesis of this study is that students will have an easier time learning IL skills if they are able to include their interests—which are influenced by their dominant intelligences—into their coursework. As a result, the quality of their work would improve. Using a well-established educational approach—Gardner's idea of multiple intelligences—a course was developed to provide students with the IL skills they would need to test these postulates via project work. What followed was a comparison of the two groups' project quality: the experimental and control groups. Project results were much better for students who had received IL instruction that included the use of learning styles

The Opportunities and Challenges of ChatGPT for Ideological and Political Education of College Students

In the 21st century, humanity ushered in a wave of artificial intelligence. In the context of big data, generative artificial intelligence has become an important auxiliary tool in the field of education. ChatGPT has gradually entered the learning life of students and reflected its value in ideological and political education in particular. Through a questionnaire survey, this article takes college students as the research object and aims to grasp their evaluations of using ChatGPT and their views on its application in the field of ideological and political education. Research has found that ChatGPT has advantages in optimizing ideological and political evaluation and management systems, helping students understand political theories, enriching teaching models, and meeting the personalized needs of students. The integration of ChatGPT into the class can not only improve teaching quality but also enhance student's learning efficiency and interest. However, the arrival of ChatGPT has also raised a series of ethical risks, such as spreading incorrect information, personal information leakage, academic misconduct, shallow thinking among students, and alienation of teacher-student relationships. In response to these problems brought about by ChatGPT, this article also proposes corresponding risk governance policies. It is necessary to establish a legal supervision mechanism, improve the level of software research and development, enhance the information literacy of teachers and students, and strengthen academic standardization awareness.

Reshaping Academic Library Information Literacy Programs in the Advent of ChatGPT and Other Generative AI Technologies

This article reports on three digital information literacy initiatives created by instruction librarians to support students’ use of generative AI technologies, namely ChatGPT, in academic library research. The cumulative and formative data gathered from the initiatives reveals a continuing need for academic libraries to provide information literacy instruction that guides students toward the ethical use of information and awareness of using generative AI tools in library research. Moreover, analysis of the cumulative data gathered from Mentimeter anonymous surveys has led to the further reshaping of our existing information literacy program as students’ AI literacy develops in their use of AI tools at California State University, Los Angeles.

Librarian as Motivator in Virtual Information Literacy Instruction

This study aims to explore librarians’ motivating styles in virtual information literacy instruction sessions based on participating students’ perception. The research method use a quantitative approach, involving a survey method was applied for this study. The survey was conducted involving a sample of 250 students who had attended the virtual information literacy sessions at the selected library. The questionnaire was distributed electronically using Google Form and it comprised of open-ended questions to provide responses regarding the motivation provided by librarians in virtual literacy instruction. The study identified three stages of the virtual information literacy instructions in which librarians applied different motivational styles. The three learning processes: Greeting and Welcome, Core, and Wrap up, each provided evidence of motivating styles. The findings of this investigation are useful to practicing librarians as they can focus on motivating students during the virtual information literacy instruction.

An interdisciplinary assessment of information literacy instruction

Information literacy is a crucial skill often overlooked by faculty in higher education, who expect incoming Gen Z students to have some ability to navigate the information landscape appropriately and efficiently either from prior high school instruction or simply by the ubiquity of information access. Assessments of college students' information literacy paints a different picture, indicating that information literacy instruction is required and that deliberate efforts should be made to aid students in proper evaluation and use of informational media. This study investigates the value of generalized information literacy instruction at a medium-sized, public 4-year university in a rural area. Student knowledge is assessed pre- and post-instruction to determine specific impacts of information literacy instruction on various facets of information literacy – source quality, relevance, and context. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to determine (1) whether information literacy varies across students in different fields/disciplines and (2) if so, whether generalized information literacy instruction tends to close those cross-disciplinary gaps or extend existing disparities. Data collected herein demonstrate that gains in information literacy vary substantially by academic discipline. For example, students in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts began with the second-highest average pre-instruction scores (75.00 %) and exhibited the largest gains between pre- and post-instruction assessments (+12.14 %). The results obtained in this study indicate that generalized instruction tends to inflate existing disparities in information literacy between disciplines. Based on these findings, there is ample evidence to suggest that discipline-specific information literacy instruction could provide students with larger individual gains and potentially allow information literacy to converge across fields.

