Library & Information Science, Course 250: Instructional Strategies.
Dr. David Loertscher
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THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

In the current Information Age, the speed at which we work makes us

increasingly dependent on high-quality, accurate information. However,

information is becoming more voluminous, fragmented into different formats

and media, and duplicated in multiple physical locations. In order to access

and use these myriad sources effectively, people must be information

literate.

As defined by the American Library Association (ALA) in its mission

statement for the global information society, 21st century information

literacy is the ability to seek and effectively utilize information

resources, including knowledge of how to use technologies and the forms in

which information is stored (ALA, 1998). This means that asking a good

question, as well as accessing, locating, evaluating, and using information,

is critical not only in scholarly activities but in making daily decisions.

Having accurate, up-to-date information determines the difference between

the rich and the poor in the Information Age. Community colleges can make a

vital contribution toward closing this gap by equipping their students with

the ability to access, retrieve, and utilize information.

As we strive to understand information literacy issues in a more holistic

manner, the Information Literacy: Search Strategies, Tools & Resources

(ST&R) Program developed by Ercegovac (1997a) can provide invaluable

guidance in a variety of information literacy environments. This Digest

briefly describes challenges facing information literacy development as well

as ST&R and its usefulness to community college faculty and students.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The growth of computer networks and information services has already enabled

learners at all levels to share resources, collaborate with one another, and

publish their results electronically. To use information sources

effectively, we need both technology infrastructure (TI) and information

literacy infrastructure (ILI) in place. While TI has been well-funded and

developed, ILI is poorly applied in teaching and learning, and requires

educators' attention.

Information technology is a tool for writing papers, communicating with

colleagues worldwide, and exchanging experiments, ideas, and programs

internationally. As community colleges are considering distance learning and

adding new technologies to their curriculum, ensuring students' information

literacy becomes vital. However, this shift may challenge existing campus

dynamics.

A CURRENT CHALLENGE

The proliferation of information sources and educational technology have

created a dysfunctional relationship between community college faculty and

librarians that is based on an outdated teaching/learning paradigm

(Tompkins, 1996). Traditionally, teaching has been the purview of faculty

while librarians were viewed as merely custodians of printed information

resources. In the current Information Age however, librarians have become

the primary instructors in community colleges to teach research methods and

critical thinking skills as applied to information access (Academic Senate

for California Community Colleges, 1996). As such, there is increasing

support for community college librarians to be seen as key instructional

team members and as partners with faculty (Tompkins, 1996; McHenry, Stewart

& Wu, 1992).

Especially as libraries are transformed into integrated library/high

technology centers, resource-based learning (i.e., drawing on resources

beyond textbooks and lectures) and information literacy can be adopted as

goals across academic disciplines. At Central Seattle Community College, for

example, faculty linked an English composition course with one in library

science to teach students how to use information literacy skills in the

context of cultural pluralism (McHenry, Stewart & Wu, 1992). By working

together, librarians and faculty were able to teach content as well as the

valuable skill of navigating through complex data bases and information

resources.

While faculty may know how to teach English composition or other standard

courses, they may not be as comfortable teaching information literacy.

Fortunately, an abundance of resources has emerged from sources including

the Department of Education (1996), the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information

and Technology (Eisenberg & Johnson, 1996) and independent authors (for

example see Mendrinos, 1994). These publications state information literacy

goals, review literacy tools, provide case studies, and present adaptable

models of information literacy curricula.

THE ST&R PROGRAM

One recently developed aid is the Information Literacy: Search Strategies,

Tools & Resources (ST&R) Program that can be tailored to the local needs of

colleges. It is comprised of three integrated instructional components: the

ST&R book, a PowerPoint presentation for classroom use, and an HTML version

of the book for installation on institutional servers.

Implemented at the intersection of learners and Web-ready information

resources, ST&R can initiate students to the world of information literacy.

It is a comprehensive and flexible tool that has been developed to enable

students to become self-sustained seekers and users of information sources

and digital libraries. This can be especially useful in the community

colleges where many students are from disadvantaged or lower socio-economic

backgrounds and previously may not have had access to such sources.

The program has been designed for anyone interested in the critical and

effective use of all types of information sources regardless of their format

(e.g., books, journal articles, manuscripts, log diaries, visual elements,

and other artifacts) and medium (e.g., printed, electronic, and networked

digital libraries). ST&R takes a user-centered perspective and focuses on

the intellectual aspects of locating, evaluating, interpreting, and

communicating information sources rather than on the technical aspects of

these activities.

