Integrating Information Literacy Research Articles

Effects of Brief Integrated Information Literacy Education Sessions on Undergraduate Engineering Students' Interdisciplinary Research

ABSTRACTEngineering students often conduct information searches without sufficient consideration of the context of their research topic. This article discusses how development of a new information literacy (IL) mindset through instruction in integrated IL education affects students' understanding of research problems and formulation of information search questions. The course observed is a mechanical engineering seminar for undergraduate engineering students with integrated IL education. A survey-based research method is utilized with surveys carried out at three stages of the course. The results show that as the course progressed, students' interdisciplinary research problem descriptions became more profound and their formulations of information search questions developed more advanced understanding of the principles of information use. Preliminary parallel results have been analyzed from 2013 to 2016 at a university of technology in Finland.

The legacy of the Information Competencies for Students in Design Disciplines

Information Competencies for Students in Design Disciplines compiled, for the first time in the US, a list of core information literacy skills for design students. Divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced skills in each design discipline, it helped to define and delimit information literacy skills in these subjects, and were intended to facilitate a systematic means of integrating information literacy skills into the core curriculum of design courses. Closely related to the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, Information Competencies were written by a group of art and design librarians (Jeanne Brown, Jane Carlin, Thomas Caswell, Edith Crowe, Maya Gervits, Susan Lewis, Alan Michelson, Barbara Opar and Jennifer Parker) and published by ARLIS/NA in 2006 (rev. 2007). This article is personal reflection by one of its authors on its legacy ten years after publication.

Library and Information Service Provision to Part-Time Postgraduate Students: A Case Study of Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library, University of Nairobi, Kenya

The quest for higher education in Kenya has compelled universities to redesign their academic programmes and develop different modes of study such as work-based, vocational and part-time. As universities introduce these modes of study, libraries are also obliged to redesign their information resources and services to effectively serve users enrolled in these programmes. However, little is known of how university libraries are prepared to provide services to these groups of learners. The study investigated the provision of library and information services to part-time, postgraduate students in Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library of the University of Nairobi. The objectives were to identify the usage patterns of library and information services offered to part-time postgraduate students; determine the suitability of the regulatory framework governing the provision of library and information services; and identify the factors that influence the provision of library and information services to part-time postgraduate students. The study involved part-time postgraduate students and library staff. The study was guided by Ranganathan’s Laws of Library Science and utilized models of informationseeking behaviour and information-seeking. This was a case study in which data was collected using questionnaires and interview guides. The total population was 7,053 registered part-time postgraduate students out of which a sample of 379 students was selected through stratified random sampling using Yamane’s simplified formula, while 11 library staff was purposively chosen. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as weighted averages, frequencies and percentages while qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The study found that part-time postgraduate students had a low usage of Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library, which could be attributed to lack of time. It was established that the Library had a regulatory framework governing the provision of library and information services to all readers and not specific to part-time postgraduate students. The study also found that several factors including accessibility, personal experience, and relevance, and reliability, ease of use, familiarity, cost and format were important in determining the part-time postgraduate students’ efforts to pursue information. The study further revealed that challenges including inadequate funds to design specific services that would sufficiently meet the needs of part-time postgraduate students, inadequate literacy skills among the students, lack of expertise, inadequate staff and lack of understanding of the parttime postgraduate students’ information needs were encountered in the provision of library and information services to part-time postgraduate students. The study recommended that universities should integrate information literacy in their academic programmes, review library policies, carry out user surveys, and embed librarians in postgraduate students’ environment.

Librarians as Co-Teachers and Curators: Integrating Information Literacy in a Studio Art Course at a Liberal Arts College

The authors describe a faculty-librarian team-teaching approach to building information literacy in a studio class. Information literacy was written into the course goals and integrated throughout the semester. Through a series of assignments, students explored the connection between research and art-making, and they developed a clear sense of the various backgrounds against which their artwork might be understood as a contribution or response. Through exhibiting their work in library spaces, they confronted curatorial challenges faced by practicing artists. The close and ongoing collaboration resulted in better creative work from students and led to further pedagogical and curricular innovations.

