Merging Technology Literacy with Information Literacy: Smooth Sailing or Rough Waters? Michelle Toth SUNY Plattsburgh

Merging Technology Merging Technology Literacy with Information Literacy with Information Literacy: Smooth Sailing Literacy: Smooth Sailing

or Rough Waters?or Rough Waters?

Michelle TothMichelle Toth

SUNY PlattsburghSUNY Plattsburgh

General Education at PSUGeneral Education at PSU

Information and Technology Literacy --Information and Technology Literacy -- Courses in this Courses in this category will ensure that students have mastered the category will ensure that students have mastered the skills and concepts basic to information and technology skills and concepts basic to information and technology literacy.literacy. Students will demonstrate the ability to “perform Students will demonstrate the ability to “perform the basic operations of personal computer use; the basic operations of personal computer use; understand and use basic research techniques; and understand and use basic research techniques; and locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources” (SUNY Required Learning variety of sources” (SUNY Required Learning Outcomes). Courses in this category will focus on the Outcomes). Courses in this category will focus on the ability to use technology effectively and the ability to filter, ability to use technology effectively and the ability to filter, analyze, and critique information and experience analyze, and critique information and experience (Plattsburgh General Education Objectives). 1 credit(Plattsburgh General Education Objectives). 1 credit

General Education at PSUGeneral Education at PSU

Information and Technology Literacy --Information and Technology Literacy -- Courses in this Courses in this category will ensure that students have mastered the category will ensure that students have mastered the skills and concepts basic to information and technology skills and concepts basic to information and technology literacy. Students will demonstrate the ability to literacy. Students will demonstrate the ability to “perform “perform the basic operations of personal computer use; the basic operations of personal computer use; understand and use basic research techniques; and understand and use basic research techniques; and locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources” (SUNY Required Learning variety of sources” (SUNY Required Learning Outcomes).Outcomes). Courses in this category will focus on the Courses in this category will focus on the ability to use technology effectively and the ability to filter, ability to use technology effectively and the ability to filter, analyze, and critique information and experience analyze, and critique information and experience (Plattsburgh General Education Objectives). 1 credit(Plattsburgh General Education Objectives). 1 credit

Taking the PlungeTaking the Plunge

No other department on No other department on campus stepped forwardcampus stepped forward

Created LIB102 & LIB105 Created LIB102 & LIB105 to replace the LIB101 course starting Fall to replace the LIB101 course starting Fall 20042004

First, the Integration Issues:First, the Integration Issues:

Defining ‘basic’ technology literacyDefining ‘basic’ technology literacy

National Research Council’s National Research Council’s Being Fluent Being Fluent with Information Technology (1999)with Information Technology (1999)


Technology Literate LibrariansTechnology Literate Librarians

Summer professional development Summer professional development workshopsworkshops- Word, PowerPoint, Excel, FrontPage- Word, PowerPoint, Excel, FrontPage


How to incorporate these new objectives How to incorporate these new objectives into our existing course.into our existing course.

Collection of shared tutorials, links, Collection of shared tutorials, links, datasets, and assignments datasets, and assignments

‘‘Post Mortem’ meetingsPost Mortem’ meetings

Sharing the Sharing the ExperienceExperience

Common Course Objectives Common Course Objectives

Student Survey for the coursesStudent Survey for the courses

4 Years of running with Info & Tech Literacy …

Time to Reflect & AssessTime to Reflect & Assess

Are we meeting students’ needs?Are we meeting students’ needs? Are our original objectives still valid?Are our original objectives still valid? What do we need to update/revise?What do we need to update/revise?

Assessment ProcessAssessment Process

Survey of LIB instructorsSurvey of LIB instructors

Survey of Campus FacultySurvey of Campus Faculty

Review of other campus survey dataReview of other campus survey data



What technologies What technologies are you including in are you including in your course?your course?

Software/Tech covered in class(Respondents averaged 5 technologies,

with a low of 2 and a high of 7)

Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%

Internet/Search Engines 56%

Angel 44%

FrontPage (web pages) 33%

Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

Scanners 11%


What technology What technology issues are you issues are you including in your including in your course?course?

Copyright 50%

Privacy 50%

Digital Divide 50%

Censorship 50%

Political, Economic & Cultural 50%

Plagiarism 38%

Intellectual Property 38%

Fair Use 38%

Social Networking 38%

DMCA 13%

Illegal Downloading 13%

ID Theft 13%

E-Waste 13%

Technology Issues Covered in Class(Respondents averaged 4 issues, with a low of 2 and a high of 7)


Revisions or Revisions or updates for the updates for the course course technology technology objectives?objectives?

