Developing Information Literacy Skills provides guidance and practice in the skills needed to find and use valid and appropriate sources for a research project. Anyone who does academic research at any level can benefit from ways to improve their information literacy skills. This text has been structured around the six critical elements of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, contextualizing these elements by fitting them into the research and writing process. The book focuses on providing students with the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills needed to: (1) identify the conversation that exists around a topic, (2) clarify their own perspective on that topic, and (3) efficiently and effectively read and evaluate what others have said that can inform their perspective and research. The critical-thinking and problem-solving skills practiced here are good preparation for what students will encounter in their academic and professional lives. As an experienced writing instructor, the author has evaluated the final written products of hundreds of students who were trained through one-shot workshops and first-year introductory courses. She has applied that knowledge to create the tasks in this book so that students have the skills to successfully find, evaluate, and use sources and then produce a paper that incorporates valid research responsibly and effectively.

Provides guidance on how to do research, including how to use libraries and their resources, the Internet, and other sources such as interviews and surveys.

The six threshold concepts outlined in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education are not simply a revision of ACRL's previous Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. They are instead an altogether new way of looking at information literacy. In this important new book, bestselling author and expert instructional librarian Burkhardt decodes the Framework, putting its conceptual approach into straightforward language while offering more than 50 classroom-ready Framework-based exercises. Guiding instructors towards helping students cross each threshold, this book discusses the history of the development of the Framework document and briefly deconstructs the six threshold concepts; thoroughly addresses each threshold concept, scaffolding from the beginner level to the intermediate level; includes exercises that can be used in the one-shot timeframe as well as others designed for longer class sessions and semester-long courses; offers best practices in creating learning outcomes, assessments, rubrics, and teaching tricks and tips; and looks at how learning, memory, and transfer of learning applies to the teaching of information literacy. Offering a solid starting point for understanding and teaching the six threshold concepts in the Framework, Burkhardt's guidance will help instructors create their own local information literacy programs.

Why do we teach information literacy? This book argues that the main purpose of information literacy teaching in higher education is to enhance student learning. With the impact of new technologies, a proliferation of information sources and a change in the student demography, information literacy has become increasingly important in academia. Also, students that know how to learn have a better chance of adapting their learning strategies to the demands of higher education, and thus completing their degree. The authors discuss the various aspects of how academic integrity and information literacy are linked to learning, and provide examples on how our theories can be put into practice. The book also provides insight on the normative side of higher education, namely academic formation and the personal development process of students. The cognitive aspects of the transition to higher education, including learning strategies and critical thinking, are explored; and finally the book asks how information literacy teaching in higher education might be improved to help students meet contemporary challenges. - Presents critical thinking and learning strategies as a basic foundation for information literacy - Covers information literacy as a way into deep learning/higher order thinking - Provides self-regulation, motivation, and self-respect as tools in learning - Emphasizes the interdependence of learning, academic integrity, critical thinking, and information literacy - A practical guide to teaching information literacy based on an increased focus on the learning process, an essential for Information literacy graduate students and higher education teaching staff in relevant fields

Given the increasing attention to managing, publishing, and preserving research datasets as scholarly assets, what competencies in working with research data will graduate students in STEM disciplines need to be successful in their fields? And what role can librarians play in helping students attain these competencies? In addressing these questions, this book articulates a new area of opportunity for librarians and other information professionals, developing educational programs that introduce graduate students to the knowledge and skills needed to work with research data. The term "data information literacy" has been adopted with the deliberate intent of tying two emerging roles for librarians together. By viewing information literacy and data services as complementary rather than separate activities, the contributors seek to leverage the progress made and the lessons learned in each service area. The intent of the publication is to help librarians cultivate strategies and approaches for developing data information literacy programs of their own using the work done in the multiyear, IMLS-supported Data Information Literacy (DIL) project as real-world case studies. The initial chapters introduce the concepts and ideas behind data information literacy, such as the twelve data competencies. The middle chapters describe five case studies in data information literacy conducted at different institutions (Cornell, Purdue, Minnesota, Oregon), each focused on a different disciplinary area in science and engineering. They detail the approaches taken, how the programs were implemented, and the assessment metrics used to evaluate their impact. The later chapters include the "DIL Toolkit," a distillation of the lessons learned, which is presented as a handbook for librarians interested in developing their own DIL programs. The book concludes with recommendations for future directions and growth of data information literacy. More information about the DIL project can be found on the project's website: datainfolit.org.