Embracing Challenges in Times of Change: A Survey of the Readiness of Academic Librarians in New Jersey for Transition to the ACRL Framework

Many academic librarians in the state of New Jersey (NJ) have successfully integrated information literacy (IL) into the curriculum using the ACRL IL Competency Standards for Higher Education (Standards). These Standards formed the underpinnings of IL curriculum mapping and assessment plans, and have been adopted by administrators in higher education institutions across the state. The advent of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Framework) prompted the author to survey IL coordinators to investigate how their institutions are embracing the opportunities presented by the challenge of looking at IL through this new lens. This paper presents a snapshot of NJ librarians' readiness to adopt the Framework: challenges, opportunities, new approaches to IL integration, and gaining buy-in from relevant campus partners. This study is timely because the Standards were rescinded two months following the administration of the survey.

Broadening Boundaries: Opportunities for Information Literacy Instruction inside and outside the Classroom

This article proposes that libraries reimagine their information literacy instructional programs using a broader conceptualization and implementation of information literacy that promotes collaborative and personalized learning experiences for students, faculty, and staff, while embracing scalable instruction and reference strategies to maximize librarians' time. We focus on four areas for growth: (1) integrating information literacy across the curriculum, (2) identifying scalable methods to provide information literacy support inside and outside the formal classroom environment, (3) facilitating the creation of personalized learning environments, and (4) engaging students and faculty in social and participatory learning.

Integration of Information Literacy into the Curriculum: Constructive Alignment from Theory into Practice

Librarian-teacher cooperation is essential for the integration of information literacy into course syllabi. Therefore, a common theoretical and methodological platform is needed. As librarians at Kristianstad University we have had the opportunity to develop such a platform when teaching information literacy in a basic course for teachers in higher education pedagogy. Information literacy is taught in context with academic writing, distance learning and teaching, and development of course syllabi.Constructive Alignment in Theory: We used constructive alignment in designing our part of the course. John Biggs’ ideas tell us that assessment tasks (ATs) should be aligned to what is intended to be learned. Intended learning outcomes (ILOs) specify teaching/learning activities (TLAs) based on the content of learning. TLAs should be designed in ways that enable students to construct knowledge from their own experience. The ILOs for the course are to have arguments for the role of information literacy in higher education and ideas of implementing them in TLAs. The content of learning is for example the concept of information literacy, theoretical perspectives and constructive alignment for integration in course syllabi. TLAs are written pre-lecture reflections on the concept of information literacy, used as a starting point for the three-hour seminar. Learning reflections are written afterwards. The AT is to revise a syllabus (preferably using constructive alignment) for a course the teacher is responsible for, where information literacy must be integrated with the other parts and topics of the course.Constructive Alignment in Practice: Using constructive alignment has taught us that this model serves well as the foundation of the theoretical and methodological platform for librarian-teacher cooperation when integrating information literacy in course syllabi. It contains all important aspects of the integration of information literacy in course syllabi and reflects constructivist and socio-cultural theories.

From Quest to Conquer: Traversing General Education at a Diverse Alaskan University to Integrate and Assess Transferable Information Literacy Skills in Foundational Courses

The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is an open enrollment university that offers vocational, academic, and professional degrees in a northern region. UAA serves a culturally and demographically diverse population. Given this diversity, students display varying levels of information literacy (IL) competencies. Library Professors Anna Bjartmarsdóttir and Deborah Mole partner with faculty teaching composition and communication courses to create increasingly sophisticated and transferable IL learning opportunities. Strategies include: assessing students’ IL competencies; creating engaging activities; integrating IL throughout the semester; developing reflection opportunities to reinforce IL skills. UAA librarians, partnered with faculty, integrate and scaffold IL activities in foundational GE courses to develop increasingly sophisticated, transferable IL skills and knowledge practices. From team-based learning application exercises to workshops for teaching assistants, students learn how creativity partnered with initiative has helped to integrate transferable IL skill education at this diverse arctic university.

Integrating information literacy into an undergraduate geography research methods course

ABSTRACTConducting research is a challenging but essential component of an undergraduate geography education. Students typically need instruction in fundamental skills such as using library resources. In this study we describe how we, a geography professor and a librarian, integrated information literacy into a newly revised course in which geography students design and write a research prospectus. We assessed student knowledge and self-reported confidence in library research skills at the beginning and completion of the course. This study describes increased information literacy among students who entered the course with a range of abilities and offers areas for further research.

