Library &
Information Science, Course 250: Instructional Strategies.
Dr. David Loertscher
b28.html
ERIC Digest.
Authors: Ercegovac, Zorana; Yamasaki, Erika
ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, Los Angeles, CA.
THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC
In the current Information Age, the speed at which we work makes us
increasingly dependent on high-quality, accurate information. However,
information is becoming more voluminous, fragmented into different formats
and media, and duplicated in multiple physical locations. In order to access
and use these myriad sources effectively, people must be information
literate.
As defined by the American Library Association (ALA) in its mission
statement for the global information society, 21st century information
literacy is the ability to seek and effectively utilize information
resources, including knowledge of how to use technologies and the forms in
which information is stored (ALA, 1998). This means that asking a good
question, as well as accessing, locating, evaluating, and using information,
is critical not only in scholarly activities but in making daily decisions.
Having accurate, up-to-date information determines the difference between
the rich and the poor in the Information Age. Community colleges can make a
vital contribution toward closing this gap by equipping their students with
the ability to access, retrieve, and utilize information.
As we strive to understand information literacy issues in a more holistic
manner, the Information Literacy: Search Strategies, Tools & Resources
(ST&R) Program developed by Ercegovac (1997a) can provide invaluable
guidance in a variety of information literacy environments. This Digest
briefly describes challenges facing information literacy development as well
as ST&R and its usefulness to community college faculty and students.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The growth of computer networks and information services has already enabled
learners at all levels to share resources, collaborate with one another, and
publish their results electronically. To use information sources
effectively, we need both technology infrastructure (TI) and information
literacy infrastructure (ILI) in place. While TI has been well-funded and
developed, ILI is poorly applied in teaching and learning, and requires
educators' attention.
Information technology is a tool for writing papers, communicating with
colleagues worldwide, and exchanging experiments, ideas, and programs
internationally. As community colleges are considering distance learning and
adding new technologies to their curriculum, ensuring students' information
literacy becomes vital. However, this shift may challenge existing campus
dynamics.
A CURRENT CHALLENGE
The proliferation of information sources and educational technology have
created a dysfunctional relationship between community college faculty and
librarians that is based on an outdated teaching/learning paradigm
(Tompkins, 1996). Traditionally, teaching has been the purview of faculty
while librarians were viewed as merely custodians of printed information
resources. In the current Information Age however, librarians have become
the primary instructors in community colleges to teach research methods and
critical thinking skills as applied to information access (Academic Senate
for California Community Colleges, 1996). As such, there is increasing
support for community college librarians to be seen as key instructional
team members and as partners with faculty (Tompkins, 1996; McHenry, Stewart
& Wu, 1992).
Especially as libraries are transformed into integrated library/high
technology centers, resource-based learning (i.e., drawing on resources
beyond textbooks and lectures) and information literacy can be adopted as
goals across academic disciplines. At Central Seattle Community College, for
example, faculty linked an English composition course with one in library
science to teach students how to use information literacy skills in the
context of cultural pluralism (McHenry, Stewart & Wu, 1992). By working
together, librarians and faculty were able to teach content as well as the
valuable skill of navigating through complex data bases and information
resources.
While faculty may know how to teach English composition or other standard
courses, they may not be as comfortable teaching information literacy.
Fortunately, an abundance of resources has emerged from sources including
the Department of Education (1996), the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information
and Technology (Eisenberg & Johnson, 1996) and independent authors (for
example see Mendrinos, 1994). These publications state information literacy
goals, review literacy tools, provide case studies, and present adaptable
models of information literacy curricula.
THE ST&R PROGRAM
One recently developed aid is the Information Literacy: Search Strategies,
Tools & Resources (ST&R) Program that can be tailored to the local needs of
colleges. It is comprised of three integrated instructional components: the
ST&R book, a PowerPoint presentation for classroom use, and an HTML version
of the book for installation on institutional servers.
Implemented at the intersection of learners and Web-ready information
resources, ST&R can initiate students to the world of information literacy.
It is a comprehensive and flexible tool that has been developed to enable
students to become self-sustained seekers and users of information sources
and digital libraries. This can be especially useful in the community
colleges where many students are from disadvantaged or lower socio-economic
backgrounds and previously may not have had access to such sources.
The program has been designed for anyone interested in the critical and
effective use of all types of information sources regardless of their format
(e.g., books, journal articles, manuscripts, log diaries, visual elements,
and other artifacts) and medium (e.g., printed, electronic, and networked
digital libraries). ST&R takes a user-centered perspective and focuses on
the intellectual aspects of locating, evaluating, interpreting, and
communicating information sources rather than on the technical aspects of
these activities.
