Information Literacy

and Reference Services

Spring 2013

Dr. Diane Nahl

University of Hawaii

Library and Information Science Program

Global Challenge of IL

Whatever else you bring to the 21st century workplace, however great your technical skills and however attractive your attitude and however deep your commitment to excellence, the bottom line is that to be successful, you need to acquire a high level of information literacy. What we need…are people who know how to absorb and analyze and integrate and create and effectively convey information and who know how to use information to bring real value to everything they undertake.Anthony Comper, President, Bank of Montreal,1999Nahl LIS 601 2013

2

National IL Initiatives

ALA Information Literacy Task Force [1989]

National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL)

[1990]

National Research Council, Mandate for

Information Technology Literacy [1997]

Nahl LIS 601 2013 3

National Higher Education IL Initiatives

Institute for Information Literacy Immersion [1996]

ALA, ACRL, Information Literacy Competency

Standards for Higher Education [2000, 3rd edition] http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm

Project Information Literacy (PIL) [2008] U.

Washington & Harvard University http://projectinfolit.org

Nahl LIS 601 2013 4

National K-12 IL Initiatives

ALA, AASL, Information Power [2002, 2nd

edition]

ALA, AASL, Standards for the 21st-Century

Learner [2007]

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/

standards.cfm

Nahl LIS 601 2013 5

International IL Initiatives

IFLA International Federation of Library Associations, Information Literacy Section http://www.ifla.org/en/information-literacy

SCONUL (UK) The Seven Pillars of Information Literacy http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk/information-literacy-definitions/sconul-seven-pillars-of-information-literacy/

Nahl LIS 601 2013 6

IL Mandates Lifelong Learning and Critical

Thinking Skills External academic accrediting bodies [WASC

for Hawaii schools & colleges]

University Strategic Plan

General Education Reforms [GenEd]

UH Information Literacy Hallmark

UH Systemwide UH Libraries IL Committee

(UHLILC)

Nahl LIS 601 2013 7

WASC Accreditation Standards

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Standard 2 states:

Baccalaureate programs engage students in an integrated course of study… to prepare them for work, citizenship, and a fulfilling life. These programs also ensure the development of core learning abilities and competencies including… Information literacy…

WASC 2001 Accreditation Handbook, Standard 2 (Achieving Educational Objectives Through Core Functions): Criteria for Review. Nahl LIS 601 2013 8

General Education Hallmarks

UH Manoa - approved in 2002; other campuses have adopted this Hallmark:

To satisfy the Written Communication requirement, a course will [among other things]... help students develop information literacy by teaching search strategies, critical evaluation of information and sources, and effective selection of information for specific purposes and audiences; teach appropriate ways to incorporate such information, acknowledge sources and provide citations.UH Manoa GE Foundations Requirement.Nahl LIS 601 2013 9

ACCJC Accreditation Standards

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Standard II.3.A (Instruction: General Education) states:

General education has comprehensive learning outcomes for the students who complete it... including... a capability to be a productive individual and life long learner: skills include oral and written communication, information competency, computer literacy, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis/logical thinking, and the ability to acquire knowledge through a variety of means.

ACCJC Accrediting Commission Standards, 2002 , Standard IIA (Student Learning Programs and Services: Instructional Programs).

Nahl LIS 601 2013 10

ACCJC Standards (cont.)

ACCJC Standard II.C.1.b (Library and Learning Support Services) states:

The institution provides ongoing instruction for users of library and other learning support services so that students are able to develop skills in information competency.

Nahl LIS 601 2013 11

UH Libraries Information Literacy

Committee Instruction librarians from each UH campus

 

Formed in 2003 to address system-wide campus and library IL goals and objectives

 

Provides a forum for discussion, resource sharing, and the production of instructional online research and assessment tools for the entire system

Nahl LIS 601 201312

Importance of IL in an Academic Reference

Librarian’s Job Integral to academic reference work

Formal & informal instruction

Staff, student & faculty instruction

Listed in nearly every job description as integral to the position

Wanted: applicants with experience designing lessons, instructing, and assessing student learning outcomes (SLOs)

Nahl LIS 601 2013 13

UHWO 2013 Librarian II, 11 month, tenure track

Minimum Qualifications: [8 MQs are listed in the full position]

1.Masters degree in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited program.  

