Integrating Information Literacy Instruction Research Articles

In defense of information literacy across the disciplines

Information literacy, coined in the 1970s, covers a wide range of skills needed to navigate the information landscape to find relevant and useful information to solve problems. The teaching of information literacy is inconsistent across state standards, and West Virginia students entering college are often ill-equipped to find credible, useful information. Information literacy’s core skills include identifying individual information needs, finding relevant sources to solve those needs, and evaluating those sources for credibility. In the pre-Internet, mass media age, it was necessary primarily to evaluate and consider the bias of sources when assessing credibility. Then, mass disinformation/misinformation became a critical issue for information literacy, particularly in the mid 2010s. In the last two years, the now wide scale availability of generative AI tools now requires an even more substantial toolbox for information literacy. Unfortunately, discussions around equipping users with the appropriate skills have become increasingly siloed, with parallel developments in news literacy, digital literacy, media literacy, AI literacy, and reappropriation of science literacy to effectively encompass the same skill set. Here, I show the cross-disciplinary nature and value of information literacy, arguing for its superseding nature against these other literacies, and give recommendations for greater integration of information literacy instruction across college curriculum. Solutions for ILI implementation are readily found in the library and information science literature, and professional staff and faculty are in many institutions prepared or trainable to deliver ILI in both generalized and discipline-specific contexts to empower users to be more information literate and capable of navigating increasingly complex information landscapes.

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.

Information Literacy Support for Mathematics Graduate Students

Integrated information literacy instruction throughout graduate school supports students as they transition into the role of researcher, but information literacy instruction aimed specifically at mathematics graduate students is not widely studied. This paper reports on the results of a survey of mathematics librarians, which found that a majority of respondents are teaching information literacy classes to mathematics graduate students. Further analysis explores the demographics of both the librarians and students, the skills and resources taught, whether there was faculty-librarian collaboration, and if instruction was assessed.

Redesigning a Journalism Course to Integrate IL: A Case Study

This case study discusses the integration of information literacy instruction and assessment in a required research course for students of journalism and strategic communication at the University of Kansas. The integration consisted of four components: (1) a unifying threshold concept, (2) an open textbook, (3) a sequence of five assignments, and (4) an early- and late-semester assessment of student information literacy attainment. Qualitative and quantitative data were used to evaluate course components and to guide ongoing course revisions. The course redesign addressed the challenge of creating a sustainable structure for IL instruction. Discipline-specific obstacles stemmed from divergent information values and distinct information-handling conventions in journalism-related professions.

Evaluating nursing faculty's approach to information literacy instruction: a multi-institutional study.

Objective:In 2018, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Health Sciences Interest Group convened a working group to update the 2013 Information Literacy Competency Standards for Nursing to be a companion document to the 2016 Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education. To create this companion document, the working group first needed to understand how nursing faculty approached information literacy (IL) instruction.Methods:The working group designed a survey that assessed how nursing faculty utilized IL principles in coursework and instruction. The survey consisted of nineteen mixed methods questions and was distributed to nursing faculty at eight institutions across the United States.Results:Most (79%) faculty indicated that they use a variety of methods to teach IL principles in their courses. While only 12% of faculty incorporated a version of the ACRL IL competencies in course design, they were much more likely to integrate nursing educational association standards. Faculty perceptions of the relevance of IL skills increased as the education level being taught increased.Conclusion:The integration of IL instruction into nursing education has mostly been achieved through using standards from nursing educational associations. Understanding these standards and understanding how faculty perceptions of the relevance of IL skills change with educational levels will guide the development of a companion document that librarians can use to collaborate with nurse educators to integrate IL instruction throughout nursing curriculums at course and program levels.

Information Literacy Skills of Graduate Students: A Case of the Master’s of Information Studies Program in Kuwait

While information literacy in undergraduate programs has received considerable attention, few studies have explored graduate programs, with even fewer focusing specifically on library and information studies (LIS) programs. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the information literacy skills and knowledge of incoming students in an information studies graduate program at Kuwait University. By assessing students before and after they receive information literacy instruction, the study also aims to map a plan for developing graduate-level information literacy education. The study’s rationale is to provide empirical evidence of graduate students’ information literacy and research capabilities on commencing their studies, which are expected to be low, thereby encouraging educators and policymakers to engage in meaningful, informed discourse on investing in information literacy education. To collect data, the author administered a pre-test at the beginning of the semester, followed by a post-test at the end of the semester after students had attended a series of information literacy sessions. In addition, a faculty focus group was conducted to gain insight into their perceptions of students’ skills and their views and beliefs on information literacy education. Students’ overall mean score increased by almost 18% in the post-test. They performed better on questions related to knowledge of databases, search strategies, accessing sources, and some legal and ethical issues surrounding the information ecosystem. They also showed moderate improvement in critically evaluating information. However, they continued to perform poorly in defining an information need and understanding the nature and scope of the information paradigm. The findings informed the development of an information literacy education model. The study’s research design provides a format for other institutions interested in identifying students’ information and research needs with the aim of integrating information literacy instruction into graduate programs. The information literacy education model is dynamic and can be adapted to different learning environments.

