LIRT Discussion: Midwinter 2001

There were many of good ideas brought up at the 2001 LIRT Discussion Forum, an informal environment where librarians who work in Instruction can share challenges and find solutions. Twenty-eight of us met and split into four groups to discuss the following topics: implementation of information literacy programs, online tutorials, distance learning, and for-credit instruction. After our brainstorming sessions, each group shared its ideas with the other groups in the Forum.

The most basic question posed by the implementation of information literacy programs group was "What is information literacy?" One answer to this question is that information literacy is the framework in which the method of library instruction is utilized. The challenges in implementing a program that were discussed included tying competency standards to academic levels,evaluating skills at a variety of levels, and conveying new information instead of repetitive teaching of basic skills. A suggestion that addressed these challenges was to build the program on a matrix derived from the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education . Carla List from SUNY Plattsburg warned, however, that Information Literacy should be a campus-wide initiative to be implemented throughout the curriculum and that librarians should not try to take the entire burden of information literay upon themselves. Well-respected information literacy programs included Earlham College and San Francisco State University .

The first challenge mentioned by the online tutorials group was that of using tutorials for introductory classes such as Freshman Composition. The tutorial will be much more useful to (and used by) students who have a curricular tie-in than to those for whom using the tutorial is merely optional. One idea discussed having students complete the Web-based library tutorial before the librarian met with the class,which could well lead to a more positive experience for all. Another challenge was that the task of designing a Web-based library tutorial often felt as though one was reinventing the wheel, not to mention the need to keep up with ever-changing technological advances. Online tutorials are usually school- or skill-specific: Could a generic template be developed that would be adaptable to a variety of environments? Linda Goff of CSU Sacramento mentioned such a program at CalPoly that she had adapted into her WebCT site for a Communication Studies class . The distance learning group came up with many questions that merit further discussion and research: How can we increase interactivity in distance education in instruction and assessment? What do students need to know in the beginning to be ready for a distance learning environment? How could all staff be kept up to date on issues regarding the distance learning programs? What do we need to do to ensure that distance learning students have equitable access to information resources compared to on-campus students? To whom does the intellectual property of distance learning courses belong? How should we treat distance learning students from other institutions? And finally, How will we keep up with all the new technology?

The for-credit Instruction group found that programs vary significantly between institutions with different credit hours, class sizes,and pedagogical approaches. Assessment challenges included incorporating a final evaluative project that students would find interesting, creating assignments and pre-tests / post-tests linked to information literacy competency standards. Several instructors commented that the courses took are so time-intensive that they wish they had more release time available for preparation. Many felt that the classes should be part of the required core or part of a course cluster instead of an optional elective. Another challenge is that students tend to become more apathetic when classes are larger. One person observed that CSU Hayward's Information Competency program seems to help prevent student attrition as the course is linked to a course cluster and is required of incoming freshmen.

LIRT News, March 2001. Volume 23, number 3.
To report problems, please contact the LIRT News Production editor at jronan@ufl.edu

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