Mapping the Way: Teaching Music Information Literacy in the Contemporary Information Landscape

abstract: Information literacy instruction in the twenty-first century stands at a crossroads of multiple socio-cultural trends, recent technological advances (specifically, artificial intelligence applications and large language models), shifting professional standards, and new developments in local educational settings. It is now necessary for instructors to act as explorers of the information environments in which they live and work, observing and staying cognizant of these developments while utilizing the principles of information ethics as a compass for guiding their work. In this article, the author explains how developments in local settings, combined with the above factors, can serve as an impetus for reinventing information literacy instruction. The author presents a variety of strategies for teaching information literacy in music in both credit-bearing courses and "one shot" instructional sessions that incorporate existing information literacy standards and values in information ethics. Curriculum mapping is highlighted as a strategy for planning and codifying pedagogical strategies while keeping lesson planning adaptable and responsive to specific learning needs. Recommendations for other instructors acknowledge that the process of delivering effective information literacy instruction in music is ongoing; success will depend upon how instructors choose to respond to contemporary societal developments and the educational needs of students and colleagues at their respective institutions.

Collaborations That Work: Making Connections between Music Library Instruction and Music Theory

abstract: This article explores ways pedagogical approaches in music librarianship and music theory can enhance each other. It emphasizes two broad benefits for students when library instruction is incorporated into music theory courses. First, what music librarians have to offer can be incredibly relevant to music theory instruction. Second, since music majors take music theory early in their degrees, library instruction in these courses allows them to get to know their librarians right away when they enter college. If music librarians provide further instruction and outreach in various ways throughout students' college years, students will be able to see that what they are learning in these sessions is a set of transferrable skills that are not solely useful for one assignment in a single class. This is especially true when teaching information literacy. By drawing on literature from both fields, as well as our own experiences working together, we show how the pedagogical priorities of music theory and music librarianship align. We explain how we have found success in teaching concepts from information literacy as we work toward our shared goals. The article further suggests a number of practical ideas for bridging the gap between music librarians and music theory instructors, including offering flexible options for instruction, team-teaching, and understanding the strengths each person brings to information literacy instruction.

Combining SIFT and the Information Needs, Types, and Qualities Approaches: A Framework-Informed Strategy for Information Literacy Instruction

Increasingly, librarians are encouraged to deliver information literacy sessions that go beyond finding and using traditional scholarly sources. They are asked to cover a wider range of the information ecosystem and develop students’ capacity to critically engage with Google and the open web. In this study, we incorporated these learning objectives in an introductory computational thinking course, combining two information literacy pedagogies. For evaluating sources, we used Mike Caulfield’s SIFT technique (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage; Trace claims to the original source); for resource discovery, Lane Wilkinson’s Information Needs, Types and Qualities lesson. We adapted Wilkinson’s worksheet, asked students to apply the SIFT technique to their chosen sources, and added a reflection component where students documented their research process. We conducted a content analysis of the assignment responses and coded evidence of students demonstrating knowledge practices and dispositions of two frames from the ACRL Framework, Authority is Constructed and Contextual and Searching as Strategic Exploration. Our analysis showed that students responded well to learning the SIFT technique, particularly at investigating sources; furthermore, Wilkinson’s pedagogy for source discovery encouraged students to use a wide variety of research tools. The reflection component further revealed evidence of students’ research processes and metacognition. We found this unit to be an effective means of assessing these Framework concepts, and argue that it can be applied to other topics and disciplines.

Challenges and opportunities in teaching and learning in AskALibrarian chat: differences across subject domains

PurposeThis analysis of chat reference transcripts assesses differences in how librarians and graduate assistants (GAs) incorporate teaching strategies in responding to chat reference inquiries in social sciences, health sciences, humanities, STEM and business/economics at a large, public R1 university in the United States.Design/methodology/approachResearchers with disciplinary assignments in five different subject domains conducted qualitative analysis of a purposive sample of 982 transcripts of chat interactions during four semesters in 2021 and 2022.FindingsSome form of information literacy instruction (ILI) occurred in 58% of the transcripts, with slightly less teaching occurring in social sciences inquiries than in other subject areas. Of transcripts that included teaching strategies, search procedures predominated, followed by a mix of concepts and procedures, and the least with concepts only. Chat providers taught concepts specific to social sciences, health sciences and humanities, but not to STEM or business.Research limitations/implicationsThe study compares transcripts at one institution; findings may be most applicable to large, research institutions that seek to incorporate ILI in online reference services.Practical implicationsChat reference training should include best practices for ILI relevant to specific subject domains for providers without background in those disciplines and recommendations for referrals to subject specialists.Originality/valueExisting ILI literature does not address the question of how chat providers teach concepts rooted in a specific subject domain or offer a comparison of teaching strategies employed in different disciplines, by librarians versus GAs or staff.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning and Information Literacy Instruction at a Liberal Arts College