Furthermore, ST&R is comprehensive because it contains references to a
variety of sources and digital repositories, introduces effective search
strategies and tools for the use of these sources, and covers critical
evaluation of these sources. In this one-stop "literacy mall," ST&R also
offers exercises, a glossary of introduced terms and concepts, and Internet
addresses of numerous sources available on the Web. In particular, the
electronic version of ST&R allows students to connect automatically with
Internet addresses and explore various search engines in an orderly and
guided manner. Instructors are equipped with the "ST&R Show," based on the
Microsoft PowerPoint 97 presentation program, that features links to
selected Internet digital libraries and resources.
The ST&R Program also is flexible because its content is divided into a
series of nine interrelated yet independent chapters. Students can expand
each chapter by doing more exercises and searches, tracking new Web
addresses, updating the existing ones, and developing their own portfolio of
annotated information sources.
This program is the first attempt to translate research from the fields of
information seeking, information retrieval, and educational psychology into
a practical information literacy program. It can be utilized in a variety of
academic settings including libraries, media centers, and classrooms. In
addition, different academic departments may wish to incorporate individual
parts of ST&R into their curricula to fit their own information literacy
mission, students, and collections. Also, the program is scalable to the
different academic abilities of community college students.
In summary, ST&R represents an accumulation of over 10 years of teaching,
in-class testing with undergraduates at the University of California, Los
Angeles, and feedback from real learners and users. It is based on
understanding the user, active learning, a conceptual approach in teaching,
and modularity (Ercegovac, 1995; 1997b). While the program is a very
practical information literacy tool, it also is based on solid research and
conceptual foundations. For example, it recognizes the importance of the
information life cycle (e.g., information need, search and interpretation,
evaluation, and use) as well as the user (National Academy of Sciences,
1998).
CONCLUSION
In this Information Age, we browse and query the world's repositories
without ever having to leave our workplaces and communities. Thus, it is not
surprising that the traditional sense of a library as a confined space with
local dimensions has introduced ambiguities to the way people interpret
library collections and uses. As a result, the value of a library as a store
has been questioned, and the library's role as a service is largely
misunderstood.
Another concern is the ease with which untrained users can directly search
sources, resulting in their continued difficulty with utilizing information
retrieval systems. Furthermore, definitions of access and information are
not agreed upon universally.
All these changes have created the need to rethink information literacy and
to educate students in the lifelong quest for knowledge. ST&R helps in this
regard.
REFERENCES
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. (1996, Spring). Library
Faculty in California Community College Libraries: Qualifications, Roles &
Responsibilities. Sacramento, CA: Academic Senate for California Community
Colleges. (ED 395 630)
American Library Association. (1998). New Visions: Beyond ALA Goal 2000.
Planning document. Chicago: American Library Association.
Department of Education. (1996). Getting America's Students Ready for the
21st Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge. A Report to the
Nation on Technology and Education. Washington, DC: Department of Education.
(ED 398 899)
Eisenberg, M.B. & Johnson, D. (1996). "Computer Skills for Information
Problem-Solving: Learning and Teaching Technology in Context." ERIC Digest
ED-IR-96-04. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology.
(ED 392 463)
Ercegovac, Z. (1995) "Information access instruction (IAI4): Design
principles." College & Research Libraries, 56 (3), 249-257. (EJ 510 313)
Ercegovac, Z. (1997a). Information Literacy: Search Strategies, Tools &
Resources. Los Angeles: InfoEN Associates. (ED # forthcoming)
Ercegovac, Z. (1997b). "The interpretation of library use in the age of
digital libraries: Virtualizing the name." Library & Information Science
Research, 19 (1), 31-46.
McHenry, K.E., Stewart, J.T. & Wu, J. (1992). "Teaching resource-based
learning and diversity." New Directions for Higher Education, 78, Summer,
55-62. (EJ 450 253)
Mendrinos, R. (1994). Building Information Literacy Using High Technology: A
Guide for Schools and Libraries. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. (ED 375
820)
National Academy of Sciences. (1998). Workshop on Information Literacy.
Irvine, CA. January 14-15. http://www2.nas.edu/cstbweb/
Tompkins, P. (1996). "Quality in community college libraries." Library
Trends, 44 (3), 506-25. (EJ 520 152)
The ERIC Clearinghouse operates under OERI Contract No. RR93002003. The
opinions expressed in this digest do not necessarily reflect the position or
policy of OERI and no official endorsement by OERI should be inferred.
This page is maintained by SLIS Web, slisweb@wahoo.sjsu.edu. It was last revised on June 7, 1999.