istration, human resources, and the execu-

tive level so that an information literate

approach to curriculum development is re-

sourced, fostered, and rewarded. An ILU is

also sensitive

to the changing

needs of its

communities,

proactive at

finding out

about their

needs, effective

at engaging

them as part-

ners, open and

accessible as a

knowledge

organization.

A college does not become information lit-

erate by accident. It requires conscious

organizational development, addressing IL

as a strategic issue and involving everyone

within the college (staff, faculty and stu-

dents) as partners in defining a way forward

to a successful information literate future.

This is a worthwhile task for a college which

aims to transform lives and communities.

A lot has been done on Information

Literacy (IL) in higher education world-

wide, over several decades. However,

the task of fully developing IL within

each college and university and across

all aspects of institutional activity re-

mains incomplete. The organizational

development task is formidable but

should not be shirked given the im-

portance of IL to education, research,

graduate employability, and a host of

other key missions. The pivotal im-

portance of IL has been highlighted in

the recent UNESCO (2013) resolution

on Media and Information Literacy.

We have developed the concept of

the Information Literate University (ILU:

Johnston and Webber, 2003) over the

past decade as a strategic model to

help colleges and universities to meet

the socioeconomic challenges within

an emergent global information cul-

ture. Our vision of the ILU requires

everyone in the university to become

information literate whether adminis-

trators, students, researchers, librari-

ans, or faculty.

Management for information literacy

implies rethinking internal communica-

tion and structures. It also means

greater ability to function as a

knowledge-creating organization and

to develop a more creative response to

an increasingly complex external envi-

ronment. The ILU concept is grounded

by the reality of progress in present day

institutions, their organizational develop-

ment, and the evolution of their relation-

ships with the wider community. The

orientation is forward looking, treating IL

initiatives as anticipatory actions de-

signed to better fit the university for its

purposes in the rest of the 21st century.

In its Strategic Plan 2010-2015,

Okanagan College identifies the key

directions of En-

gagement, Learning

and Teaching,

Student Transition,

Collaboration and

Partnership, and

Sustainability. We

will focus on one,

Engagement, to

elaborate our

approach.

For students to

achieve their educa-

tional goals and

engage fully with

their learning, they need to become

information literate individuals who can

diagnose their information needs and

meet them using a full range of infor-

mation resources and digital tools. This

implies information literate staff and

faculty who design courses which pro-

gress students’ IL through their time at

college, and prepare them to be infor-

mation literate citizens, workers, par-

ents and community leaders through

their lives (Webber and Johnston,

2013).

In turn, staff and faculty need develop-

ment and support from college admin-

Partners in Learning: Building an Information Literate Institution

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Building an IL Institution

1

What is IL? 2

Metaliteracy: Advancing Learning After Literacy

3

IL & OERs 4

CCSSE- Results

4

IL as s Core Learning Ability @ WCC

5

IL & Therapist 6

IL@OC: Making the Connection

7

IL & Google Generation

8

IL OC: An Evolution

9

Citing Google & Wikipedia?

10

Research Boot Camp

11

Poster Projects by Ecology 203

12

Visual Literacy: Identifying Scholarly Articles

13

Information Literacy: A Conversation

14

Data Literacy 15

ILT Director 16

ILT Contacts 16

V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 1 W I N T E R 2 0 1 4

“For students to achieve their

educational goals and engage

fully with their learning, they

need to become information

literate individuals…”

Johnston, B. and Webber, S. (2003) “Information literacy in higher education: a review and case study.” Studies in Higher Education, 28(3), 335-352.

http://ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=10282845&site=eds-live&scope=site

United Nations Educational, Scientific Organization. 2013. Draft resolution: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Media and

Information Literacy Recommendations. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002242/224273e.pdf

Webber, S. and Johnston, B. (2013) Transforming IL for HE in the 21st century: A lifelong learning approach. in Hepworth, M. & Walton, G. (Eds.) Developing

people's information capabilities fostering information literacy in educational, workplace and community contexts. Emerald, 15-30.

*Image provided by authors Johnston and Webber

Building an Information Literate Institution by Bill Johnston and Sheila Webber

Contributing authors:

Bill Johnston is an Honorary Research Fellow,

Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of

Strathclyde, Scotland

Sheila Webber is a Senior Lecturer & Director of

the Centre for Information Literacy Research,

Information School, The University of Sheffield,

UK.

Re

fere

nce

s

IN THIS ISSUE

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 2

4) Individually or as a member of a group,

uses information effectively to accomplish a

specific purpose.

5) Understands many of the economic,

legal, and social issues surrounding the use

of information and accesses and uses

information ethically and legally.

(ACRL, 2000).

This group of standards, although currently

under review, has become one of “the most

essential document[s], related to the emer-

gence of [IL] as a recognized learning out-

come at many institutions of higher educa-

tion” (Bell, 2013). The ACRL Board of

Directors have cited that the recent rethink-

ing and reframing of the standards has been

instigated by the “emerging models of [IL],

recognizing the development of multiple new

literacies and the need to provide a stronger

continuum of literacy from K-16” (ACRL

Insider, 2013).

tional and educational goals. It is a basic hu-

man right in a digital world and promotes

social inclusion in all nations’” (Secker &

Coonan, 2011). Johnston and Webber define

IL as “the adoption of appropriate information

behaviour to identify, through whatever chan-

nel or medium, information well fitted to infor-

mation needs, leading to wise and ethical use

of information in society” (2003).

In 2000 the ACRL adopted the Information

Literacy Competency Standards for Higher

Education which has become a key framework

for teaching IL skills by academic librarians in

North America.

The *ACRL Standards are “the defacto

definition of information literacy” (Bell, 2013)

and are comprised of the following five core

competencies where the information literate

student:

1) Determines the nature and extent of the

information needed.

2) Accesses needed information effectively

and efficiently.

3) Evaluates information and its sources

critically & incorporates selected

information into his or her knowledge base

and value system.

In 1974 the term “information literacy” (IL)

was first coined by IL pioneer Paul G. Zurkow-

ski. According to Zurkowski an “information

literate individual is anyone who has learned

to use a wide range of information sources in

order to solve problems at work and in his or

her daily life” (Bell & Kelt, 2013). Forty years

later Zurkowski's definition is still valid yet has

expanded to encompass a wide landscape of

IL developments interwoven with an array of

emerging technologies where competence is

required to succeed in society---in all levels of

education, in the workplace and as lifelong

learners.

IL has been defined by the Association of

College and Research Libraries (ACRL) as 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” (ACRL,

2000). The ACRL suggests that IL forms the

basis for lifelong learning and is “common to

all disciplines, to all learning environments,

and to all levels of education. It enables learn-

ers to master content and extend their investi-

gations, become more self-directed, and

assume greater control over their own

learning” (ACRL, 2000).

UNESCO’s definition of IL in the Alexander

Proclamation (2005) “takes a broader view

that goes beyond learning, stating that: ‘IL

empowers people in all walks of life to seek,

evaluate, use and create information effect-

ively to achieve their personal, social, occupa-

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

References

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information literacy competency standards for

higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency

Bell, M. & Kelt, M. (2013). Report from the first European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL). Journal of Information Literacy, 7(2), 168-170.

Bell, S. J. (2013, June 4). Rethinking ACRL’s information literacy standards: The process begins. ACRL Insider. Retrieved from http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/

archives/7329

Hepworth, M., & Walton, G. (2009). Teaching information literacy for inquiry-based learning. Oxford, England: Chandos Publishing.

