Information Literacy & Research Skills for Faculty
Teaching & Learning Center Course
SYLLABUS
Spring
Semester
2008
Instructor
Diana Fitzwater, Professor & Reference Librarian, Coordinator of Library Instruction Program
(630) 942-2078
fitzwate@cod.edu
Time/Location/Dates:1:30-4:30 pm in SRC 3017 for 6 sessions: January 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25, and March 10. No class on March 3. There will be a 15-minute break each class session.
Course Description
This course will introduce faculty to the principles and concepts of information literacy and emphasize the importance of teaching these skills to our students through a systematic program. Discussions, readings, guest speakers, and in-class activities will cover the following topics: the relationship between information literacy and critical thinking, the importance of assessing information literacy skills, combating plagiarism, and creating effective library research assignments. Faculty will also have an opportunity to update their research skills using online catalogs, online article databases, and the Internet. (3 semester hours)
Objectives
This course will:
- Introduce the principles and concepts of information literacy.
- Demonstrate the connection between critical thinking skills and information literacy skills.
- Familiarize faculty with the College of DuPage Library ’s Information Literacy Instruction Program.
- Explain the roles and responsibilities of discipline faculty and librarians in teaching information literacy.
- Provide a forum for discussion of some of the faculty’s concerns and challenges of teaching information literacy skills.
- Update research skills primarily with online resources applying basic online searching concepts and techniques to catalogs, databases and the Internet.
- Provide criteria for critiquing the value of online information.
- Provide an opportunity to write or revise a library research assignment using specific criteria.
- Introduce some common assessment techniques for information literacy and provide an opportunity to develop one assessment tool for an assignment.
- Showcase model C.O.D. faculty information literacy projects.
Learning Outcomes
The faculty will:
- Articulate the principles and concepts of information literacy.
- Know how the electronic information age has changed how information is structured and accessed.
- Know what the C.O.D. Information Literacy Instruction Program offers their students and how to take advantage of the program.
- Understand the respective roles of the librarian and the classroom teacher and the importance of collaboration in student acquisition of information literacy concepts and skills.
- Observe a library information literacy class outside of their discipline.
- Conduct effective and efficient searches of the Library’s online catalog and article databases through the use of common searching concepts and techniques through in-class and homework exercises.
- Conduct basic and advanced searches in some Web search engines using common search concepts and techniques through in-class and homework exercises.
- Develop an information literacy assignment based on the criteria for effective assignments developed by the C.O.D. Library Faculty.
- Develop an assessment tool for their information literacy assignment.
- Share the assignment and assessment tool orally and in written form with the other students.
- Learn about current successful information literacy projects at the College of DuPage .
- Read articles on the various topics covered in the course.
Assigned Readings
Click on the links to view the readings online.
- Evaluating Web sites. (2004). College of DuPage Library. http://www.cod.edu/library/research/faq/evalnet.htm
- Malesic, J. (2006). How dumb do they think we are? Chronicle of Higher Education Chronicle Careers.
- Jaschik, Scott. (2007). A stand against Wikipedia. Inside Higher Education.
- Jenson, J. (2004). It's the information age, so where's the information?: why our students can't find it and what we can do to help. College Teaching 52 (3), 107-112.
- Larson, C. (1998). What I want in a faculty member: a reference librarian’s perspective. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 37 (3), 259-261.
- Oblinger, D.G. (2007). Becoming Net savvy. Educause Quarterly 30, 11-13.
- Parker-Gibson, N. (2001). Library assignments. College Teaching 49 (2), 65+.
- Plagiarism detection and prevention. (2004). College of DuPage Library.
Assignments
- Arrange to sit in and observe a library instruction session for students in a discipline other than your own sometime during the length of this course. Write a short reflection on your observations.
- Practice exercises, as noted in “Homework” section for the session.
- In-class exercises and discussions, as noted for each session.
