Information Literacy: Designing Research Assignments with a Purpose
June 8, 2004
Darrow Wood: Introduction and Overview of Information Literacy
Monica Berger: To Google or Not To Google: Catalogs, Databases, Pathfinders and Other Electronic Resources
I. Integrating Information Literacy into the Curriculum
"Information literacy forms
the basis for lifelong learning. It is common to all disciplines, to all
learning environments, and to all levels of education. It enables
learners to master content and extend their investigations, become more
self-directed, and assume greater control over their own learning."
Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education)
II. Writing Assignments Incorporating Information LiteracyA. Information Literacy and Writing Assessment Project: Tutorial for Developing and Evaluating Assignments
University of Maryland University College, Information and Library Services, http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutorials/information_literacy/toc.html
B. Alternative Writing Assignments
Kingís College Library
Some faculty members have lost confidence
in the learning effectiveness of the traditional research paper for
undergraduates. Concerns over "cut-and-paste" plagiarism and
term paper purchasing have created a need for different approaches
towards information-based assignments. Term papers have been the most
commonly used method of evaluating whether students can successfully
apply information skills, but there are other ways to incorporate
information resources into assignments without requiring a full-scale
research paper. Students may actually respond better to alternative
assignments that enable them to focus on specific resources, aspects of
the research process or aspects of the discipline.
Librarians are available to discuss various information resources and term-paper alternatives with you. A number of handouts are available to help students with different types of assignments such as writing annotated bibliographies, book reviews. Consultation with librarians helps to clarify their understanding of the assignment so that they can better assist your students.
When adapting any of the ideas below, please note that the clarity of your directions, details and examples contribute to the assignmentís and your studentsí success.
1. Learning Research Skills
2. Understanding the Structure of "the Literature"
3. Critical Reading
4. Using the Web