Add to Objectives:

• Course Management system (Angel)

• Focus on information management technologies, RSS, citation software, etc…

Remove from Objectives:

• Banner

• E-mail

• Basic computer operating skills


Revisions or Revisions or updates for the updates for the technology technology questions in LIB questions in LIB student survey? student survey?

Suggest Removing:

Banner, E-mail, Online Tutorials

Need to Clarify:

Use/purpose of Software

Economic and Social Issues of Info.

Potential and Limits of Tech



What Software What Software /Technology do you /Technology do you require your students require your students to use for your to use for your courses?courses?

Word Processing (Word) 88%

Course Management System (Angel) 60%

Presentations (PowerPoint) 55%

Spreadsheets (Excel) 29%

Other 27%

Web Pages (FrontPage, Dreamweaver…) 11%

Databases (Access) 9%

Statistics (SPSS) 9%

Photo Editing (PaintShop Pro, PhotoShop...) 5%

Software Required in Classes


For the basic For the basic Microsoft Office Microsoft Office products supported products supported on campus, what on campus, what features/functions do features/functions do you believe students you believe students should know how to should know how to use? use?

Top Features in Excel Students Need to Know

How to construct and use Formulas and Stats Functions 56%

Create and modify charts and graphs 44%

downloading/importing adding data to the spreadsheet 20%

Formatting cells, rows, columns 12%


Please identify what Please identify what computer/software/ computer/software/ technology skills you technology skills you think all students at think all students at PSU should have PSU should have before they leave as before they leave as graduates. graduates.

By Graduation Students Should Know

Word processing (Word) 65%

Presentation (PowerPoint) 37%


Research Skills (searching, evaluating) 27%

Access and use of images and media (audio, video) 18%

Creating web pages, blogs, wikis 12%

Basic computer and file management and trouble shooting 10%

Angel 10%

E-mail 6%

Information Ethics 4%

For Those Keeping Score:For Those Keeping Score:By Graduation Students Should Know








Angel 10%

E-mail 6%


Software/Tech covered in LIB classes

Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%


Angel 44%


Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

E-Reserve 11%

Scanners 11%





Other 27%














Angel 10%

E-mail 6%



Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%


Angel 44%


Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

E-Reserve 11%

Scanners 11%





Other 27%














Angel 10%

E-mail 6%



Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%


Angel 44%


Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

E-Reserve 11%

Scanners 11%





Other 27%














Angel 10%

E-mail 6%



Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%


Angel 44%


Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

E-Reserve 11%

Scanners 11%





Other 27%














Angel 10%

E-mail 6%



Word 100%

PowerPoint 89%

Excel 78%


Angel 44%


Publisher 22%

E-mail 22%

Wikis 11%

Blogs 11%

Graph Pad Prism 11%

E-Reserve 11%

Scanners 11%





Other 27%






Review of Other Campus Review of Other Campus Survey DataSurvey Data

LIB Student SurveysLIB Student Surveys

Gen Ed Assessment results Gen Ed Assessment results

ECAR Survey: Students & Information ECAR Survey: Students & Information Technology in Higher Education (2007)Technology in Higher Education (2007)

LIB Student Surveys: Tech QuestionsLIB Student Surveys: Tech Questions

Spring 2008

Fall 2007

Spring 2007

Fall 2006

Spring 2006

Fall 2005

Spring 2005

Fall 2004

I am more comfortable using campus e-mail and the Banner registration system 3.11 3.23 3.18 3.20 3.29 3.27 3.29 3.34 3.24 81%

I am more comfortable using Browsers, Search Engines and Online Tutorials 3.27 3.31 3.33 3.34 3.40 3.33 3.36 3.35 3.34 83%

I have a better understanding of the use/purpose of different types of software programs such as Word processors and spreadsheets 3.09 3.13 3.10 3.08 3.23 3.14 3.11 3.13 3.13 78%

I have a better understanding of economic and social issues concerning information 2.96 2.95 2.90 2.98 3.11 3.04 2.97 2.97 2.99 75%

I am more familiar with the potentials and limits of computing technology 3.06 3.16 3.13 3.16 3.28 3.23 3.18 3.12 3.17 79%

3.10 3.16 3.13 3.15 3.26 3.20 3.18 3.18

77% 79% 78% 79% 82% 80% 80% 80%

Gen Ed Assessment: Tech QuestionsGen Ed Assessment: Tech Questions

What is the phrase that describes the abilities your computer must have to run a particular program? 66.5%

When you are installing new software, you first… 69.2%

* If your software isn't working correctly, the first thing to try is… 58.0%

For an assignment, you need to illustrate population and income of potential customers in Essex/Franklin/Clinton counties with census data. What software application would you be most likely to use? 71.4%

