Imagining the Future

Creating a Shared Vision

for Information Literacy in Washington

Seattle - April 9, 2004

Carol HansenProfessor and Instruction Services Librarian

Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden UT

Welcome!

Today’s Schedule Introductions Handouts

PowerPoint Best Practices Kuhlthau article excerpt (Agents) Web Galleryhttp://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/Washington/

Today’s ObjectivesParticipants will be able to:

Visualize goals for building information literacy plans, outcomes, programs and partnerships

Be familiar with best practices trends and models Be more familiar with terminology Understand the scope and activities of the LSTA

grant

Another Important Goal:Make it Manageable

Many models for IL programs Each institution needs to find its own

way All student learning and IL progress is

good

Overview1. Visioning

2. Best Practices

3. Information Literacy Across the Curriculum: Models and Trends

Discussion “post its” will be summarized and added to Web Gallery

Be Thinking About… The big picture today… What kinds of graduates do you want? What kinds of programs will produce

these graduates? Be reflective Leave your problems back on earth…

ET: Today’s Metaphor We are all strangers

in a strange land “In America”

Embrace our uniqueness

With the help of a few special friends…

Small Group ProcessAt your tables, assign (and rotate) the following

roles Facilitator Recorder Presenter Artist

Don’t be afraid of new or different ideas, terms, concepts

Ask questions, pose comments at any time

New partnerships and new models can turn out just fine!

International Definition of IL“Information Literacy encompasses

knowledge of one’s information concerns and needs, and the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, organize and effectively create, use and communicate information to address issues or problems at hand; it is a prerequisite for participating effectively in the Information Society, and is part of the basic human right of life long learning.” - Prague Declaration

Web Gallery Exhibit

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words

What does the ideal IL program or plan for your college look like?

Visioning ExerciseIndividually draw a picture of the ideal IL

plan or program at your college This should be symbolic, not realistic,

abstract is good, no words Picture your graduates and your IL program

What are your inputs and outcomes Focus on perfection, this is a fantasy!

There are no problems with funding, staffing, etc.

Visioning ExerciseAs a group, create a group drawing on the large post it

notes Take the best ideas/elements of each individual

drawing and make it into a new big drawing Remember, this should be symbolic, abstract is good Picture your graduates and your IL program

Focus on perfection, this is a fantasy! Be creative!! Let’s see IL in a new light

Group presentations – describe your ideal program

Strengths and Challenges

From the “Ideal Vision” What are we/you already doing well?

Each group list at least 3 things

Strengths and ChallengesFrom the “Ideal Vision” - What are our

challenges? List 3 items/issues …and any thoughts

on opportunities?

Who’s on your IL team? Who is pictured in your ideal vision? Who might be missing or forgotten? What are our roles and their roles?

Change agent Collaboration agent

Kuhlthau Study13,000 students can’t be wrong 99.4 percent of students in grades 3 to

12 believe school libraries and their services help them become better learners.

Library as “dynamic agent of learning”

Web Gallery Exhibit

Kuhlthau Study

“The eight characteristics can be used as a strategic road map for school librarians who want to place a stronger emphasis on instruction and learning in their programs.”

Kuhlthau StudyThe eight characteristics include

describing librarians as: Literacy Development Agents Knowledge Construction Agents Academic Achievement Agents Technological Literacy Agents And more…

Kuhlthau Study: What are our roles?Small group discussion Review handout How can we, working in the community

and technical college setting, use these roles as models to expand IL learning plans and programs? As agents and (provocateurs?) As collaborators? As library faculty, directors, or as staff?