Campus-wide Information Literacy Assessment: An Opportunity for Library Leadership

This article reports on an exploratory study of the process for the shared rubric creation in information literacy assessment at the university-level for accreditation purposes. This process can be used as an avenue for librarians to provide leadership and engage faculty in critical campus-wide assessment initiatives. Findings support previous research that showed faculty members perceive room for growth in students’ information literacy competency. Furthermore, findings show faculty members see a connection between information literacy and critical thinking, another core competency. This link can be leveraged for more effective integration of information literacy into curriculum (and instruction) and for more efficient assessment of both competencies through overlaps in assessment rubrics. Librarians can be visible leaders in assessment on campus by addressing faculty concerns and providing resources and services to assist faculty, as well as campus administration, in teaching and assessing information literacy.

Business information literacy integration into a freshman summer bridge course for underrepresented minorities

ABSTRACTThis article presents the collaboration between a professor of management and a faculty librarian within a summer bridge course designed to provide underrepresented minority students with advanced preparation prior to their freshmen year at Purdue University. The course is a combination of academic preparation, applied life skills, and information literacy to make the course relevant to the students in the short and long term. The instructors detail how the course is designed around a problem-based framework to facilitate improved learning of relevant tools and critical thinking skills within a business information literacy context.

Engineering Faculty Indicate High Levels of Awareness and Use of the Library but Tend to Consult Google and Google Scholar First for Research Resources

A Review of:
 Zhang, L. (2015). Use of library services by engineering faculty at Mississippi State University, a large land grant institution. Science & Technology Libraries, 34(3), 272-286. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0194262X.2015.1090941
 
 Objective – To investigate the engineering faculty’s information-seeking behaviour, experiences, awareness, and use of the university library.
 
 Design – Web-based survey questionnaire.
 
 Setting – The main campus of a state university in the United States of America.
 
 Subjects – 119 faculty members within 8 engineering departments. 
 
 Methods – An email invitation to participate in a 16-item electronic survey questionnaire, with questions related to library use, was sent in the spring of 2015 to 119 engineering faculty members. Faculty were given 24 days to complete the survey, and a reminder email was sent 10 days after the original survey invitation. 
 
 Main Results – Thirty-eight faculty members responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 32%. Overall, faculty had a high level of use and awareness of both online and physical library resources and services, although their awareness of certain scholarly communication services, such as data archiving and copyright advisory, was significantly lower. Faculty tend to turn to Google and Google Scholar when searching for information rather than turning to library databases. Faculty do not use social media to keep up with library news and updates. The library website, as well as liaison librarians, were cited as the primary sources for this type of information. 
 
 Conclusions – The researcher concludes that librarians need to do a better job of marketing library resources, such as discipline-specific databases, as well as other library search tools. Because faculty use web search engines as a significant source of information, the author proposes further research on this behaviour, and suggests more action to educate faculty on different search tools, their limitations, and effective use.
 
 As faculty indicated a general lack of interest in integrating information literacy into their classes, the researcher notes that librarians need to find ways to persuade faculty that this type of integrated instruction is beneficial for students’ learning and research needs. Faculty were aware of the library liaison program, so this baseline relationship between faculty and librarian can serve as an opportunity to build upon current liaison services and responsibilities.

Developing Online Information Literacy Instruction for the Undergraduate Art Student: A Collaborative Approach in the Context of the Framework for Information Literacy

AbstractPerceiving a lack of integrated information literacy curriculum at our colleges, the library directors of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) consortium resolved to create a series of online tutorials aimed at undergraduates in the fields of art and design. The collaborative project needed a partner to produce the tutorials and offer the finished project in an environment accessible to students. When approached about this partnership, Lynda.com, one of the Internet’s leading online learning companies, agreed to work with the AICAD libraries to create an online information literacy course. The course launched in July 2015, and the authors conducted an assessment of the course quality and use nearly one year later by surveying librarians and faculty. This article is a study of how that course was conceived and how it evolved from a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) into its current online tutorial version on Lynda.com.

Collaborative Metaliteracy: Putting the New Information Literacy Framework into (Digital) Practice

ABSTRACTThis article describes a course-integrated collaborative project between a subject librarian, a communication professor, and an instructional designer that illustrates how the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework, developed by Mishra and Koehler (2006), and the new ACRL Framework for Information Literacy (Framework) converge to support student learning in an online course in public speaking. Aligning TPACK with the Framework hones the behavioral, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive skills in the metaliterate learner. The authors illustrate how TPACK and the Framework can support the subject-specific content areas of public speaking by integrating information literacy learning objects throughout the entire online course.

