LIB120 Introduction to Information Literacy
Spring 2003
Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11:00
University Library Room 104

Introduction | Goals and Objectives | Requirements | Grading
Class Schedule | January | February | March | April | May 
Homework Master List | LIB120 Index

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Instructor: Jim Kinnie University Library Room 124 (401) 874-9240 jkinnie@uri.edu

Fax: 874-5403 Office hours: Thursdays 11am - 12:30 pm or by appointment

Information Literacy is the ability to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. Information Literacy is common to all disciplines, to all learning environments, and to all levels of education. It forms the basis for lifetime learning." -American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report. (Chicago: american Library Association, 1989)

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Information Overload

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In his 1989 book, Information Anxiety, Richard Saul Wurman helps us get a feel for just how dramatic the information explosion really is:

"A weekday edition of the New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in seventeenth century England."

Also:

• More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5000.
• Close to a million books are published internationally each year.
• It is estimated that there are about 3 billion home pages available through the World Wide Web, which is growing at the rate of 5 million new pages daily.
• The total amount of all printed information doubles every 8 years.
• The amount of electronic information is doubling every 60 minutes.

 

"In one year, the average American will read or complete 3,000 notices and forms, read 100 newspapers and 36 magazines, watch 2,463 hours of television, listen to 730 hours of radio, buy 20 CDs, talk on the telephone almost 61 hours, read 3 books, and spend countless hours exchanging information in conversations." (Wurman, 203)

 

During your time in college you will be required to navigate a vast sea of information again and again — in order to research course-related topics, prepare for speeches and debates, and support your written opinions. Most likely, you will also need to be able to track down information for more personal pursuits, such as buying a car or a computer, planning a vacation, or looking for a job.

 

Many of us find the information gathering process to be very stressful. Part of the stress we feel is no doubt a result of the sheer amount of information available — different kinds of information, in different formats, in different places. Where do we start to look? How do we know if we're missing something? How can we tell if the information we have found is any good? Sometimes we might even think to ourselves things like, “Do I really need to know that?” or “I don’t even want to know!” Other times we have the feeling that all the information we’re confronted with is just “too much.”

 

What can we do about it?

 

We can become information literate. Introduction to Information literacy is an invitation to study the world of information, to gain an understanding of how information is organized, to know how to gather information, to analyze and evaluate its worth and to use it effectively in your research.

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Course Goals and Objectives

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Information is a commodity readily available in overwhelming abundance. However. information is only useful if the researcher has the knowledge and skills necessary to manipulate it. While exploring the information world students will learn to use effective methods and techniques of information gathering, evaluation and presentation. The knowledge gained in this course will prepare students to conduct university level research and beyond that, develop skills necessary for life-long learning.

Student Objectives

• Understand the organization of information systems
• Recognize and articulate a research problem
• Develop appropriate and effective search strategies
• Select and use information retrieval tools
• Locate and retrieve information sources
• Analyze and critically evaluate information
• Organize and synthesize information
• Use and apply information effectively

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Requirements:

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There is no required textbook for this course.

Required Materials:

• URI student ID (this is your library card)
• Active email account
• A binder or folder to use for the semester project
• LIB120 Listserv (TBA)
• Copy Card for prints and photocopies (it will cost some money)
• Energy, committment and participation

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Grading

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Grades for the course will be A-F. Grades should be considered as a way for an instructor to communicate how well students have learned what the course is designed to teach. I will grade Homework and Class Exercises on a check / check plus / check minus basis. This translates into 1, 2, 3 or 0 points for each assignment (1=not great,, 2=good, 3=excellent, 0 = not done at all). Exams and projects will be graded traditionally as a percentage of 100 points.

