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Advocate Online
Thriving in Academe
Issues to Consider
Some Final Thoughts
Incorporating information literacy improves the effectiveness of curricula
and assignments-and enhances teacher satisfaction.
 Who
is responsible for students' information-literacy competence?
An effective program must have support at the highest levels of administration,
and commitment to the process must be a formal part of academic governance.
But the key enabler of information literacy acquisition is each teacher
in each course taken by a student. A key partner in this process is the
librarian. If possible, incorporate into your classes one or two sessions
of work with the librarian on basic search and selection strategies. If
the library offers its own such training, you can have students present
proof of participation. Look at your courses and curriculum for opportunities
to integrate search and research opportunities. Restructure assignments
to accommodate practice of information-literacy skills, and connect desired
learning outcomes to desired information-literacy competencies.
How can I improve my own
information-literacy skills?
First, have your library and/or faculty development center sponsor faculty
development workshops. Second, invite a librarian to conduct a workshop
for faculty in your department. Third, attend workshops on information
literacy offered during professional conferences.
What are some ways to reduce
the incidence of plagiarism and cheating?
Tackle the issues from two opposite directions. First, under the rubric
of "academic honesty," include in the syllabus a very clear
statement about your policy regarding plagiarism and cheating. Concurrently,
demonstrate how you can identify plagiarized material by using key words,
and show what a term paper obtained online looks like—and what a
poor grade it would receive. A librarian will be able to show you both
"tricks."
What are the tangible benefits
of information literacy?
The benefits of information literacy permeate the entire teaching and
learning process. For institutions, the benefit is compliance with changing
requirements of accreditation. For individual colleges and departments,
the benefits are compliance with professional accrediting requirements
and the enhanced quality of graduates. For teachers, the course of study
they have designed and facilitated enables their students to learn and
produce on a higher level. And for the students, there is the very tangible
benefit of acquiring skills that will support their future success, as
many of the skills embedded in information literacy are also skills necessary
in the workplace.
return to "Thriving
in Academe"
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References
& Resources
One of the most
comprehensive resources on information literacy
is UC Berkeley's Web site at www.lib.berkeley.edu/InfoLit.
It contains various documents, information about
accrediting agencies' requirements,a comprehensive
bibliography, and much more.
A very fine discussion
of information literacy in the context of the
digital age is included in the proceedings of
the Aspen Institute's Forum on Communications
and Society. It can be located at www.aspeninst.org
/publications1/bookstore_
communications_literacy.html.
Along with other good information,it contains
a thoughtful article by Patricia Senn Breivik,
the author of the next resource.
Breivik, Patricia Senn.
(1998).Student Learning in the Information
Age. American Council on Education Series on Higher
Education, Phoenix: Oryx Press. This is one
of thebest monographs available in that it is
comprehensive in approach yet very readable.
New Roles and Responsibilities
for the University Library :Advancing Student
Learning Through Outcomes Assessment, a paper
written by Kenneth R. Smith, professor of economics
at the University of Arizona, takes a look at
information literacy from the library's perspective.
It can be found at www.arl.org/stats/newmeas
/outcomes/HEOSmith.html.
"Information Literacy
as a Liberal Art-Enlightenment Proposals for a
New Curriculum," by Jeremy J. Shapiro &
Shelley K. Hughes (Educom Review, Vol.
31, No. 2, March/April 1996), is a compact article
about the role of information literacy. It can
be found at
www.educause.ed
u/pub/er/review/review
Articles/31231.html
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