lit rev: Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum

Back to the library literature for thoughts about information literacy.  I strongly feel that we have a lot to learn from our sibling profession, especially when it comes to information literacy.  This book reinforces that feeling and started me thinking about how to better coordinate my sessions with the librarians at my institution.

Published in 2004 by Jossey-Bass, Integrating Information Literacy into the Higher Education Curriculum: Practical Models for Transformation, has helped to both reinforce by research findings-to-date and think on a larger scale for the delivery of sessions.  I took notes from all parts of the book, but the chapters written by Ilene Rockman were the most informative.

Rockman defines information literacy and explains why these skills are necessary to foster in students.  After graduation, these students will require a wide range of skills and use them in all professions and life situations.  She presents many good arguments and cites many studies to support why information literacy should be part of a wider university curriculum.  A stand-alone, undergraduate course for information literacy is explored here and throughout the book.  She encourages a university-wide, non-subject-specific course because she states that students do not always see how to use these skills for other courses; I have observed that too in my research.

Rockman's chapter entitled "Successful Strategies for Integrating Information Literacy into the Curriculum" had some great ideas. She discusses problem-based learning as a good method for delivery because it results in active and self-directed learning for the students.  Problem-based learning also develops critical thinking skills.  "It is an instructional strategy that takes real-life situations and creates learning opportunities for the students." (page 48)

Susan Carol Curzon discusses "Developing Faculty-Librarian Partnerships in Information Literacy".  She provides strategies for forming these partnerships by: identifying partners (i.e., Senate, teaching and learning centres, part time faculty, department chairs); creating awareness on campus (i.e., talking about critical thinking, meeting the concerns of professors and students, supporting with assessment); avoiding partnership pitfalls (i.e., not dictating curriculum to faculty, involving faculty in the development of a program, offering timely sessions, defining information literacy clearly); and discussing and planning the models of partnering with faculty to teach information literacy (i.e., introductory session, general education session, learning outcomes focus, faculty focus, entrance requirement).

Other chapters were less useful for my research at this time, but I noted their general content.  Chapter 3 discusses online tutorials and how to develop them so that students can learn.  Chapter 4 explores building a literacy program on a university-wide scale and embedding information literacy in the university's curriculum.  Chapter 5 discusses the assessment an information literacy course at a large institution, while chapters 6 and 7 talk about how to do the assessment and resulting program development on a wider scale.  These chapters are all interesting, but are a little beyond my ability and scope.