The goal of the homework and exercises is to facilitate your learning through engaging with the material and to provide an opportunity to learn and practice the skills we are covering in class. Assignments are expected to be submitted on the date due. It is very important that you submit the assignments on time so that you will not fall behind in the class. I will accept late homework assignments only before three benchmark dates: February 20, the date of the first exam, will be the last day I will accept assignments that were due before that date; April 10 for assignments due 2/21-4/10; May 6 for assignments due 4/8-5/6. I will not accept assignments later than those dates. In-class exercises cannot be made up. Turning assignments in late is highly discouraged. I will not be as flexible with the Paper Trail Project which is due on May 6. Paper Trail Projects that are turned in late will lose 10 points off the total Semester Project grade for each day late.

Your grade will be based on the following:

Criterion	Percent of final grade
Writing-to-learn exercises/Reserve reading responses	5%
Attendance/In-class exercises (class participation)	10%
Homework assignments	10%
Team Database Project	10%
Exam 1	10%
Exam 2	10%
Semester Project - "The Paper Trail"	30%
Final exam	10%
Go Find It!	5%
Total	100%

Writing-to-learn exercises/Reserve reading responses - 5% of the grade

Writing -to-learn exercises - Writing-to-learn exercises are short. I will ask the class a question, and in response each student will write a few sentences, or at most a paragraph on an index card that is provided. These exercises are designed to help students review and retain material from the last class, to provide practice in applying ideas, to promote understanding of concepts, and to encourage active reading of assigned texts.

Reading responses - Students will submit reading responses for selected readings. Your written responses will be composed of thoughts and evaluations of the readings based on class discussions and experiences with the assignments, exercises and readings for the course, There is no prescribed length for the written responses, but it is expected that each will reflect your own thoughts about the readings. Each student will present their summary/opinion to the class for discussion. I will refer those that need help in composition to the URI Writing Center, 874-4690 or  http://www.uri.edu/artsci/eng/wrtcnt.html

Attendance/In-class Exercises (Class Participation) -10%
You will probably not do well in this course unless you are in class to share and actively contribute to the learning. As much as I am the facilitator of your learning in this course, it is your responsibility to learn the materials and share your learning with your classmates. Exercises will involve group learning and discussions with the class. In-class exercises cannot be made up. If you must miss a class due to illness or emergency you should contact me immediately

Homework Assignments (10%)
Assignments and exercises are expected on the date due. You may submit your work to me in paper, or electronically by email or fax.

Team Database Presentation Project - 10%
Working in teams of 2-3, students will be assigned a specific database. Each team will have class time to investigate and learn to use the database. Outside of class each team will prepare an in-class presentation of the database. Use the Database Discovery Worksheet to help you format the presentation. The presentation must include information about the database's content, coverage, audience, search mechanisms, and retrieval options. A good project will include visual aids and helpful tips for students to learn the database.

Exams (3 Exams, each worth 10% of the final grade for a total of 30%)
The exam dates are listed in the Class Schedule below. The exams will cover anything listed on this syllabus including the textbook readings, readings on reserve, class discussions, notes, Power Point presentations and Web sites used in class. The final ezam will be an essay describibg your research strategy given a choice of topics.
NOTE: Absence during an exam must be excused by a doctor's note verifying illness, an official University letter verifying a participation in a sports event, or a note from a University counselor verifying personal problems. Without an approved excuse, you will not be allowed to take a make-up exam.

The Paper Trail - Semester  Project - 30% of grade
The Paper Trail is due Tuesday, May 6. You will be working on it for most of the semester. It is worth 30% of your grade, so be sure to stay on top of this project. Essentially the Paper Trail is an annotated portfolio or a map of the research process used for a research paper or project. Your Paper Trail project should allow me to follow your research path for a pre-selected research question. It is a map to trace all of your research - the processes that worked and those that didn't work. Homework assignments throughout the semester will directly apply to the Paper Trail project and a personal journal describing your research  experiences will also be included. Journal entries and homework will be collected and returned for revision as the semester progresses. It is highly recommended that you use a topic from a course you are currently taking. Most students choose to use the topic of a paper or project they will be working on during the current semester. The topic idea must be submitted to me for approval before you can begin the project.

