Collaborative Research: Information Literacy and Active Learning

1. Collaborative Research: Information Literacy and Active Learning Robert Flatley Krista Prock Rohrbach Library Faculty

2. What is Information Literacy? • … an intellectual framework for identifying, finding, understanding, evaluating and using information. -Middle States Commission on Higher Ed • Information literacy is a new liberal art which extends beyond technical skills… critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure and its social, cultural and even philosophical context and impact. -”Information Literacy as a Liberal Art,” Shapiro and Hughes

3. Why is IL Important? • Information Literacy provides critical skills necessary for lifelong learning. • New Middle States guidelines recommend that colleges make information literacy a priority. • They urge librarians and faculty to work together to integrate information literacy skills into their classes. (Working on “Collaborative Research” makes this happen!)

4. Why Active Learning? • The dreaded “library class” • Students learn to do research by doing research • There are drawbacks • Time • Risk • Benefits outweigh drawbacks

5. Active Learning Information Literacy Activities • Faculty member and Librarian collaborate on developing an Active Learning Session • Human Citation • Group Evaluation of Web Sites • Web Publishing Standards and “The Google Contest” • Hot Potato Keyword Game

6. Collaborative Assignment • Created by librarian and instructor • Specific to the needs of the class • Minimal instruction by librarian • Learning through hands-on experience

7. The Human Citation • Some students have a hard time with citations • Need for a basic introduction to citation format • This is fun! • Can help students differentiate citation styles

8. Group Evaluation of Web Sites • Authority, Accuracy, Currency, Coverage, Objectivity • Provide a site for each group to evaluate • Two-minute report to the class: Is this site appropriate for college-level research? Why or why not?

9. “The Google Game” • Another web evaluation activity • Web publishing standards vs. print publishing standards • Illustrates the size and scope of the Internet • Illustrates the need for advanced searching • Using Google, find a search using a combination of two words that provides zero results or one result

10. Hot Potato Search Terms • Emphasize need to create a list of search terms before using databases • Encourages brainstorming • Introduce ways to narrow or expand a topic: person, place, period of time, etc.

11. Conclusion • Active Learning works in the library • Collaboration is important