- “Final Project”: In consultation with your librarian, develop an information literacy assignment that meets the criteria presented in Session #5. You may instead revise an existing assignment. In addition, develop an assessment tool for the information skills and concepts covered in the assignment. MUST BE COMPLETED by the last class, March 10.
Session #1, Session #2, Session #3, Session #4, Session #5, Session #6
Session #1, Jan. 28
1. What is information literacy?
- How does an information literate person behave?
- Why is information literacy important for you and your students?
- Review the American College & Research Libraries’ “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.”
2. In-class reflection
- How did you learn to use libraries for research?
- What do you wish you would have known? What do you still want to know? What do you want your students to know about and how to do? What do you expect your students to know by the time they get to the College?
- How are your students doing?
3. How is information literacy being taught in colleges and universities?
Homework for Session #2
1. Reading: Jaschik, Scott. (2007). A stand against Wikipedia. Inside Higher Education.
2. Reading: Plagiarism detection and prevention. (2004). College of DuPage Library.
3. Malesic, J. (2006). How dumb do they think we are? Chronicle of Higher Education Chronicle Careers.
5. Arrange to sit in and observe a library instruction session for students in a discipline other than your own sometime during the length of this course. Write a short reflection on your observations. Diana will explain how to set up an observation. Instruction Observation Reflection Directions
Session #2, Feb. 4
1. Discuss homework readings
2. How have changes in the way that information is stored and accessed changed the ethics of information use?
- What is plagiarism in the electronic age?
- How can you help your students avoid plagiarism?
- What your students should know about the copyright law
- Video: "Information literacy: the perils of online research" (2006)
4. "Your Searching Toolbox"
Homework for Session #3
1. Read "Your Searching Toolbox" sections.
2. Practice exercise on catalogs.
3. Reading: Oblinger, D.G. (2007). Becoming Net savvy. Educause Quarterly 30, 11-13.
4. Have you arranged to sit in on an instruction session yet?
Session #3, Feb. 11
1. Discuss homework reading
2. Review homework practice exercise
3. Discuss assessment results
4. What is an online article database?
- How do you choose an appropriate online database?
- What are some searching concepts and techniques that are common to most databases?
- Accessing full-text of articles
5. In-class article database group exercise
- Groups of 2-3 will work on a library research assignment outside of their own discipline.
- Report on strategies, results, problems, discoveries; speculate on student behavior and performance on similar assignment.
Homework for Session #4:
1. Practice exercise on article databases
2. Reading: Jenson, J. (2004). It's the information age, so where's the information?: why our students can't find it and what we can do to help. College Teaching 52 (3), 107-112.
Session #4, Feb. 18
1. Discuss readings
2. Review homework practice exercise
3. What are Internet search tools?
4. What are the criteria for evaluating a Web site?
- How can you help your students critically evaluate Web sites?
5. In-class Web searching and evaluation exercise; discuss.
Homework for Session #5:
1. Practice exercise on Web searching
2. Reading: Parker-Gibson, N. (2001). Library assignments. College Teaching 49(2), 65+.
3. Reading: Larson, C. (1998). What I want in a faculty member: a reference librarian’s perspective. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 37 (3), 259-261.
4. Evaluating Web sites. (2004). College of DuPage Library.
Session #5, Feb. 25
1. Discuss homework readings
2. What constitutes an effective library research assignment?
- In-class group evaluation exercise
3. Criteria for evaluating a research assignment
4. Assessment of student learning of information literacy skills for an assignment
5. How can you and your librarian collaborate to make a good assignment an overall positive experience for your students?
6. Begin to create your own library assignment and assessment tool in consultation with your librarian.
Homework for Session #6:
In consultation with your librarian, develop an information literacy assignment that meets the criteria presented in class. You may instead revise an existing assignment. In addition, develop an assessment tool for the research skills and concepts covered in the assignment.
Final Project Instructions
Session #6, Mar. 10
Final project presentations
DF rev. 2/08