Go Find It! - 5%
During the last class meeting each student will be given one information/reference question to answer. Using the skills you have developed in this course you will find the answer and return back to class with it in hand.

Readings
Readings will include online lecture notes,  Web sites, short readings from handouts and  periodicals.  Some reading material may be held in the Reserves Unit of the library.

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Any student needing special accommodations should contact the URI Office of Student Life, Disability Services at (401) 874-2098, TT (via RI Relay) 1-800-745-5555, or on the Web at http://www.uri.edu/disability_services/

Please read the University Manual sections on Plagiarism and Cheating,  8.27.10+
http://www.uri.edu/facsen/8.20-8.27.html

January 21 - Tuesday
Overview and Introductions
Syllabus
Information Skills Survey
Information explosion/Information overload
What exactly is information?

Assignments - Due Jan 23

• Read the syllabus. Complete the Syllabus Critique and the Information Skills Survey and return them next class..
• Review the handout, "How Much Information?" From UC Berkeley (or view it online at http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/how-much-info/summary.html

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January 23 - Thursday
What is Information?
Characteristics of Information
Organization of Information
"Let's buy a car!"

Lecture Notes:

• What is Information? http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info.html
• Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html

Supplemental Web site:

University of California at Berkeley Web site, "How Much Information?" - http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/how-much-info/summary.html

 

Assignment - Due Jan 30

Using the ideas of information organization discussed in class, write a one page organizational scheme for a collection that you have (shoes, CDs, photographs, plants, video games, etc.). Describe the collection and how you have organized it, or how you will organize it. Be prepared to discuss your scheme in class.

 

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January 28 - Tuesday
Information organization continued
Classification systems
Academic disciplines - what field of study is your topic related to?
First step - Encyclopedias, general and subject-specific

Lecture Notes:

• Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html
• The Research Process  http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/resproc.html

Assignments - Due Feb 4

Go to the Library's Reference Online Center (on the first floor of the library behind the Reference Desk and take the LC Easy tutorial. Submit the certificate with your name and earned score to me on February 5. For credit on this assignment you must earn a score of 80- points or more.

Introduction to the Final Project

• The Paper Trail (worth 30% of your grade) for this course is an annotated portfolio of the research process used for a research paper or project. It is highly recommended that you use a current research topic from another course you are currently taking. If you have no papers or projects assigned, you must select a topic that can be approached from an academic standpoint. Submit the topic to me by next Tuesday (2/5) for approval and then you can begin the project. You will be provided with a Research Guide to assist you in accomplishing this project. Paper Trail is due May 7.

January 30 - Thursday
The Research Process - How does it work?
Keys and steps to Successful Research
Using Encyclopedias as Background Sources
General and Subject-Specific Sources
Discussion and Examples

  Lecture Notes:

• Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html
• The Research Process  http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/resproc.html

Assignments - Due Feb 4

• Find one encyclopedia article on your proposed Paper Trail topic from either a general or subject-specific encyclopedia. Photocopy the article, read the article and submit a copy to me with your name and Paper Trail topic listed at the top of the first page. (PT ) Assignments marked with (PT) can apply directly to your Paper Trail Project
• Write a short description of your proposed topic. This should include the idea you wish to research, why it is important to you and some thoughts on how you think you will approach the research. I have some generic topics for students who have difficulty coming up with ideas.

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February 4 - Tuesday
How to develop a topic - Mind Mapping and other techniques
Formulating an effective research question - narrow it down
Develop a Research Plan

Lecture Notes:

• The Research Process  http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/resproc.html

Supplemental Web pages:

• NC tutorial - http://library.uncg.edu/depts/ref/tutorial/
• Merlin (UMass) http://www.library.umass.edu/merlin/directory.html

Assignment - Due Feb 6

Refine your Paper Trail topic and develop a research question. Include search terms and a search strategy.(PT)

February 6 - Thursday
Finding Monographic Information
Introduction to the HELIN Catalog
Advanced HELIN - Keyword, Truncation, Limiting, Restricting

Lecture Notes:

Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html

Supplemental Web pages:

HELIN Users Guide http://library.uri.edu/screens/helinguide.html

Assignment - Due Feb 11

Using HELIN, do a search for information on a hobby or intellectual interest of your own. Bring one printout of the title page of the book you found to the next class.

