I NTRODUCTION TO I NFORMATION L ITERACY

O UR CLASS SITE I mentioned a few minutes ago that our class had a site. This is where all the assignments, power points, and class handouts will live. It is your responsibility to visit the site to obtain your homework each week. Considering each homework assignment is worth 20 points, not turning them in will cause you to fail this class. For class quizzes: Just use the login and password I give you.

I NFORMATION L ITERACY D EFINITION There are several different definitions of what information literacy means but the simplest is: “an individual’s capacity to use information tools and information sources to address problems.” An information literate person is “able to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. So, it is not just about finding stuff but how to use the stuff you find.

A N INFORMATION LITERATE PERSON SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION - RELATED TASKS EFFECTIVELY : 1. D EFINE THE NEED, PROBLEM, OR QUESTION. 2. F IND INFORMATION. W HERE TO GO FOR INFORMATION ? 3. E VALUATE THE INFORMATION. I S THE STUFF GOOD ? 4. O RGANIZE THE INFORMATION IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE. 5. C OMMUNICATE THE INFORMATION IN A LEGAL AND ETHICAL WAY.

S O WHAT HAPPENS IF WE LACK THESE SKILLS ?? Without IL skills, we face: Asking the wrong questions and getting wrong answers. Using inappropriate resources. Using inaccurate or misleading information. Using incomplete or outdated information. Using a biased resource or one that is strictly one-sided. Wasting our time conducting ineffective searches. Being disorganized and causing our research to suffer. Communicating the information ineffectively.

Y OU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THAT FINDING INFORMATION CAN BE OVERWHELMING !!! You might feel anxious, uncertain, or confused by all the information out there. There are tricks and techniques that can be learned to help you wade through all that information. You don’t have to go about it alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. That’s why I’m here.

W HY DO YOU CARE ? Let’s say for example, that you have just been assigned a research paper on strep throat. You need to research and discuss not only the symptoms of strep throat but how to treat it as well. Where do you even begin? This is just one of many situations you may find yourself in and knowing how to locate information and evaluate it is critical to fully understanding the question given to you.

S TEPS IN E FFECTIVE R ESEARCH ( THERE IS HOPE !) 1. Define the need/problem/question. 2. Find the appropriate information. 3. Evaluate the information. 4. Organize the information. 5. Communicate the information. Okay but how?

L OCATING I NFORMATION In the upcoming weeks we will learn all about the Harrison College online catalog called “H-cat.” You will walk out of here knowing how to locate library materials from this site. You will also take a tour of the LRC and meet the librarian, Erin. We will learn about Worldcat.org, a website that tells us where in WORLD an item we might be looking for is located. We will also discover databases and useful websites that allow us to find relevant and authoritative sources.

D EFINE THE N EED In this class, we will work towards a final project called an annotated bibliography. You will also give a presentation to the class on your selected topics. Throughout the weeks, you will come to understand what types of information you need and how much information you need to find. For this class, you already know your intended audience, US, but for other classes and work situations, you might not. So learning how to determine who you are needing information for, will help you decide what to find.

F IND THE I NFORMATION So you realize you need some information. But where do you go to get it? In this class we learn all about library resources. We will get familiar with journals, encyclopedias, databases, and library book shelves. You will also learn how to download articles, them to yourself, and generate an APA citation all at once.

E VALUATE THE I NFORMATION Once you have found all this sweet information, how do you know if it’s any good? Rest assured, this too you will learn in this class. You will leave here feeling confident that the resources you found were reliable, up-to-date, and written by experts.

O RGANIZE THE I NFORMATION Having a lot of information in front of you does you no good if you don’t know how to organize it properly. In this class, we will learn APA citation and how to write annotations that explain what a resource is about. You will also put together an outline of your speech so that you can organize your thoughts before you go before the class.

C OMMUNICATION THE I NFORMATION How you communicate your found information depends on who you are giving it too. Different audiences require different methods of communication. Think preschoolers. Would your read to them from a scholarly journal? No. In this class, you will give a presentation to your fellow classmates. How you wish to entertain us (via powerpoint, video, etc) is up to you! The idea is to have fun communicating your topic to the class.

D ON ’ T P ANIC I don’t expect you to have all the answers and I won’t pretend that I know everything. But together, we can and will find out. If you have questions, ask. There is no such thing as a stupid question. And remember, all of this can seem like “information overload.” So, if you feel like you are lost, let me know. The goal here is to make sure you understand how to use available resources to get what you need.

O UR RESEARCH TOPICS For this class, we will start out with a very broad topic.Today we will do some thinking about the topic itself and come up with different subtopics. It is these subtopics that you will pick from. Choose one that not only interests you but something you will want to look at for the next twelve weeks. Once we get some subtopics on the board, you will choose which one interests you.

H ERE WE GO What the news tells us: Now that we know what has happened, we can begin to think about what to DO about it.

Z-D AY The President of the United States has called upon you because you are the best of the best. We are part of a select group of specialist referred to as “The Brain Trust.” Based upon some given subtopics, you will decide which one you would like to research. Remember, this is meant to be FUN! Our end goal is to create bibliographies that become a survival guide for the living.

N EXT C LASS P ERIOD Read Chapter 1 in your textbook. Take the quiz over Chapter 1 before next week’s class. The link is on the class site. Assignment #1 (Your Research Skills) is due before the beginning of class next week. You must it to me. Get a little familiar with your topic. Think about what drew you to choose it in the first place. Have a great weekend.

O NE -M INUTE W RITE U PS Please answer the following questions. 1. What do you think about the class research topic? 2. What did you like best about today’s class? 3. What did you like least?