Transcript Pedagogy for Teaching Information Literacy

Designing Effective
Writing Assignments and
the Teaching of
Information Literacy
Irmin Allner, Ph.D.
Jernigan Library
September 2009
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General Strategies
The Assignment
Alternatives to Typical Research and Term
Paper Assignments
Research and Term Papers
Different conceptions of what constitutes
information literacy, i.e. research skills
Some pedagogical approaches to the
teaching of research skills
Overview
(First four topics based on “Designing Effective Writing Assignments.” In Barbara Gross Davis, Tools
for Teaching (pp. 213-221). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Assign several short papers
 Occasionally test out the assignment by
pretending to be a student and
completing it yourself
 Keep copies of good papers in a
department or library file
 Keep notes on the success and pitfalls of
each assignment
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General Strategies
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State the topic
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Define the task
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Create realistic writing situations
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For first-year students, turn each step of a
large assignment into a smaller
assignment
The Assignment
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Distribute a handout for each written
assignment
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Discuss the assignment in class
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Ask students to select someone to read
their first draft
The Assignment
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Article for a professional journal
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Abstract for a professional journal
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Book review for a professional journal
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Update of the readings
Alternatives to Typical Research
and Term Paper Assignments
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Letter of critique to the author of the
textbook
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In-class poster session
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Interview
Alternatives to Typical Term Paper
Assignments
Clarify what skills you expect students to
develop as they complete the term paper
assignment.
 Check with your library to make sure it
can support your research requirement.
 Invite a librarian to make a presentation
to your students
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Research and Term Papers
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Do not send an entire class in search of
the same information.
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Break the term paper assignment into
manageable chunks.
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Specify a style manual.
Research and Term Papers
Designing effective writing
assignments is an integral part
of teaching information literacy.
Close interrelationship between
writing assignments and teaching
of information literacy
Abundance and diversity of information
resources
 Question about authenticity, validity, and
reliability
 We need to be able to evaluate,
understand and effectively use
information
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Why is information literacy
important?
“Information literacy is 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.”
[Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education, Assoc. of
College & Research Libraries (ACRL)]
Definition and Learning Outcomes
The information literate student
 determines the nature and extent of the
information needed;
 accesses needed information effectively
and efficiently;
 evaluates information and its sources
critically and incorporates selected
information into his or her knowledge
base and value system;
Definition and Learning Outcomes
uses information effectively to accomplish
a specific purpose;
 understands many of the economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use of
information and accesses and uses
information ethically and legally.
[Information Literacy Competency Standard
for Higher Education, Assoc. of College &
Research Libraries (ACRL)]
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Definition and Learning Outcomes
Students need instruction in these
competencies throughout their academic
career.
 They need to have repeated opportunities
for seeking, evaluating, and managing
information gathered from multiple
sources and discipline-specific research
methods.
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Development of information
literacy competencies takes times
Definition of Information Literacy (Australia)
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The information technology conception –
information literacy is seen as using
information technology for information
retrieval and communication (Category one)
The information sources conception –
information literacy is seen as finding
information (Category two)
Seven Faces of Information
Literacy (C. S. Bruce)
The information process conception –
information literacy is seen as executing a
process (Category three)
 The information control conception –
information literacy is seen as controlling
information (Category four)
 The knowledge construction conception –
information literacy is seen as building up
personal knowledge base in a new area of
interest (Category five)
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Seven Faces of Information
Literacy (C. S. Bruce)
The knowledge extension base –
information literacy is seen as working
with knowledge and personal perspectives
adopted in such a way that novel insights
are gained (Category six)
 The wisdom conception – information
literacy is seen as using information
wisely for the benefits of others (Category
seven)
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Seven Faces of Information
Literacy (C. S. Bruce)
Australian version of ACRL Standards for
information literacy has additional two
standards:
 Recognizes that lifelong learning and
participative citizenship requires
information literacy.
 Expands, reframes or creates new
knowledge by integrating prior knowledge
and new understandings individually or as
a member of a group.
Australian Version of ACRL
Standards
Basic Library Skills
IT Skills
SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy (England)
Novice Advanced beginner Competent Proficient Expert
Synthesise and create
Organise, apply and communicate
Compare and evaluate
Locate and access
Construct strategies for locating
Distinguish ways of addressing gap
Recognise information need
Information literacy
Setting measurable observable objectives
and developing standardized ways to
measure learning are all based on the
Behaviorist approach.
Behaviorism or StimulusResponse Approach
Learning is based on reinforcement of
desirable behavior.
 Immediate reinforcement or feedback must
follow desired behavior for the behavior to
be learned.
