Collaborative%20Integration%20of%20Information%20Literacy:%20A%20Progress%20Report%20from%20General%20Chemistry%20Course

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Collaborative Integration of Information
Literacy A Progress Report from General
Chemistry Course

• Jung Oh
• Associate Professor of Chemistry
• Department of Arts, Sciences and Business
• College of Technology and Aviation
• Kansas State University-Salina
• jroh_at_sal.k-state.edu

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Information Literacy (Fluency)Faculty and
Librarian Partnership
Jung Oh, Ph.D. Associate Professor of
Chemistry / General Chemistry Judy Collins.
Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English /
Technical Writing Beverlee Kissick. Ph.D.
Director of Libraries, Sociology/Educational
Technology Alysia Starkey, MLS Technical
Services/Automation Coordinator

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Background

• One of nine K-State University Colleges
• College of Engineering Technology and Aviation
  
• Associates and Bachelors degrees
• Approximately 1,000 students
• Introductory / General Chemistry Courses
• mechanical and electronic/computer
• engineering technology
• elective natural science courses
• UGE (University General Education) course
• To incorporate an active learning environment
  and
• an opportunity for students to connect ideas

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What is Information Literacy (Fluency)?

• Set of abilities requiring individuals to
  recognize when
• information is needed, and have the ability to
  locate, evaluate,
• and use effectively the needed information.
• American Library Association (ALA) Definition
  of IL
• It is a prerequisite for participating
  effectively in the Information Society and part
  of the basic human right of life long learning."
• US National Commission on Library and
  Information Science, 2003
• may be seen as a process as an amalgam of
  skills, attitudes
• and knowledge as the ability to learn or as a
  complex of ways
• of experiencing information use.

Bruce, C. (August 2000). Information literacy
programs and research an international review,
Australian Library Journal, 49, 209-218.
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ACRLs Characteristics of Successful Info Lit
(IL) Campuses Association of College and
Research Libraries

• IL is a learning issue not a library issue
• Strong partnership between librarians and faculty
• in planning and implementing IL curriculum
• IL integration into student learning outcomes
• Assessment on progress
• IL skills institutionalized across the curriculum

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Standards for Science, Engineering/Technology
by ALA/ACRL/STS on IL for Science
Engineering/Technology, 2006

• IL literate students
• determines the nature and extent of the
  information needed.
• 2. acquires needed information effectively and
  efficiently.
• evaluates the procured info- and its sources,
  decides whether or not to modify the initial
  query and/or seek additional source and whether
  to develop a new research process.
• understands the economic, ethical, legal, and
  social issues surrounding the use of info- and
  its technologies, uses info- effectively,
  ethically, and legally to accomplish a specific
  purpose.
• understands that IL is an ongoing process and an
  important component of lifelong learning and
  recognizes the need to keep current regarding new
  developments in his or her field.

http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/infolits
citech.htm
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The Characteristics of Effective Information
Literacy Assignments

• Originate from course subject matter
• Show students the purpose of research and its
  benefits
• Emphasize analysis of issues over answers
• Assist students with planning,
• before /during information retrieval
• Provide opportunities for feedback throughout the
  process from instructor, peer, librarian
• Introduce competencies in stages
• Discuss the process, not just the project
  (encourage transfer of skills)

Werell, E.L. and Wesley, T.L. (1990).
Promoting Information Literacy through
a faculty workshop Research Strategies, 8(4),
172-180.
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Information Literacy Assessment

• At least four levels assessment of IL
• library, classroom, on campus, beyond the campus
  
• Importance of not separating IL from the
  overarching goals of education and the overall
  assessment of students learning
• Do students have technical, conceptual and
  critical thinking skills of IL to succeed their
  profession?

