Research to Go: Taking an Information Literacy Course Online

Research to Go: Taking an Information Literacy Course OnlineJohn J. BurkeJessie H. LongBeth E. TumblesonMiami University Middletown

Welcome to1Question: Who here teaches an Information Literacy course?How many of those are face-to-face?How many are hybrid?How many are online?How many meet for the entire semester? Shorter time?How many credit hours are offered? 1, 2, 3?Is the course P/F? Grades?Lets take a one minute poll2The course: effective use of libraries, edt 2512 Credit CourseElectiveLetter GradeLate Start10 Weeks, Once Weekly for 2 Hours and 40 MinutesEnrollment Cap of 15

Our face-to-face information literacy course is3A brief historyEnglish Faculty Member Taught for 20 Years4 Sections of 15 Students per Semester Exposure to Different SourcesFinding Tools: OPAC, LCSH, DatabasesBibliography as Final ExamProfessor Retired Course Handed to Librarians to Teach in 2008Course Overhauled

The course has not always been taught by librarians. Originally the course was taught4PurposeAcademic, online researchUse university library system & statewide library consortium OhioLINKDevelop 21st century information literacy skillsBecome lifelong learners Our goals are straightforward: To develop students information literacy skills. (Which we believe to be practical, transferrable, marketable.) We teach academic, online research concepts and strategies.Students use the Miami University Libraries system and OhioLINK, the statewide library consortium.They have opportunities to develop 21st century information literacy skills which align with ACRL standards.Hopefully they are better equipped to become lifelong learners in an information world that values knowledge workers.5Exposure to:Research processScholarly communicationMind mapping toolsProject calculatorsFinding tools: OPACS, databases, search enginesTime-savers: citation generators, RSS feedsOnline presentation tools

During the 10 weeks, we introduce students to6Course ComprisesOnline textbook and readingsDigital videos LectureDemonstrationsDiscussionIn-class hands-on activities QuizzesMulti-Part ProjectWiki, Blog

Each semester the course is tweaked. Each instructor modifies the experiential activities and course requirements somewhat, in an effort to improve student learning. The components of the courses, however, remain the same and include:7Our studentsRegional university campus Established in 19662700 studentsOpen accessCommuteDegrees: Associate, Bachelor, CertificatesPSEOP , Traditional, & Non-TraditionalAverage age 25Majority work part-time

Our 2700 students commute to a regional university campus, which was established in 1966.It is an open access campus that offers associate and bachelor degrees.The student body is diverse, ranging from High School (in the post-secondary education opportunity program) through retirees. Classes are filled with traditional and non-traditional students.The average student age is 25. The majority work part-time. Many have family commitments.8The issues Students New to Higher EducationDiverse AbilitiesA Matter of TimingShowing UpOld HabitsEnlightenment Dawns

Information Literacy is an essential skill, in our wired world that prizes knowledge workers. Not that administrators always support by funding school and public librarian positionsBut I digress.

We have each taught EDT 251. Each has encountered similar challenges.

Many of our students are new to higher education. This means they are trying things out, learning as they go, and developing technology, research, and study skills. They are learning the ropes of life as a university student, including coming to class, staying for the entire period, learning when to add/drop a class, and understanding the significance of their GPA. Some fall behind and give up. Others have the resilience to persevere and complete the course.

Technology Skills Vary!Among enrolled students we have lst semester freshmen through last semester seniors. Ability levels differ! There are no prereqs. Some are mastering keyboarding; others have never presented with PowerPoint.

Another complicating factor involves Timing. The course is a Late Start course, starting week 5 of a 15 week semester. Some students use the course as backup but never showup. Because the class is held once a week for 2 hours 40 minutesmissing class leads to knowledge gaps which can spell disaster in completing required research projectsannotated bibliography, oral presentations, papers and posts. Some students arrive late and leave early due to family and job priorities and again miss out.

On the MiamiHamilton campus, the course has also been taught for 7 weeks for 4 hours and for 7 weeks meeting twice weekly for 2 hour classes.

Old Habits can pose problems:Older, returning PT students rely on research habits learned prior to the advent of online research using electronic resources. Freshmen may rely on HS research habits, according to PIL, which means using a few familiar sources and strategies. They tend to be risk-adverse--Nothing new. They attempt to get by with good-enough Google and Wikipedia, rather than experiment with subject-specific databases new to them.

Enlightenment:Eventually, most EDT students realize what they are learning is New, Takes Time, More Complicated than Expected, and that everyone needs to learn this stuff.