Johnston, B. and Webber, S. (2003) “Information literacy in higher education: a review and case study.” Studies in Higher Education, 28(3), 335-352. http://

ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=10282845&site=eds-live&scope=site

Kelly, J. (2013). Paul G. Zurkowski and information literacy: On his trip to the first European Conference on Information Llteracy (ECIL). Journal of Information

Literacy, 7(2), 163-167. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/7.2.1867

Secker, J. & Coonan, E. (2011, July). A new curriculum for information literacy: Transitional. transferable. transformational. Cambridge: Arcadia Project. Retrieved

from http://arcadiaproject.lib.cam.ac.uk/docs/ANCIL_final.pdf

Being information literate means “having the ability to access representations of meaning, generally as language in the form of texts, but also in voice, images, performance and meaningful objects.“ (Hepworth & Walton 2009).

IL standards or frameworks are the under-pin of information literacy programs and assist educators in the delivery of IL skills to learners. The ACRL Standards join many other IL models, frameworks and projects from around the world such as: ► SCONUL: The Seven Pillars (The UK) ► ANCIL: A New Curriculum for IL (UK) ► ANZIIL: Australian New Zealand IL ► Six Frames of IL for Education (Australian) ► National IL Framework Scotland ► Welsh Information Literacy Project & The Information Literacy Framework for Wales

*ACRL released on February 20, 2014 the first draft of a revised framework for information literacy in higher education, to replace the 2000 ACRL's Competency Standards.

The draft Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education may be found at http://acrl.ala.org/ilstandards/?page_id=133

What is Information Literacy? Towards a Definition By Jennifer Sigalet, ILT Fellow for Library Services, Librarian, Vernon

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 3

ence, and working in collaboration with oth-

ers, requires a new set of abilities. Metaliter-

acy, unlike information literacy, also encour-

ages students to reflect in metacognitive

ways about their own roles in our society.

Metaliteracy has four learning goals, each

with its own set of objectives:

1-Evaluate content critically including dynam-

ic, online content that changes and evolves,

such as article preprints, blogs, and wikis

2-Understand personal privacy, information

ethics, and intellectual property issues in

changing technology environments

3-Share information and collaborate in a vari-

ety of participatory environments

4-Demonstrate ability to connect learning and

research strategies with lifelong learning pro-

cesses and personal, academic, and profes-

sional goals (http://metaliteracy.org/learning-

objectives/ )

Metaliteracy is empowering because it pro-

vides a new way to think beyond the tradition-

al standards to envision a future of pedagogi-

cal possibilities. We have applied these con-

cepts with learners and colleagues in the

classroom and in projects such our blog,

badging system, and MOOC. We welcome

conversation about metaliteracy, and partici-

pation in developing it further. Please join us

at metaliteracy.org

English usage. He argued that metaliteracy

then is what takes place after literacy, since

traditional definitions of literacy focus on

reading and writing and metaliteracy argues

for an expanded conception of both literacy

and information literacy. In Metaliteracy we

also trace the origins of meta and examine

the postmodern meanings appropriate for

today’s de-centered and collaborative learn-

ing environments. This new prism for under-

standing the role of metaliteracy opens oppor-

tunities for disciplinary and library faculty

members to collaborate on the development

of metaliterate learners.

Metaliteracy promotes a very different

approach that needs to be present in the

teaching of both groups. Students rarely see

themselves as producers of information, only

as consumers; even though they may be very

creative with emerging technologies outside

of school. In many cases, they have only pro-

duced papers meant solely for the eyes of

their instructors. Writing for a broader audi-

In the years since the Association of College

and Research Libraries Information Literacy

Standards for Higher Education were adopted

in 2000, the changes in the information envi-

ronment, in our students, and in modes of

learning have been dramatic. These iconic

standards are showing their age. Frustrated

by omissions in the standards, we introduced

a new model called “metaliteracy” (Mackey

and Jacobson, 2011) and have continued to

develop this framework through our own work

and that of a Metaliteracy Learning Collabora-

tive. This partnership allowed us to expand

our original learning objectives, and embark

on the development of a new badging system.

In fall 2013 we facilitated a Metaliteracy

MOOC as a collaborative venture between our

institutions (http://metaliteracy.cdlprojects.com).

Metaliteracy: Reinventing Information Litera-

cy to Empower Learners (forthcoming spring

2014) includes this definition:

Metaliteracy expands the scope of tradi-

tional information skills (determine, access,

locate, understand, produce, and use infor-

mation) to include the collaborative produc-

tion and sharing of information in participa-

tory digital environments (collaborate, pro-

duce, and share). This approach requires an

ongoing adaptation to emerging technologies

and an understanding of the critical thinking

and reflection required to engage in these

spaces as producers, collaborators, and dis-

tributors. (Mackey and Jacobson, 2014)

At a recent metaliteracy conference, Rich-

ard Fogarty, a historian from the University at

Albany, mentioned that the meaning of the

Greek word meta is “after” unlike its current

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

METALITERACY: Advancing Learning AFTER Literacy By Trudi A. Jacobson and Thomas P. Mackey

Metaliteracy expands the scope of traditional information skills...to include the collaborative produc-tion and sharing of information in participatory digital environments (collaborate, produce, and share).

References Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2014). Metaliteracy: Reinventing information literacy to empower learners. Chicago: Neal-Schuman/ALA Editions.

Mackey, T. P., & Jacobson, T. E. (2011). Reframing information literacy as a metaliteracy. College & Research Libraries, 72(1): 62-78.

*Image provided by authors Mackey & Jacobson

Contributing authors:

Trudi E. Jacobson, Distinguished Librarian, Head, Information Literacy Department, University at Albany tjacobson@albany.edu

Thomas P. Mackey, Dean, Center for Distance Learning, SUNY Empire State College Tom.Mackey@esc.edu

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 4

ate informational resources that could be

used in a college course. Both sites include

peer reviews of OER to help with evaluation.

It should be noted that OER can include arti-

cles or e-texts but also lesson plans, audio

tracks, multimedia, or any other type of learn-

ing material (UNESCO & Commonwealth of

Learning, 2011; Hylen, 2007). This means

that the fourth action of information literacy –

effective use – also applies to OER. While

there could be more than one OER that could

be used, the format available might have an

impact on the effective use of that resource.

In conclusion, the actions described in the

above definition of information literacy apply

to our practice of education technology. The

increasing use of digital resources leads to

the need for skills in identifying, locating, and

evaluating information resources that can be

used for teaching and learning. In the emerg-

ing education technology context of OER, it

may take greater skills in information literacy

but the payoff for the students will be worth

the extra effort.

cational resources—will be defined and its

close relationship to information literacy will

be described.

Open Educational Resources (OER) can be

defined as “materials used to support educa-

tion that may be freely accessed, reused,

modified, and shared by anyone” (Downes,

2011). While still in the adoption stage, the

use of OER is slowly gaining momentum.

One significant advantage of OER is that

there is no cost to either the professor or the

students. As it relates to information literacy,

OER need to be identified (does an OER exist

in this area?), located (if so, where is it?), and

evaluated (is this resource of good quality?).

