How to integrate Information and

Technical Literacy into your classes

Going Global

Information literacy helps form the basis for lifelong learning.

It is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education.

It enables learners to master content and:extend their investigations become more self-directedassume greater control over their own learning

What is Information Literacy?

Information Literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and

efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically Incorporate selected information into one’s

knowledge base Use information effectively to accomplish a

specific purpose Understand the economic, legal, and social issues

surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

ACRL - Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm#ildef

An Information Literate student should be able to:

Increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability.

In addition, information is available through multiple media, including graphical, aural, and textual, and these pose new challenges for individuals in evaluating and understanding it

The changing face of Information

Library skills – the mechanism of how to use a resource for an answer

Computer skills – how to use a computerNot just learning facts….but learning to

learnOne 50-minute orientation to the LibraryBeing told what piece of information to

find…in what exact source…and copying it onto a paper

What Information Literacy is NOT

A person that understands with increasing

sophistication what technology is, how it is

created, how it shapes society, and in

turn is shaped by society is technologically literate.

A technologically literate person is comfortable with and objective about the use of technology - neither scared of it nor infatuated with it.

A technologically literate person has a range of hands-on skills, such as using a computer for word processing and surfing the Internet.

International Technology Education Association: Standards for Technological Literacy http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/PDFs/Execsum.pdf

What about the "Technical Literacy"?

Implies evaluation or use of critical thinking skills

What is a student’s definition of a credible source?

What is an instructor’s definition of a credible source?

"You are to use credible sources…”

Their version of credible may not be your version of credible

Sometimes research requires GoogleEncourage students to use at least one web

source in their projectsInvite the librarians to come and talk about

credibilityRequire students to use an evaluation matrix

for one of their sourcesPartner with the librarians to help evaluate

student sources

"Well, I think it's credible…”

Students identify and evaluate information for their needs

Engages critical thinking skillsIt is an everyday daily life skillCorrelates to all disciplines and fields of

study

"What's so incredible about credibility?"

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

SCORE:

http://www.climatehotmap.org/

SCORE:

Test your credibility scoring ability

Partner on evaluating sources and bibliographies used in papers

Help add Info & Tech Literacy components into your existing assignments

Clear copyright for you on course materialsIdentify Open Education Resources to assist in teaching Purchase the needed materials for the library collection

that you need for your classes/assignmentsProvide orientations…these work best if we have your

assignment to build fromDeliver online/video tutorials and streaming live

orientations for all classes (online or face-to-face)

What we can do to help you

Schedule more than one, 50-minute orientation (2 workshops are better than 1)

Be clear about your assignment mandates and the resources/parameters you expect your students to use

Be willing to share your students’ work with us so we can score their bibliographies on our rubric…only way we know if we are doing a good job and what can be done better

Stay with your classes during orientations so we can bring your input into the discussions

What you can do for/with us