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Using some web-based items for instruction
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Using some web-based items for instruction
3:43 PM EST 1/13/07
Hi everyone,

I've taught my first two information literacy classes of the new semester, and I think we are off to a pretty good start. After some thougjht over the break, I decided to add some Web tutorials to the reading list, and next week students will be looking at

Harness E-mai
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/email.html

and

Microsoft Word Basic Features
http://www.baycongroup.com/word2003/word03.htm

in preparation for class.

The biggest issue I've found, however, is that students don't fully understand the difference between information literacy and computer literacy, which of course isn't helped by the fact that the two are so closely connected at times. I used the first day of class this semester to try to clear this up a little, pointing out that our class would not be primarily an introduction to computers, but rather an introduction to infromation systems. In order to illustrate the the difference between the two, we discussed the physical library as an information system, some parts of which would be the security gate, the reference librarian, the system used to classify materials, etc.

I am generally happy with how students responded to this discussion. I'll keep you all updated on how things develop as the semester progresses.

Joseph M. Dudley, M.A., M.L.I.S.
Librarian, Bryant & Stratton College-Downtown
1700 East 13th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114
Email: jmdudley@bryantstratton.edu
Web Portal: http://vl.bryantstratton.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=118
Phone: 216-771-1700 x3046
Fax: 216-771-7787
Re: Using some web-based items for instruction
12:40 PM EST 1/15/07 as a reply to Joseph Dudley.
"...students don't fully understand the difference between information literacy and computer literacy..."

I think students aren't the only ones confused by the distinction! I like your idea of talking about the whole library as an information system. That puts the computer part in context and affirms the connection to the library. When I worked in an undergrad library, I found a lot of confusion about library resources available via computer. I had to help students understand the difference between Google and the subscription databases. It seemed that they were most confounded by abstracts and citations that did not offer full text immediately online. "Isn't everything online?" they would ask.

I really like the information literacy approach at the [url /do/DisplayContent?id=14540 ]Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Library[/url] on the Navajo Reservation. It adds cultural literacy to the mix.

Thanks for the update! emoticon
Re: Using some web-based items for instruction
4:50 PM EST 1/17/07 as a reply to Betha Gutsche.
"I found a lot of confusion about library resources available via computer....It seemed that they were most confounded by abstracts and citations that did not offer full text immediately online."

I've seen this very same problem, and have spent some time already talking about the difference between the free Web and subscription databases (material I'm sure I'll need to review later in the semester). Students will at times confuse an abstract with the article and include material from abstracts to support claims made in papers. To address this problem I am going to have them work on research logs in which they'll gather metadata for five print and five electronic sources and prepare short abstracts for each item. That in itself is a hurdle as students immediately want to write a personal response as an abstract, but I'll spend some time teaching abstract writing skills before i set them to work.

Joseph M. Dudley, M.A., M.L.I.S.
Librarian, Bryant & Stratton College-Downtown
1700 East 13th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114
Email: jmdudley@bryantstratton.edu
Web Portal: http://vl.bryantstratton.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=118
Phone: 216-771-1700 x3046
Fax: 216-771-7787
Re: Using some web-based items for instruction
12:36 PM EST 1/24/07 as a reply to Joseph Dudley.
I heard a compelling insight at an information literacy interest group meeting at ALA Midwinter. The mostly academic librarians were discussing how to insert IL modules into the distance education environment when someone pointed out that ALL info lit should be thought of as online (or distance). So many students are accessing this instruction online even if they are attending on-campus classes and even if they are sitting in the library at a computer terminal. They want the point-of-need instruction at their fingertips. So I think it's a great idea of yours to link to online tutorials.

It's cool to think of new ways of delivering information, but I was a bit disheartened to hear the librarians say that students don't engage with them f2f nearly as much as they used to. I still like the idea of the personal librarian.
The Varieties of Literacy
2:07 PM EDT 4/25/07 as a reply to Betha Gutsche.
I found a pointer to this "Periodic Table of Visualization Methods" at another forum: http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html

Extremely cool and, I think, apropos the entire "information literacy" discourse. There's an awful lot to it, folks.