Information Literacy

Faculty Survey: One helpful, initial step in developing an IL Program is to conduct a survey. A survey can judge the support that the teaching faculty has for IL and assess how the library might better serve the instructional needs of the students. It can also gauge faculty perceptions of IL and interest in collaborating with the library in developing course components, etc.

Source: Johnson, W. G. (2009). Developing an information literacy action plan. Community & Junior College Libraries, 15(4), 212-216. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763910903269853

Introduction Model: When students are taught basic IL competencies through one or two session presentation, or freshman seminars, orientations, first-year composition courses. The outcome is often to assist students to complete a research-based assignment.

• Incorporate IL concepts and online tutorial research modules into the CSS class to introduce students to IL competencies early on in their college journey

Learning Outcomes Model: Librarians and faculty work together to create discipline-based IL learning outcomes. Most of these initiatives begin by agreeing on a definition of IL, identifying student IL needs, and then planning the types of assignments and competencies needed.

• Reach out to program chairs
• Help them develop modules in the form of tutorials or redo their research assignments to incorporate information literacy elements into them
• NOTE: Content experts who create courses / curriculum are not necessarily faculty members
• Figure out how to identify "problem" assignments that do not do a good job of taking advantage of library resources through examining chat transcripts
  • Help propose alternative assignments / sample assignments that incorporate learning outcomes of IL

Information Literacy Course Model: A credit-bearing course, promoted by librarians, to boost IL at an institutional level and enhance IL competencies. Collaboration is shown by faculty and administration through the approval and support of these courses. The trend of this model is to select a “co-requisite approach” to tie the IL course to a discipline-specific parent course.

• Would require a larger library staff to implement this model
• Could potentially be implemented as a requirement for students pursuing a Bachelor's at EGCC (if the school begins offering Bachelor's degrees)
• Could work with Research Methods courses to implement IL concepts

Faculty Focus Model: Based on the fact that librarians designed supportive material linked to a specific discipline and faculty promotes IL development. The innovation consists of transforming the curriculum and shifting the primary responsibility from librarians to faculty

• Presentations on Information Literacy at Faculty Welcome Back / New Faculty Orientation
• Offering webinars and workshops for faculty on Information Literacy and curriculum development

On-Demand Model: Driven primarily by faculty who request a library session for a course involving a specific assignment, or the librarian as a liaison initiates the process. Faculty who teach the course for many years will request a session each semester. Allows librarians/faculty to improve the IL outcomes, customize the assignments and evaluate the products.

• Surveys/forms on LibWizard for faculty to fill out to request instruction sessions
• Potentially integrating this with LibCal in the future

Source: Argüelles, C. (2015). Information literacy instruction and assessment in a community college: A collaborative design. Community & Junior College Libraries, 21(3-4), 81-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763915.2016.1190995

The curriculum mapping process allows librarians to identify classes with assignments in specific departments requiring students to use IL skills and to find appropriate information resources

• Prior to the creation of the curriculum map, the librarian should meet with the department chair to discuss the project and obtain course syllabi, copies of assignments, and class book lists. 
• Evaluate the department’s syllabi and course assignments to determine which classes require students to use IL skills and identify library resources (LibGuides, Tutorials, Instructional Sessions) that already exist or can be created to supply relevant info and research material.
• Create a spreadsheet to keep track of library resources and assignments for each course
• Based on the info in the curriculum map, librarians develop a plan to introduce library instruction at critical points in the courses to enhance the learning process.
  • In the Faculty LibGuide, add in a form to submit a Research Project for review by librarians

Source: Buchanan, H., Webb, K. K., Houk, A. H., & Tingelstad, C. (2015). Curriculum mapping in academic libraries. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 21(1), 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2014.1001413

The ideas below could maybe apply to EGCC's CSS course:

• Collaborating with a faculty member to develop a research module for the faculty member’s first-year College Experience Course
• Could include 4-5 class meetings with the librarian instead of just a one-shot session
• Could utilize a pre-test and post-test to measure learning outcome
• A LibGuide could be placed in Canvas
• Students could create a portfolio including summaries of research articles and a reflective essay, and give a short presentation

Source: Keyes, A., & Barbier, P. (2013). Librarian–faculty collaboration on a library research assignment and module for college experience classes. Community & Junior College Libraries, 19(3-4), 93-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763915.2014.949197

Using a “Teach-the-Teacher” approach to present a professional development session / workshop to faculty on information literacy instruction and library resources:

• Teach faculty how to create more specific assignment instructions to students
  • For example: Include the top 3 library databases to use for the assignment and a reminder that librarians are available for research assistance
• Offer to have librarians review syllabi to give advice on how to integrate and scaffold information literacy skills across the semester
• Provide faculty access to samples of pre-existing Information Literacy lesson plans and assignments to adapt for their purposes quickly and easily
  • These could be placed in the Faculty LibGuide

Sources:

Auten, B., Glauner, D., Lefoe, G., & Henry, J. (2016). Educating faculty members on the importance of requiring high-quality information resources at a community college. Community & Junior College Libraries, 22(1-2), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763915.2016.1246314

Lacy, M., & Hamlett, A. (2021). Librarians, step out of the classroom!: How improved faculty-led IL instruction improves student learning. Reference Services Review, 49(2), 163-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-09-2020-0062