It is often a challenge to locate OER but with

the advent of some repositories such as

Openstax College and our very own Open BC

Campus, it is easier to both locate and evalu-

The United States

Forum on Infor-

mation Literacy

defines

information literacy

as “the ability to

know when there is

a need for

information, to be able to identify, locate,

evaluate, and effectively use that information

for the issue or problem at hand” (United

States National Forum on Information Litera-

cy, 2014). Like many definitions, this has

grown to include skills needed to navigate the

digital world as well as the non-digital world.

All four actions that pertain to information

literacy – identifying, locating, evaluating, and

using information are common in the field of

education technology. When building an

online course, for example, deciding what

resource to use is one important activity, es-

pecially when there are many sources of such

information. In this short article, one emerg-

ing topic in education technology—open edu-

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Information Literacy in the Context of Emerging Education Technology By Ross McKerlich, Educational Technology

In the emerging education technology context of OER, it may take greater skills in information literacy but the payoff for the stu-dents will be worth the extra effort.

Downes, S. (2011, July 14th). Open educational resources: A definition [Weblog comment]. Retrieved from http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2011/07/open-

educational-resources-definition.html Hylen, J. (2007). Giving knowledge for free: The emergence of open educational resources. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/

dataoecd/35/7/38654317.pdf UNESCO, Commonwealth of Learning. (2011). Guidelines for open educational resources (OER) in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.col.org/

resources/publications/Pages/detail.aspx?PID=364 "What is the NFIL?". National Forum on Information Literacy. Retrieved February 2, 2014.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE): Results

Inform Learning & Teaching Jan O’Brien, Manager of Institutional Research

What is CCSSE?

CCSSE stands for the Community College

Survey of Student Engagement. It is a US-

based survey with mostly US and some Ca-

nadian members. We conduct this survey

every two years at Okanagan College, alter-

nating with the on-line Student Satisfaction

Survey. CCSSE surveys students to deter-

mine five benchmark scores that we, as a

College, can compare with ourselves year-

over-year and with others. These bench-

marks consist of several questions rolled up

into a score. There are five benchmarks:

Active and collaborative learning, Student

effort, Academic challenge, Student-faculty

interaction, and Support for learners.

How many people participated this year?

We had over 50 faculty and instructional staff

and over 700 students participate. The sur-

vey is paper-based and is conducted in class.

The participants, instructors and students,

were very generous with their time, and we

really appreciate it. It is an important vehicle

for students to have their voices heard. And

it is an important vehicle for faculty to have

feedback about student behaviours. One

example is that 42 per

cent of students say they

never skip class. Another

example is that almost

30 per cent of students

say that they never come

to class without complet-

ing readings or assign-

ments, while almost 60 per cent say

“sometimes” and 12 per cent say “often” or

“very often.” The frequencies report for all of

the survey questions is located on the

Institutional Research Website

(continued on page 5)

~ An Interview ~

References

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 5

signed the first cohort the task of identifying,

using, and measuring Information Literacy in

their classrooms. Hurray!

WCC is now in the process of embedding IL

instruction into curriculum campus-wide. We

have a system of assessment in place that

the library can use to measure student suc-

cess in IL competencies. The expected rush

of faculty reaching out to the library to get

advice on embedding IL into their curriculum

has not happened. I see that as a good thing.

Professors at WCC have Information Literacy

on their radar. We are looking forward to

using the data from the first cohort and will

soon be mapping our next plan of attack for IL

in the classroom!

The IL report, rubric, curriculum map and

faculty presentation PPTs can all be found @

http://faculty.whatcom.ctc.edu/

InstResearch/IR/

DirectIndicatorsCollegeOutcomes/CLAHome/

InformationLiteracy/InformationLiteracy.html

The work of adopting the college’s five new

CLAs was done by the Outcomes Assessment

Committee (OAC). The OAC is overseen by the

Office of Assessment and Institutional Re-

search. As the place of origin indicates, the

college identified the CLAs as skills that in-

structors use in their curriculum and are

measured in student success.

The first year after the CLAs were approved

(2012-2013), the OAC finalized a set of pre-

liminary rubrics, including indicators and ex-

amples, for each CLA. The next step was to

create a curriculum map, assigning each dis-

cipline a CLA to measure and a year to meas-

ure it. In the winter of that year, the library

offered a four-session faculty workshop on

Information Literacy: how to identify the com-

petencies, how to recognize it in their existing

curriculum, how to add it to their curriculum

(at the point of need), and how to assess it.

The following year (2013-2014), Information

Literacy as a CLA was chosen as the first CLA

to be used and assessed in the classroom.

With the curriculum map in place and the IL

scoring rubric completed, the college as

For years, the What-

com Community Col-

lege (WCC) Library has

been looking for ways

to ensure that all stu-

dents attending WCC

are familiar with Information Literacy. Our

Library Information Literacy Mission State-

ment states “Information literacy instruction

is a primary mission of the Library. We con-

duct classes customized for specific disci-

plines; provide one-on-one consultation at the

reference desk; and provide a suite of tutori-

als through our website.”

Reaching every student, however, is an

ambitious undertaking. We often spoke of

our efforts as the “shotgun approach” to IL

instruction. Without a campus-wide initiative,

we had no systematic approach to ensure

that every student from WCC had some expo-

sure to Information Literacy (not that every-

one doesn’t use IL competencies when they

use information).

The opportunity to adopt a campus-wide

system of tracking Information Literacy in the

curriculum (at the point of need) came with

the adoption of our new WCC Core Learning

Abilities. Core learning abilities (CLA) are

“overarching skills that are emphasized

throughout many courses in all programs at

WCC; they define the skills the college ex-

pects its students to develop by the time they

graduate.” Perfect.

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Information Literacy as a Core Learning Ability at Whatcom Community College By Kiki Tomilla, Associate Professor, Information Literacy, WCC

Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (continued from page 4)

Why do we do CCSSE? Why is it important?

We do it for several reasons. First, as stated

above, we use it as a comparator to strive

for quality in teaching and learning, so we

can see how we are doing over time and

against others. The benchmark results

formpart of our key performance indicators

for the College. As well, the results from

individual questions are really interesting.

For example, the score for the question

“Discussed ideas from your readings or clas-

ses with others outside of class” was the

highest (discussed most often) compared to

the other Canadian colleges. It is interesting

to see our strengths and also where we could

improve.

So, where do we improve?

Well, everywhere, I suppose. But our scores

were in line generally with other colleges.

Nova Scotia Community College leads many

of the benchmark question scores, though,

so we could look at improving in comparison

with them.

How do we find out more about the results?

The report that was sent to the board is posted

internally on the Reports tab in myOkanagan

under surveys. The frequency and means of

the survey questions are on the Institutional

Research website above. And the benchmark

scores are also available from the ccsse.org

website, along with the survey instrument and a

lot of other information. If [you] have more

questions...please contact me directly at

jobrien@okanagan.bc.ca

(Jan O’Brien was interviewed by Rob Kjarsgaard)

Core learning abilities (CLA) are “overarching skills that are emphasized throughout many courses in all programs at WCC; they define the skills the college expects its students to develop by the time they graduate.”

*Contributing author Kiki Tommila is an Associate

Professor, Information Literacy, Whatcom Communi-

ty College, Bellingham, Washington.

