Plans for an information literacy course

During the past year the University of Maryland offered a course in information literacy for undergraduates as a collaborative effort among three campus entities: the Computer Science Center, the University Libraries, and the College of Library and Information Services (CLIS). This paper reports on the planning, development, early offerings of this course, and future plans. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Plans to offer a three credit course in information literacy to undergraduates of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland started about two years ago. A campus committee involved in cooperative projects between the Computer Science Center and the Libraries recognized the increasing need to provide instruction in information literacy. They were responding in part to the growing demands for knowledge about retrieving computerized information via CD-Roms, accessing online public catalogs and the Internet, and for using computers for electronic mail, word processing, and other tasks. For years the University Libraries offered bibliographic instruction to some English and technical writing classes or provided special sessions for students doing library research. Faculty could also request subject-related instruction for courses requiring extensive library use. The Computer Science Center (CSC) initiated a peer training program several years ago to provide short special hands-on workshops to introduce students to word processing, spreadsheets, and networking. This intermittent instruction did not provide a strong basis, however, for students to develop confidence and skills to use information effectively to solve problems in the Information Age. Several members of the Computer Science Center/ Libraries committee suggested the idea of an information literacy course to the curriculum committee of the College of Library and Information Services (CLIS). Although CLIS is a graduate school, the curriculum committee realized the importance of such a course and felt that CLIS was an appropriate home for the undergraduate course. A special information literacy course committee was formed consisting of several members of the CLIS faculty, campus librarians, and CSC staff. All participants welcomed the opportunity to work together in a partnership to develop the information literacy course. The committee spent several meetings formulating the objectives of the new course and consulted with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies concerning the course content and how the course could eventually fit into the overall structure of the undergraduate program. Several campus groups provided their support for the course including the Center for Teaching Excellence, the freshman English teaching staff, the Writing Center and the Student Library Advisory Council. All agreed that the course should provide a basic introduction to both the concepts and skills needed to identify, retrieve, and use information effectively. The overall goals included teaching the concepts and logic of information access, teaching the skills needed to access and evaluate information resources, and fostering information independence and critical thinking. The course was entitled “Information Skills and Strategies.” The representatives from each group brought their own expertise to the course development. Based on their experience, the CSC staff understood the basic needs for system knowledge and networking skills, had a good sense of the general level of computer experience among undergraduates and were aware of computer-related instructional applications on campus. The librarians had a clear understanding of the general knowledge level of students about computerized searching and problem formulation and their other researchPermission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the ACM copyright notice and the title of the publication and its data appea~ and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Association for Computing Machinery, to copy otherwise, or to republish, requires a fee ana70r spectjic permission. @ 1994 ACM 0-89791-656-5/94/459940 $3.50 Meet the Shadowy Future 231 related skills; they also had strong contacts with various instructors who integrated library research into their courses. Although accustomed to educating information professionals, the CLIS faculty helped to identify the kinds of knowledge and capabilities that are needed today by all individuals to operate effectively in an information-rich technological society and to apply those goals in a formal course offering. They made important contributions to the intellectual structure of the course. After determining the overall objectives and basic structure of the course, the committee delegated development of course materials and expansion of the basic structure to a subcommittee composed of experienced instructors in bibliographic instruction from the University Libraries and several members of the CLIS faculty. The CSC modules were already designed and could be easily integrated into the course structure, but the remainder of the course required more extensive development and greater coordination among the elements. After considerable discussion about the general level of the course and the prerequisites, the committee decided to design the course for lower division undergraduates to allow them to use the knowledge gained during the course throughout their undergraduate program so they would be accomplished information searchers and users by graduation. The course is designed for students with at least twelve credit hours. The committee also established knowledge of word processing as a pre-requisite to insure minimal familiarity with computers. The course is not intended for total novices either in higher education or in the use of computers. The committee publicized the course in several ways. A course description ‘intended to appeal to the students was included in the “What’s New and Interesting” section of the Schedule of Classes booklet that is published in the spring prior to registration for the fall semester: Do you need articles for a research paper, data for a science report, information about purchasing a computer on campus? Want to find out what is going on in dre University and in the town? Need any other information? Learn to locate, interpret, and use electronic and print information to streamline and enrich your research and daily activities. This class incorporates laboratory work using computer networks (E-Mail, the Intemet), computer databases, including the University L~brary’s Victor system, and printed library tools. It will teach you how to develop strategies for finding information in all these sources. You will build confidence in your ability to identify and evaluate information using the tools of the electronic age. In addition, flyers with the course description were posted around the campus and sent to English 101 faculty, the director and staff of the Writing Program, academic advisors and other campus groups. An ad was placed in the Diamondback, the campus newspaper. However, registration for the course was very small for the Fall 1993 semester (14 students) and even smaller for the Spring 1994 term (6 students). These low enrollments showed how difficult it is for a new course to gain recognition, especially if it does not fulfill any specific general or major requirements. One section of the course was initially offered in Fall 1993, and repeated with slight modifications in Spring 1994. The course was initially given an existing number — LBSC 208a. This course number already existed in the University catalog as a CLIS course for special topics in information use, technology, and policy. Using this existing course number enabled the course to be offered as a pilot without having to go through time-consuming administrative procedures required to establish a new course. In both offerings, a CLIS faculty member served as the primary instructor, but workshops and hands-on computer lab sessions were offered by both the University Libraries staff and the CSC. COURSE DESCRIPTION For the committee, information literacy involves not only the ability to use both print and computerized sources effectively, but also the ability to determine when to use one mode instead of anothe~ to identify when information is necessary or useful in solving a problem; to match information, considering a wide range of characteristics, to a particular information need; to select sources appropriately; and to evaluate information for its effectiveness in solving a problem. The course clearly goes beyond skills to knowledge based on principles of information retrieval and use. It also covers information in both print and computerized formats. To a lesser extent it also covers information in audiovisual formats. The committee established the following of/Wal course description: Techniques for solving problems and formulation questions. Skills in finding, evaluating, and utilizing information in the information age. Concepts of information organization and retrieval in electronic and print sources. Application of these concepts to develop strategies in locating and using information. Laboratory experiences to build skills and confidence in using library tools. The course is intended for second semester freshman who have some experience with college courses and preferably have taken the freshman English course. Accordingly, the prerequisites are 12 hours of undergraduate credit and familimity using a word processor. The course objectives were dejined: ● To provide a foundation for developing confidence and skills in using information effectively to evaluate situations, make decisions, and solve problems in the Information Age.