Information Literacy Instruction Research Articles

Centering justice/decentering whiteness: the case for abolition in information literacy pedagogical praxis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to make visible the field's propensity to center whiteness even in engaging inclusive practices in information literacy classrooms. This paper offers abolitionist pedagogy as a means to understand and address these concerns.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses interdisciplinary research methods in the fields of education, library science, feminist studies, Black studies and abolition studies to examine and provide an analysis of current information literacy practices by using abolitionist pedagogy to articulate how it is possible to expand information literacy instruction practices.FindingsCurrent information literacy practices and methods that seek to create inclusive learning environments for racialized and minoritized learners rely on a set of institutionalized practices such as critical information literacy and culturally sustaining pedagogies. An examination of these practices through an abolitionist pedagogical lens reveals how the field has engaged in reductive and uncritical engagement with these methods despite employing them to create inclusive spaces. Using abolitionist pedagogy as a lens, this critical essay examines the field's foundations in whiteness and illustrates pathways for transformative educational justice.Originality/valueThere has been much work on inclusive teaching practices that discusses challenging information literacy structures' reliance on dominant culture.? To date, there has been little to no scholarship on how information literacy practices could engage in abolitionist pedagogical praxis.

Effect of Information Literacy on Academic Performance of Business Students in Pakistan

Abstract The present research investigated the effect of information literacy on the academic performance of business students enrolled at the top seven business education institutions from urban Sindh, Pakistan. A quantitative research approach using a cross-sectional survey was used to conduct this investigation. The data were collected from 385 business students enrolled in different degree programs using a questionnaire. The recruitment of the participants was done through proportionate stratified simple random and systematic sampling techniques, with the results indicating that business students are information literate. In addition, the information literacy of business students appeared as a positive predictor of their academic performance. These results may inform policy and practice to improve business education and might be useful for business educators, policymakers, librarians, and business accrediting bodies (e.g., National Business Education Accreditation Council and Higher Education Commission) in designing a needs-based information literacy instruction program and curriculum for business students of all levels for better human-information interaction. This study contributed to the existing literature on the effectiveness of information literacy in academia, particularly on business students’ academic performance, as no such research was available in the existing literature at the time of writing this article, specifically from the South-Asian region.

Drama Queens: applying dramaturgy as an inclusive pedagogy within the one shot

PurposeTo illuminate the experience of working with students using the innovative pedagogical approach of dramaturgy, this pedagogy can more effectively address systemic bias within academia.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is rooted in dramaturgical theory which suggests that how a person's identity or background is being constantly reshaped by their interactions with one another and the world around them. Within a classroom setting, it applies to contexts where group activities have a required performative aspect.FindingsThe authors found that taking a dramaturgical approach can be a very effective active learning technique within a one-shot information literacy instruction context.Originality/valueCreative approaches to information literacy instruction often remain untried, and the combination of this work and the consideration of dramaturgical theory within the framework of inclusive pedagogy is a distinct contribution to the field.

Revitalisasi Kecakapan Literasi Informasi Pustakawan Sekolah Melalui Pelatihan Operator GScholar Advanced Search

Purpose: School librarians, although proficient in various search engines, often face challenges in effectively accessing and utilizing resources, particularly the members of the Lampung Province Indonesian School Library Staff Association (Asosiasi Tenaga Perpustakaan Sekolah Indonesia/ATPUSI). The core aim of this project is to enhance the efficient and productive use of global technology. Methodology: Google Scholar (GScholar) Advanced Search Operators Technology Training was introduced as a community service activity to boost ATPUSI members’ information literacy skills. This involved active participation in Focus Group Discussions and offering instructional resources on how to use Google Scholar technology effectively. The service was executed in July 2023, incorporating teaching methods, such as lectures, question-response interactions, and specific evaluation methodologies. To gauge the comprehension level, an evaluation was conducted using pre-set questionnaires in both pre-test and post-test formats. Results: The outcome of this service shows an improvement in the perception and efficiency of school librarians regarding the use of advanced search operators for information retrieval. In addition, there seems to be increased awareness and understanding of the significance of precise information in promoting the growth of information literacy skills among beneficiaries. Limitations: The training was tailored for ATPUSI members; therefore, generalizing the results to other school librarians or regions requires caution. Additionally, unmentioned factors such as librarians' technological infrastructure, prior experience with similar tools, and ongoing professional development could have affected the outcomes. Contributions: Community services improved the information literacy skills of ATPUSI members. This outcome is important because it shows the progress in information literacy in education. The training program equips librarians with access to and leverage reliable information sources effectively.