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 6

librarian Anne Cossentine maintains a pro-

gram-customized LibGuide to which the stu-

dents work in library sessions and which pro-

vides students with reference points to be

independent and self-directed in their

research practices. (See Therapist Assistant

LibGuide http://libguides.okanagan.bc.ca/tad )

Students are refreshed on their LibGuide,

which remains accessible to them on the

library webpage, and on locating research

references via the library’s OCtopus search

engine. If employed by, or by partnering with,

health authorities, graduates should seek out

those authorities’ library resources plus the in

-person services of librarians and via their

resource webpages. In remote locations,

public librarians can support professionals in

research and in keeping their information

literacy skills honed. Building information

networks with allied professionals such as

librarians and colleagues is a key strategy in

EBP. We also highlight open-access evidence

-based portals and clinical research data-

bases, reputable free medical databases,

governmental, health-professional associa-

tion, and research agency websites. All of

these resources are detailed under the

Alumni tab of the Therapist Assistant Lib-

Guide. The authors would be pleased to be

contacted to discuss this initiative further if

you wish.

year, the students continue to advance their

information literacy skills, which culminates in

a collaborative initiative in the final term that

empowers graduates to be critical consumers

of research information and to be well-

informed of how to access current research

information as alumni. For example, following

an introduction to critiquing research, stu-

dents are given a selected article to critique

the individual sections in groups, and then

present their opinions to the whole class. For

follow-up, each student selects and critiques

an article of clinical importance to them for an

individual take-home assignment.

Students are fortunate to have this support

in developing their EBP and information litera-

cy skills throughout their college program. In

our latest initiative to the graduating second

year class, Michelle presents a unique toolkit

of strategies on how to access current reha-

bilitation research in varying contexts practi-

tioners may find themselves. Graduates are

encouraged to sustain contact with OC library

resources and librarians by taking advantage

of alumni privileges available at each of OC’s

campus libraries. Therapist Assistant liaison

In modern practice it is expected that health

care providers use up-to-date evidence-based

practice (EBP) in the treatment of patients.

Evidence-based practice is explicitly linked to

information literacy skills; the ability to access

and evaluate current research information is

critical in the health care professions (Boruff

& Thomas, 2011). We have a responsibility to

educate graduates not only to enter practice,

but to have the skills to progress in their ca-

reers in a constantly evolving health care

system.

Therapist Assistant students progressively

build their information literacy skills through-

out their two- year program. Michelle Ward

collaborates with instructors by presenting a

lecture / workshop series in a first- term class

that targets an introduction to research skills

including accessing library databases and the

development of information literacy skills.

There is a subsequent workshop in the sec-

ond term supporting an instructor’s journal

article research assignment. In the second

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Building Information Literacy Skills in Therapist Assistant Graduates By Darrell Skinner, PT, Instructor Therapist Assistance Program and Michelle Ward, PGDIPLIB (Australia), Kelowna Campus Librarian

We have a responsibility to educate graduates not only to enter practice, but to have the skills to progress in their careers in a constantly evolving health care system.

Boruff, J. T., & Thomas, A. (2011). Integrating evidence-based practice and information literacy skills in teaching physical and occupational therapy students.

Health Information & Libraries Journal, 28, 264-272. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2011.00953.x http://ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/login?url=http://

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=22051125&site=eds-live&scope=site

Cossentine, A. (2013). LibGuides: Therapist Assistant. Retrieved from Okanagan College Library website: http://libguides.okanagan.bc.ca/tad

References

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 7

courses in

conjunction with

research-based

projects. In

2011 CTCL

(Community and

Technical Col-

lege Libraries)

Innovation Achievement Award was awarded

to the librarians of Okanagan College Library

for the development and implementation of

CILRI stating that “[w]hile the primary achieve

-ment of CILRI is the expansion of instruction-

al opportunities for students to develop re-

search and critical thinking skills, one of CIL-

RI’s additional benefits is the strengthening of

relationships between librarians and teaching

faculty …[and] because of CILRI, the Library is

now better placed to be a full partner in the

teaching and learning role of the College

(Canadian Library Association, 2011)”.

“With its focus on critical thinking and rea-

soning, information literacy is vital to

students’ ability to learn while enrolled at

Okanagan College and throughout their work-

ing life” (Okanagan College Library Depart-

ment, 2013). Information literacy transforms

lives: Students acquire research process

skills, engage with their research, have con-

versations with their research, and ultimately

create new information in the process.

of Okanagan College’s courses and programs

(Okanagan College. Library Department,

2013). Hagel, Horn, Owen, and Currie (2012)

suggest “that libraries can positively increase

students' retention by working in close part-

nership with faculty to help them facilitate the

delivery of academic programs.”

This practice of collaboration has resulted in

an active and enduring IL program committed

to providing IL instruction in support of

developing information literate and lifelong

learners. In the September 2012-August

2013 academic year, 5,918 students in 281

classes received research process and skills

instruction by eight OC librarians across four

campuses.

In the fall of 2009, the Library Department

and the English Department launched a pilot

project that formally included embedding IL

wording into all first-year English course sylla-

bi and scheduling research instruction into all

first-year English course timetables. In 2010

the pilot project, referred to as CILRI (Course

Integrated Library Research Instruction), was

reviewed and accepted by both the English

Department and the Library. CILRI is now

delivered as an ongoing program on all four

campuses and integrates librarian-led re-

search process skills into all first year English

Okanagan College transforms lives and

communities. The vision of OC “as a catalyst

for change” (Okanagan College, 2013) is

crucial in this rapidly changing digital age

where information is growing exponentially.

Emerging technologies and the changing

landscape of information are affecting how

individuals and communities are navigating,

managing, and using information. Individuals

in all fields of study, workplaces, and society

are required to be information literate. Infor-

mation literate people “will demonstrate an

awareness of how they gather, use, manage,

synthesize, and create information and data

in an ethical manner and will have the infor-

mation skills to do so effectively” (Bent &

Stubbings, 2011). “[I]nformation literacy

should be transformational for the learner,

changing their attitude, behaviour, outlook,

and even their world view” (Secker & Coonan,

2011).

In collaboration with teaching departments

and key student support services, the Library

Department is actively engaged in creating

information literate learners. For over 30

years Okanagan College librarians have been

promoting the development of critical think-

ing, writing, and excellent research skills in

students across the institution. Librarians

work closely with teaching departments to

support the integration of information literacy

(IL) skills into coursework. How this is

achieved is through a strategic and collabora-

tive approach to the instruction of IL that

supports and enables the learning outcomes

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Information Literacy at Okanagan College: Making the Connection By Jennifer Sigalet, Vernon Campus Librarian

References

Bent, M., & Stubbings, R. (2011). The SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy: Core Model for higher education. SCONUL Working Group on Informat–

ion Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/coremodel.pdf

Canadian Library Association. (2011). CTCL Achievement Award. Press release. Retrieved from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?

Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=11318

Hagel, P., Horn, A., Owen, S., & Currie, M. (2012). How can we help? The contribution of university libraries to student retention. Australian Academic and

Research Libraries, 43(3), 214-230.

Okanagan College. (2013). Mission. vision, values, guiding principles. Strategic Plan, 2010-2015. Kelowna, BC: Okanagan College. Retrieved from

http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Assets/Departments+(Administration)/Public+Affairs/Transform+-+Strategic+Plan+to+2015/stratplanpdf.pdf?method=1

Okanagan College. Library Department. Education plan, 2013 –2014. (2013, December 4). Kelowna, BC: Okanagan College.

