Information Competence Instruction Program

Success in a global environment requires an evolving mastery of changing information technologies and skills. Teaching students to be discerning users of information is among the University Library’s highest priorities.

We believe that information competency instruction must be integrated within the classroom curriculum rather than as a stand-alone unit. Through an integrated approach, the program engages students at each of their different stages and styles of learning.

Program Components

First Year Experience program – Designed to bring freshman students to a baseline of information competence and includes several approaches:

Information Competence in the 101s –a collaborative effort between librarians and freshman writing instructors designed to increase understanding of the world of information and provide instructors with a pedagogy for incorporating IC into their classes (currently taught in English 101 and Hutchins 101).

Basic Introduction Session – provided through the Freshman Seminar program, offers a low-key basic Q and A session about library services.

Orientation Events – includes Murder in the Stacks and Love Your Library events designed to break down barriers to the library for entering students.

Upper Division and Graduate – Librarians and faculty select a particular class to incorporate discipline-specific information competence goals. Students gain the necessary skills to carry over to other classes within the major.

Drop-in Workshops – Short drop-in sessions designed to teach the point-and-click aspects of library technologies, including database and catalog searching.

Faculty Outreach and Training – Working with faculty on a one-on-one basis to develop assignments and incorporate information competencies into a class syllabus and student learning outcomes.

Multimedia Workshops – In partnership with the IT department, the University Library offers workshops on current and emerging technologies such as Dreamweaver, iMovie, and Powerpoint.

Online Tools – Currently, we have a number of online research guides designed for use by individual learners and faculty.

Assessment

Assessment is an integral component of our information competence program. By embedding assessment techniques into class outcomes, instructors can develop tools that reflect transferable information competency learning goals. Such tools will enable an instructor to measure a student’s ability to synthesize and discern, effectively use all types of information.

Definition

Information competence is the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information adeptly in an environment of constantly changing information formats, delivery mechanisms, and technologies. As the nexus of technology literacy, media literacy and library literacy, information competence provides a cognitive structure for approaching and solving problems. Students, with information competence skills, can effectively and efficiently:

Define an information need and pursue the type of information that would best solve that need
Use their knowledge of the breadth and depth of information sources available to select appropriate sources for an information problem
Navigate changing information technologies and locate sources within a variety of delivery mechanisms
Evaluate the accuracy and bias of information in the context of an information need
Produce a compelling product that integrates a variety of timely and appropriate sources and uses presentation technologies.

This definition is based on ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.