 Undesirable behavior should never be
reinforced.
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Behaviorism or StimulusResponse Approach
Behaviorism or Stimulus-Response Approach
Active participation is crucial to learning.
 Learners should be allowed to move at their
own pace.
 Learners should be tested for mastery at
each stage of learning and should not be
allowed to proceed to the next level unless
they have mastered preceding ones.
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Behaviorism or StimulusResponse Approach
Focuses on students engaging with
information to solve a problem and
thereby creating new understanding
through active investigation and thought,
instead of memorizing facts presented in
class lectures.
 Learning is viewed as a process in which
learners construct understanding rather
than merely take in ideas and memorize
them.
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Constructivist Approach
Emphasis on Discovery
 Instructor designs learning experiences in
which learners discover for themselves
solutions to problems and by extension
the concepts, skills or strategies needed
to formulate these solutions.
 Teacher steps back from center-stage and
allows the learners to find their own way
to solutions.
Constructivist Approach
The relational approach to information
literacy refers to the experiences that
people encounter in using information and
the capacity to discern which forms of
information literacy are applicable to
different situations of need.
Relational Approach
Current
practice
Library
skills
Research /
advocacy
Information
skills
Information
literacy
Carey’s (1998) information literacy continuum
Library skills: Students find information
from multiple sources and use it in
preparing reports and presentations.
 Information literacy: Students construct
personal solution strategies for
information problems, and generalize,
test, and adopt those strategies in new
problem situations.
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Carey’s description of differences
in student learning outcomes
Different level of information literacy
competencies require different
pedagogical approaches.
 Library skills of locating and accessing
information are not the same as the
higher thinking competencies of knowing
how to evaluate, interpret, and use
information.
 Necessary to use a number of appropriate
approaches.
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Different levels of competencies
Problems are deliberately ill-structured (or
open-ended) and are typically based on
real-life simulations; they are designed for
thoughtful and careful analysis to help
improve critical thinking skills by applying
the learner’s own expertise and
experience to data collection, analysis,
and formulation of a solution.
Problem-Based Learning
First step in developing a PBL activity is to
find or create a problem or situation that
needs a solution.
 Best resources of good problems are
newspapers or popular magazines.
 Contemporary situations work best for
writing problems that get and keep a
learner’s attention.
 Problems are deliberately ill-structured (or
open-ended) and based on real-life
simulation.
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Problem-Based Learning
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Binge drinking
Academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism)
Hazing
Technology issues (i.e. piracy)
Stem-cell research
Environmental issues (nuclear energy)
Some topics that work well for
PBL activities
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They are engaging
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They have structure
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They are adaptable
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They are collaborative
Criteria for Good Problems
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In Problem Based Learning activities,
learners should
gather facts based on what is known,
identify and ask questions about what is
not known,
formulate a problem statement and
hypothesize about the solution,
locate information to support those ideas,
evaluate the materials they find.
Problem-Based Learning Activities
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Sets up the problem situation
Balances student-direction with assistance
Contributes knowledge and experiences
Creates a pleasant learning environment
Stimulates critical evaluation of ideas
Instructor’s Role
Interdisciplinary courses, in which
students learn to think reflectively and
address complex, real-world problems,
enable the development of complex
critical thinking skills.
Development of higher level
information literacy skills
Capstone project requirement (University
of Vermont), which involves students
synthesizing materials across disciplines
to support research on complex
environmental problems
Environmental Studies as an
Interdisciplinary Area of Study
Working with multiple methods
 Within multiple theoretical frameworks
 With different attitudes between natural
and social science approaches to
problems
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Challenges of Interdisciplinary
Environmental Research
Objectives of Course:
 Help students to understand the proper
use of scientific method in both personal
decision-making and in service to others
 Build competencies in both literatureseeking skills and critical analysis of
results
 Work effectively as team members in
making interesting, accurate, &
informative presentations to peers
“The Misapplication of Science: Personal
Perils and Social Cost” (Moravian College)
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Pedagogical approach based on following
evidence-based decision making:
Form a focused question
Conduct a comprehensive search of the
literature
Critically evaluate the literature obtained
Determine whether there is enough
evidence to answer question
Pedagogical Approach
(Moravian College)
Pedagogy for an information literacy
program “links information literacy to
ongoing course work and real-life
experience appropriate to program and
course level.”
(“Characteristics of Programs of
Information Literacy that Illustrate Best
Practice: A Guideline,” Association of
College & Research Libraries)
Conclusion
Designing effective writing
assignments is an integral part
of teaching information literacy.
Conclusion