Project-based learning engages students in the collaborative design of generating and seeking answers to questions. Students work independently and creatively, to plan, execute, and make necessary adjustments to produce high-quality work, while developing competent twenty-first-century skills. These skills include critical thinking, collaboration, creativity/innovation, and communication. This work presents a unique partnership between a physics faculty member, a librarian, and a physician in a project-based ultrasound course at a primarily undergraduate institution. Implementing project-based learning, students actively engaged with real-world and personally, meaningful problems. Information literacy skills, such as evaluating and synthesizing information, were also naturally incorporated throughout the completion of student projects. Students responded to general surveys, self-evaluations, peer evaluations, metacognitive surveys, reflections, and attitude tests to help instructors improve, calibrate, and assess the teaching method. Key findings indicate a 9% growth in students’ information literacy skills and increased engagement. Additionally, results suggest that students prefer project-based learning compared to traditional teaching. This article highlights the course approach, assessment tools, and student engagement and perception.

Amplifying Value: Assessment of Asynchronous Embedded Library Instruction and the Influence of Faculty Endorsements

“Embedded” librarian programs can take many different forms. At Royal Roads University, librarians embed asynchronously in research-intensive courses via a hosted online forum. Over three to five days, the embedded librarian presents a series of posts on key information literacy topics and invites students’ questions and comments. This research project undertook to investigate both the general effectiveness of this embedding approach (in terms of student learning and engagement) and the relationship that may exist between instructors’ promotion of the forum and student engagement and/or learning. Quantitative data on student learning and engagement was collected through a pretest/post-test and qualitative data was collected from instructor comments within the LMS course shell. The results of this study indicate that embedding is moderately effective at increasing student knowledge, and that robust instructor encouragement of student participation correlates positively with both student engagement and student learning. We conclude that embedding is an effective information literacy instruction method that can be made more effective through increased relationship-building with faculty and program staff.

Development of Technopreneur Leadership to Improve High School Teachers' Teaching Performance: Innovative Approaches in Education

This study aims to describe technopreneur leadership development as an innovative approach to improving the teaching performance of high school teachers. The research method used is quantitative survey research with teachers as research respondents with a sample of 54 respondents based on non-probability sampling techniques with saturated sample types. The data collection technique was used through a closed Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using simple correlation and regression tests. The results showed that technopreneur leadership development can positively impact the teaching performance of high school teachers. Technopreneur leadership development involves introducing and applying relevant technology in the learning process, the development of digital skills and information literacy for teachers, and establishing a culture of quality in schools. In this context, technopreneur leadership plays a role in facilitating teachers to adopt technology effectively, deal with change, motivate and empower education staff, and create a supportive environment for innovation. This research is an important contribution to understanding the importance of technopreneur leadership development as an innovative approach to improving the teaching performance of high school teachers.

Let’s Edit: Using Wikipedia Edit-a-thons as Vehicles for Information Literacy

This article explores the integration of Wikipedia into information literacy instruction through the use of edit-a-thons, highlighting its potential despite historical skepticism from librarians. Wikipedia's mission aligns with librarianship’s core values of providing free access to information, yet its open-source nature challenges traditional notions of authority and reliability. The article advocates for leveraging Wikipedia as a tool for active learning, specifically to enhance students' understanding of the American College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) information literacy frames. By hosting edit-a-thons, librarians can engage students in hands-on activities that improve their skills in evaluating sources and understanding authority. The article provides practical recommendations for conducting successful edit-a-thons, including creating Edit Guides, embracing the social aspects of these events, and using Wikipedia-Integrated Outreach Dashboards for program evaluation. Ultimately, it argues that Wikipedia can significantly contribute to information literacy education and suggests strategies for librarians to effectively incorporate it into their instructional practices.

An Analysis of Strategies for Improving the Information Literacy of College Teachers under the Background of Educational Informatization

With the advancement of information technology in higher education in China, the cultivation of information literacy among English teachers in universities has become particularly important. Based on this, the author will elaborate on the importance of cultivating the information literacy of college teachers in this article. Through questionnaires and other forms, a detailed analysis will be conducted on the current situation of information literacy of college English teachers. Strategies for improving the information literacy of college English teachers under the background of educational informatization will be proposed to ensure that the development of college English teaching can meet the needs of the times and comprehensively improve the effectiveness of college English teaching.