LSC 524 Teaching About Information
Graduate School of Library and Information
Studies
University of Rhode Island
DATE
AND TIME: MONDAY, Beginning January 23, 2006 from 3:30-6:15pm.
Dr.
Cheryl A. McCarthy
Office: 401-874-4654
Professor
Fax: 401-874-4964
Rodman
Hall #8
E-mail: chermc@uri.edu
Kingston,
RI 02881
Spring Syllabus 2006
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Teaching About Information will enable you to become effective Information
Literacy Instruction Librarians by offering approaches to create effective
lessons and programs to teach information problem solving and research strategies
to library users primarily in school, academic, and public libraries. This
course will introduce librarians to the history, theory, cognitive methodologies,
conceptual frameworks, design, presentation, and evaluation of information
literacy instruction. Emphasis is on collaborating and integrating Information
Literacy Standards in school, public, and academic libraries. This course
will focus on both the ACRL and AASL information literacy standards and use
case studies to discuss and analyze problems in ILI in various types of libraries.
Students will apply either AASL or ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards
to design instructional activities in order to create information literate
library users in a library type of your choice. Students will be grounded
in theory and application in teaching library users of all ages how to research
and use information resources and new technologies more efficiently, effectively,
and honestly. Moreover, students will evaluate current ILI websites and tutorials,
as well as analyze current research on ÒTeaching About Information In Libraries.
COURSE METHODOLOGY:
The inquiry method will be used, whereby, students will engage in essential
questions and discussions of the readings and information literacy frameworks
and standards each day. Students will be asked to discuss, to question, to
reflect, and to write responses to the challenges and issues raised in class,
in the text, in the research and on websites. The instructor will lecture
on selected topics relating to teaching about information including philosophy,
theory, and methodologies. Students will read, discuss, and become grounded
in the history, theory, cognitive methodologies, conceptual frameworks, design,
presentation, and evaluation of information literacy instruction. The emphasis
of this course will be on using Association of College and Research Libraries
(ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards or AASL Information Literacy
Standards as well as problem solving case studies in various types of libraries.
Students
will keep a journal by incorporating their responses to the class sessions,
readings, research, case studies, websites, and research articles. The instructor
will also introduce and model cognitive methodologies which the students will
demonstrate mastery of during their information literacy instruction presentations.
Students will present brief scenarios of ILI case studies and identify the
problem and discuss the resolution of each ILI problem. In addition, students
will also work in pairs to examine and critique information literacy instruction
websites and share their findings with the whole class in live demos. Students
will present two exemplary information literacy instruction websites to share
with the class. Discussions and abstracts will be shared each week.
Students
will present one 30-minute lesson or research activity to the class by integrating
information literacy standards using either AASL or ACRL and include one research
framework such as Big Six Skills. Lessons should have some utility and importance
for the hypothetical learners to enable them to be effective library users
and to master the information literacy standards for school or academic libraries.
Students
will prepare their written information literacy instructional unit or information
literacy library program. In lieu of a written instructional unit, you may
create an interactive web page or tutorial of information literacy instruction
or exercises, which will be posted to our WEB CT site for future use.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The students
will demonstrate mastery of the following outcomes:
GSLIS Educational
Outcomes: Students
will demonstrate mastery of GSLIS educational outcome #6.
6. Demonstrate the ability to instruct patrons
in the mastery of information literacy, which includes the skills needed to
locate, access, use and evaluate information resources in all formats.
In addition,
students will show progress in mastering the secondary GSLIS educational outcomes:
1. Possess awareness of the range of services
and resources that can be provided by libraries and other information agencies
to meet the educational, recreational, developmental, and informational needs
of users.
2. Be guided by a set of professional ethics,
based on a knowledge and understanding of the professional codes of organizations
such as the American Library Association, the Special Libraries Association,
and the American Society for Information Science.
5. Demonstrate competence in using information
technologies to access information and provide patrons with access to information
resources in all formats.
7. Exhibit interpersonal skills and respect
in the treatment of colleagues and patrons.
8. Communicate effectively using appropriate
media, including the written, oral, graphic, and nonverbal.
9. Demonstrate a commitment and ability to
serve the information needs of users and nonusers.
11. Recognize
and respond proactively to the information needs of individuals of diverse
backgrounds, ages, developmental stages, learning styles, and circumstances.
13. Understand
the process of research and be able to apply published research and in-house
evaluations to the improvement of library and information services.
14. Master problem-solving
and critical thinking skills.
20. Respect the
importance of diversity in its broadest sense in collections, services, and
staffing.
21. Meet the
Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards (for School Library Media only).
For School
Library Media Certification Students:
Eleven RHODE
ISLAND BEGINNING TEACHER STANDARDS:
Standard 1. Teachers
create learning experience using a broad base of general
knowledge that
reflects an understanding of the nature of the world in which we
live.
