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Information Literacy Faculty Toolkit

Enhanced Orientation Learning Competencies

Learning Objectives

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy orientation, students will be able to:

  • Describe how the topics and skills introduced during the orientation program are necessary for academic success
  • Explain differences between academic libraries and high school/public libraries
  • Navigate the Library’s physical and virtual presence (through the website and delaGATE)
  • Identify the different resources and services offered by Library Services
  • Explain how to receive reference and research assistance from faculty librarians
  • Demonstrate the ability to use the library’s resources to complete a research assignment

Developmental Learning Compentencies

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy session(s), students will be able to:

  • Describe library services available through the Delaware County Community College Learning Commons and in what contexts they are useful
  • Differentiate between information source types (books, magazines, scholarly journals, websites) and in what contexts they are useful
  • Recognize a variety of research tools (library catalog, article database, Summon, Web) and understand how they provide access to information sources
  • Formulate an appropriate search strategy based on the information need
  • Match resources to the information needed (database versus Internet etc)
  • Locate materials within a physical or online library (Call #s etc.)
  • Interpret parts of a citation and abstract (through a database or library catalog)
  • Explain how to receive reference and research assistance from faculty librarians

College Ready Learning Competencies

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy session, students will be able to:

  • Define the stages of the research process
  • Explain how to receive reference and research assistance from faculty librarians
  • Locate appropriate background information based on information need
  • Formulate an effective search strategy
  • Locate appropriate resources both from the library catalog and databases
  • Describe the different types of information sources
  • Distinguish between scholarly and popular sources
  • Evaluate information selected to ensure it is appropriate to the defined research question
  • Demonstrate the ability to use information in an ethical and legal manner

General Information Literacy Learning Competencies - College Academic Learning Goals

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy instruction, students will be able to:

  • Apply critical thinking skills in performing the stages of the research process
  • List, define, and identify appropriate source types and search tools for the information needed
  • Describe common characteristics and features of library databases and apply techniques to retrieve relevant results
  • Evaluate information for accuracy and credibility
  • Summarize the purpose, characteristics, and publication formats (formal and informal) of scholarly communication
  • Explain the value and purpose of source attribution and describe common rules and conventions of formal writing styles
  • Identify the legal, ethical, economic, and social issues (including privacy, copyright and plagiarism) associated with the use of information

Advanced Information Literacy Learning Competencies

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy instruction, students will be able to:

  • Define the peer review process and its role in scholarly publishing
  • Distinguish between primary and secondary sources
  • Identify services available through the Learning Commons and on the Web such as ILL and the e-Journal title finder
  • Distinguish between keywords and controlled vocabulary
  • Demonstrate the ability to thoroughly evaluate sources and select those most appropriate to the research question and assignment requirements
  • Demonstrate familiarity with traditional and emerging formats of scholarly communication, including blogs, wikis, data sets, infographics, web conferences, etc.
  • Demonstrate the ability to generate correctly formatted citations in the appropriate style for all source types, and proficient use of style guide handbooks when needed
  • Implement a research plan that appreciates the role of background research in topic, question, and knowledge development
  • Demonstrate a disposition for lifelong learning

Discipline Specific Information Literacy Learning Competencies

As a result of attending and participating in this information literacy instruction, students will be able to:

  • Identify discipline-specific research tools & information sources
  • Demonstrate backward citation analysis as a technique to identify seminal works on a topic in the discipline
  • Compare and contrast the core resources in a specific discipline with general resources.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with subject-specific databases and other research tools
  • Demonstrate proficiency with discipline-specific terminology as it relates to interpreting scholarship within the discipline, and the ability to identify and comprehend this terminology
  • Demonstrate familiarity with discipline-specific research methods and scholarly communication practices
  • Identify key journals, professional organizations, and other resources for continuing education in a selected discipline