Iannuzzi, Patrcia (1999) We Are Teaching, But Are
They Learning Accountability Productivity, and
Assessment Journal of Academic Librarianship,
Vol. 25, No .4 (1999) 304-5
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IL integration into general chemistry course

• responsibility faculty and librarian
• collaborative partnership
• content assignments focusing
• on concepts and process
• teaching methods facilitate and guide
• assessment competency

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Partnership Development

• 2003 Instructor and librarian individual
  approach for IL
• 2004 Building Instructor and Librarian
  partnership
• Library In-service lecture
• Chemistry Section Guide for resources
• Technical Writing Course student
  collaboration
• 2005 Strengthening/expanding partnership
• Assignment and process revision
• Writing Center collaboration
• Technical Writing Course student
  collaboration
• 2006 Integrating partnership
• Lecture on IL by instructor
• Follow-up individual consultation by
  librarian

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Students Interact with

• Course Instructor
• Assignment guideline, lecture on IL
• Librarians
• In-Service guest lecture/face to face
  consultation
• Writing Center faculty/staff
• Report consultation
• Peers from same/different course
• Chemistry / Technical Writing
• Integration of Technology Virtual Team

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General Chemistry Assignment

• I. Pre-lab activity for Chromatography lab
• Search for information about chromatography
  using
• database, internet, and/or print references.
  Find out
• how chromatography is used in your field.
• Report on Chemicals in Everyday Consumer
  Product
• Search for information about the active
  ingredient chemicals in your favorite consumer
  products, using reliable sources. Reflect as
  information literate consumer.

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Chromatography Pre-Lab Assignment

• Section I Explain your search path
• What search engine or database did you use?
• Explain the steps you followed.
• What key words did you type in?
• How did you narrow your search?
• Was the site/source that you started useful
  for your purpose? Why or why not?
• How did you select the sources you used?

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Chromatography Pre-Lab Assignment

• Section II Indicate the time spent,
  separately,
• on search and writing
• How many hours did you spend on searching
• and evaluating information?
• How many hours did you spend on writing and
• revising your report?
• Section III Write a summary of researched
  information
• and explain reasons for choosing
  sources
• What criteria did you use to select each source?
  
• How many total sources did you select from?
• How did you decide which sources were useful?
• Explain why.

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Chromatography Pre-Lab Assignment

• Section IV Reflect on your learning experience
• What did you learn about in terms of
• subject (chromatography),
• discipline (chemistry),
• information management, and/or
• time management?
• How would you manage your time differently if
  you did this again?
• What advice would you give to another student?
• What do you think of chromatography and its
  application for
• your life?

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Chemicals in Everyday Consumer Product

• Section I Consumer Products and Active
  Ingredients
• Choose one of your favorite everyday consumer
  products.
• Select one or two active ingredient chemicals.
  
• Present the product name and active ingredients
  name.
• Briefly describe why you have chosen a certain
  product.

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Chemicals in Everyday Consumer Product

• Section II Active Ingredient Chemical
  Information
• Provide chemical name, formula and/or structure
  of
• the active ingredient chemicals.
• Investigate the properties and functions of
  these chemicals.
• Explain major uses and applications of these
  chemicals.
• List other consumer products containing these
  chemicals.
• Evaluate benefits and precautions when using
  products
• containing these chemicals.

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Chemicals in Everyday Consumer Product

• Section III Information Evaluation
• Indicate whether the information comes from
  reliable
• resources or organizations and why they are
  reliable.
• Indicate what criteria you used to select
  information, how you decided which sources were
  useful and why you did (or not)
• use certain sources after researching
  information.
• Section IV Reflection as information literate
  consumer
• Describe information about the product/the
  active ingredient
• that you did not know before this assignment.
  Describe any
• change that you might make when using the
  consumer product
• after this assignment.