Mapping Concepts to Locate Learning Opportunities: Aligning the ACRL Framework to the GIS&T Body of Knowledge

The adoption of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education in 2016 coincided with the launch of the digital edition of the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T) Body of Knowledge. The GIS&T Body of Knowledge and the ACRL Framework share a common goal of providing a flexible, community-driven, living document to support teaching and learning in higher education. The Body of Knowledge serves as a representation of the GIS&T knowledge domain, while the ACRL Framework aids librarians in integrating core information literacy concepts into instruction in their respective knowledge domains. Despite this connection, no attempt to evaluate how these guiding documents can be aligned to one another to inform instructional practice has yet been reported. This study uses a relative crosswalk approach to map connections between the knowledge practices and dispositions in the ACRL Framework and the learning objectives in the GIS&T Body of Knowledge. This analysis highlights alignment between these documents and can serve as a conceptual foundation to make it easier for map, geospatial, and subject librarians to identify practical opportunities for integrating information literacy instruction into GIS&T education, both independently and in collaboration with disciplinary faculty.

Disconnect: Contradictions and Disagreements in Faculty Perspectives of Information Literacy

ABSTRACTBroward College, an early adopter of Guided Pathways, has made efforts to incorporate information literacy throughout the curriculum by embedding librarians in pathways and through General Education learning outcomes. However, although college administrators and faculty acknowledge that the integration of information literacy instruction throughout the curriculum is crucial to student success, librarians have struggled to become true teaching partners. A survey was administered to discipline faculty to determine attitudes, perceptions, and a self-assessment of information literacy. This study includes a nuanced analysis of discipline faculty responses and reveals conflicting attitudes and behaviors related to information literacy instruction.

The effects of inquiry-based information literacy instruction on memory and comprehension: A longitudinal study

How information literacy instruction affects students' learning has been a concern for many librarians and teachers. This study examines the effects of six-year integrated information literacy instruction on elementary students' memory and comprehension of subject content through inquiry learning and also focuses on the moderating factor of students' academic achievement levels. The subjects were 75 students participating in the study from the time when they entered elementary school. The school adopted information literacy instruction and integrated it into various subject areas using the framework of inquiry learning, for example, the Super3 and Big6 models. A total of 11 inquiry learning projects were implemented from Grade 1 through Grade 6. The results showed that inquiry-based integrated information literacy instruction helps students memorize facts and apply new concepts in the subject content. In general, the progress level in comprehension was higher than in memory learning for the six-year integrated information literacy instruction. Regardless of students' prior academic achievement levels, if they devoted their efforts to inquiry processes, their fact memorization and conceptual understanding of subject content improved. Low-achieving students displayed the most progression in both memory and comprehension learning, compared to their medium- and high-achieving peers. This study underscores the importance of information literacy instruction in students' learning.

Maintaining Quality While Expanding Our Reach: Using Online Information Literacy Tutorials in the Sciences and Health Sciences

Abstract
 
 Objective – This article aims to assess student achievement of higher-order information literacy learning outcomes from online tutorials as compared to in-person instruction in science and health science courses.
 
 Methods – Information literacy instruction via online tutorials or an in-person one-shot session was implemented in multiple sections of a biology (n=100) and a kinesiology course (n=54). After instruction, students in both instructional environments completed an identical library assignment to measure the achievement of higher-order learning outcomes and an anonymous student survey to measure the student experience of instruction. 
 
 Results – The data collected from library assignments revealed no statistically significant differences between the two instructional groups in total assignment scores or scores on specific questions related to higher-order learning outcomes. Student survey results indicated the student experience is comparable between instruction groups in terms of clarity of instruction, student confidence in completing the course assignment after library instruction, and comfort in asking a librarian for help after instruction.
 
