Promoting Information Literacy through Biological Research

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Promoting Information Literacy through Biological
Research

• Roman E. Boldyreff
• Kimberly D. Royal
• Michael W. Rowan

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What is Information Literacy?

• Ability to locate, critically evaluate and
  effectively use information
• Includes
• Ability to recognize when information is needed
• Determining what information is needed
• Distinguishing between credible and non-credible
  sources

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Why is information literacy important?

• Modern-day skill required in the information age
• Required to answer questions, solve problems and
  make decisions

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Importance of Information Literacy in Biology

• All science students need to be able to
  distinguish between a primary resource a
  secondary resource
• Biology Textbook
• PBS Evolution Website
• Biological Encyclopedia
• Lab Manual
• All secondary!

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Primary Resources

• First-hand documents or data
• Articles or reports that contain original data or
  scientific results
• Peer-reviewed journal articles, technical
  reports, published conference proceedings,
  dissertations and theses

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Secondary Resources

• Not first-hand documents
• Summaries, analyses, or inter-pretations of
  primary resources (therefore subjective!)
• Not commonly cited in science as a reliable
  source of information
• Textbooks, dictionaries, ency-clopedias,
  handbooks, reviews, manuals, debates, most
  websites

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Information Literacy Modules

• Tri-C awarded OBOR grant to promote information
  literacy
• Four modules have been created by teams of Tri-C
  faculty
• Part of larger project w/ BGSU, Kent State,
  College of Mount Saint Joseph and Univ. of
  Cincinnati

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Digital Microscopy

• Traditional Cheek Cell Lab
• Digital Cheek Cell Lab
• http//instruct.tri-c.edu/rboldyr/BIO1040Descripti
  on.html

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Assessing Aquatic Ecosystems

• Information Literacy Background
• Aquatic Ecosystem Characteristics
• Aquatic Ecosystem Case Studies
• Assessing Aquatic Ecosystems
• http//infowizard.lms.kent.edu/

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• A link to this presentation can be found at
• instruct.tri-c.edu/kroyal/NABT2006.htm