Information Literacy Faculty Toolkit

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

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

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

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

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

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