 Conclusions – This study demonstrates that it is possible to replace one-shot information literacy instruction sessions with asynchronous online tutorials with no significant reduction in student learning in undergraduate science and health science courses. Replacing in-person instruction with online tutorials will allow librarians at this university to reach a greater number of students and maintain contact with certain courses that are transitioning to completely online environments. While the creation of online tutorials is initially time-intensive, over time implementing online instruction could free up librarian time to allow for the strategic integration of information literacy instruction into other courses. Additional time savings could be realized by incorporating auto-grading into the online tutorials.

Information Literacy Integration as Quality Enhancement of Undergraduate Curriculum

Objective: A tiered curriculum integrated information literacy program developed for a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is described in brief. The literature related to curriculum integrated information literacy programs is reviewed. Assessment data is analyzed to show the impact of the program on undergraduate students' abilities to improve information literacy competencies in upper level undergraduate research projects in a variety of disciplines. Methods: Mixed methods are used. Standardized information literacy assessments are used to establish baseline knowledge levels of IL skills of undergraduate students entering [Institution Name] beginning in Fall 2009. A locally developed rubric is used to determine how well IL skills are used in upper level discipline specific research projects through Spring 2014. Surveys and interviews with select students and faculty are used to provide supplementary qualitative perspective on the use of information literacy skills in the research projects. Results: All of the students in this cohort met or exceeded benchmarks specified for the rubric before the plan was implemented. Results suggest a tiered, curriculum integrated information literacy instruction program can effectively lead students to improve information literacy competencies in upper level research projects. Conclusions: University-level information literacy related learning outcomes can be effectively implemented and reached using a tiered curriculum integrated approach. This study provides support for the trend toward curriculum integrated information literacy throughout undergraduate programs.

Information Literacy Instruction and Assessment in a Community College: A Collaborative Design

ABSTRACTThis article describes practical steps taken in the planning of an integrated information literacy instruction linked to a course assignment for community health majors at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York. The library sessions integrated the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and were based on faculty-librarian collaboration. A course outline was designed to support a step by step course project. Tools to collect evidence of student learning were designed and adjustments to the course plan and activities were made based on those assessments. Suggestions for using these tools in an iterative design process are made.

Connecting Inspiration with Information: Studio Art Students and Information Literacy Instruction

This article discusses the partnership between the library and the studio art faculty at [Institution name], that led to the integration of information literacy instruction into the studio art curriculum. The author outlines the importance of information literacy to artistic practice and student success, and discusses the program of instruction and learning outcomes. Early assessment of student needs and the program’s effectiveness, using both citation analysis and anecdotal feedback, reveals that the program has contributed to the maturation of student research and inquiry skills, and positively affected the relationship between the department and the library, and provides preliminary conclusions about undergraduate studio art information behaviors. An ongoing further program of study to more fully describe the information needs of undergraduate studio art students is also outlined.

Components and factors in integrating information literacy instruction in elementary education using a virtual learning environment

INTRODUCTIONInformation literacy enables a person's self-learning and knowledge acquisition. Information literacy should be developed at the elementary level since it forms the foundation of education, which aims to develop fundamental skills of thinking, reading, writing, etc. (National Education Bureau, 1999). Information literacy instruction should be incorporated in an education curriculum in accordance with curricular objectives and content, so that students can learn transferable skills in the context of each subject.The Thai national policy has focused on improving the quality of its people to be ready for living in the knowledge-based society. Children must be prepared for the future society with strong basic knowledge along with life skills, information literacy, and lifelong learning skill. Therefore, information literacy is one of the learning outcomes at the elementary education level. However, a review of the literature shows that teaching of information literacy in elementary schools is not well designed or carefully implemented. There are no specific information literacy courses or information literacy development via other means. Information literacy might be taught integratedly in the regular courses, depending on the awareness and competence of each instructor (Saorayawiset, 2009). Teaching of information literacy in elementary education can be done via a full course in the curriculum, or integrating it into the regular course teaching. Integration of information literacy in course teaching can enhance the students' thinking and self-learning skills, in addition to information literacy skills (Maitaouthong, Tuamsuk & Tachamanee, 2011).A virtual learning environment (VLE) is an online instruction environment with classroom structures simulating learning procedures of a normal classroom, face-to-face interaction, student participation in learning, independent learning, and ready access to various sources of information. Instruction is flexible and the learning environment is efficient (Bruce & Curson, 2001). Students are able to adjust and develop knowledge and understanding of the context according to their interest, enhancing their chances to develop skills, knowledge and understanding (Padmore, Hall, Hogg & Paley, 2006). The factors that support teaching using a VLE include ease of use, the relationship between the activities and the course content, space for making comments and providing feedback, features that support collaborative learning (Lyndon & Hale, 2014; Tiakiwai & Tiakiwai, 2010), and tools for communication and interaction (Small, Dowell & Simmons, 2012). In addition, a VLE has been found to help develop students' self-learning, increase the motivation of learners with learning difficulties, and create satisfaction in the learning (Barker & Gossman, 2013). It is desirable therefore to utilise the qualities and advantages of a VLE to create a concrete information literacy process to enhance learners' life-long learning traits.This study aimed to investigate the components and factors in the design of a virtual learning environment to enhance the integration of information literacy instruction in course teaching at the elementary education level. This is the first phase of a project to develop a teaching model for integrating information literacy instruction in the learning and teaching processes at the elementary education level using a VLE.LITERATURE REVIEWFrom a review of the literature, the following conceptual framework for this research was derived.Information Literacy Learning OutcomesThe aim or learning outcomes required in the development of information literacy programs were determined from the literature review. The American Library Association (1989), the Association of College and Research Libraries (2000), the Council of Australian University Librarians (2001) and many authors have given the same perspective on information literacy, which is defined as the individual's knowledge, ability and skills to efficiently obtain access to and use information in daily life. …