Measuring outcomes: Information literacy instruction assessment in a cross-institutional study

Measuring the impact of information literacy instruction in higher education is essential to support teaching and learning and demonstrate the value of information literacy instruction. This article reports on the findings from a cross-institutional study using resources from the Association of College & Research Libraries' (ACRL) Project Outcome Toolkit. A survey from the toolkit was implemented to measure student perceptions across four outcomes: increased knowledge, increased confidence, application of new knowledge/skills, and increased awareness of resources. The data provides insight on what students value from library instruction sessions at both a research university and state college. Students at both institutions indicated that they value information literacy instruction, as demonstrated by the similar ratings across the four outcomes.

Development and implementation of the MobILcaps application for the teaching and development of information literacy in Higher Education

This paper aims at develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the MobIlCaps mobile application. On the basis of cognitive, constructivist and connectivist theories, it has been developed on an instructional design model, based on the user experience. In the context of mobile teaching in higher education, an innovative application is proposed for the self-learning of information literacy by students of Social Sciences. With the collaboration of both teachers and students, the application was developed, following the ADDIE model, through the phases of analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The last phase provided the improvement proposals for the optimization of the final version of the tool, a progressive open access website. The application is organized into six capsules that follow the framework of ACRL (2015): learn, search, evaluate, create, research and disseminate. It includes multimedia resources in the form of microcontents that highlight readability, organization and visualization as characteristics. The app focuses on the user and is a relevant instrument to facilitate teaching The different analyses, followed by proposals for improvement and revisions, led to the achievement of a very useful application for students, teachers and library

Developing Critical Information Literacy Pedagogies in the Face of Scholarly Misconduct

ABSTRACTDrawing on the need to shift from competency‐based information literacy instruction to critical information literacy instruction, this study examines scholarly communication and scholarly misconduct in the health sciences based on literary evidence. We report on a qualitative systematic review of forms of scholarly misconduct in the health sciences and participants' attitudes towards these phenomena, with the goal of developing new, critical, approaches to information literacy instruction. The data synthesis process indicates there are four major areas of misconduct in health science research: in conducting research, publishing, following research protocols and determining authority. This categorization informs a framework for critical information literacy dispositions and pedagogies for researchers across health disciplines and geographies.

Assessing the Effectiveness of an Information Literacy Instruction Course in Teaching Additional Skills

Library and information science (LIS) graduates work in a variety of jobs that require well-developed information literacy (IL) skills. They not only apply IL skills in everyday interactions with patrons but also use their conceptual understanding to design instructional programs and interventions. In this small-scale, pilot study the instructor of an MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) elective course on information literacy instruction included a pre- and post-course exercise to better understand how effectively conceptual understanding was delivered alongside content focused on instruction. The ability to define or articulate the meaning of IL is not an explicit learning outcome in the course, so the activity measured how students’ abilities to define IL changed over the course of the semester. At the end of the course, a majority of students demonstrated some or clear growth in understanding of information literacy through their ability to define it, and these pilot data suggest that a user instruction course based around information literacy also improves students’ ability to articulate and define IL.

An Investigation of the Use of Theories in Misinformation Studies

ABSTRACTThis paper examines social science and humanity theories that have been applied to studies dealing with misinformation. We identified 273 articles published from 2012 to 2023 from Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. These articles are empirical studies that have applied one or more social science or humanity theories. Applying content analysis approach, we identified 124 theories that authors have used in their studies. These theories belong to different disciplines or fields, such as political science, psychology, communication, sociology, and economics. We discuss the top 11 theories and how they have been used to understand misinformation and its impacts. This study provides insights into understanding current misinformation studies and rich resources for information evaluation and information literacy education.

Tracing Information Use Over Time: A Comparative Study of Undergraduate Engineers

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the patterns of undergraduate engineers' information use as they transition from students to emerging professionals. We administered a questionnaire to 54 undergraduate engineers at a large research university, and compared the information use of 2nd and 4th year students. The results showed that 4th year students reported using more genres associated with professional contexts, such as technical reports, and fewer classroom‐based genres, such as textbooks, than 2nd year students. However, a significant proportion of all students reported that they do not frequently use professional genres. These findings have implications for information literacy instruction by highlighting students' need for further training on the relationship between genres and tasks.