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Database use before after IL Curriculum

• February 2002 February 2005
• InfoTrac Retrievals 47 InfoTrac Retrievals
  756
• InfoTrac Searches 238 InfoTrac Searches
  1458
• Expanded Academic Expanded Academic
• Retrievals 25 Retrievals
  488
• Expanded Academic Expanded Academic
• Searches 149 Searches 1039

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IL component perception

• What does the term Information Literacy mean to
  you?
• (Mark all that apply.)
• Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Spring 2006
• Library CHM CHM 100 pre and post
  survey
• (N 373) (N 30) (N27)
• 36.7 48.1 55.6 80.0 A
  Library Instruction
• 47.7 66.7 77.8 80.0
  B Computer Literacy
• 40.8 55.6 66.7 70.0
  C Critical Thinking
• 36.2 40.7 74.1 75.0 D
  Communication
• 19.0 14.8 37.0 65.0
  E Ethics
• 33.5 40.7 55.6 65.0
  F Lifelong Learning

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IL perception Spring 2006 pre-survey

• I do expect assignment that requires searching
  information as part of CHM 110 course work.
• 4 very 12 somewhat 9 not very 2 none
• I am comfortable to search information when an
  instructor does not give references.
• 11 very 12 somewhat 3 not very 1 none
• I am comfortable to evaluate the web resources.
• 14 very 9 somewhat 3 not very 1 none
• I am comfortable to use database for my
  assignment effectively.
• 11 very 10 somewhat 4 not very 1 none
• I am comfortable to use my source with proper
  citation.
• 12 very 10 somewhat 4 not very 1 none
• I agree that lectures on databases and advanced
  internet search
• would be beneficial for my undergraduate learning
  experience.
• 7 very 15 somewhat 3 not very 2 none

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Chromatography Reflections

• Student Self-statement on the time spent for
  Chromatography
• average time spent for the assignment
• 2003 1.5 hours
• 2004 2.9 hours Library In-Service Lecture
• 2006 4.7 hours IL lecture by faculty
• Library face to face consultation
  Writing Center consultation
• Instructor observation
• quantity of cited references and quality of
  search path
• and resources show improvement

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Student Survey at the end of semester

• Spring 2004 General Chemistry (CHM11) Student
  Survey
• Q. Library Inservice lectures on databases and
• advanced internet search were beneficial.
• 44 agreed or strongly agreed.
• 3.2 in 1-5 scales with 5 as strongly agreed.
  
• Q. Class periods designated for library lectures
  for Information
• Literacy were worthwhile.
• 45 agreed or strongly agreed.
• 3.2 in 1-5 scales with 5 as strongly
  agreed.

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Students reflection

• - Doing the research before gave me a good idea
  of the procedure and the daily life applications
  of chromatography
• - I also learned a great deal about writing a
  good lab report in the many revisions we did on
  our reports.
• - My initial thoughts of chromatography and
  electronics were that the only correlation would
  be manufacture of chromatography devices. I was
  surprised to find that the use of chromatography
  is becoming so instrumental in the reliability of
  electronic components and in particular
  semiconductor devices.
• - I prefer doing Internet searches, but I do
  know the limitations with that. For one, not all
  of the information can be trusted or are
  reliable. The one advantage of the Internet has
  over subscription-based databases is that
  information on the Internet can more current and
  up-to-date. The down side with that is that it is
  usually very raw. ---

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Group Presentation (chemistry/technical writing
courses)

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Group Communication

• Pre-lab search (internet / database)
• Doing the research before gave me
• a good idea of the procedure and the daily
• life applications of chromatography
• Inquiry lab gave me a chance to almost be
  like a detective
• Lab report
• - I also leaned a great deal about writing a
• good lab report in the many revisions we did
• on our reports.

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Students reflection

• Pre-lab search (internet / database)
• Doing the research before gave me
• a good idea of the procedure and the daily
• life applications of chromatography
• Inquiry lab gave me a chance to almost be
  like a detective
• Lab report
• - I also leaned a great deal about writing a
• good lab report in the many revisions we did
• on our reports.

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Lessons learned

• Recognize the importance of timing and tailoring
  of IL instruction.
• Be flexible and enjoy the learning experience.
• Dont worry about making everything perfect the
  first time.
• For librarian, remember it is the faculty
  members course.
• For faculty, remember the librarian has a
  specific set of skills
• that can complement your own.
• Focus on integration.

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• Questions?
• Thanks!