INFORMATIONLITERACY PROGRAM
Information literacy is more than than just teaching students how to use the library. The goal of information literacy is to develop 21st-century information and technology competencies and the skills for lifelong learning. Information literate students are able to find, evaluate and use information effectively to solve problems and make decisions.
Learn more about how the librarians can support your student and collaborate with you to improve the research skills of your students.
ABOUTPROGRAM
Information literacy is a core instructional pedagogy in higher education. The Association of College and Research Libraries, the primary professional organization for academic librarians, first described information literacy in 1989. Numerous disciplinary and accrediting associations have also incorporated the Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education and/or information literacy language into their documents.
At ADU all our librarian-provided research instruction is based on these five standards:
Can the student identify the information needed?
Can the student find the information needed?
Can the student evaluate the information retrieved?
Can the student synthesize to create a new information product?
Does the student behave with an awareness of the ethical and legal issues regarding information use?
While these serve as guiding objectives, the instruction we provide is unique to the discipline, the course, the assignment, and the instructor's learning objectives for students. To be a truly educational experience, library instruction must be created in full collaboration with the course instructor.
For further discussion and examples see librarian/faculty collaboration.
PROGRAMOVERVIEW
The role of the Information Literacy Program in the context of a teaching library is to encourage and facilitate life-long learning. In order to empower students in the pursuit of knowledge, the library faculty aims to teach them the skills of identifying, locating, and evaluating information.
The ADU librarians acknowledge that not all people learn in the same manner. Therefore, instruction is offered in a variety of formats. It may take the form of a classroom lecture, a printed handout for students, a tutorial, a course guide, or working one-to-one with students.
The success of our program is based on our understanding of curriculum and course objectives. The more we are involved in a course, the more effective our instruction, and our program, can be.
The program aims to accomplish the following goals:
Information literacy instruction
To provide information literacy instruction to all students by incorporating activities into all University College courses.
Course-integrated instruction
To provide course-integrated instruction in collaboration with the faculty and in alignment with course objectives and programmatic student learning outcomes
Orientation and consultation
To provide orientation and consultation to faculty.
Provide outreach
To provide outreach to the various student and community groups by offering opportunities such as workshops, seminars, lectures.
THE MISSION
Information literacy is more than teaching students how to use the library.
An information literate person is a lifelong learner who is able to find, evaluate, and use information effectively to think critically and make informed decisions.
As Librarians, we are active partners with disciplinary faculty in developing information literate students because we are experts in information-seeking behaviours, the structure and organization of information, and how information is evaluated.
LEARNINGOUTCOMES
The framework for the Information Literacy Program (ILP) curriculum is the Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education adopted by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) and other higher education organizations since their distribution in 2000. Additionally, numerous disciplinary and accrediting associations have also incorporated aspects of the Standards and/or information literacy language into their documents.
SCHEDULEINSTRUCTION
The ADU Library focuses on the various University College courses as well as core courses in the specific majors.