Secker, J. & Coonan, E. (2011, July). A new curriculum for information literacy: Transitional. Transferable . Transformational. Cambridge: Arcadia Project.

Retrieved from http://ccfil.pbworks.com/f /Executive_summary.pdf

Connect with your subject liaison librarian at: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Student_Services/students/library/about/contact/librarians/liaison.html

“[I]nformation literacy should be transformational for the learner, changing their attitude, behaviour, outlook, & even their world view” (Secker & Coonan).

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 8

assurance (JISC, 2008). When they only turn

to search engines, students miss the unique,

peer-reviewed, and highly valued resources

only available through library or private

subscriptions (Porter, 2011). With the Google

Generation becoming accustomed to conven-

iently accessible information, rather than

quality information, it is taking a toll on their

information literacy skills (Rempel & Cossa-

rini, 2013).

Information Literacy strives to go beyond

poor scholarly practices as a means to suffice

and attempts to give students a system by

which they can successfully gather, analyze,

and use information (ACRL, 2000). Through

learner-centred instruction sessions that build

upon previous meetings, research guides

tailored to specific classes and assignments,

and search tools that adapt to changing

expectations of online and efficient access,

library services are beginning to equip Gener-

ation-Y students with the vital information

literacy skills needed to thrive in a dynamic

digital world.

process (Colón-Aguirre & Fleming-May, 2012).

This concept of finding something “close

enough” has been proven across disciplines

using Rational Choice Theory (satisficing), and

Gratification Theory (Connaway, Dickey, Rad-

ford, 2011; Pirolli, 2005; Chatman, 1991). In

an information-seeking context, convenience,

time, familiarity of use, and accessibility, are

the main criterions students use when choos-

ing information sources and strategies

(Connaway, et al. 2011). Rather than the

information content itself, these criteria are

based on the methods used to find and ob-

tain information, deeming reputable and relia-

ble information sources irrelevant.

Adding to the matter is the fact that stu-

dents think they are quite capable of finding

information online and are confident in their

information-seeking skills (understandable

considering the poor search query example)

(Gustavson & Nall, 2011). Students are

clearly capable of using a search engine and

other online resources, but they do not neces-

sarily know how to get quality information

from these sources (Wong, Stelmaszewska,

Bhimani, Barn & Barn, 2009). Rempel and

Cossarini (2013) recently noted the tendency

undergraduates have to overestimate the

reliability of online sources. Students lack of

information literacy skills and competencies

are hidden in their false sense of self-

The Google Generation, or “Generation Y,”

consists of individuals born after 1993; digital

natives who have grown up in a world heavily

reliant on the Internet and web technologies

(Joint Information Systems Committee,

2008). Provide a task such as “find three

authoritative articles on (topic),” and an aca-

demic may head straight for an online data-

base or conduct a quick search in a reputa-

ble journal. Conversely, give the same task to

many students and their information seeking

strategy will almost always begin on the Web

and more specifically with Google (Detlor,

Booker, Serenko, & Julien, 2012; Mizrachi,

2010; Griffiths & Brophy, 2005). To be per-

fectly honest though, can you blame them?

Enter a poor search query into a database

and get zero results. Enter a poor search

query into Google and get thousands of re-

sults, with the added likelihood that some-

thing will be “close enough.” For a growing

number of students the convenience and

time saved from using Google outweighs the

importance of accuracy and the learning

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Information Literacy and the Google Generation By Roen Janyk, OC Web Services Librarian

With the Google Generation becoming

accustomed to conveniently accessible

information, rather than quality

information, it is taking a toll on their

information literacy skills.

(Rempel & Cossarini, 2013).

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information literacy competency standards for higher education. Retrieved from

http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/standards.pdf

Chatman, E. (1991). Life in a small world: Applicability of gratification theory to information-seeking behaviour. Journal of the American Society for Information

Science & Technology, 42, 438–449. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097- 4571(199107) 42:6<438::AID-ASI6>3.0.CO;2-B

Colón-Aguirre, M. & Fleming-May, R. A. (2012). “You just type in what you are looking for”: Undergraduates” use of library resources vs. Wikipedia. The Journal

of Academic Librarianship, 38, 391-399. doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2012.09.013

Connaway, L. S., & Dickey, T. J. (2010). The digital information seeker: Report of findings from selected OCLC, RIN and JISC user behaviour projects. Retrieved

from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2010/digitalinformationseekers.aspx

Connaway, L. S., Dickey, T. J., & Radford, M. L. (2011). “If it is too inconvenient I”m not going after it”: Convenience as a critical factor in information-seeking

behaviors. Library and Information Science Research, 33, 179-190. doi: 10.1016/j.lisr.2010.12.002

Griffiths, J. R., & Brophy, P. (2005). Student searching behavior and the web: Use of academic resources and Google. Library Trends, 53, 539-554. Retrieved

from https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/library_trends/

Gustavson, A. & Nall, H. C. (2011). Freshman overconfidence and library research skills: A troubling relationship? College and Undergraduate Libraries, 18, 291

-306. doi: 10.1080/10691316.2011.624953

JISC, Communications and Marketing Team. (2008). Student experiences of technology and e-learning: An overview of JISC activities [Briefing paper]. Retrieved

from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/briefingpapers/2008/bpstudentexperiencev1.aspx

(References to this article continue on the bottom of the next page)

References

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 9

mation went in

one ear and out

the other for me

20 years ago, it

doesn’t even

make it past the

earlobe for mod-

ern students—

unless they get it when they need it. This is

why I’m a huge supporter of Course-

Integrated Library Research Instruction (CILRI)

[see below], and why I schedule library orien-

tations on the same day that I brief my stu-

dents on the term paper.

The how of IL might’ve changed, but the

what and why are the same as ever. Stu-

dents need to be literate in information re-

trieval because that’s what learning is all

about—expanding the horizons of personal

knowledge. Fortunately for students, IL is

keeping pace with their evolution.

from other campuses, but I’m sure that the

capability existed. Thanks to the librarian’s

expert tutelage (and let’s be honest, the repe-

tition didn’t hurt) I became informational lit-

erate. The problem was that I wouldn’t be

tasked with putting my newly acquired skillset

into practice for another six or eight weeks,

when I’d need to start conducting research for

my term papers. The knowledge gradually

faded into the oblivion of disuse, so when I

marched into the library in late October to

start compiling secondary sources, I was back

at square one—being led to a book by an infi-

nitely patient librarian.

Two decades later, I find myself seated at

the front of the class, scheduling library orien-

tations for students who have access to the

world’s e-books in their pocket. Experts say

that our attention spans have decreased. I

don’t know if this is the case, or if they’ve just

evolved to allow for multitasking, but I know

one thing: Today’s students learn best in “real

time”.

They can’t learn how to use the databases in

September and then be expected to realize

the knowledge in November. If the infor-

Okanagan College was a different place 20

years ago when I spent my days shuffling

through its beige corridors as a wide-eyed

student negotiating the various challenges of

a first-year course-load. Many of the differ-

ences between OUC then and OC now are

superficial in nature—OUC had a smaller, less

developed campus with fewer buildings, an

old-fashioned sign and, of course, a different

name—but other variances are more subtle.

The numerous library orientations that I expe-

rienced during the first week of every term fell

into this latter, less obvious category.