Standard 2. Teachers
create learning experiences that reflect an understanding
of the central
concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines they
teach.
Standard 3. Teachers
create instructional opportunities that reflect an
understanding
of how children learn and develop.
Standard 4. Teachers
create instructional opportunities that reflect a respect for
the diversity
of learners and an understanding of how students differ in their
approaches to
learning.
Standard 5. Teachers
create instructional opportunities to encourage studentsÕ
development of
critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Standard 6. Teachers
create a learning environment that encourages
appropriate standards
of behavior, positive social interaction, active engagement
in learning,
and self-motivation.
Standard 7. Teachers
foster collaborative relationships with colleagues and
families to support
studentsÕ learning.
Standard 8. Teachers
use effective communication as the vehicle through
which students
explore, conjecture, discuss, and investigate new ideas.
Standard 9. Teachers
use a variety of formal and informal assessment
strategies to
support the continuous development of the learner.
Standard 10.
Teachers reflect on their practice and assume responsibility for
their own professional
development by actively seeking opportunities to learn
and grow as professionals.
Standard 11.
Teachers maintain professional standards guided by legal and
ethical principles.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Grassian, Esther
S. and Kaplowitz, Joan R. Information Literacy Instruction. New York:
Schuman Publishers, Inc. 2001.
Burkhardt, Joanna
M., MacDonald, Mary C., Rathemacher, Andree. Teaching
Students. Chicago: ALA, 2003.
ADDITIONAL
REQUIRED READINGS:
In addition to
the text, each student will be responsible for writing a minimum of 2 abstracts
of two recent research articles on ILI and for evaluating a minimum of 2 websites
on information literacy instruction in either school or academic libraries.
Abstracts and website demonstrations and evaluations will be shared in class
each week along with the case study presentations. Abstracts and evaluations
shared in class will also be shared on Web CT.
GRADING:
Your grade will
be assessed according to the following assessment tools:
| 1 | Evaluation of 2 Websites | 10% |
| 2 | Evaulation of 2 Abstracts | 10% |
| 3 | Present Information Literacy Instructional Lesson or exercise | 20 % |
| 4 | Case Study Presentation & Memo | 10% |
| 5 | Weekly journal entries and Final Journal with your vision | 10% |
| 6 | Class Participation | 10% |
| 7 | Information Literacy Instructional Unit or Program | 30% |
| 100% |
ASSIGNMENTS:
1.Evaluation
of 2 Websites:
Evaluate current
websites on information literacy instruction in school, academic, or public
libraries and write an evaluation based on established criteria. Follow the
assessment tool for websites. Each student will review and write 2 website
evaluations and update the webliography. Your web site evaluations will be
presented in class and submitted in writing.
2. Two Abstracts of 2 research articles:
Select two recent
research based articles 2000-2006 on ILI in school, academic, or public libraries.
Select two research based articles from peer-reviewed journals. Your abstract
should be no longer than three paragraphs or one page and highlight the major
purpose of the research and identify the following: 1.Purpose of the research
and the intended audience of the ILI instruction; 2. How ILI was taught and
how the learnersÕ were assessed; 3. Conclude with an assessment on the value
of the ILI research project for the intended audience. What new ideas or evidence
was revealed about ILI? Why is this article significant or why not?
3. Presentation
of Information Literacy Instructional Lesson or Exercise:
Prepare an interactive lesson on information
literacy instruction for an academic library or for a subject of your choice
for instruction in a school library media center or public library. Choose
a grade level and curriculum area of your interest for a school or public
library. You should identify a subject area or curriculum for a real school
or public library or create a hypothetical one. Your unit should focus on
the Information Literacy Standards for School (AASL) or Academic libraries
(ACRL) and be integrated with curriculum. For a public library you should
identify the target population and the intended subject area of focus for
your lesson (i.e. bilingual or multicultural program for young adults). You
should strive to integrate at least one cognitive strategy with a framework
such as the Big6 Skills or Multiple Intelligences into your lesson or activity.
Your lesson plan is also due on the date
of your presentation while presenting one lesson/exercise for the class. Your oral presentation will
follow your lesson plan and the class will become your target audience K-16
and the type of library of your choice. You will demonstrate at least one teaching strategy introduced in this course
to demonstrate mastery such as cooperative learning, active learning, shared
inquiry, interpretive questions, critical or creative thinking skills, multiple
intelligences, while using an information literacy framework such as the Big
Six Skills Approach. Your grade for presentation will reflect how effective
you are in meeting your stated objectives as well as the style of your delivery.
Thus, both content and performance are important. See rubric for presentation
of ILI lesson. The presentation lesson should be an interactive activity and
focus on one topic of your choice for a school or academic library. Practice
is the best teacher so please practice and prepare your presentation based
on the rubric and model provided.
