Information literacy is more than just library research
"Information literacy" is a term that refers to a large set of practices and behavior related to information. It's far more than just "how to use the library."
Classroom faculty and instructors are in the best position to cultivate students' information skills and knowledge.
On the pages in this guide (see table of contents below), we suggest assignments, lessons, and resources that faculty and instructors can use to facilitate students' information literacy learning in their courses.
A table of contents for this guide
- Interacting with multiple perspectivesAcademic writing and scholarly discourse is a dynamic conversation. (It transcends "finding sources to support my idea").
- Authority is contextualCredible sources can vary radically
- Research is an evolving inquiryResearch *raises* questions & answers questions.
- Recorded librarian visitThis video playlist covers library fundamentals in 45 minutes of combined lecture, demonstration, and hands-on student activities
- Workshop for instructorsA self-guided, self-paced tutorial for instructors. Explains considerations and best practices for teaching information skills and concepts to first-year students.
- "Hidden Depths" workshopPresentation materials and sample assignments/activities for fostering information literacy learning across the full semester. Originally presented at the 2023 TCNJ Teaching and Learning Summit
Support for planning info skills teaching
Teaching Information Literacy Reframed by ISBN: 9780838914526Publication Date: 2016-06-02A useful guide for classroom instructors and faculty alike. Focuses on providing classroom exercises and homework activities to improve students' understanding of information behaviors and practices, including source evaluation, in-text citations, concept/source synthesis, and more. The book's full list of learning activities can be found here: https://bit.ly/BurkhardtExercises
Teaching Information Literacy Threshold Concepts by ISBN: 9780838987711Publication Date: 2015-06-01Although written by and marketed to librarians, its lesson plans are even more effective in the hands of classroom instructors who are trying to cultivate students' information behaviors and practices.