Back in the “olden days,” as the expression

goes, technology was a bud of its present-day

bloom. The library at the Kalamalka campus

had a handful of hulking computers, but they

were unwieldy for anything but the most rudi-

mentary tasks. The Internet was a whisper

among a subculture of “techies” with the IT

acumen to know what was to come, but for

the rest of us, the easiest way to find a book

was to ask a librarian to lead us to it. Need-

less to say, this reliance created a need for

large-scale lessons in information literacy (IL)

(if the term even existed back then) which

took the form of a library orientation for each

class in the term’s first week or two.

The orientations produced instant results. I

came away knowing how to look up a book at

a computer station, which then gave me the

confidence to delve into the stacks to locate

it. I don’t recall being able to request books

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

The Evolution of Information Literacy from Student to Instructor By Jeremy Lanaway, English Department, Vernon

Information Literacy and the Google Generation

Experts say that our attention spans have decreased. I don’t know if this is the case, or if they’ve just evolved to allow for multitasking, but I know one thing: Today’s students learn best in “real time”.

(References carried over from page 8 “Information Literacy and the Google Generation”)

Mizrachi, D. (2010). Undergraduates” academic information and library behaviors: Preliminary results. Reference Services Review, 38, 571–580.

doi:10.1108/00907321011090737

Pirolli, P. (2005). Rational Analyses of Information Foraging on the Web. Cognitive Science, 29, 343-373. doi:10.1207/s15516709cog0000_20

Porter, B. (2011). Millennial undergraduate research strategies in web and library information retrieval systems. Journal of Web Librarianship, 5, 267-285.

doi: 10.1080/19322909.2011.623538

Rempel, J. & Cossarini, D.M. (2013). Communicating the relevance of the library in the age of Google: Improving undergraduate research skills and information

literacy through new models of library instruction [Special issue]. Nordic Journal of Information Literacy in Higher Education, 5(1), 49 – 53. Retrieved from

https://noril.uib.no/index.php/noril

Wong, W., Stelmaszewska, H., Bhimani, N., Barn, S., & Barn, B. (2009). User behaviour in resource discovery. Retrieved from

http://www.ubird.mdx.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ubird-final-report-2009-11-302.pdf

Course-Integrated Library Research

Instruction (CILRI)

“A fundamental aspect of critical writing and reading is learning how to do research. Information literacy, the ability to “recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate and effectively use information” (American Library Association), is crucial to excellent research.” (CILRI wording was co-created by the OC Library and English Department and is now embedded into all first year English course

syllabi.)

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 10

assess student attitudes and understandings.

Empirical studies continually show students

are over-confident about their IL proficiency,

prompting such questions as: Do you note

any ideological biases in this news report? Do

you trust this reliability of this report? How

reliable is Wikipedia compared to a traditional

textbook? How would you feel if your doctor,

lawyer, accountant, or mechanic searched

Google or consulted Wikipedia when confront-

ed with a problem? Do students realize that

one of the best search engines, Google, will

retrieve at most 25% of information available

(Devine & Egger-Sider, 2009)? What are

some ways to better search Google, or to find

information “beyond Google”? Do they know

the way to the library, or what librarians do?

*Collaborative Standards and Peer Review:

To promote self-directed learning, students

could discuss information validity and credibil-

ity in small groups, and could be asked to

come up with the criteria to guide peer-

reviews or instructor assessment of assign-

ments.

Finally, I strive to upgrade my own IL skills

in our contemporary era. The truth, I know, is

out there.

journalism; scholars’ commissioned research

for industry; paper mills; rampant illegal digi-

tal downloading; false positives/negatives on

health tests; false memoires or other high-

profile cases of plagiarism; “casino capital-

ism” based on Ponzi-scheme types of scams.

In such uncertainty, IL might require asking:

Whose information should I trust? How can I

not be “a sucker”? Evidently, IL competen-

cies are survival skills, not merely research

writing techniques.

How to Teach IL as a Life-Long Learning and

Survival Skill?

In striving to better embed IL and critical

thinking skills, attitudes, and knowledge into

my courses, I employ a few techniques. A

useful reference is the Association of College

and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) report on

standards, indicators, and outcomes

(Information Literacy Competency Standards

for Higher Education).

*Transparency: Grading rubrics setting out

my expectations and class standards for as-

signments allows for a transparent display of

my views on students’ skills in selecting, eval-

uating, and applying new information in their

assignments. Addressing plagia-

rism, and the ethical, legal, and

social mis/uses of information is

now a central component. I ask

students to reflect on their selec-

tion and evaluation of information sources in

a brief methodology section of assignments,

such as an essay abstract and annotated

bibliography.

*Discussion: Igniting class discussions

about what is IL (and how it differs from com-

puter savvy) and critical thinking helps to

Teacher, why exactly shouldn’t I cite

Wikipedia or use Google to research

my paper?

Are you ready to answer this question?

If not, then perhaps you, like me, have not yet

developed an adequate Information Literacy

(IL) strategy. Until recently, my IL “strategy”

consisted of a typical professor’s cringing,

knee-jerk adamant rejection of open-source,

collaborative information sources like Wikipe-

dia or reliance on Google. I’ve been rethink-

ing this position, not at the least because of

my own responsible and healthily skeptical

use of online information. Rather than dictat-

ing my personal standards about the most

commonly used information sources in this

digital age, my new emphasis is on assisting

students to develop their own IL strategies.

My IL strategy is based on answers to two

questions.

Why Information Literacy?

Students and educators need an IL strategy

that helps navigate our complex and uncer-

tain contemporary environment. Yes, certain-

ly, we live in an information revolution-led

digital age defined by rapid-fire technological

changes and

proliferating

information

resources. More

worrisome, our

modern condition features some real-world

problems: diminishing government and

corporate transparency and accountability;

scientists muzzled or forced to alter reports; a

surveillance state/society diminishing privacy

rights; prevalent ideological biases from trust-

ed information sources; the end of objective

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Teacher, Exactly Why Shouldn’t I Cite Wikipedia or Use Google to Research My Paper? By Linda Elmose, Professor, Political Science, Vernon

Reference

Devine, J., & Egger-Sider, F. (2009). Going beyond Google. London: Facet. Online at http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/

content/standards/standards.pdf

Empirical studies continually show

students are over-confident about

their IL proficiency, prompting such

questions as…

“How would you feel if your doctor,

lawyer, accountant, or mechanic

searched Google or consulted

Wikipedia when confronted with

a problem?”

Evidently, ILcompetencies are

survival skills, not merely

research writing techniques.

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 11

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Lessons Learned at Research Boot Camp: Students and Information Literacy By Dr. Rosalind Warner, Professor of Political Science and ILT Fellow for Arts

Recently I decided to tackle research skills in my Political Science classes head-on by

helping students to ‘walk through’ the research process throughout the term, from the initial

outline to the final genuine article. This article is about what I discovered along the way

about how students actually prepare essays, and it led to some real surprises!

General Principles:

► Break down the essay-writing process into stages: outline, research journal, first draft, and final draft.

► Provide a skeletal outline and allow students to ‘fill in’ the necessary information as they gather it.

► Offer inspiration, guidance, warnings, encouragement, & information in low-stakes ways

► Assume no or very little previous knowledge of how to write an academic essay or prepare research.