Requesting Librarian-Led Information Literacy Support: Instructor Approaches, Experiences, and Attitudes

abstract: This project sought to better understand why course instructors request librarian involvement to teach information literacy skills. Librarians at two large institutions surveyed 29 instructors and then interviewed 11 about their experiences working with librarians, their motivations for involving librarians in their courses, and their goals for including information literacy instruction. The study found that instructors had many different levels of experience with the library. Motivations for inviting librarians to their classes included creating a support network and sharing librarian expertise with students. The researchers also discuss instructor participation in library instruction sessions, including commentary, where they reinforce points made by the librarian during class, and bookending, where they sandwich librarian involvement between preliminary or concluding remarks.

A Case for Open Peer Review Podcasting in Academic Librarianship

abstract: Models of open peer review are being explored in multiple disciplines as academia seeks a more feminist, care-based approach to scholarship. One model of open peer review that aligns well with the work of information professionals, particularly those with information literacy instruction duties, is an open peer review podcast. This type of podcast, recorded before a manuscript is submitted for publication, brings an informal peer review process into the open as a host facilitates critical discussion of a research output between the researcher and a reviewer. This approach fosters a supportive community with shared values while utilizing the affordances of podcasting to make invisible labor visible and bring whole personhood into scholarship and scholarly communication. The author provides a case study of implementing this model with the creation of The LibParlor Podcast .

Using Critical Race Theory to Inform a Multi‐Session Information Literacy Workshop Series for First‐Year Students of Color

ABSTRACTThis research investigates individualized information literacy instruction (ILI) for different student populations in higher education and its impact on engagement and student learning outcomes (SLOs), specifically first‐year students of color. The study is designed as a QUAL+quan convergent mixed‐methods study, and utilizes critical race theory as its theoretical framework, as well as a participatory action research approach. It is designed as a multi‐session IL workshop series delivered outside of the traditional classroom, and is comprised of six one‐hour sessions: an initial focus group, four IL sessions focusing on specific aspects of the research process, and semi‐structured interviews. Data collected through discussions, open‐ended worksheets with rubrics, and pre‐ and post‐surveys are analyzed to measure whether the instructional series impacted SLOs, and is significant as it's the first to specifically address the systemic racial achievement gap coupled with a multi‐session IL workshop series, and can serve as a model for other institutions.

Using Curriculum Mapping to Understand Information Literacy in Political Science Curricula

abstract: This study presents curriculum mapping of noncore course offerings in political science curricula by an early-career librarian. It combines syllabi study and curriculum mapping methods to analyze the language of student learning objectives (SLOs) from course syllabi and to integrate SLOs with threshold concepts from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and the AAC&U Information Literacy VALUE Rubric. The methods produce two sample sets: one of core concept representation and the other of additional observances for syllabi improvements. Results analyze the frequency and percentage distributions of threshold concepts in SLOs. The author outlines strategies for engaging faculty in information literacy and suggests how librarians and faculty might inform information literacy teaching in the department.

The Information Behavior of African American Teens

Research on the information-seeking behavior of teens has produced numerous articles over the past decade. Although a good number of research articles list sociocultural factors, such as identity, as playing a critical role in teen’s information-seeking behavior, very few explicitly cover racial identity. The goal of this study is to examine the everyday life information-seeking behavior of African American teens, using previously applied information-seeking models. Though African American teens are not alone in their ethnic experience, they are unique in that decades of systemic racism and inequality impacts their academic standing. The literature review examines research on the everyday life information-seeking (ELIS) behavior of teens, sources of teen information acquisition, modes of information-seeking, and factors that impact teen information-seeking behavior. Additionally, limited existing research on the information behavior of African American communities is reviewed. The findings are that the existing information-seeking behavior research has noticeable contradictory results in regard to African American communities. This mixed-method study will use observations, interviews, and online surveys of African American teens and librarians. The findings will be compared to previous teen information behavior research to see if and how African American teens’ information-seeking behavior is impacted by socio-cultural factors such as cultural beliefs, norms, and institutional barriers. This research would assist in clarifying the information behavior of African American youth and potentially influence information literacy education to be more inclusive and culturally responsive, and thus more impactful in lifelong learning for all youth.

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.

Insights on information literacy from social studies classrooms in the southeast

Living and learning in the United States in 2023 is different than it was decades ago. The proliferation of mis/disinformation vis-a-vis digital means is causing “truth decay,” with an increase in disagreement amongst citizens about what is opinion and fact. Such disagreements constrain opportunities for healthy democratic dialogue. To repair and rebuild dialogue, citizens need information literacy. This article draws upon qualitative data from four social studies eleventh grade classrooms, including teacher and student interviews and focus groups, to better understand the contemporary landscape of teaching and learning information literacy in today’s digital age. Analysis of findings speak to five interrelated insights from practice within the information literacy teaching and learning landscape of one high school context in the southeast of the United States.

