Information Literacy - Academic Staff  

Introduction

What is Information Literacy?

Information Literacy Standards

Information Literacy and the University of Auckland

 Integrating Information Literacy into the curriculum

Examples

What help can the Library provide?

References

Below are examples that show a range of methods used to improve the information literacy of tertiary students.
 

The Biological Sciences Librarian has been working with Faculty Staff for a number of years to provide support to students in various BioSci courses.  To assist BioSci 321 students researching plant pathogens, the Librarian runs hands-on workshops on information resources needed for particular assignments. The workshops are voluntary and held in timeslots that complement 321 classes and labs.
 

Since the first semester of 2002 Library and BBIM Teaching Staff have been working collaboratively to embed information literacy into the MGMT.191 Introduction to Business course. Five online information literacy modules were created and collectively are worth 5% of the final mark. The modules are prerequisites for the major written assignments and provide students with the opportunity to develop skills for locating and evaluating information.  For more information you can read the paper presented at the 2004 LIANZA Conference http://opac.lianza.org.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?bib=223
 

The Davis Law Library has been involved in teaching curriculum-based courses since 2000. Part 2 law students must complete the semester long Legal Research Skills, a LAW 221 component, which is compulsory as students may not graduate without its successful completion. Assessment is by way of worksheet, online modules and tests.   Within Parts 3 and 4, Davis staff teach, upon invitation from academics, within elective courses during lecture times. In addition, the Davis offers an optional programme for Parts 3 and 4 as well as a generic programme for legal databases. 
Post graduate students must complete LAW 788, a compulsory course within the LLM degree which is coordinated and largely taught by the Library Manager, Law.
From 2006, the Legal Research Skills course becomes a separate core course; a new course, Legal Research 2 will be core for Part 3 students, also coordinated and run by the Davis Law Library, and LAW 788 will remain compulsory.
 

QUT Library has completed a number of projects to aid the development of information literate graduates from QUT. These projects include: creation of an online tutorial; work with faculty to integrate information literacy into the curriculum; development of an Information Literacy Framework and Syllabus endorsed by the QUT Teaching and Learning Committee.  
One project made possible by a teaching and learning grant was the assessment of over 25 undergraduate courses within the Faculty of Science.  Strands of study were selected from different areas of science e.g. Ecology, Geology, Life Sciences. Within these strands the information literacy requirements were assessed by teams of librarians and faculty staff. The course outcomes and assessment were then adjusted to ensure development of information literacy within the strand. For more information on QUT Library’s information literacy projects check out their website http://pilot.library.qut.edu.au/