In Windows 95 and more recent versions, the right mouse button has the effect of… 65.2%

A listserv is… 61.2%

E-mail message written in all capital letters signify… 71.9%

You receive an unsolicited e-mail message from someone you do not know, but it happens to have an attachment with a name relevant to a project you're working on. You should… 56.7%

To move a paragraph from one part of a word document to another, you… 64.7%

* To save a document on a floppy disk, you save it to… 58.9%

* When you open a Word document and find no standard or formatting toolbars, how do you get them to return to the screen? 55.4%

26 Tech Questions, 11 scored below 73%

PSU ECAR SurveyPSU ECAR Survey

27% of students have family incomes less 27% of students have family incomes less than $30K (16% nationally)than $30K (16% nationally)

59% prefer a moderate amount of IT in 59% prefer a moderate amount of IT in their classes, 5% full IT, 2% no ITtheir classes, 5% full IT, 2% no IT

Students wanted more training on the Students wanted more training on the technology required in coursestechnology required in courses

PSU ECAR SurveyPSU ECAR Survey

Spreadsheets & ChartsSpreadsheets & Charts 51% use at least monthly, 16% do not use51% use at least monthly, 16% do not use 33% rate their skills as very good or excellent33% rate their skills as very good or excellent 40% first used it in HS, 25% in College40% first used it in HS, 25% in College

PresentationsPresentations 50% use at least monthly, 5% do not use50% use at least monthly, 5% do not use 59% rate their skills as very good or excellent59% rate their skills as very good or excellent 48% first used it in HS, 34% in College48% first used it in HS, 34% in College

Assessment SummaryAssessment Summary

Meeting Students’ Needs?Meeting Students’ Needs?

Good match between software covered in Good match between software covered in LIB courses and those required in other LIB courses and those required in other coursescourses

Students still want and need academic Students still want and need academic technology instructiontechnology instruction

Original Objectives?Original Objectives?

Need to match LIB objectives and survey Need to match LIB objectives and survey questions to actual course contentquestions to actual course content

Clarify technology objectives and make Clarify technology objectives and make them more specificthem more specific

The Smooth SailingThe Smooth Sailing

4 Years of successful LIB courses4 Years of successful LIB courses

Atmosphere of continuing professional Atmosphere of continuing professional development development

Generally Positive feedback from Students:Generally Positive feedback from Students:“i went into this class because my advisor told me too. I was “i went into this class because my advisor told me too. I was supposed to have taken it Freshman year but I always thought I knew supposed to have taken it Freshman year but I always thought I knew a lot. I was surprised about the new things I learned from it. Very a lot. I was surprised about the new things I learned from it. Very good class. highly recommended”good class. highly recommended”

The Rough WatersThe Rough Waters

LIB sections can be vastly LIB sections can be vastly different in technologies covered, different in technologies covered, and what features are taught – can and what features are taught – can we/should we be more consistent?we/should we be more consistent?

A thin and increasingly muddy line A thin and increasingly muddy line between info and tech elementsbetween info and tech elements

Ongoing Workload IssuesOngoing Workload Issues

What is Next?What is Next?

Discussions at Instruction Unit LevelDiscussions at Instruction Unit Level Recommendations based on data collectedRecommendations based on data collected A schedule for ongoing assessments/updatesA schedule for ongoing assessments/updates Framework for discussion with Library Faculty Framework for discussion with Library Faculty

on technology literacy in LIB courseson technology literacy in LIB courses

Questions?Questions?

Resources & CitationsResources & Citations

LIB102/105 Objectives and the collection of Teaching Resources LIB102/105 Objectives and the collection of Teaching Resources can be found at: can be found at:

http://www.plattsburgh.edu/library/instruction/lib101.phphttp://www.plattsburgh.edu/library/instruction/lib101.php

Copies of this presentation, the LIB Student Survey, LIB Instructor Copies of this presentation, the LIB Student Survey, LIB Instructor Survey and the Faculty Survey are linked on my webpage: Survey and the Faculty Survey are linked on my webpage:

http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/michelle.toth/http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/michelle.toth/

Photo CitationsPhoto Citationshttp://www.prezzybox.com/products/index.aspx?pid=3327http://www.prezzybox.com/products/index.aspx?pid=3327

http://www.mykayakingbuddies.com/are-your-wives-into-witewater-rafting-17.html

http://www.rafting.co.uk/

www.jacksonbottom.org/flooding_2006.htm

http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/storm-hit-uk-and-france.html

www.marinersxchange.com/news.htm

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Merging Technology Literacy with Information Literacy: Smooth Sailing or Rough Waters? Michelle Toth SUNY Plattsburgh