BreakAfter the break, please try to sit with or

very near others from your institution

Folding the Perfect Visions into Best Practices…

ACRL Best Practices for IL Programs Best Practices Models

Web Gallery Exhibit

ACRL IL Best Practices Real title = “Characteristics of Programs of

Information Literacy that Illustrate Best Practices: A Guideline”

Web Gallery Exhibit

IL Best Practices 1. Mission2. Goals and

Objectives3. Planning4. Administrative

and Institutional Support

5. Articulation with Curriculum

6. Collaboration

7. Pedagogy

8. Staffing

9. Outreach

10. Assessment/Evaluation

Best Practices: Mission Wartburg’s model IL Program Mission:

Put it on the Web Share it widely

Web Gallery Exhibit

Best Practices: Goals and Objectives Weber State

The Best Practices ARE our annual goals and Objectives

SUNY Albany Reflects the Middle States

Commission GuidelinesWeb Gallery Exhibit

Best Practices: Planning How is

information literacy driven (or not) by librarians?

How can/does assessment drive planning?

Best Practices: Program Planning

What is your planning process?

Planning is necessary for program evaluation

Student centered

Plan

Assess & Evaluate

ImplementRevise

Best Practices: Administrative SupportSmall group discussion How does/will your IL program grow? How much of your IL program

development is top down? How much is bottom up or sideways? How do you get and keep support? Several groups will report out

Best Practices: Collaboration

Stakeholders Strategies

Best Practices: Outreach

Focus on enhanced communication Clear message defining and describing

program James Madison

Use a variety of outreach channels Responsibility of all members of the

institution Seattle Central

Web Gallery Exhibit

Outreach OpportunitiesSmall group discussion What are some of the best ways or

strategies you have used, or could use, to develop outreach activities, formal and informal?

Best Practices: Assessment

Learning Outcomes Assessment Many different methods and styles

Minneapolis Community College Knowledge and attitudes Data is good: How has learning

increased?Web Gallery Exhibit

Best Practices: Assessment

Programmatic Evaluation What improvements have been made? What goals have been met? What integrations, collaborations

achieved?

IL Across the Curriculum Many ways to enhance learning… Can be called other things Many curricular strategies and models to

pick and choose from IL, like writing, requires repeated

experiences

ILAC At Weber StateCase Study

English 2010 and FYE General Education Core Requirement (lower division)

Course or exam Course integrated (lower and upper

division) Many partners, library driven

Web Gallery Exhibit

ILAC ModelsRequired, librarian taught, module(s)

within Core English or writing course - most

common First Year Experience Course Specific courses in major or program Capstone course in major

ILAC ModelsIL in General Education Wartburg

The five courses in the Wartburg Plan of Essential Education (required Gen Ed) have mandated information literacy components

Information literacy skills are not intended to be taught in isolation but are planned to advance the goals each faculty member establishes for classroom instruction

Web Gallery Exhibit

ILAC ModelsCampus Wide (Computer and) Information

Literacy Requirement Tutorial only Tutorial and exam

James Madison University Minniapolis Community and

Technical College Course only Course or Exam

Weber State Web Gallery Exhibit

IL Courses – All the options… Required courses or elective courses

pilot and experimental options Online or traditional face to face courses Hybrid - in class and online

Courses taught by library faculty discipline faculty library faculty/discipline faculty teams Other teams?

ILAC Models

Departmental/programmatic IL Discipline Faculty driven Courses and/or programs

Defined and diffused – CSUF

Web Gallery Exhibit

ILAC Models

Portfolios Paper and/or electronic

Zayed University

Web Gallery Exhibit

Other Models? What other models are you aware of

or are you interested in? The problem is…too many right

answers, lots of options! Have fun!

ILAC ModelsSmall group discussion

What are the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of each curricular model ?

Librarian taught module or session(s) within a course IL infused in/across Gen Ed courses Gen Ed IL required course Campus requirement (tutorial, course and/or exam) Departmentally designed & integrated program Portfolios Other… Report summary to larger group

The Grant“Through this project, LMDC will enable

librarians in the 34 community and technical colleges in Washington State to play significant roles in infusing information literacy into the curriculum and making it an integral part of the learning process.”

In Conclusion…

We are each building our bag of treats Each partner will add to our bag

Lunch Time