Integrating the thematic approach into information literacy courses

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-136
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Price ◽  
Rebecca Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
French Literature ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
College And University ◽  
Thematic Approach ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review selected publications in library-related literature and discuss the thematic approach to course design in colleges and universities and how it has been implemented into information literacy (IL) courses. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of peer-reviewed journals, professional journals, magazines and blogs contextualizes the thematic approach to instruction at the college and university levels. Search terms included “thematic approach”, “thematic approach in education” and “theme-based instruction”; the search was restricted to articles published in the past 20 years. Findings – In addition to the IL courses, thematic-based instruction has been used in biology, chemistry, English, French literature, history, mathematics, philosophy and sociology courses in college and university campuses. While instructors report that the thematic approach enhances student learning, few studies have directly tested the impact. No studies have been published within the library science literature. Originality/value – Thematic approach is a newer concept in the world of IL instruction. While many professional journal articles and blog posts provide in-depth case studies of how thematic-based instruction has been implemented, this article draws from all disciplines and features a succinct summary of what works, what does not work and how to best implement a thematic approach in an IL course.

Library Science and Technology in a Changing World

2014 ◽  
pp. 691-702
Author(s):  
Lesley Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Information Collection ◽  
Computer Search ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Needed Information ◽  
The World ◽  
Efficient Retrieval ◽  
The Impact

As the world changes, so does information and its use. This chapter explains functions of library science as impacted by technology within the context of change. Library science provides the basis for mediation between the community and the information it needs to carry out its functions, tempered by the impact of technologies. Librarians apply library science principles as they develop and manage the community's information collection. In today's digital environment, the proliferation of information requires that librarians increasingly need to interpret, filter, and evaluate that information. Librarians apply library science-based technical processes to organize and optimize the efficient retrieval of the needed information. In addition, librarians foster information literacy in communities, largely serving as a responsive guide for all of its community members, not only for the purpose of pre-existing library comprising their catalogs and indexes, but the creation of new orders developed and made possible by the computer search capabilities. In these ways, library science is dynamic and facilitates change.

Library Science and Technology in a Changing World

2016 ◽  
pp. 2145-2156
Author(s):  
Lesley S. J. Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Information Collection ◽  
Computer Search ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Needed Information ◽  
The World ◽  
Efficient Retrieval ◽  
The Impact

As the world changes, so does information and its use. This chapter explains functions of library science as impacted by technology within the context of change. Library science provides the basis for mediation between the community and the information it needs to carry out its functions, tempered by the impact of technologies. Librarians apply library science principles as they develop and manage the community's information collection. In today's digital environment, the proliferation of information requires that librarians increasingly need to interpret, filter, and evaluate that information. Librarians apply library science-based technical processes to organize and optimize the efficient retrieval of the needed information. In addition, librarians foster information literacy in communities, largely serving as a responsive guide for all of its community members, not only for the purpose of pre-existing library comprising their catalogs and indexes, but the creation of new orders developed and made possible by the computer search capabilities. In these ways, library science is dynamic and facilitates change.

The power of partnerships

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Christy Groves
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
College Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal Assessment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose A large, predominantly undergraduate university in Tennessee partnered with a local magnet school aiming to assist high school seniors with their college-level research assignment. The partnership began as a pilot, but quickly expanded to include other high schools as a result of initial successes. This paper aims to describe the development of the partnership and its importance in fulfilling a key component of college preparedness for gifted high school students. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes how the Library partnership commenced as a service to a local high school that required its students to access college-level research materials. The paper details how both the Library and the high school recognized the impact of collaborating to expose these students to the information literacy skills needed for college readiness. Findings The paper presents the challenges encountered when attempting to provide college-level information literacy instruction to large groups of students visiting a college campus. It concludes with best practices and lessons learned, as well as plans for formal assessment and future initiatives. Originality/value The author has presented at Library Instruction West, July 2018. A review of the professional literature demonstrates that other academic libraries have partnered with local schools for a variety of library-related initiatives. Therefore, the concept of partnerships between the Library and local high schools is not unique. However, this paper aims to describe challenges encountered, best practices, lessons learned and suggestions for future directions, including formal assessment, all of which could be adapted by other academic libraries as applicable.

