Information Literacy in Academic Environments

1
Information Literacy in Academic Environments

• June 1, 2005
• AMICAL Meeting No. 2
• June 1-3, 2005
• Delivered by Samira Rafidi Meghdessian
  Information Services Librarian
• American
  University of Beirut

2
Information Literacy Defined

• Information Literacy is the group of
  instructional activities that seek to teach and
  to develop information skills in students, at the
  time of need, within a course and customized to
  the research requirements of the course.
• Debates exist over uniform definitions. However,
  the standards, levels and outcomes are more or
  less known.

3
Information Literacy Standards

• 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
  knowledge base and value
• Uses the 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
• Adapted from the ACRL - Information Literacy
  Competency Standards for Higher Education

4
Levels of Information Literacy

• Entry level - Undergraduates
• Mid level - Major disciplines
• High level - Graduates
• Advanced level - Faculty Research

5
Challenges facing Information Literacy

• Because Libraries are too often regarded as a
  mere service and not as an essential part of
  research institutions, librarians tend to remain
  segregated from the research community in a
  fundamental way. There lies the main obstacle
  preventing the libraries from playing an
  important role in redefining the political
  economy of knowledge.
• Bridges, Karl. Expectations of Librarians in the
  21st Century. Westport, Conn. Greenwood Press,
  2003.

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Challenges (Contd)

• Credibility and Qualifications
• Collaboration with Faculty
• Independent information seeker
• Integration within courses
• Integration with IT and course management
  software
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Future Outlook

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Credibility

• Instruction Experience
• Reference Experience
• Computer Skills
• Conceptual Big Picture Thinking
• Marketing abilities
• Dynamism and flexibility

8
Collaboration with Faculty

• Marketing (Department or Individual?)
• Faculty Perceptions of role of the libraries
• Syllabus content
• Research Activities
• Follow up

9
Integration within Courses

• Prior communication with Faculty
• Research project in context
• Session targeted to course needs
• How much information should be delivered?
• Is one session enough?
• Follow up with students

10
Integration with IT and course management
software

• Work closely with Technology Services to keep up
  with new emerging technologies
• Work closely with Academic Computing to assure
  integration of Libraries sources within courses
• Develop an electronic classroom to provide
  context for the implementation of Information
  Literacy

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Assessment and Evaluation

• Devising methods for evaluation (surveys,
  software, tools)
• Collecting of Data
• Interpreting and analysis of Data
• Selecting most suitable assessment method

12
Future Outlook

• Students will become more adept at information
  seeking
• More research-oriented information will become
  available freely
• New one -stop -shop technologies will provide
  quicker and easier access to information
• Where do librarians and commercial information
  providers stand?