9Statistics Enrollment Cap of 15Registration FullCompletionFall 2008 (2 Sections) 6 students; 11 students Spring 2009 16 studentsFall 2009 15 students Spring 2010 7 students Fall 2010 14 students Spring 2011 10 studentsFall 2011 10 studentsSpring 2012 5 studentsRegistration is usually Full and often instructors force Add students.Students completing the course range from 16 5Grades range from A to F with an Average of C. Those who do the work pass; those who opt out dont.10Rationale for Online CourseInformation literacy is an essential skill academically, professionallyConvenient for students with multiple commitmentsLikelihood of greater outreach and larger enrollment Abundance of online, academic sources and finding toolsUniversity-wide push for online courses

Timeline: f2f, hybrid, onlineF2F: Fall 2008-Fall 2011Hybrid: Fall 2011 Hamilton; Spring 2012 Middletown Hybrid will continue in Hamilton and Middletown for Fall semestersOnline: Spring 2013

Question: How many have taught an information literacy course in multiple formats? How many have adapted an information literacy course?Steps for Adaption: a look at the literatureTwo main fociReviewing the content arrangement of EDT 251 and considering the inclusion of new course contentSearching for other examples of online information literacy courses and the process by which they were transformed from face-to-face coursesACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (Association 2000). Determine the extent of information needed Access the needed information effectively and efficiently Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into ones knowledge base Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

Our course has always strived to include the ACRL standards and we wanted to ensue we still met those with an online and hybrid course.

13An Analysis of Online Syllabi for Credit-Bearing Library Skills CoursesHrycaj, P. L. (2006)Collected 100 examples of syllabi from information literacy courses. Top eight most common topic areas covered are:Periodical databasesWeb searchingOnline catalogWeb site evaluationWriting citationsMonograph evaluationResearch strategyPeriodical evaluationHrycaj presents a study of information literacy course syllabi that presents a list of the most common topics covered in the courses and how they correlate to the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. This article allowed us to consider additional content areas chosen by other instructors and to consider ways to strengthen our exploration of the five standards. It has an excellent table (p. 528) of 28 topic areas ranked by their inclusion among the 100 examples of syllabi gathered by Hrycaj. The eight most common, found within 74-94% of courses, were:

Of the 28 topics listed, EDT 251 consistently includes all but five of the topics (some of which, like Periodical evaluation, are covered in part but not at length a separate topic of Popular vs. Scholarly Sources is covered in detail in the course).

14Issues that aroseBureaucracy HappensForms to fill out for adapting the courseApproval from the departmentMoving things along in the slow process of academiaMIA StaffLack of eLearning DirectorLack of Educational Technology CoordinatorLack of IT DirectorSwitch to a new LMSFrom Blackboard to Sakai

Inventive SolutionsWorking with Hamilton on adapting the course on both campusesOffering an undercover hybrid

http://www.facebook.com/IntlSpyMuseumHow the undercover hybrid works

EDT 251 Course page

Overview of the course. Introduction of what Sakai looks like for those who have never used it.18Syllabus

What is expected in the class19Weekly Agenda

All readings for the week, videos and websites are linked. 20Forum

Assignments

Quizzes

Resources

Next StepsSecond offering of the hybrid course (Fall 2012)

Develop the online course over Summer 2012 and Fall 2012

Continue to assess the course to shape content and methods

Change the name of the courseTRAILS Assessmenthttp://www.trails-9.orgFuture plansImprove marketing to studentsConnect with advisorsIncrease student retentionOffering in one-credit version August and January STEP coursesLinking to a specific department or programSharing modules with discipline-based coursesConversion to a different course Questions?Presentation Available http://www.slideshare.net/longjhmum/research-to-goReferencesAssociation for College and Research Libraries (ACRL). (2000). Information Literacy Competencies for Higher Education. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetencyBadke, W. (2011). Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog. 4th ed. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://acts.twu.ca/Library/preface.htmHollister, C. V. (2010).Best practices for credit-bearing information literacy courses. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.Hrycaj, P. L. (2006). An Analysis of Online Syllabi for Credit-Bearing Library Skills Courses. College & Research Libraries, 67(6), 525-535.Mery, Y, Newby, J., and Peng, K. (2012). Why One-shot Information Literacy Sessions Are Not the Future of Instruction: A Case for Online Credit Courses. College & Research Libraries (anticipated publication date May 2012). Retrieved December 12, 2011, from http://crl.acrl.org/content/early/2011/08/26/crl-271.shortSamson, S. (2010). Information Literacy Learning Outcomes and Student Success. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 36(3), 202-210.TRAILS: Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. (n.d.). TRAILS: Tool for Real-time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://www.trails-9.org