Five Colleges of Ohio Integrating Information Literacy into the Liberal Arts Curriculum

1
Five Colleges of OhioIntegrating Information
Literacy into the Liberal Arts Curriculum

• A Grant Funded by the
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

2
Ray English, Project DirectorDirector of
LibrariesOberlin CollegePhone
440-775-8287Email ray.english_at_oberlin.edu
3
Information Literacy

• Understand
• Information environment

How to access information
How to evaluate information critically
How to use information appropriately
4
Reasons for the Project

• Radically changed information environment
• Explosion of information resources
• Increased complexity

Students face significant problems in information
research Higher skill levels needed Requires
active learning in curricular context
5
Goal of the Grant

• Increase integration of information literacy into
  the curriculum
• Faculty - librarian collaboration
• Curriculum development projects
• Emphasis on course sequence for the major

6
Four Components
7
1Curriculum Development for Faculty
Curriculum development grants Stipends Course
release
Importance of incentives
8
Curriculum development guidelines Faculty -
librarian collaboration Major course
sequence URL http//www.denison.edu/ohio5/grant/
development/devguide.htm
9
2Professional Development for Librarians
Released time for Creation of information
literacy materials Consortial meetings Time to
collaborate with faculty on course project
Symposia and workshops for instruction
librarians Training institutes
10
3Consortial Development of Resource Materials
Consortial website, information
about Information literacy Grant Disciplinary
resources Pedagogical information URL
http//www.denison.edu/ohio5/grant/
11
4Faculty-Librarian Workshops

• Share information on completed projects
• Demonstrate effective approaches to teaching
  information literacy
• Encourage further curriculum development and
  collaboration

12
Grant Administration

• Steering committee
• Information literacy committee
• Campus committees

13
Progress so far

• Significant curricular change
• 44 projects funded to date
• Several take comprehensive disciplinary approach

URL http//www.denison.edu/ohio5/grant/developme
nt/proposals.htm
14
Concerns

• Demands on librarians
• Consortial website slow to develop
• Need more comprehensive proposals