 

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February 11 - Tuesday
Reviewing  Bibliographic Records (Access Points, Publication info, Location Info)
Interpretation and Evaluation Criteria - How to evaluate the information you find - is it GOOD information?
Annotated Bibliography (What is it? Why use one? How to write one!)
MLA Citation format

Lecture Notes:

Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html

Evaluation Checklist  http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/qualinfo.html

 

Supplemental Web Pages:

• Annotating a Bibliography http://www.millikin.edu/staley/annotate.html
• An Annotated Bibliography in Philosophy http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/philosophy/phlwrite/phlbib.html
• MLA Style Guide http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/MLA/bibliographymla.htm

Assignment - Due Feb 20

Annotated Bibliography - With your Final Project topic in mind, use the HELIN catalog to find three to five books. Using the worksheet and the books you found, develop an annotated bibliography. Include a journal entry on your reactions to searching for and finding books on your topic.(PT)

NOTE : To do this assignment, you must actually get the books so you can review the contents.

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February 13 - Thursday
LC Subject Headings
Revisiting Catalogs
Review for Exam 1

Lecture Notes:

Information Organization http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info_org.html

 

Supplemental Web pages:

• HELIN Users Guide http://library.uri.edu/screens/helinguide.html
• Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/general/callnumbers.html
• Library of Congress Classification System http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/general/lccs.html

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February 18 - Tuesday - NO CLASS (Monday class schedule)

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February 20 - Thursday
EXAM # 1

Exam 1 Study Guide

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February 25 - Tuesday
Exam 1 review
Finding periodical information
Information Cycle - The Flow of Information Web site - http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/flow/
Publication Cycle - Publication Jungle - The Invisible College

Lecture Notes:

Finding Periodical Info http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/periodical.html

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February 27 - Thursday
How to Find Periodical Information continued
Scholarly, Popular and Trade - What's the difference?
Introduction to the Team Database Project

Lecture Notes:

Finding Periodical Info http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/periodical.html

 

Supplemental Web pages:

Tips for Identifying Scholarly/Professional Journal Articles - http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/general/scholarlyper.html

 Extra Credit Opportunities: (Extra credit work can add up to 20 points to an exam grade of your choice.)

• Interview a faculty member on the topic of scholarly research and "the invisible college" and write a brief, 3 page report on the interview. See the Scholarly Research Worksheet
• Complete the Information Trail Worksheet .

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March 4 - Tuesday
How to Find Periodical Information continued
Indexes and indexers
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
Finding subject specific print indexes.

Lecture Notes:

Finding Periodical Info http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/periodical.html

Assignment - Due Mar 20

Using the Print Index Worksheet , find articles on your Paper Trail topic in Reader's Guide and two subject specific print indexes. Include a journal entry on your reactions to searching for and finding articles on your topic. (PT)

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March 6 - Thursday
Finding Periodical Information continued
Homework Helper Lab

Lecture Notes:

Finding Periodical Info http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/periodical.html

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March 10-16 - Spring Break

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March 18 - Tuesday
Electronic Databases
Access points in an Online Index or Database
Academic Search Premier (EBSCOHost)/Article First (FirstSearch) Demonstration and discussion

Lecture Notes:

Electronic Databases http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/databases.html

Assignment - Due Mar 25

Using one of the databases demonstrated in class find six articles (three of them should be peer-reviewed) on your Paper Trail topic. Photocopy the articles from the print periodicals (you will have to find them in the library) or print them from the database and read them. Submit a list of the articles in MLA citation format and annotate them (one paragraph each). Include a journal entry on your reactions to searching for and finding articles on your topic.(PT)

