Teaching Information Literacy : A Conceptual Approach

This book provides teaching librarians and others who deliver instruction in information literacy with fresh approaches to teaching specific concepts such as, developing a topic and thesis, constructing Boolean strategies, and evaluating the credibility of a source.

A great challenge most instructors face, experienced as well as those new to the field, is to create and deliver diverse, dynamic instruction that will provide students with the tools and knowledge they need to conduct research for their courses and to carry those skills to the workplace. Teaching Information Literacy meets that challenge by providing teaching librarians and others who deliver instruction in information literacy fresh approaches to teaching specific concepts, such as developing a topic and thesis, constructing Boolean search strategies, and evaluating the credibility of a source. The primary pedagogical framework for this book is a concept-based approach that teaches students the information seeking strategies and critical thinking abilities needed to do effective research. Crucial to this approach is the emphasis on thinking skills, which include the basic skills (observing, comparing, contrasting, and classifying) and the more complex skills (analysis, logical reasoning, problem solving, and evaluating). Chapters are arranged sequentially to simulate a typical research process and discuss preparing a research topic and thesis; focus on the search strategies and content evaluation for online book catalogs, periodical databases, and Internet search engines; and give examples of Boolean search methodology that can be applied to each of these research tools. Within each chapter, a set of learning objectives is discussed, followed by class activities, instructor guides, and assessment tools developed by the author and other instructors. This useful book will assist instructors in developing custom assessment instruments and will help them to adapt pertinent content to deepen and enliven lectures.