ULA - April 24, Teaching Information Literacy with Authentic Problems: Creating and Using an Online Module Heather Leary, Wendy Holliday, Anne Diekema Utah State University Utah Library Association Conference April 24, 2009

ULA - April 24, Information Literacy The Final Report from the Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, (January 10, 1989) "To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

ULA - April 24, Information Literate Persons Know when they have a need for information Identify information needed to address a given problem or issue Find needed information Evaluate the information Organizing the information Use the information effectively to address the problem or issue at hand

ULA - April 24, Education & Information Literacy Producing such a citizenry will require that schools and colleges appreciate and integrate the concept of information literacy into their learning programs and that they play a leadership role in equipping individuals and institutions to take advantage of the opportunities inherent within the information society.

ULA - April 24, Utah State Office of Education – Library Media Core Curriculum (Strand One: Information Literacy) American Association of School Librarians (AASL) – Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning – Standards for the 21st-Century Learner Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) – Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education Information Literacy Standards

ULA - April 24, Big6 1.Task Definition 2.Information seeking strategies 3.Location & access 4.Use of information 5.Synthesis 6.Evaluation

ULA - April 24, Utah Library Media Core 3 Strands Strand One is about Information Literacy Strand divided into six steps following the Big 6

ULA - April 24, Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning 3 Categories of standards information literacy is one Standards describe information literate student Information literate student should – Access information efficiently and effectively – Evaluate information critically and competely – Use information accurately and creatively

ULA - April 24, Standards for the 21st-Century Learner 4 main areas Learners use skills, resources & tools to: 1.Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge 2.Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge 3.Share knowledge and participate ehtically and productively as members of our democratic society 4.Pursue personal and aesthetic growth

ULA - April 24, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education 5 standards all describing the information literate student Very closely aligned with Big 6 skills – Determining information need – Accessing information – Using information – Etc.

ULA - April 24, Why Authentic Information Literacy is Important Effective, lifelong information literacy skills must be based on sound pedagogy and an understanding of how we learn.

ULA - April 24, Approaches to Teaching and Learning BehaviorismConstructivismSocial Theories Concept of information Universal, generic, and external External, but shaped by individual in process of making meaning. Value determined by conventions and norms of a discourse community Mediated between creators/users in specific social, cultural, and historical contexts Concept of learnerReceiver of knowledgeMaker of individual meaningApprentice to discourse community Actor embedded in a social world Key PrincipleImitationIndividual purpose, sensemakingImitation of experts; consensus Mediation Model of information behavior TransmissionConstruction of meaning.Ecological: Initiation into information environment Dialectical: between individual and social Focus of information literacy instruction Generic source “types.” Rules for searching. Formal and ordered procedures. Information need of individual, addressing gaps in knowledge. Recursive process of information seeking. Ways of knowing and communicating in disciplines; disciplinary information retrieval tools Navigating information environments through practical activity ResponsibilityLibrarian Librarian and instructor. Novices and experts Enactments of information literacy “One-shot” demonstrations of sources and tools in classroom. Multiple instruction sessions integrated into course. Reflective, process-oriented assignments. Demonstration of disciplinary tools and analyses of disciplinary sources. Group work on shared problems and peer teaching and learning Mastery defined as:Achievement of skillsMoving through process with greater confidence and independence. Participation in disciplinary discourse. Adopting a wide range of ways to experience information and extend expanded awareness to new contexts. Transformation and personal development. Categories adapted from Nystrand, M., S. Greene, and J. Wiemelt. "Where Did Composition Studies Come From?: An Intellectual History." Written Communication 10.3 (1993):

ULA - April 24, ACRL Standards Standard One: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed. Standard Two: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently. Standard Three: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system. Standard Four: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. Standard Five: The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

ULA - April 24, The information literate student summarizes the main ideas to be extracted from the information gathered. 2. The information literate student articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources. Examines and compares information from various sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias Analyzes the structure and logic of supporting arguments or methods Recognizes prejudice, deception, or manipulation Recognizes the cultural, physical, or other context within which the information was created and understands the impact of context on interpreting the information 3. The information literate student synthesizes main ideas to construct new concepts. ACRL Standard Three

ULA - April 24, ACRL Standard Three cont. 4. The information literate student compares new knowledge with prior knowledge to determine the value added, contradictions, or other unique characteristics of the information. Determines whether information satisfies the research or other information need Determines probable accuracy by questioning the source of the data, the limitations of the information gathering tools or strategies, and the reasonableness of the conclusions Integrates new information with previous information or knowledge Selects information that provides evidence for the topic 5. The information literate student determines whether the new knowledge has an impact on the individual’s value system and takes steps to reconcile differences. 6. The information literate student validates understanding and interpretation of the information through discourse with other individuals, subject-area experts, and/or practitioners. 7. The information literate student determines whether the initial query should be revised. Determines if original information need has been satisfied or if additional information is needed Reviews search strategy and incorporates additional concepts as necessary Reviews information retrieval sources used and expands to include others as needed

ULA - April 24, Promote information literacy skills within an academic setting for Library and Internet research Need for engaging and relevant assignments Value and meaning for learning Library instruction is more than searching Emphasize the USE of information Where and how to start research Synthesizing the information Why an Information Literacy Course?

ULA - April 24, Putting the Course Together Start with the end in mind Selecting and creating scenarios Authentic Technology-driven Students weighing options for their decision Differing view points Not just one correct answer Get students thinking

ULA - April 24, Putting the Course Together cont. Content wrapper – Big 6 Task definition Information seeking strategies Location and access USE of information Synthesis Evaluation Problem-based learning approach Authentic problems/scenarios Student-driven Work in small groups Emphasizes use of information

ULA - April 24, The Course Tour of the course Cell phone popcorn video: Example blog: and-cell-phone-popcorn.html and-cell-phone-popcorn.html

ULA - April 24, Integrating into a Course Spring 2009 integrated into Anne’s course titled Information Access and Technology Quotes from students “After completing this assignment I feel I do have a good idea of what information literacy is. It made me think about things such as truth on the web, and finding reliable and valid resources.” “The assignment is a practical way to teach info literacy.” “[I liked] letting the learner make it personal”

ULA - April 24, What We Learned Once the scenarios are created and selected the rest of the course came together quickly Need clearer introduction and an overview to the assignment Need to provide option for student to choose their own problem to research Need to make it clear that questions asked at the end of the activities are guiding questions

ULA - April 24, Future Plans Integrate into INST 4010: Principles and Practices of Technology for Elementary Teachers Integrate into English 1010/2010 Writing Composition courses Distance courses in which Librarians participate Discipline-specific general education courses, target science, business, engineering

ULA - April 24, Questions & Contact Information Questions? Presentation: Contact information Anne: Heather: Wendy: