Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum

Research has shown that in order to develop information literacy skills, students must be given repeated opportunities throughout their college years to acquire and exercise these skills in their daily lives. Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum is filled with information and practical examples from a wide variety of institutions that show how information literacy programs and partnerships can transform the higher education teaching and learning environments. The contributors to this important resource are experts in the field and include such leaders as Pam Baker, Amelie Brown. Lynn Cameron, Renee R. Curry, Susan Carol Curzon, Trudi E.Jacobson, Bonnie Gratch Lindauer, Ilene F. Rockman, and Patrick Sullivan. The Foreword is by Patricia Senn Breivik.

Foreword

Preface

The authors

Introduction: the importance of information literacy 1

1 Developing faculty-librarian partnerships in information literacy 29

2 Successful strategies for integrating information literacy into the curriculum 47

3 Developing freshman-level tutorials to promote information literacy 71

4 Integrating information competence into an interdisciplinary major 93

5 Meeting information literacy needs in a research setting 133

6 Developing a tool to assess college students 165

7 Assessing information literacy 207

Conclusion: continuing the dialogue 237

Index 251

"This volume provides useful examples of how a good and energetic library can attempt to broaden and systematize its efforts…" (Authors Journal Compilation, Winter 2007) Ilene F. Rockman is the manager of the Information Competence Initiative for the Office of the Chancellor of the twenty-three campuses of the California State University System. "The contributors to this book got it exactly right: it takes a whole campus to produce an information-literate graduate."
–George D. Kuh, chancellor’s professor, and director, Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University

The American Library Association's Presidential Committee defines information literacy as "the ability to know when information is needed and to be able to know, locate, and effectively use that information for lifelong learning and problem solving." Increasingly, educators are expressing concern that students are not developing the ability to critically analyze the messages they receive from television, the Internet, and other media sources. Students also lack the abilities needed to effectively utilize the myriad information sources available to them.

Research has shown that in order to develop information literacy skills, students must be given repeated opportunities throughout their college years to acquire and exercise these skills in their daily lives. Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum is filled with information and practical examples from a wide variety of institutions that show how information literacy programs and partnerships can transform the higher education teaching and learning environments. The contributors to this important resource are experts in the field and include such leaders as Pam Baker, Amelie Brown, Lynn Cameron, Renée R. Curry, Susan Carol Curzon, Trudi E. Jacobson, Bonnie Gratch Lindauer, Ilene F. Rockman, and Patrick Sullivan. The Foreword is by Patricia Senn Breivik.

The contributors address various practices of information literacy that have proven successful at two- and four-year institutions and cover topics such as

• Developing faculty-librarian partnerships
• Integrating information literacy into the curriculum
• Designing freshman-level tutorials to promote information literacy
• Meeting information literacy needs in a research setting
• Infusing information literacy into an interdisciplinary major
• Creating an assessment instrument for measuring information literacy
• Assessing information literacy

Educators and administrators will find Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum to be a valuable resource for integrating information competence strategies into the academic structure and helping all their students to become skilled at finding, evaluating, analyzing, integrating, managing, and conveying information effectively.

Praise for Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum

"This book should be read and acted upon by all higher educators who are trying to improve the academic performance, success, satisfaction, retention, and ultimate graduation rate of first-year students."
—John N. Gardner, executive director, Policy Center on the First Year of College, and distinguished professor of educational leadership, Brevard College

"This book offers practical advice and proven strategies for university faculty and librarians who want college students to become information literate."
—Lorie Roth, assistant vice chancellor, the California State University System

"A very practical guide for higher education leaders, faculty, and librarians to guide them in integrating information literacy throughout the curriculum so that students will graduate with appropriate information skills for productive work in the information society."
—Hannelore B. Rader, dean, University Libraries, University of Louisville

"With this work Ilene Rockman and associates have done a major service for educators needing pragmatic guidance in ensuring twenty-first century students achieve information mastery. Necessary reading!"
—Cheryl LaGuardia, head of instructional services, the Harvard College Library, Widener Library, research services, Harvard University

"This book should be read and acted upon by all higher educators who are trying to improve the academic performance, success, satisfaction, retention, and ultimate graduation rate of first-year students."
--John N. Gardner, executive director, Policy Center on the First Year of College, and distinguished professor of educational leadership, Brevard College

"This book offers practical advice and proven strategies for university faculty and librarians who want college students to become information literate."
--Lorie Roth, assistant vice chancellor, the California State University System

"A very practical guide for higher education leaders, faculty, and librarians to guide them in integrating information literacy throughout the curriculum so that students will graduate with appropriate information skills for productive work in the information society."
--Hannelore B. Rader, dean, University Libraries, University of Louisville

"With this work Ilene Rockman and associates have done a major service for educators needing pragmatic guidance in ensuring twenty-first century students achieve information mastery. Necessary reading!"
--Cheryl LaGuardia, head of instructional services, the Harvard College Library, Widener Library, research services, Harvard University