Desirable Qualifications: [10 DQs are listed in the full position]

1.Experience working in a classroom or group teaching at the college or university level in an information literacy program.

2.Demonstrated commitment to excellent user services and user education.

14Nahl LIS 601 2013

UH LIS IL Courses

1. LIS 665 Teaching Information Technology

Literacy [academic librarians]

2. LIS 686 Information Literacy and Learning

Resources[school library media specialists]

3. LIS 690 Teaching Internships

Nahl LIS 601 2013 15

Information Literacy at UH

1. Instructional Services http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/services/instruction/instruction.html

1. Guides & Handbooks

2. Online Tutorials

3. Class Sessions for the Disciplines

2. LILO Learning Information Literacy Online http://www.hawaii.edu/lilo/

1. Online Research Journal

2. Assignment Calculator & Citation Machine

3. Keyword Strategy BuilderNahl LIS 601 2013

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LILO Learning Information Literacy

Online

Created for ENG 100 undergraduate students in the University of Hawaii System

Created by librarians with input from writing instructors throughout the UH System

Includes examples and content pertinent to real-life research topics about Hawaii

Nahl LIS 601 2013 17

LILO

An interactive, Web-based productivity tutorial that engages students in thinking critically about a research topic and the sources needed to support a thesis statement.

An easy way for instructors to monitor a student’s understanding of the research process and his/her progress in developing information literacy skills within a course.

The Research Journal function saves student work in a database account.Nahl LIS 601 2013 18

LILO

Teaches skills in information competency—a learning outcome of the ACCJC General Education requirements.

Integrates the Association of College & Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

The Research Journal, Citation Builder, and Assignment Calculator were identified by students as the most useful LILO tools

Nahl LIS 601 2013 19

Student Feedback

Students in Leeward CC instructor Donna Matsumoto’s writing classes said:

“LILO improved my research dramatically. It has everything you need and journals to keep you updated on where you are on your research. Without LILO, I would've procrastinated on this assignment.”

Nahl LIS 601 2013 20

Student Feedback (cont.)

“The most useful aspect of LILO is the way everything is broken down into steps… often when researching... the hardest part is knowing where to start. LILO solves this problem.”

“The thing I find most useful in LILO is probably its journal.”

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Student Feedback (cont.)

“I found the research part the most useful and having to actually look up a source and paste it to LILO was a good thing.“

“The best part about LILO is that it gave me a step by step tutorial on how to do my research.”

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Critical Thinking Skills: Information Literacy is the

ability to

Recognize an Information Need

Access Information

Evaluate Information

Synthesize Information

Ethically Use Information

Nahl LIS 601 2013 23

The Ability to Recognize an Information

Need

1. Realizing that a problem can be solved by obtaining new information

2. Overcoming resistance to systematically searching for reliable information

3. Intending to approach a reliable, vetted, trustworthy information source to begin solving an information problem

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The Ability to Access Information

1. Using a variety of sources and formats

2. Applying correct concept analysis and search logic

3. Using appropriate controlled vocabulary and natural language

4. Using browse and keyword search modes as

needed

5. Browsing physical and online collections and resources as needed

Nahl LIS 601 2013 25

The Ability to Evaluate Information

1. Applying critical thinking criteria to found material:

1. Judging the relevance of information2. Judging the accuracy of information3. Establishing the authority of

information4. Judging objectivity of information5. Assessing the currency of information6. Determining the coverage and scope

of information sourcesNahl LIS 601 2013 26

The Ability to Synthesize Information

1. Identifying, sorting, separating and eliminating inadequate, outdated, un-vetted, unreliable, invalid or irrelevant information

2. Integrating and citing facts, view points, and theories from diverse sources

3. Resolving conflicting or divergent information

4. Making informed decisionsNahl LIS 601 2013 27

The Ability to Ethically Use Information

1. Understanding the ethical, legal and socio-economic issues surrounding information, intellectual property, and information technology.