RESEARCH BOOT CAMP: Students and Information Literacy

Learners…

● want to know the purpose of their assignment,

not just the requirements

● may give up on searches that don’t solve their

problem or have too many ‘rabbit trails’

● prefer information ‘on-demand’, when they

are trying to solve a specific problem in the

moment want to strike off on their own if need be

● dislike having to learn the ‘nuts and bolts’ of

citation styles during the writing process, they

put it off until writing is done

● often don’t see the connection between key

words and search results

To help…

● discuss the audience, type of project, and its

context within the discipline under study

● link searches directly with specific problems

needing to be solved

● explain reasons for learners to seek and accept

help

● point learners to resources [like libguides] that

are designed for their assignment

● separate learning ‘citation styles’ from the writing

process, then bring them back together

● emphasize that searching is trial and error, but

that even ‘errors’ can be useful

Research tasks for learners:

● Find three different definitions of a key concept, summarize & compare them

● Perform three different keyword searches, compare the results

● ‘Find the errors’ to learn citation styles, proofreading and analytical skills

● Make a point-form outline of an article, research one point

● Draw a concept map to visualize the research process

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 12

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Student Poster Projects for Second Year Ecology, Vernon Campus

Biology 203—Introduction to Ecology

“An introduction to the different disciplines within the field of ecology. Topics

include the ecology of individuals, physiological and behavioural ecology, popula-

tion ecology, community ecology and ecosystem ecology. Evolution is treated both

as a separate unit and throughout the course as a unifying theme.”

For more information on the annual Ecology poster projects please contact Laurie Donovan, Biological Sciences, Vernon Campus

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 13

The final result, it is hoped, will help stu-

dents identify the main components of a

scholarly article. We welcome feedback from

students and instructors to determine if the

poster works.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the

creation of this poster!

Please take the time to view the poster soon

at your campus library.

create and manipulate them. This defini-

tion is expanded on by Hattwig, Bussert,

Medaille & Burgess, (2013).

Databases help students limit their in-

quiry to scholarly articles by removing mag-

azines and newspapers from the results

list (among other things), but students still

have difficulty efficiently evaluating the

resulting “hits.” Book and literature re-

views, even introductions, are often mis-

takenly assumed to be scholarly articles,

just because they are in a “journal.” Find-

ing scholarly articles on the internet is

even more difficult for students, with the

huge variety of results a Google search

provides.

The Okanagan College Library Infor-

mation Literacy Group decided to produce

a poster to help students discern a schol-

arly article. Creating the poster was an

interesting learning experience for mem-

bers of the Information Literacy Group. To

demonstrate the core elements, we at-

tempted to bring together visual and textu-

al information in a clear, interesting and

humorous format. Countless revisions

were required along the way.

We focused on seven steps:

1—To determine what the most important

information was to convey

2—To provide concise information

3—To create a visually attractive layout

4—To seek input from staff and faculty

5—To use copyrighted images ethically –

(since none of us could draw a rat)

6—To include humour

7—To consult a graphic designer

All creatures with sight visually interpret their

environment, whether an eagle hunting for

rabbits or an explorer mapping his jour-

ney. What complicates visual interpretation

today is the increase in both quantity and use

of visual images to communicate infor-

mation. The “comics” guru, Will Eisner (1996),

recognized this transformation in regards to

storytelling and visual art during his decades

long career as an artist.

“The latter half of the 20th century has

experienced an alteration in the definition of

literacy. The proliferation of the use of images

as a communicant was propelled by the

growth of a technology that required less in

text-reading skills. From road signs to me-

chanical use instructions, imagery aided

words, and at times even supplanted

them. Indeed, visual literacy has entered the

panoply of skills required for communication in

this century (p. 3).”

While the notion of visual literacy is not new,

visual literacy standards for higher education

have evolved, and are currently defined as the

ability to find images, to interpret and analyse

them effectively, to cite them correctly, and to

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Visual Literacy: A Poster Visualizing Scholarly Articles By Taryn Schmid, Salmon Arm Campus Librarian

References

Eisner, W. (1996). Graphic storytelling and visual narrative (10th printing 2006). Paramus, NJ: Poorhouse Press.

Hattwig, D., Bussert, K., Medaille, A., & Burgess, J. (2013). Visual literacy standards in higher education : New opportunities for libraries and student learning. portal :

Libraries and the Academy, 13(1), 61-89. Retrieved from

http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/ v013/13.1.hattwig.html

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 14

okay information literacy, I’ll book you and

we’ll go to the lab and learn how to use the

databases. That’s just the start. I think stu-

dents are overwhelmed by that information

and so I guess that’s the thing that occurs to

me is the complexity of this task and it’s been

made more complex because of technology.

The filters that used to exist…I can remember

in high school if you had a National Geograph-

ic and a good encyclopedia you were home

free. Well those filters aren’t there and so

now students have a lot more work to do pro-

cessing the information--critical thinking skills

are the key.

What are the challenges around promoting

information literacy?

On a superficial level it’s very simple. Infor-

mation literacy is just understanding how to

get information and use it and yet because it

incorporates critical thinking, I think that may-

be the challenge is going back to those basic

things that we need to teach and learn, and

that’s really the challenge in underscoring or

emphasizing the key role that critical thinking

plays in information literacy.

IL has become so much more important.

The challenge now is to help people go back

and say critical thinking is actually the key part

of this. That’s the area where we could work

harder to improve on.

Are there any simple things that we could do to

increase information literacy at our institution?

One thing is to dig into that definition. Recently

at a staff retreat on critical thinking…it was very

interesting…we have instructors who are teach-

ing different subjects in the upgrading program

at different levels. There is tremendous diversity

in our student population…and yet as we began

to get into critical thinking I thought I know what

this is. English instructors teach it when ap-

proaching a writing project. Math people teach

it, science people…it’s scientific inquiry and so

when we recognize that we were all actually

teaching the same skill it allowed us to step

back and say, maybe we could name this, iden-

tify it and bring a kind of cohesive approach to

something that we’re teaching in many different

rooms to many different people. I think with

information literacy and instruction that we

could do the same thing across the institution

and just step back and say…I’m teaching you

how to use this app or teaching you how to ac-

cess this information or how to paraphrase or

how to read a scientific journal…but this is infor-

mation literacy and the critical thinking skills

that you would use in any other course in any

other subject and many occasions in life. So,

maybe it’s stepping back and recognizing the

core component of this, which I believe is the

critical thinking part.

Has reading more about information literacy

changed how you view IL?

Yes…to the point of overwhelming me! I thought,

How widely is the definition of IL understood?

When I think about information literacy…I

have this innate understanding of what it is

and know exactly what it is. But when you sit

down and ask somebody to define it, it can

take a very long time because it’s a very com-

plex thing. In preparation for this [interview]…I

was surprised by the complexity of it. There

are five competencies necessary to be infor-

mation literate and so it’s may be more com-

plex than I imagine and may be more complex

than others imagine.

As an institution, are we fostering information

literacy in a meaningful way?

I think we’re doing a good job and the library

really leads the way because so much of the

new technology is centered or accessed

through the library. I know as an English in-

structor, in terms of research, that things are

dramatically different today than they were

five years ago and certainly fifteen years

ago. Going back to the five IL competencies…

determining the nature and extent of infor-

mation needed; accessing it; critically evalu-

ating it; using it effectively; using it ethically---

well, that’s big! It’s always been a challenge

to evaluate sources, and now that there is so

much more information available that part of

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Information Literacy: A Conversation An interview with Craig Smith, AACP Coordinator, Vernon Campus

English instructors teach [critical thinking skills] when approaching a writing project. Math people teach it, science people…it’s scientific inquiry and so when we recognize that we were all actually teaching the same skill it allowed us to step back and say, maybe we could name this, iden-tify it and bring a kind of cohesive approach to something that we’re teaching in many different rooms to many different people.

