Information Literacy Skills for College Success Bridging the High School Gap to College Cindy...

Information Literacy Skills for College Success

Bridging the High School Gap to College

Cindy Fisher, First-year Experience Librarian University of Texas Libraries

Understanding IL from the Student Perspective

Defining IL

At its most basic, information literacy can be defined as the ability to think critically about information

-adapted from ACRL IL Standards

IL Across Standards & Grade Levels

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IL & Cognitive Development

Upon entering college Upon exiting college

Dualistic or early multiplistic Able to deal with differing points of view

Rely on Authority Still rely on Authority

Difficulty recognizing differing points of view

Difficulty relating evidence to argument

”What is the right answer?” or ”Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion”

“Recognition that in some areas knowledge will never be certain.”

Jackson, R. (2007). Cognitive development: The missing link in teaching information literacy skills. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(4), 28-32.

How Does this Translate for You?

Some things you already know...

Students who have grown up with the Web have become accustomed to having more information available to them, with less effort, than their parents and grandparents did.

- John Palfrey, Smart Talks

How Does this Translate for You?

Some things you likely already know...

Digital natives are extraordinarily sophisticated and strangely narrow”

- John PalfreyBorn Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives

How Do You Integrate IL Into Your Classes?

Pros/Cons of using Wikipedia Evaluating websites, domains Using library databases Finding books in the library (a given, it seems)

Question: how do you incorporate information technology or computer literacy with IL?

Assigning Inquiry: Project Information Literacy“Despite the seismic changes in the way that

information is now created and delivered, 83% of handouts in our sample called for the standard

research paper.

Few handouts asked students to present findings using other formats, including multimedia and

oral presentations.”

Head, A. and Eisenberg, M. (2010). Assigning Inquiry: How Handouts for Research Assignments Guide Today's College Students. University of Washington's Information School. Available at: http://projectinfolit.org/pdfs/PIL_Handout_Study_finalvJuly_2010.pdf.

Assigning Inquiry: Project Information Literacy

Six in 10 handouts recommended students consult the library shelves―a place- based source―more

than scholarly research databases, the library catalog, the Web, or, for that matter, any other

resource.

Only 13% of the handouts suggested consulting a librarian for assistance with research.



Few of the handouts (14%) that directed students to use the library's online scholarly research databases specified which database to use by vendor or file

name from the hundreds that tend to be available.



Details about plagiarism, if mentioned at all, were scant and tended to emphasize the disciplinary recourse instructors would take against students who were caught in acts of academic dishonesty.


So what's a librarian to do?

Research and assessment, of course!

The syllabus study:Owen & Oakleaf's approach

Analyzed freshman course enrollment and corresponding syllabi

Noted syllabi requiring “inquiry-based research assignments” to determine research tasks


Found a huge gap between expectations listed on first-semester, freshman syllabi and the skills they were taught in high school

→ side note: not playing the blame game ← “... [D]emonstrate flexibility by adapting their traditional

information seeking strategies.” “… [D]isplay emotional resilience by persisting despite

challenges.” Comparison of AASL standards, ACRL IL Standards, and

Partnership for 21st Century Skills.


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Owen & Oakleaf's approachHead's Up Lessons & Checklist Collaboration between teacher, school librarian & academic librarian

Course-integrated research assignment created by English teacher + school librarian

Three research sessions in the library:

Translate concepts they are familiar with to those that maybe foreign (database selection, etc)

Know what you don't know Checklist is used throughout senior year to monitor student skills &

guide assignments

Owen & Oakleaf's approachHead's Up Lessons & Checklist

Checklist is used throughout senior year to monitor student skills & guide assignments

Owen, P. (2010). A transition checklist for high school seniors. School Library Monthly, 26(8), 20-23.

Owen/Oakleaf's Approach

Issues & things to keep in mind Students learn best at point of need

Summer can take it's toll Course integrated instruction takes time Cognitive development may be at different

stages

Let's Cross this Bridge Together

Learning Outcomes for First-year Students in Signature Courses at UT-Austin

• Create and execute a research strategy

• Critically evaluate information

• Use Citations


Course-Integrated Instruction:

Signature Course Faculty Toolkit Search based on learning outcome See what other instructors have done Tailor materials based on discipline or

research needs


How to Generate Keywords tool Helps to define a task (Big6) Create/define a research strategy (ACRL) Access information efficiently and &

effectively (AASL)


Remind your students that research is a recursive process!

Eisenberg, M. (2008). Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age. Journal of Library & Information Technology, 28(2), 39-47.

Sources Cited Eisenberg, M. (2008). Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age. Journal of Library & Information Technology, 28(2), 39-47.


Jackson, R. (2007). Cognitive development: The missing link in teaching information literacy skills. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(4), 28-32.

Oakleaf, M. and Owen, P. (2010) Closing the 12-13 Gap Together: School and College Librarians Supporting 21st Century Learners. Teacher Librarian, 37(4), 52-58.

Owen, P. (2010). A transition checklist for high school seniors. School Library Monthly, 26(8), 20-23.

Owen, P. (2010) Heads Up!: A checklist for transitioning to college. School Library Monthly, 26(8), 8-9.

Palfrey, John. (2008). Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic Books.

Project Information Literacy Smart Talk, no. 3, John Palfrey, "Rethinking Plagiarism in the Digital Age?" September 1, 2010.

Understanding Information Literacy through the Lens of the Student Experience. 2009. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfjyYW5yju8&feature=youtube_gdata_player [Accessed October 17, 2010].

Questions?

Cindy Fisher // First-year Experience Librarian [email protected] // 495-4333

http://lib.utexas.edu/signaturecourses

Information Literacy Skills for College Success Bridging the High School Gap to College Cindy...

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