Effective Assignments for Information Literacy

What Is An Information Literate Student?

Information literacy is the ability to recognize the need for information, and the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively to solve problems. Information literacy links the use of technology with broader skills in critical thinking and problem solving for life-long learning. Helping students acquire information literacy skills provides them with an essential intellectual framework for successful progress in a variety of academic and professional workplaces. (For more information, see ACRL Information Competency Standards for Higher Education and ACRL Information Literacy website).

Information Is Everywhere

In the 21^st-century information environment, it is essential that our future workforce is able to:

• Have the ability to locate information efficiently
• Evaluate information for specific needs
• Organize information skillfully to solve problems
• Formulate conclusions based on the information found and present those conclusions effectively
• Use information responsibly to ensure a productive work environment

Creating Effective Research Assignments

Developing assignments that effectively bring these skills as well as a thorough knowledge of the subject to students can be challenging. Meaningful assignments ask students to apply information, and not just to retrieve facts or “surf the Net” – and all worthwhile assignments have a well-defined purpose behind them that develop the student’s ability to conduct research, to solve problems, and to think critically. The basic elements of a well-designed assignment include:

• The clarity of the assignment, its limits and methods
• The availability of appropriate resources and library assistance
• A well-defined research process composed of several interrelated parts -- the research paper assignment may well be broken into smaller tasks – and the use of active learning
• The ethical use of information, including a review of what constitutes plagiarism

Clarity – Describe all the specifics of your assignment including the length, citation format, acceptable types of sources - in detail. Define any terminology used in the assignment such as “peer reviewed,” or “scholarly journal.” Don’t tell students to refrain from using Internet sources without clarifying that online book and journal articles, subscribed to by College Library Services and available via the library web site, are not the same thing as free web information found using search engines. Be specific in your assignment objectives (what do I want my students to learn?) - so outcomes can be easily measured. The best objectives are written so students understand the purpose of the assignment.

Try Your Assignment – Put yourself in your students place and test drive your research assignments. Do our campus libraries have the resources needed to meet your needs by the deadline? Library resources are always in flux as books and media are checked out and returned. Check assignments regularly to ensure that you are not using outdated sources. Many students have minimal knowledge of library research – most rely heavily on the web for research. Request a library orientation to introduce your students to research strategies and the tools they will need to complete your assignment. Remind students that they are free to contact a librarian for assistance in person at the reference desk, on the phone, or via chat. Start all research assignments by introducing your students to the College Library Services web pages and online research tutorials.

Teach Research Strategies – Never assign scavenger hunts or random research because looking for trivia is seen as busy work and ultimately frustrates students. Good assignments always reinforce real research skills and the stated objectives of your assignment. Help students avoid information anxiety by breaking down research papers into research strategy steps to help them accomplish assignment objectives. Review research strategies to select topics and formulate thesis statements, ask students to develop lists of relevant keywords for their topic, ask students to create annotated bibliographies – and review each step with your students along the path to a completed paper. This collaborative process allows students to reflect and think critically about each step of the research process, their topic area, and the overall complexities of doing research in your field. Consider active alternatives to the research paper.

Teach Ethical Use of Information – Discuss the importance of academic integrity in research. Make sure your students understand the whole range of issues related to plagiarism. Direct your students to all College policies on plagiarism and ethical use of information. Ensure that your students understand the issues of copyright and license law as they apply to creation of electronic materials.