Information Literacy Awareness, Perception and Skills Assessment Using Students of National Open University in Southwest Nigeria

This study was carried out to find out the level of information literacy (IL) awareness, perception and skills of students of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). It was based on the fact that IL instruction course is missing in the curriculum of NOUN, thus, it is therefore a necessity to ascertain awareness and perception levels of the students about IL issues well as their skills assessment test. Survey research method was adopted involving 197 respondents that were found during visits to the four study centres for data collection. Questionnaire was used for data collection, which was administered, properly filled, returned, and used for data analysis with descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that NOUN students have poor level of awareness and perception about IL, as a result of rejection level in seven out of ten statements. However, the other accepted three see IL issues as antidote to poor IL skills of students. Generally, the IL assessment test shows that a greater percentage of the students, when summed together lack IL skills. Avenues through which they acquired IL skills were analysed as well as the challenges affecting their IL skills development. Recommendations were made among which are integration of IL Instruction into the curriculum of NOUN and provision of adequate and functional human, infrastructural and information resources for result-oriented service delivery in the libraries.

Good IDEA: Instructional Design Model for Integrating Information Literacy

The demand for instructional design librarianship is increasing. The trend is due to higher education's focus on integrating information literacy content in academic disciplines. The generic ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) design model is traditionally used to develop information literacy instruction and content. The IDEA (interview, design, embed, assess) Model is a library-specific systematic approach to integrating information literacy instruction and resources within academic courses. The process is based upon instructional design best practices and cognitive and behavioral learning theories. Close collaboration between library and academic faculty is evident throughout. Flowcharts, forms, and rubrics guide librarians not formally trained in instructional design through the process.

Resilience and Redirection: Information Literacy in Louisiana Higher Education

This article reports on a 2012 survey conducted by members of the Louisiana Academic Library and Information Network Consortium (LALINC) to determine the status of the curricular integration of information literacy instruction following numerous budget cuts to Louisiana higher education since 2008. The article also discusses the 2012 deletion of the information literacy requirement from the Louisiana Board of Regents’ general education requirements and provides a comparison of general education and library requirements in the states belonging to the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB). The authors conclude that a statewide general information literacy requirement is not currently practical for Louisiana higher education.

Laboratory Logistics: Strategies for Integrating Information Literacy Instruction into Science Laboratory Classes.

Active learning is a hallmark of the traditional science laboratory class, making it a natural place for librarians to integrate active information literacy instruction. The course structure of science lab classes, particularly large entry-level undergraduate classes, can make the logistics of such integration a challenge. This paper presents two case studies, each highlighting a different method of providing information literacy instruction to large undergraduate science classes for non-majors. In the first, teaching assistants helped to provide instruction within scheduled lab periods; in the second, a set number of workshops occurred outside of the regular meeting times of the lab classes. To measure the success of these strategies, instructors, teaching assistants, and students provided formal and informal feedback. Evaluation of these results points to a third possible strategy for integrating library instruction into science lab classes. Moving librarian-led instruction online and reserving class time for activities mediated by teaching assistants may solve many of the logistical challenges to teaching information literacy in science labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery: The Information Literate WorldCat

Discovery: The Information Literate WorldCat

Integrating information literacy instruction (ILI) through resource-based school projects: An interpretive exploration

Resource-based school projects have good potential to be an effective approach in information literacy instruction (ILI). These projects offer the opportunity for students to engage in information problem-solving learning activities and employ variou