Furthermore, ST&R is comprehensive because it contains references to a

variety of sources and digital repositories, introduces effective search

strategies and tools for the use of these sources, and covers critical

evaluation of these sources. In this one-stop "literacy mall," ST&R also

offers exercises, a glossary of introduced terms and concepts, and Internet

addresses of numerous sources available on the Web. In particular, the

electronic version of ST&R allows students to connect automatically with

Internet addresses and explore various search engines in an orderly and

guided manner. Instructors are equipped with the "ST&R Show," based on the

Microsoft PowerPoint 97 presentation program, that features links to

selected Internet digital libraries and resources.

The ST&R Program also is flexible because its content is divided into a

series of nine interrelated yet independent chapters. Students can expand

each chapter by doing more exercises and searches, tracking new Web

addresses, updating the existing ones, and developing their own portfolio of

annotated information sources.

This program is the first attempt to translate research from the fields of

information seeking, information retrieval, and educational psychology into

a practical information literacy program. It can be utilized in a variety of

academic settings including libraries, media centers, and classrooms. In

addition, different academic departments may wish to incorporate individual

parts of ST&R into their curricula to fit their own information literacy

mission, students, and collections. Also, the program is scalable to the

different academic abilities of community college students.

In summary, ST&R represents an accumulation of over 10 years of teaching,

in-class testing with undergraduates at the University of California, Los

Angeles, and feedback from real learners and users. It is based on

understanding the user, active learning, a conceptual approach in teaching,

and modularity (Ercegovac, 1995; 1997b). While the program is a very

practical information literacy tool, it also is based on solid research and

conceptual foundations. For example, it recognizes the importance of the

information life cycle (e.g., information need, search and interpretation,

evaluation, and use) as well as the user (National Academy of Sciences,

1998).

CONCLUSION

In this Information Age, we browse and query the world's repositories

without ever having to leave our workplaces and communities. Thus, it is not

surprising that the traditional sense of a library as a confined space with

local dimensions has introduced ambiguities to the way people interpret

library collections and uses. As a result, the value of a library as a store

has been questioned, and the library's role as a service is largely

misunderstood.

Another concern is the ease with which untrained users can directly search

sources, resulting in their continued difficulty with utilizing information

retrieval systems. Furthermore, definitions of access and information are

not agreed upon universally.

All these changes have created the need to rethink information literacy and

to educate students in the lifelong quest for knowledge. ST&R helps in this

regard.

REFERENCES

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. (1996, Spring). Library

Faculty in California Community College Libraries: Qualifications, Roles &

Responsibilities. Sacramento, CA: Academic Senate for California Community

Colleges. (ED 395 630)

American Library Association. (1998). New Visions: Beyond ALA Goal 2000.

Planning document. Chicago: American Library Association.

Department of Education. (1996). Getting America's Students Ready for the

21st Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge. A Report to the

Nation on Technology and Education. Washington, DC: Department of Education.

(ED 398 899)

Eisenberg, M.B. & Johnson, D. (1996). "Computer Skills for Information

Problem-Solving: Learning and Teaching Technology in Context." ERIC Digest

ED-IR-96-04. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology.

(ED 392 463)

Ercegovac, Z. (1995) "Information access instruction (IAI4): Design

principles." College & Research Libraries, 56 (3), 249-257. (EJ 510 313)

Ercegovac, Z. (1997a). Information Literacy: Search Strategies, Tools &

Resources. Los Angeles: InfoEN Associates. (ED # forthcoming)

Ercegovac, Z. (1997b). "The interpretation of library use in the age of

digital libraries: Virtualizing the name." Library & Information Science

Research, 19 (1), 31-46.

McHenry, K.E., Stewart, J.T. & Wu, J. (1992). "Teaching resource-based

learning and diversity." New Directions for Higher Education, 78, Summer,

55-62. (EJ 450 253)

Mendrinos, R. (1994). Building Information Literacy Using High Technology: A

Guide for Schools and Libraries. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. (ED 375

820)

National Academy of Sciences. (1998). Workshop on Information Literacy.

Irvine, CA. January 14-15. http://www2.nas.edu/cstbweb/

Tompkins, P. (1996). "Quality in community college libraries." Library

Trends, 44 (3), 506-25. (EJ 520 152)

The ERIC Clearinghouse operates under OERI Contract No. RR93002003. The

opinions expressed in this digest do not necessarily reflect the position or

policy of OERI and no official endorsement by OERI should be inferred.

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