Being a «Digital Native» is not enough: A case study of the students’ digital profile at the European University Cyprus

In the last decades there is a growing interest among universities for the use of Information and Communication Technologies in teaching and learning. More analytically, the impact of technology on science and scholarship, teaching and learning in traditional universities, the possibilities for distance education, and even the internal management of universities has been particularly profound. Despite the fact that today’s most undergraduate students are considered «Digital Natives» and appear comfortable with the use of technology, especially as far as mobile phones and social networks (eg. Facebook) are concerned, still it is difficult to assume that they understand how to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in an academic and/or professional setting. The aim of this paper is to study the ICT skills of the students who study Primary Education and Early Childhood Education bachelor programs at the European University Cyprus and to describe to what extent they use technology for personal and academic reasons. The study took place in the context of the obligatory course «Educational Technology and Computers» of the 4 th -and lastyear of the studies during the academic year 2012-2013, with the participation of 70 undergraduate students. The gender and age factors were also taken into consideration. The research confirms the initial hypothesis of the study and provides evidence, which can promote and facilitate the integration of information literacy into the curriculum.

Curriculum-Based Library Instruction: From Cultivating Faculty Relationships to Assessment

Preface Part I: Building Relationships and Gaining Trust Chapter 1: Instructional Roles for Librarians Jessica Cole Chapter 2: Getting Your Foot in the Door Susan Kraat Part II: Learning Theories Chapter 3: Introduction to Learning Theories Rebecca S. Graves and Shelly R. McDavid Chapter 4: Adult Learning Christine Andresen and Katy Kavanagh Webb Chapter 5: Active Learning Barbara A. Gushrowski Part III: Instructional Techniques Chapter 6: Introduction to Instructional Techniques Rebecca S. Graves and Shelly R. McDavid Chapter 7: Audience Response Systems Emily Johnson Chapter 8: Team Based Learning Brandi Tuttle and Adrianne Leonardelli Chapter 9: Lesson Study in the Nursing Curriculum Bryan S. Vogh, Hans Kishel, and Eric Jennings Part IV: Instructional Modes and Assessment Chapter 10: Online Instruction Megan B. Inman Chapter 11: Face to Face Instruction Michele Malloy and Sarah Cantrell Chapter 12: Blended Librarianship Daniel P. Gall Chapter 13: Incorporating Self-assessment and Peer Assessment into Library Instructional Practice Stephan J. Macaluso Part V: Subject-Based Instruction in Health Sciences Chapter 14: What is Evidence-Based Practice? Connie Schardt Chapter 15: Creating a Curriculum Based Library Instruction Plan for Medical Students Amy E. Blevins Chapter 16: Librarians Role in Evidence-based Medicine Integration into the Medical Curriculum Heather A. McEwen, Rienne Johnson, LuAnne M. Stockton, Janice M. Spalding, David M. Sperling, Lisa N. Weiss Chapter 17: Reflections on Involvement in a Graduate Nursing Curriculum Jennifer Deberg Chapter 18: Strategies for Building an Information Skills Curriculum: The University of Michigan Experience Mark P. MacEachern and Whitney Townsend Chapter 19: What is Biomedical Informatics?: An Overview and Case Study Carolyn Schubert Part VI: Subject-Based Instruction in Other Disciplines Chapter 20: What is Information Literacy? April Cunningham and Allie Carr Chapter 21: How to Achieve Information Literacy Integration Allie Carr and April Cunningham Chapter 22: A Curricular Approach to Information Literacy Instruction in Sociology: A Case Study Adam T. Beauchamp Chapter 23: Evolution of an Undergraduate Business Information Literacy Class: A Case Study Kimberly Bloedel Chapter 24: The Expanding Role of Information Literacy in the Freshman Writing Program at Saint Louis University: A Case Study Jamie L. Emery Index About the Editors List of Contributors

Librarian-Led Information Literacy Training Delivered in Small Groups Improved Medical Students’ Confidence in Their Ability to Use Evidence Based Resources Effectively

A Review of:
 McClurg, C., Powelson, S., Lang, E., Aghajafari, F., & Edworthy, S. (2015). Evaluating effectiveness of small group information literacy instruction for Undergraduate Medical Education students using a pre- and post-survey study design. Health Information & Libraries Journal. 32(2), 120-130. http://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12098 
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To assess the effectiveness of librarian-led small group information literacy sessions, which were integrated into the second year of a three-year undergraduate medical course.
 