This book explains how information literacy (IL) is essential to the contemporary workplace and is fundamental to competent, ethical and evidence-based practice. In today’s information-driven workplace, information professionals must know when research evidence or relevant legal, business, personal or other information is required, how to find it, how to critique it and how to integrate it into one’s knowledge base. To fail to do so may result in defective and unethical practice which could have devastating consequences for clients or employers. There is an ethical requirement for information professionals to meet best practice standards to achieve the best outcome possible for the client. This demands highly focused and complex information searching, assessment and critiquing skills. Using a range of new perspectives, Information Literacy in the Workplace demonstrates several aspects of IL’s presence and role in the contemporary workplace, including IL’s role in assuring competent practice, its value to employers as a return on investment, and its function as an ethical safeguard in the duty and responsibilities professionals have to clients, students and employers. Chapters are contributed by a range of international experts, including Christine Bruce, Bonnie Cheuk, Annemaree Lloyd with a foreword from Jane Secker. Content covered includes: examination of the value and impact of IL in the workplace how IL is experienced remotely, beyond workplace boundariesIL’s role in professional development organizational learning and knowledge creationdeveloping information professional competencieshow to unlock and create value using IL in the workplace. Readership: This book will be useful for librarians and LIS students in understanding how information literacy is experienced by professions they support; academics teaching professional courses; professionals (e.g. medical, social care, legal and business based) and their employers in showing that IL is essential to best practice and key to ethical practice.

Publisher Description

Hosier shows academic librarians how to use context when teaching information literacy, an approach that offers a substantive and enduring impact on students' lifelong learning. Librarians know that information literacy is much more complex and nuanced than the basic library research skill that it's often portrayed as; in fact, as outlined by the ACRL Framework, research is a contextual activity. But the settings in which we teach often constrain our ability to take a more layered approach. This book not only shows you how to teach information literacy as something other than a basic skill, but also how to do it in whatever mode of teaching you're most often engaged in, whether that's a credit-bearing course, a one-shot session, a tutorial, a reference desk interaction, or a library program. Taking you through each step of the research process, this book shares ideas for adding context while exploring topics such as how conversations about context can be integrated into lessons on common information literacy topics; examples of the six genres of research and suggested course outlines for each; ensuring that context strategies fit within the ACRL Framework; questions for reflection in teaching each step of the research process; four different roles that sources can play when researching a topic; helping students refine a topic that is drawing too many or too few sources; cultivating students to become good decision-makers for the best type of research sources to use depending on their need; and how to address the shortcomings of checklist tools like the CRAAP test.

This book reviews the role of information literacy (IL) in developing employability skills, personal health management and informal learning from a variety of areas including: information policy issues, information usage and training needs and skills development. Early years education, lifelong learning and the role of IL in relevant organisations, including government departments, skills agencies, and professional bodies will also be considered. With a UK focus, this book also considers the leading role of the US in the development of information literacy policy. Case studies and examples of good practise are included and discussed, drawn primarily from Europe, North America and Australasia, also identified examples from other countries. Looks at value and impact and discusses policymaking and issues for the future. - Conveniently brings together a usable text to which people can easily refer to for an overview of a diffuse area - No existing book considers this subject area from a UK and European perspective - Also aimed at a non-traditional readership including educationalists, lifelong learning activists and those involved with informal learning activities

This engaging handbook gives students and working scientists and engineers the information literacy skills they need to find, evaluate, and use information. Beginning with a strong foundation in the utility, structure, and packaging of information, this useful handbook helps students and working professionals decode real-world information literacy problems. Mary DeJong provides a compelling context and rationale for the skills scientists and engineers need to succeed in challenging careers that rely on the successful discovering and sharing of complex information. Students will appreciate the in-depth information on sources, especially those needed for research assignments, and scientists and engineers who write for publication will benefit from chapters on searching databases and organizing and citing sources. Written with science and engineering students and professionals in mind, this book is thorough, well-paced, engaging, and even funny.