Get to Know . . . Dominique Hallett

Dominique Hallett’s enthusiasm for government information is immediately apparent as she exclaims, “NASA is cool!” while explaining how she uses NASA publications in information literacy instruction. As the Government Documents Coordinator and STEM Librarian at Arkansas State University’s Dean B. Ellis Library, she is responsible for reference, instruction, and cataloging for government documents. As Dominique put it, “Basically, I’m the department here. I’m pretty much it.”

An inquiry-based teaching intervention to embed information literacy instructions into a library and information science curriculum in Bangladesh

Introduction. This paper describes a novel pedagogical practice and reports its effectiveness in improving library and information science students' information literacy knowledge. In addition, it addresses the association of students’ information and communication technology (ICT) self-efficacy with their information literacy learning. Method. SPSS (version 27) was employed for the statistical analyses of the data. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to examine the differences between the intervention group (n= 35) and the control group (n= 36). Independent samples t-tests were carried out to see the differences between various groups. Pearson’s correlations were conducted to measure relationships among dependent variables. Analysis. SPSS (version 27) was employed for the statistical analyses of the data. A one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to examine the differences between the intervention group (n= 35) and the control group (n= 36). Independent samples t-tests were carried out to see the differences between various groups. Pearson’s correlations were conducted to measure relationships among dependent variables. Results. Students who attended the novel guided-inquiry based information literacy instructions scored higher in the post-test than those who participated in regular class lectures. In addition, the students in the intervention group learned course subject contents as well as the controls. Students’ ICT self-efficacy did not influence their overall learning of information literacy knowledge. Conclusion. Considering the short duration of the intervention, the learning outcomes in information literacy were satisfactory. We gathered some experiences implementing a novel student-centred pedagogical practice in a developing country to help educators and researchers take such initiatives.

Development and Optimization of Skills in Searching, Processing and Analysing Information from Various Sources in the future Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) training: from Educational Requirements to Scientific Improvement

The study is devoted to the issue of development and optimization of the skills of searching, processing and analysing information from various sources in the training of future doctors of philosophy (PhD). The purpose of the article is to justify the importance and relevance of the development and optimization of the skills of information searching, processing and analysing for doctors of philosophy (PhD) on specialty 015 Professional education (by specialization) at different stages of their academic and scientific career. Methods. To achieve the goal, the authors used the following methods: analysis, synthesis of regulative and scientific and pedagogical sources, generalization, observation, own scientific and pedagogical experience. The results. The relevance of the problem of developing and optimizing the skills of information searching from various sources, its processing and analysing in the training of future doctors of philosophy (PhD) has been proven. Modern research in the field of psychology and pedagogy was analysed (John Sweller – the study of cognitive load and thinking processes, on the ability of students to process and analyse information; Richard Mayer – the study of cognitive aspects of education, including methods of presenting information and its perception by students; Carol Kuhlthau – information processes in education and development of information literacy). Attention is focused on the possibilities of researching the analysed topic through the lens of the Carol Kuhlthau 's Information Search Process (ISP) Model. The essence of the notion of "informational and analytical competence of a post-graduate student (future doctor of philosophy (PhD))" has been determined. Conclusions. It is noted that the importance of informational and analytical competence is that it allows effective performance of research tasks: scientific intelligence (finding and selecting relevant information helps a post-graduate student to determine the scientific validity of its research and find out whether similar work has been carried out before); evaluation of information (the ability to critically evaluate information helps a post-graduate student to determine its reliability and relevance, which are key factors in making scientific decisions); analysis and interpretation (the ability to analyse and interpret information helps a post-graduate student to identify patterns and connections between various aspects of the research); scientific writing (scientific writing skills allow a post-graduate student to create scientific papers and a dissertation that meet the standards of the scientific community); effective communication of results (the ability to present the research and results clearly and convincingly helps a post-graduate student communicate with colleagues, receive funding and disseminate findings); ethical aspect (adherence to ethical standards in the use of information and in conducting research, academic culture and academic integrity is extremely important for scientific activity). The development of criteria, their content and the levels of formation of the informational and analytical competence of post-graduate students (future PhDs) are defined as the prospects for further research.