 Design – A pre- and post-intervention survey questionnaire.
 
 Setting – A large university in Canada.
 
 Subjects – A cohort of 160 second year undergraduate medical students enrolled in the three-year programme of a large university in Canada.
 
 Methods – As part of the redevelopment of the undergraduate three-year medical course, information literacy skills in evidence based medicine were integrated into the seminar and small group teaching programme. Every week for five weeks, 3 librarians each visited 4 small groups of 15 students to deliver a 15-minute session as part of a 2-hour long seminar led by practising physicians. The sessions did not include a formal hands-on component, however, students were encouraged to try out searches on their own devices. Each 15-minute session covered 3 learning objectives, including how to use PubMed clinical queries, how to use MeSH, and how to search for systematic reviews and guidelines.
 A pre- and post-intervention survey design was used to assess students’ perceptions of the impact of these sessions. The students were asked to complete an online Survey Monkey survey before and after the five week lecture block. The questions covered resource selection, perception of barriers to finding evidence based information, and the students’ confidence in using evidence based resources. The data were analysed descriptively.
 
 Main results – The pre-survey achieved a 90% (144/160) response rate while the post-survey achieved a 75% (112/160) response rate. The post-survey indicated an increase in the likelihood that students would use Ovid MEDLINE, carry out a literature search, and consult a librarian, with a decrease in those who would consult a print or online textbook. There was limited change in the students’ confidence that they could find answers quickly, but more of an increase in the proportion of students who were confident they could find systematic reviews and guidelines, and use search limits, PICO, and MeSH. Before the intervention, “knowing where to search,” devising a search strategy, and retrieving too many results were all thought to be obstacles by the students. After the small group training, students considered these issues less of a problem. 
 
 The post-survey also included an opportunity for the students to comment on their experience with the programme overall. Of the 54 responses received, 34 identified the library component as being the most important thing they had learned in the small group part of the course. 
 
 Conclusion – The authors conclude that integrating information literacy into the undergraduate curriculum as part of the small group seminar series is effective. They suggest future directions for research, such as a study to assess the impact of the training on specific skills rather than student confidence and evaluations of other teaching methods.

Curriculum-Integrated Information Literacy (CIIL) in a Community College Nursing Program: A Practical Model

ABSTRACTThis article describes a strategy to integrate information literacy into the curriculum of a nursing program in a community college. The model is articulated in four explained phases: preparatory, planning, implementation, and evaluation. It describes a collaborative process encouraging librarians to work with nursing faculty, driving students to acquire information literacy competencies, to use information resources as part of their learning process, and to be lifelong learners. The literature reviews the evolution of the concept of informatics in nursing practice and the different blueprints organized to attain information literacy competencies. It also describes studies that have included these competencies into nursing curriculum.

Assessing the Value of Course-Embedded Information Literacy on Student Learning and Achievement

A team at the University of California, Merced, collaborated to evaluate the value of integrating information literacy into introductory composition courses through a curriculum developed by librarians and writing faculty. Using a mixed-methods approach, the team investigated the impact of the curriculum on students’ learning and achievement at the end of their first semester of college. Students participating in the curriculum demonstrated greater gains than their peers in using suitable sources and presenting arguments and multiple viewpoints with evidence. This learning did not translate to higher student achievement as represented by course grades and grade point average.

School Librarians as Technology Leaders: An Evolution in Practice

The role of school librarians has a history of radical change. School librarians adapted to take on responsibility for technology and audio-visual materials that were introduced in schools in earlier eras. With the advent of the Information Age in the middle of the 20th century and the subsequent development of personal computers and the Internet, the American Library Association (ALA) recommended schools and colleges begin integrating information literacy into students’ learning (1989). Today school librarians are entering another period of Radical Change as they combine their information specialist roles with technology integration. This leadership role in technology integration is at times in conflict with a new role in K-12 schools, that of an instructional technology specialist. This new role is also charged with integrating technology into classroom instruction by working with faculty and students. School librarians and instructional technology specialists have complementary roles that would benefit students and staff through a collaborative team approach to support. When educating future school library practitioners LIS educators need to be aware of this evolution in practice and adjust curriculum accordingly.