4. Case Study: Analyze and present one case study as given
by using the problem solving approach to analyze the problem. Create one memo
for resolving the problem in the assigned scenario by focusing on ILI instruction
in either school, academic, or public library. Present your scenario in a
role-playing situation and use a problem solving approach. Each student will
be responsible for one class presentation on a case assigned for that day.
You will be assigned to lead the discussion of your case and will prepare
an abstract of the case and begin the session by selecting the major ILI problem
in the form of a question: What
would you do about É (identify the ILI problem)? Or How should one proceed
to solve (identify the ILI problem...? You should develop and choose the alternative
that YOU believe is BEST and give a rationale WHY.
PREPARE A WRITTEN MEMO TO RESOLVE YOUR PROBLEM.. Address your target
audience in the memo. Use the problem-solving model by also presenting issues
to investigate as well as other problems or areas or assignments of concern
by raising questions for class discussion. Engage the class in the discussion
by asking for approaches to address the remaining issues or areas of concern.
You will be graded on your effectiveness in both problem solving and in your
presentation and leading a class discussion based on your questions. Put yourself
in the shoes of the individual with the major problem and present the case
from the first person point of view.
If this role is difficult for you, act as a colleague or consultant
offering advice. Plan 15 minutes presentation and 15 minutes of discussion.
5. Information Literacy Instructional
Unit or Program or Web Tutorial:
Your ILI unit should contain at least FIVE lessons or exercises using either the ACRL Information Literacy
Competency standards for Academic libraries or AASL Information Literacy Standards
integrated with a content area. You may choose an academic, school or public
library by identifying the type of library and the grade level, rationale,
curriculum or subject area connections, essential questions to investigate
for each lesson, content presented, method of instruction, materials used,
and performance outcomes or objectives for assessment. Learner outcomes or
objectives are essential for each lesson and the learner must be the focus
of your lessons by answering the following questions in the form of an objective/outcome:
You should use the lesson plan formats given.
Title your unit and include a cover sheet with all handouts and a bibliography/webliography.
(Due July 20th for Summer Session Grade.)
For
Example:
Upon completion of this information literacy unit,
the student will be able to:
1. Identify one famous woman from another country and
research her significance.
2.Locate, use, and evaluate at least three
sources.
3.Create a narrative
about the individual and assess the value of her contributions to her culture,
country and society.
6. YOUR FINAL
JOURNAL incorporating your vision of your future role as an information literacy
instruction librarian in a library type of your choice. Use your weekly journal entries to summarize
what you have learned this semester about your role in teaching about information
in a library of your choice. Reflect on your metacognition and your development
as an effective teacher in a library setting. Incorporate HOW you integrated
standards and your future vision.
LSC 524 Teaching
About Information
Dr. Cheryl
A. McCarthy
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
AND COURSE OUTLINE:
TEXT PART
I: INFORMATION LITERACY INSTRUCTION BACKGROUND:
Week 1:
Definitions, History and Philosophy of Information Literacy
Chapters 1&2
Week 2:
AASL and ACRL Information Literacy Standards and integrating instruction
into the curriculum with collaboration and planned programs
Chapters 7 &
8
Week 3:
Various Environments: School, Academic, and Public Libraries
Chapter 15
TEXT: PART
II ILI BUILDING BLOCKS:
Week 4:
Cognitive Learning Styles & Theories & Multiple Intelligences
Chapters 3 &
4
Week 5:
Blooms Taxonomy, Critical Thinking, Active
Learning & Big6 Skills
Chapter 5 &
6
Week 6:
Creating Web Based Instruction & Selecting & Evaluating Web
Resources
Chapter 9
TWO ABSTRACTS OF RESEARCH ARTICLES DUE TODAY.
Week 7:
Designing instructional units and other creative ILI activities
Chapter 10, &
11
TWO EVALUATIONS OF TWO WEBSITES DUE TODAY.
Week 8:
Assessing and evaluating information literacy instructional programs
in school, academic, or public libraries
Chapter 12
TO DIVERSE
POPULATIONS AND MULTICULTURAL GROUPS.
Week 9:
Teaching: Presenting Information Literacy
Instruction programs with passion
Chapter 13
Week 10:
Information Literacy Instruction accommodating
the needs of diverse populations including multicultural groups and resources.
Chapter 14
Week 11:
Technology: Teaching it to faculty and co-workers and using it to teach
Chapters 16 & 17
Presentations
of Information Literacy lessons or exercises due today.
Week 12:
Presentations of Information Literacy Instruction activities for school,
academic, or public libraries.
Week 13: Creating Future visions for ILI in libraries of your choice
& partnerships.
Chapter 18
Due today: Your final Journal entry including what you
have learned this semester and your vision of your role as an Information
Literacy Instruction Librarian for a library of your choice in the future.