Library graphic design best practices and approval processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana K Wakimoto
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Graphic Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore graphic design best practices and approval processes used by librarians. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used an online, qualitative survey to collect data on librarians’ design processes and best practices. The responses were reviewed to determine categories and themes of librarians’ design processes and best practices to gain an understanding of the state of graphic design in libraries. Findings – The majority of the respondents reported that there were no formal guidelines, design committees or approval processes at their libraries. While some librarians were aware of and used graphic design best practices, many respondents were unsure of what constituted a best practice in graphic design. Research limitations/implications – The paper was exploratory and the respondents cannot be said to be representative of all librarians and, therefore, generalizations to all librarians are not possible. Practical implications – Findings may help librarians who assume design duties in their libraries in exploring best practices and discussing design approval processes. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few papers in the library science literature on graphic design as applied specifically to librarians. It increases our understanding of graphic design in libraries.

Peer reference assistants in a small liberal arts college: case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasia Gonnerman ◽  
Ken Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mentorship Program ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Student Assistants

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how to create and sustain a successful mentoring program for reference student assistants in the liberal arts environment. The study delineates student training, program assessment and the impact on reference practice in a way that can be used at other institutions considering implementing a similar initiative. Design/methodology/approach This case study is written by professionals who have been deeply engaged in initiating, running and assessing the program. It presents the value of the program in an unbiased and objective manner by including the voices of the student mentees themselves reflecting on the experience. Findings The mentorship program has proven to be worthwhile and rewarding in equal measures to both the mentees and reference librarians working with our future successors. It serves an important role in inspiring and encouraging library student workers to become interested in academic librarianship as a career choice and it prepares them to be successful students in library and information science graduate programs. Originality/value Although the discussion of training reference student assistants per se is not rare in the library literature, this particular program is unique in several ways: its main intent is to mentor students who are interested in pursuing librarianship as a career goal; it occurs in the context of a liberal arts college rather than in a larger university setting, especially those offering degrees in information and library science; and it empowers students to provide in-depth independent reference services for their peers and faculty.

Situated information literacy: history instruction at a high school early college

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghann Walk
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Classroom Instruction ◽  
Early College ◽  
History Instruction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Instruction ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This study aims to explore the question “how would professors teach information literacy to prepare high school students for college?” by observing two history professors at a high school early college during routine classroom instruction. Design/methodology/approach – The research took a case study approach to studying information literacy instruction, drawing from multiple data types but relying primarily on classroom observations and teaching artifacts. Findings – This research found that subjects taught information literacy by situating students as legitimate peripheral participants in the discipline of history. They did so as part of the daily fabric of classroom instruction, using pedagogical techniques such as dialogical reading, spending time with texts, writing to think and thinking historically. Research limitations/implications – This research focuses on history instruction. Future studies could include additional disciplines and directly examine the impact of teaching practices on student cognition. Practical implications – The findings suggest that taking a disciplinary approach is one way to apply insights from the field of situated information literacy to the high school to college transition. It also suggests that information literacy instruction need not be confined to research assignments, and that information literacy educators consider the possibilities these teaching techniques offer for enhancing instruction. Originality/value – This paper offers a rich description of information literacy pedagogy in an unusual but intriguing context of use to instruction librarians and educators at both high school and college levels. It also offers a bridge between situated information literacy rooted in workplace research and academic information literacy instruction.

scholarly journals Facilitation of information literacy through a multilingual MOOC considering cultural aspects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Dreisiebner ◽  
Anna Katharina Polzer ◽  
Lyn Robinson ◽  
Paul Libbrecht ◽  
Juan-José Boté-Vericad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Full Version ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the rationale, technical framework, content creation workflow and evaluation for a multilingual massive open online course (MOOC) to facilitate information literacy (IL) considering cultural aspects.Design/methodology/approachA good practice analysis built the basis for the technical and content framework. The evaluation approach consisted of three phases: first, the students were asked to fill out a short self-assessment questionnaire and a shortened adapted version of a standardized IL test. Second, they completed the full version of the IL MOOC. Third, they were asked to fill out the full version of a standardized IL test and a user experience questionnaire.FindingsThe results show that first the designed workflow was suitable in practice and led to the implementation of a full-grown MOOC. Second, the implementation itself provides implications for future projects developing multilingual educational resources. Third, the evaluation results show that participants achieved significantly higher results in a standardized IL test after attending the MOOC as mandatory coursework. Variations between the different student groups in the participating countries were observed. Fourth, self-motivation to complete the MOOC showed to be a challenge for students asked to attend the MOOC as nonmandatory out-of-classroom task. It seems that multilingual facilitation alone is not sufficient to increase active MOOC participation.Originality/valueThis paper presents an innovative approach of developing multilingual IL teaching resources and is one of the first works to evaluate the impact of an IL MOOC on learners' experience and learning outcomes in an international evaluation study.

