Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education

with Selected Outcomes and Ideas for Active Learning *

Standard 1. The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

Outcomes include:

Understands the parameters of the research assignment.
Formulates a thesis statement or research question.
Uses Library and Internet sources appropriately to explore a topic.

Active Learning Suggestions to achieve these Outcomes include:

• Make sure students understand all of the requirements for the assignment:
• The difference between scholarly journals and popular journals--- have students compare a popular and scholarly work on the same topic
• The difference between primary and secondary sources
• The value of and difference between multiple types of resources--books, Reference books, journals, scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines, Web sites, images, etc.
• The steps/tasks needed to successfully complete the research assignment---visuals such as flowcharts help
• Have students paraphrase the assignment and/or list all the questions they have about it.
• Have students:
  • share topic ideas with the class or within small groups, for comments and suggestions.
  • List a broad topic and give 2-3 aspects they could pursue.
• Have smaller assignments due during the research process:
• Thesis statement, Working title, Working bibliography
• First Draft, Final Project, Works Cited, "What I learned" reflection essay

Standard 2. The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Outcomes include:

Selects key words or phrases to create an effective search strategy .
Identifies and uses appropriate source (e.g. Library catalog, e-Resources, Web sites).
Understands all elements of citations and types of sources ( e.g. journal articles, books, book chapters, internet sites).

Active Learning Suggestions to achieve these Outcomes include:

• Have students:
• Identify and use appropriate sources for the assignment (e.g. Library catalog, e-Resources, Web sites).
• Keep a research log of sources consulted, keywords used and the successes/ failures. Give them a sample log.
• Compare/evaluate the result of searches with a search engine, subscription database, and Library catalog.
• Find a a relevant source and use its bibliography to track down other relevant sources.
• Go to the Library's Web site for appropriate citing for all citation formats.
• Explain to students (or have a librarian explain):
• How to develop search strategies---then have the class as a whole or small groups generate search strategies for all the topics selected in the class; share and discuss results.
• Development of topics in class sessions, selecting keywords, creating search strategies and selecting appropriate research sources.
• The use of indexes, catalog, e-Resources, scholarly journals, popular magazines, peer-reviewed, full-text, citations, etc.

Standard 3. The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

Outcomes include:

Analyzes the content and structure of information sources.
Evaluates the reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view/bias of information sources.
Chooses information relevant to their focus and audience.

Active Learning Suggestions to achieve these Outcomes include:

• Have students compare a popular and a scholarly work on the same topic.
• The Library can assist in helping students
• Develop search strategies---then have the class as a whole or small groups generate search strategies for all the topics selected in the class; share and discuss results.
• Brainstorm evaluative criteria for Web sites and use criteria to evaluate selected sites.
• Have an open discussion of what is and isn't on the Web.
• Create a bibliography of sources they have sued for their projects and explain why they chose each source and its relevancy.
• Present a topic from a variety of viewpoints: gender, race, place, time.

 
Standard 4. The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

Outcomes include:

Synthesizes information from diverse sources to reach an informed conclusion.
Organizes information in a way that meets the requirements of the assignment.
Communicates clearly and with a style that supports the purposes of the intended audience.

Active Learning Suggestions to achieve these Outcomes include:

• Have students:
• Work in small groups to present a poster session or Power Point presentation on their research topic.
• Present a summary of their research to the class and create test questions on their presentation for class.
• Work in small groups to present research findings on a topic, with each student presenting for a different audience or presenting a different aspect of the topic.

Standard 5. The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

Outcomes include:

Demonstrates an awareness of the social issues around the use of information: copyright, censorship, etc.
Understands and avoids inadvertent plagiarism.
Understands the importance of appropriately citing information.

Active Learning Suggestions to achieve these Outcomes include:

• During class time, ask students to briefly define (2-3 minutes) copyright, censorship and plagiarism on a sheet of paper to be turned in anonymously. Have them include questions they may have and address those questions in the class.
• Ask students to find a newspaper or popular article on copyright, censorship, or plagiarism. Have them write a 1-page opinion paper about how this would affect them in some aspect of their life outside school, in their future career, as a parent, a consumer, etc.
• Provide clear examples of what is acceptable when referencing a source in research and when it becomes plagiarism or a violation of copyright. (Drexel Library's Plagiarism Web site)
• Have open discussions about the availability of papers for purchase on the Internet. Use this as a way to open dialogue about the ethical issues of using intellectual property.
• As a class activity, submit a paper to one of the plagiarism detection sites on the Internet and discuss results.