 

Introduction the the Team Database Project

Working in pairs, students will be assigned a specific database. Each team will teach the class how to use the database. Your presentation should take about 10 minutes. Each team member is responsible to share in the presentation. If you must, meet outside of class to fine tune your presentation. Use the Database Discovery Worksheet to help you format the presentation. You must include information regarding the database's content, coverage, audience, search mechanisms and retrieval options. Include demonstrations and discussion of each. A good presentation will include attractive and informative visual aids

March 20 - Thursday
Electronic Databases - Advanced Searching Techniques
Search Statements

Lecture Notes:

Electronic Databases http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/databases.html

March 25 - Tuesday
Experts and Associations: How to find them, how to use them in research.
Statistics: Where to find them, when to believe them

Lecture Notes:

Facts, Statistics and Bias http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/stats.html

Assignment - DueApri1 8

Complete the Associations/Statistics Homework worksheet . Include a journal entry on your reactions to searching for and finding associatons/statistics on your topic. (PT)

March 27 - Thursday
Team Database Project presentations - LAB

(Working in pairs, students will be assigned a specific database. Each team will teach the class how to use the database. Your presentation should take about 10 minutes. Each team member is responsible to share in the presentation. If you must, meet outside of class to fine tune your presentation. Use the Database Discovery Worksheet to help you format the presentation. You must include information regarding the database's content, coverage, audience, search mechanisms and retrieval options. Include demonstrations and discussion of each. A good presentation will include attractive and informative visual aids.)

April 1 - Tuesday
Team Database Project presentations

April 3 - Thursday
Team Database Project presentations

April 8 - Tuesday
The Internet - A brief history
Discussion of the Agricultural, Industrial and Information Ages
How much Information is Too Much: When to Use the Web and When Not To!
Using the Internet as a Critical Thinker.

Lecture Notes:

The Internet: http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/internet.html

 

Supplemental Web pages:

• Information Ages http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/info.html#ages
• Ten Reasons Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Products_and_Publications/Periodicals/American_Libraries/Selected_articles/10_Reasons_Why_the_Internet_Is_No_Substitute_for_a_Library.htm
• Glossary of Internet and Web Jargon http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html

April 10 - Thursday
EXAM #2

Study Guide

April  15 - Tuesday
Search Engines and Databases
Searchenginewatch.com

Assignment

Make a 15 minute appointment with me to review your final project plans. I will provide specific times during the next two weeks for these appointments.

April 17 - Thursday
Web Site Evaluations.
Evaluation criteria

Assignment

Prepare to discuss findings of the Web Site Evaluation exercise

April 22 - Tuesday
Discussion of Web Evaluation class exercise. Informal discussion and demonstration of the Web site comparisons from last class.

Assignments - Due Apr 29 & May 1

A) Reading Response - Each student will be given a citation to an article concerning an issue of the information age. Please find the article and read it. Prepare a 1-2 page summary of the article (word processed, please!) that includes the author's main points along with your opinion of the article's content. (Odd numbers due Apr 29, even numbers due May 1)
B) Find Web Resources - Find two Web sites that will be of use to you in your Paper Trail project. Fill out the Web Discovery Worksheet . Due May 1 (PT)

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April 24 - Thursday
Information Packaging/Citation Formats
Issues of the Information Age
Intellectual Property, Copyright, Plagiarism, Access vs. Ownership, Privacy

Lecture Notes:

• Information Packaging http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/infopkg.html
• Issues of the Information Age http://www.uri.edu/library/staff_pages/kinnie/lib120/issues.html

April 29 - Tuesday
Reading response presentations

May 1 - Thursday
Reading response presentations

May 6 - Tuesday
Final Projects due today
SETS

Go Find It!

Each student will be given one information/reference question to answer. Using the skills you have developed in the course you will find the answer and return back to class with it in hand

FINAL EXAM

Thursday, May 15, 8am - 11am

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