Twenty years of readership of library and information science literature under Mendeley’s microscope

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Pooladian ◽  
Ángel Borrego
Keyword(s):  
Information Science ◽  
Research Evaluation ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Management Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Citation Counts

Purpose Altmetric indicators have been proposed as a complement to citation counts in research evaluation. Conceivably, they might also be used to supplement other methods for estimating journal readership. The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of Mendeley reference management software to characterize the features of the readership of library and information science (LIS) literature. Design/methodology/approach The authors used the Social Sciences Citation Index to retrieve 54,655 articles and reviews published between 1995 and 2014 and indexed in the category “Information Science & Library Science”. Each record was then searched in Mendeley to obtain the number of bookmarks of the paper and the academic status of the users. Findings Mendeley covers 61 per cent of the LIS literature published in the last 20 years. In all, 75 per cent of the papers published in the last five years had been bookmarked at least once in Mendeley whereas just 55 per cent had been cited in Web of Science. Reviews are bookmarked more frequently than articles, and papers in English have more bookmarks than papers in any other language. Most users of LIS literature are PhD and postgraduate students. Originality/value The study shows that altmetrics can be used as a source of data in information behaviour studies. Reference management software provides an unobtrusive means of capturing reading habits in the scholarly literature. Compared to citation counts, bookmarks are rapidly available and also reflect usage outside the academic community.

Impact of accounting software utilization on students' knowledge acquisition

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Boulianne
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Accounting Software ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This study investigates the impact that software utilization may have on students' knowledge acquisition of the accounting cycle. Differences in knowledge acquisition are examined between three groups of students: those who completed an accounting case manually using the traditional pencil and paper approach, using software, and first manually and then using software. The main research question is: “To what extent does using computers to study the accounting cycle lead to better knowledge acquisition?” This paper aims to inform changes in accounting education. Design/methodology/approach – The survey method was employed to collect information from accounting students in a Canadian business school. A total of 1,053 usable questionnaires were returned. Declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge are the theoretical underpinnings. Findings – The results indicate that students who first completed the case manually and then completed the same case using accounting software experienced the best knowledge acquisition. This suggests that the best manner for students to acquire concrete knowledge of the accounting cycle is by completing cases using both methods. The results also indicate that students who completed the case using only the software experienced better knowledge acquisition than did students who completed the case only manually. This suggests that software can be effectively utilized and integrated in class to improve knowledge acquisition of accounting information systems. Originality/value – Little investigation has been performed on the usefulness and impact accounting software utilization may have on students' level of learning. The findings may benefit students and faculty members by helping in curriculum design changes, course design, and computer implementation decisions. The findings of this study have the potential to make a difference in the way that educators teach and business students learn. Business education may be improved by the judicious use of software in the classroom.

scholarly journals A Knowledge Lens for information literacy: conceptual framework and case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 974-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darin Freeburg
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Information Integration ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Information Encountering ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce a Knowledge Lens for information literacy. This lens shifts the focus and potential outcomes of information literacy in three ways. First, it promotes self-reflection as a means of integrating information. Second, it promotes creation, emphasizing it as a social process. Third, it promotes the ability and value of working with imprecision and lack of direction. Design/methodology/approach The author designed a Community of Practice (CoP) with a loosely structured guidebook to operationalize the Knowledge Lens. The initial stated purpose of the CoP was to provide innovative solutions to issues of race relations in South Carolina. A group of 19 participants – representing four churches – met twice a month for one year. After one year, a core group of 6 participants were interviewed to identify elements of this new lens. Findings Participants indicated that they changed in many ways after the CoP, suggesting that the Knowledge Lens increases the impact of literacy work. In particular, they were able to utilize internal tension to spark innovation, found value in direct engagement with one another without the need to first codify their thinking, and increased their reliance on information encountering. Originality/value Information literacy has attempted to move beyond stale concepts, and the Knowledge Lens facilitates this movement. It takes information literacy beyond the mere provision of access to existing information. It recognizes barriers to information integration. And it involves individuals in co-creation to solve problems that lack an existing codified solution.

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