(Craig Smith was interviewed by Jennifer Sigalet)

"The Library promotes student success through the development of critical thinking and independent research skills, and

advances teaching and learning by supporting instruction and professional development." OC Library Mission Statement

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 15

addition, they may need a more in-depth

knowledge of such concepts as probability

statements, level of confidence, margin of

error, etc.

Some students will need an advanced level

of Statistical Literacy including the ability to

understand sophisticated statistical terminol-

ogy such as standard deviation, variance,

regression to the mean, correlation coeffi-

cient, etc. (United Nations Economic Commis-

sion for Europe, 2012, p. 7).

Statistical Literacy is more than numeracy.

It includes the ability to read, understand, and

apply statistical information and data. Statis-

tical Literacy will enhance the overall literacy

of our students and equip them to better un-

derstand the wide variety of statistical infor-

mation that they will exposed to as part of

their studies and in their personal lives.

If you are interested in learning more about

how to incorporate Statistical Literacy into

your courses including basic statistical infor-

mation and analysis, specialized statistical

research databases, and how to access

Statistics Canada data sets please contact

me at gbede@okanagan.bc.ca or Local 4751.

What strategies do you use to integrate *information literacy into your course work?

* inc luding v isual, data, d ig ita l , media, metal i terac ies…

Reflecting on the above question please share your thoughts and experiences at THOUGHT SPOT .

To access online discussions in Thought Spot:

►Log into myOkanagan then click on “Groups” in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

►Search the Groups Index for “Thought Spot” which will bring up the “ILT Thought Spot Group”.

►Click “Join”.

►Click on one of the “Thought Spots” which will take you to an online discussion on that topic.

Please feel free to start a new discussion topic related to enhancing the practice of learning and teaching. Thank you.

Any questions? Please contact an ILT Fellow!

Our students need not become full-blown

statisticians and research methodologists.

They do need to develop a basic understand-

ing of how statistical information is created

and interpreted. This included an awareness

of type of data used to create the report

(survey, census, or administrative data set).

Including the capacity to understand common

statistical terms used in such reports and

surveys. Furthermore, a general understand-

ing of methodology used to collect the data,

the basic statistical measures, and graphic

tables employed by creators of such statisti-

cal information is always of value.

Intermediate level students will need the

ability to understand the limitations of the

methods used to collection the data, fluency

in more advanced statistical concepts, and

terms (for example, labour force participation

rate, morality rate, sample size, etc.). In

One of the things that the last 50 years

will be remembered for is the massive in-

crease in the amount of statistical infor-

mation that we are bombarded with on a daily

basis. Today, we endure a steady flow of

news reports featuring the latest political

polls, the daily release of Statistics Canada

surveys and reports, scholarly articles awash

with the latest data from the field, public opin-

ion polls, infographics, and mega data provid-

ed by the newest kid on the block “Big Data.”

Unfortunately, misinterpretation of statisti-

cal information is a relatively common occur-

rence. In order to help our students avoid

misinterpretation, including incorrect use of

statistical information, we need to ensure that

“Statistical Literacy” becomes part of every

student’s critical thinking toolkit.

Statistical Literacy requires many abilities.

First and foremost, students need a basic

understanding of mathematical principles

underlying the creation of statistical infor-

mation. Next, they need guidance in how to

identify, analyze, interpret, and properly apply

statistical information (United Nations Eco-

nomic Commission for Europe, 2012,pp. 5-6).

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: Why Statistical Literacy Needs

to be a Part of Every Student’s Critical Thinking Toolkit By Gilbert Bede, OC Systems and Data Librarian

In order to help our students avoid misinterpretation, including incorrect use of statistical information, we need to ensure that “Statistical Literacy” becomes part of every student’s critical thinking toolkit.

THOUGHT SPOT: Thoughts arising from this issue “Building and Information Literate Institution

References

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. (2012). Making data meaningful part 4: A guide to improving Statistical Literacy.

Retrieved from http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/stats/documents/writing/Maing_Data_Meaningful_Part_4_for_Web.pdf

I L T I N F O L I N K S

Thank you to each of the authors for their valuable contribution to this issue of Enhancing the Practice of Learning and Teaching! The

thought, expertise, and time that has gone into creating the end products is greatly appreciated.

As part of its mandate to support dialogue amongst peers and to enhance the practice of learning and teaching the ILT publishes three

issues a year (Winter, Spring, and Fall). All employees of Okanagan College are encouraged to contribute.

Please submit your articles to ILT Copy Editor & Distribution Michael Orwick. MOrwick@okanagan.bc.ca

THE NEXT ISSUE:

“The Student Experience: Supporting Student Success” is the theme for the spring issue of the newsletter.

The article submission deadline is March 31, 2014 and the publication date is mid-April.

ILT Newsletter production team:

ILT Newsletter Chair: Jennifer Sigalet Jsigalet@okanagan.bc.ca ILT Fellow for Library Services and Institutional Research

Managing Editors: Darrell Skinner dskinner@okanagan.bc.ca ILT Fellow for Health and Social Development

and Carl Doige Cdoige@okanagan.bc.ca ILT Fellow for Sciences

Copy Editor + Distribution: Michael Orwick MOrwick@okanagan.bc.ca ILT Fellow for Business and Office Administration

Design/Layout Editor: Jennifer Sigalet Jsigalet@okanagan.bc.ca ILT Fellow for Library Services and Institutional Research

For more information please go to http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Newsletters.html 20/02/14

The ILT is pleased to announce the launch of its new website : www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt Thank you to the Website Committee for all their hard work over the past several months!

Website haiku ~ ~ ~ so long to prepare

the ilt site is here

please visit and share

ILT Website: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt ILT Mission Statement: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Mission_Statement.html

ILT Fellows: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Meet_the_Fellows.html

ILT Educational Programs: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Educational_Programs.html

ILT Newsletter: http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Newsletters.html

I L T N E W S L E T T E R

On behalf of the ILT, I would like to welcome Dr. Beverlie Dietze as the new Director of Learning

and Teaching at Okanagan College (OC). Beverlie is an experienced post-secondary professional who

has spent nearly three decades in the sector in a variety of roles that include faculty member,

department head, director, and campus dean.

Most recently Dr. Dietze has been working as an Assistant Professor at Mount Saint Vincent

University in Halifax and concurrently as an online Adult Education Facilitator with Brock University in

St. Catharine’s, Ontario – a position she has held for nine years.

Her experience working in the college sector is notable, specifically, her depth of knowledge in

learner-centred curriculum development, leadership, and in the development of collaborative partnerships.

The ILT is eager to begin working with Beverlie as it moves forward its agenda of enhancing learning and teaching at

Okanagan College. Since the establishment of the ILT in 2009, the organization has made significant progress with limited

resources, but there is so much more it could and should be doing.

The ILT members look forward to benefitting from Beverlie’s wealth of experience and proven success in learning and teach-

ing, as we seek to establish new collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders in the OC community.

www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt

Welcome to the New ILT Director of Learning and Teaching Dr. Beverlie Dietze By Dr. Paul Stephenson, ILT Program Coordinator

I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Winter 2014 page 16