2. Following laws, regulations, institutional policies, ethics codes, conduct codes and etiquette related to the access and use of information resources.

3. Acknowledging the use of information sources in communicating through a product or performance.

Nahl LIS 601 2013 28

Information Literacy Models

Information Search Process (ISP) Model

Big Six Information Skills Model

Information Searching Competence

Matrix

Nahl LIS 601 2013 29

Information Search Process Matrix

Nahl LIS 601 201330

STAGESAFFECTIVE

FeelingsCOGNITIVEDecisions

SENSORIMOTORActions

APPROPRIATE TASK

1.

Initiation

Uncertainty GeneralVague

Seeking background information

Recognize need

2.

Selection

Optimism SchedulingPlanning

Conference with others

Identify

3.

Exploration

Confusion/ Frustration

Becoming informed about a

topic

Seeking relevant information

Investigate

4.

Formulation

Clarity Narrowed focus

Selecting ideas Formulate

5.

Collection

Sense of direction & confidence

Defining & supporting focus

Making notes of relevant information

Gather

6. Presentation

Relief Satisfaction or

Disappointment

Clearer More focused

Personalized synthesis of topic

Complete

Adapted from Carol Kuhlthau, Seeking Meaning, 2004, p. 82.

Chronistic ISP Model

Nahl LIS 601 2013 31 From Carol Kuhlthau, Seeking Meaning, 2004, p. 82.

Information Searching Competence Matrix

Nahl LIS 601 2013 32

SKILL LEVEL

AFFECTIVE Domain of

Feelings & Strivings

COGNITIVE Domain of

Thoughts & Decisions

SENSORIMOTOR Domain of

Actions & Performance

Level 3.

Advanced

A3

Feeling Empowered as a Searcher

C3

Acquiring Familiarity and Intuition with

Disciplinary Knowledge

S3

Practicing Careful Documentation Routines

Level 2.

Intermediate

A2 Being Supportive of

the IR System Environment

C2

Understanding Search Strategy

S2

Identifying Implicit Features of the Information Setting

Level 1.

Basic

A1 Showing

Acceptance of Complex Information

Structure

C1

Decoding Information Displays and Terminology

S1

Recognizing Information Elements and Locations

Diane Nahl, 1987; 1990, 1993

Information Literacy: Thinking Like a Novice

SearcherI chose to look up women’s health first

because I felt it was an issue I am

interested in. I’m trying to navigate through

Internet with specific personal goals

incorporated into the class assignments. I

Bookmarked the information on domestic

violence because after I graduate this

semester I want to work as a counselor at a

domestic abuse shelter. [Bold italics added]Nahl LIS 601 2013 33

Information Literacy: Thinking Like an Expert

SearcherQuery: Find out about national groups and ethnic conflicts in the Third World and their influence on the activities of international organizations.

I thought about the “Third World.”

Another term is “developing countries.”

The controlled vocabulary advises to use

the term “developing countries” instead of

“third world”…

Nahl LIS 601 2013 34

Thinking like a professional searcher:

So I selected as a first alternative the

free text terms “third*” and “world*” with

truncations; and as a second

alternative “developing countries” both

as a descriptor and as a free text term…

Nahl LIS 601 2013 35

Then I selected this “national groups” as a

descriptor. I thought they are groups in

any case. In free text they may be

anything--it is difficult to guess--so we can

be satisfied with the descriptors. If needed

there are other descriptors: “ethnic

minorities” and “population groups.”

Ivonen & Sonnenwald, JASIS 1998, 49(4):312-326, p. 320

Nahl LIS 601 2013 36

Thinking like a professional searcher:

Due Next Week

Government Documents Search Work 9 April 23

Reference Interactions Field Report April 30

Quiz April 30

All assignments and bonus points for posting

assignments online on your Web site are due by May 7

Nahl LIS 601 2013 37