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The following material suggests three components for each of the information literacy learning
objectives. These items are not meant to be prescriptive, but rather to further explain each
objective. This additional information may spark ideas about how to integrate the learning
objective into a particular major, or it may confirm that the major is already addressing part or all
of a particular learning objective.
In addition, there are examples of ways in which students in a particular major might indicate
competency in an objective. While each of these examples mentions a particular discipline,
aspects of them will be transferable to a wide range of disciplines. Departments are encouraged
to develop models that best fit the unique design and objectives of their programs, and to share
these as examples for other majors.
The last element for each learning objective is a section of possible assignments or activities to
help address the learning objective. Again, these are just suggestions. Departments are
encouraged to develop discipline-specific mechanisms for teaching these abilities.
Trudi Jacobson
Head, Information Literacy Department
tjacobson@albany.edu
Examples:
A Spanish major knows how to find culturally authentic materials in Spanish: newspapers,
images, videos, audio files, etc.
A political science major can determine which database is the most relevant for
conducting background research for a project and can structure a search using key terms
that map to her research needs. *
An English major can conduct research on a work in a number of ways, combining in-
depth examination of a text with collaborative discussion and academic research. *
An education major understands the way knowledge is developed and disseminated in the
field and is able to locate appropriate information from a variety of sources to address
trends and adapt their teaching to pedagogical and student needs. *
A biology major understands the way knowledge is developed and disseminated in the
field and is able to locate appropriate information from a variety of sources to address
current trends.
Sample Activities:
Students keep a research journal while working on a research paper or project. In the
journal, they note their search strategies, the tools and search terms used, the types of
results obtained, and the process of selecting the best ones. Throughout, they note what
was and wasn’t effective, the points at which they reevaluated their needs, and the
adjustments they made. They also reflect on the process as a whole and what they learned
from it.
Chemistry and physics students are often asked to determine chemical and physical
properties of substances and materials in laboratory assignments. Students usually need
to compare their findings with known, accepted values. Students could be asked to
compare traditional reference sources like the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
and Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry to Web-based resources found via
http://libguides.library.albany.edu/content.php?pid=87928&sid=654053 and
http://libguides.library.albany.edu/content.php?pid=86718&sid=645121. Students should
be able to determine if the Web-based resources are as reliable as the traditional sources.
Examples:
A public health major can distinguish between various types of communicative media
and how they influence social interpretations of reality (for example, how something on a
social network that is untrue might influence public opinion regarding a public health
issue). *
A history major is able to critically assess a wide range of secondary sources, identifying
the effect that author’s purpose, value, and choice of format and delivery mode have upon
the content and presentation of the information.
Sample Activities:
Biology students are asked to evaluate the content of several information sources, such as
a popular article from a magazine, web newsletter or journal article, using criteria such as
author expertise, accuracy of the content, currency of the material and whether this
matters, relevance to the information need, and other discipline-based criteria.
Science students (biology, physics, chemistry, etc.) are assigned to investigate social
media such as blogs or scientific communities in his/her field. After selecting one, the
student then will compare it with the official web source of a well-established scientific
society in the field or to the general scientific organizations such as NSF or AAAS. Those
websites are usually static, while the blogs and other social media are interactive and
dynamic. The student will evaluate the quality of the materials and compare them. He/she
will learn to distinguish between those types of sources and gain appreciation of the
interactive modes of scientific communications.
Assign students to find and evaluate information on the same topic from a variety of
types of information sources. Students might consider the different contexts, contents,
and uses for information found in books, scholarly and popular articles, blogs, etc., as
well as in varying formats, such as textual, visual, numeric, and/or video. Students reflect
on how the choices made address the author’s purpose for a given situation.
Students are asked to evaluate the content of an information source, using criteria such as
author expertise, accuracy of the content, currency of the material and whether this
matters, relevance to the information need, and other discipline-based criteria. Students
might expand this investigation to determine the impact the source had on subsequent
discussion.
3. Conduct ethical practices in the use of information, in ways that demonstrate awareness
of issues of intellectual property and personal privacy in changing technology
environments
a. Differentiate between the production of original information and remixing or re-
purposing resources
b. Apply principles and laws of copyright and Creative Commons or other licensing
as appropriate to the creation of original or repurposed information
c. Follow appropriate ethical standards in sharing information
Examples:
Sample Activities:
Students are assigned to select one work that they have created during the course and to
investigate copyright and Creative Commons or other licensing options (specific to the
discipline) for the work. They decide which option they would select if they were to
make the work public, and provide a justification for that selection. To address a portion
of Learning Objective #4, students might then go ahead and determine how and where to
share this work.
Examples:
A computer science major can evaluate the quality of solutions offered to programming
problems on online community discussion boards, and contribute meaningfully to the
discussion. *
Biology majors are able to prepare either electronic or physical poster sessions that
undergo critique, and participate in critiquing those of others.
Sample Activities:
Students respond to discussion questions on a course blog or discussion forum, and also
respond thoughtfully to comments left by classmates.
In preparation for a research paper, students find information on their topic in a variety of
formats appropriate to the discipline. They submit a preliminary annotated bibliography
of these sources prior to writing the paper. Each annotation might discuss the
appropriateness of the source and its format for the topic. Alternatively, they might select
two items in unusual formats that enriched their information gathering, and discuss why
these formats were effective on a course blog or discussion forum.
5. Integrate learning and research strategies with lifelong learning processes and personal,
academic, and professional goals
a. Use self-reflection to assess one’s own learning and knowledge of the learning
process
b. Demonstrate the ability to think critically in context and to transfer critical
thinking to new learning
c. Engage in informed, self-directed learning that encourages a broader worldview
through the global reach of today’s information technology
Examples:
A studio art major can write an artist’s statement placing herself within or distancing
herself from existing theoretical and historical frameworks. *
A student graduating with a bachelor's degree in biology knows when and how to
effectively search social networking platforms and use discipline-specific online research
communities when seeking employment. *
Sample Activities:
Students reflect on how their information finding abilities and knowledge have developed
over the course of the major, and what strengths they bring to the workplace or graduate
school in this regard. Such reflection might occur in journal entries or be documented in
course discussion forum entries.
Capstone students meet with new majors to provide one key piece of advice for fellow
students, based on their own experiences working with information in the field.
* Items marked with an asterisk were borrowed or adapted from the CUNY Working Document
for Developing IL Guidelines Across the Disciplines (5/13/13 draft). Special thanks to Robert
Farrell, Coordinator of Information Literacy and Assessment, Lehman College, and coordinator
of the working group, for permission to borrow and adapt elements from their document.