Information fluency is the intersection of information literacy, computer literacy and critical thinking and is a “must” for participants of the 21st century. Mairn explores a variety of resources, research tools, and tips that can be integrated into course management systems and/or traditional classroom settings to help build fluency and develop critical thinking. These tools range from using real-time web/mobile services like Twitter to using conventional econtent more creatively and other tools/services to construct a learning environment — online or face-to-face — that is conducive to information discovery, sharing, and lifelong learning.

1. Chad P. Mairn, M.L.I.S.
Librarian/Adjunct Instructor
St. Petersburg College
Presentation slides, notes, Twitter backchannel (#cil2010 #cmairn) and more are
available at: http://spcollege.libguides.com/chadmairn
Information Fluency Strategies
and Practices to Help Enhance
Critical Thinking Skills

2. “Connectivity is a state of existence, nothing more. The true end is
what happens when things are in connection, what happens when
connectivity itself fuses with information.” (‘500-Year Delta’, page 115)

3. Objectives:
Provide a brief overview of Information Fluency.
Describe St. Petersburg College’s Critical Thinking Initiative.
Explore some strategies and practices that can help encourage
information discovery, sharing, and lifelong learning no matter where
the learner is.
Discuss future plans to help foster information fluency and to develop
problem solving/analytical thinking skills.

4. Information fluency is the intersection of information
literacy, computer literacy and critical thinking.

5. Live Poll: What does it mean to be ‘information fluent?’
1/A. Proficient using a computer.
2/B. Understands how a computer works.
3/C. Ability to think critically and adapt to change.
4/D. Socially adept with information (e.g., communicates ideas well,
documents sources, etc.)
5/E. Has “the ability to perform effectively in an information-rich and
technology-intensive environment.” (UCF definition)
6/F. All of the above
7/G. None of the above

6. An information literate individual …
Determines the extent of information needed.
Accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently.
Evaluates information and its sources critically.
Incorporates selected information into one’s knowledge base.
Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Understands the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the
use of information, and access and use information ethically and
legally.
Source: ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

7. A computer literate individual …
Develops some technological skills while practicing the fine art of
being “information literate”, but “computer literacy” is primarily rote
learning of software and hardware. This is NOT a static skill, however.
“Fluency with technology" focuses on understanding the underlying
concepts of technology and applying problem-solving and critical
thinking to using technology.
Source: ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

8. Critical Thinking defined by St. Petersburg College
The active and systemic process of communication,
problem solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and
reflection, both individually and in community, to foster
understanding, support sound decision-making, and
guide action.
Source: SPC Critical Thinking Gateway (Resources for critical thinking to enhance student learning)

9. Library Academic Roundtable
Instructional Portfolios for Critical Thinking
Note: the instructional portfolios are based upon Earnest L. Boyer's (1990) Ongoing Cycle of Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of Teaching.
For more details and access to the Library Instructional Portfolio please contact Chad Mairn.

10. So, I think information fluency is …
… having the ability to think critically while being able to apply
this thinking across a variety of “literacies” (e.g., information,
technological, cultural, scientific etc.) in order to “foster
understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide
action” in the classroom and beyond!
communicating, problem
solving, evaluating, analyzing,
synthesizing, and reflecting
on the entire process.

11. Some strategies/practices that can help
encourage information fluency

12. Best strategy/practice?!
Allow users/students to do the work themselves. Then, we should
simply follow up with them to make sure that they are successful.
Socratic questioning (i.e., reference interview) is useful too!

13. Ask-a-Librarian virtual reference assistance at the point of need!

14. Pre/post testing using TRAILS

15. SPC assessed computer literacy skills using the iSkills test, which
used “scenario-based tasks to measure cognitive skills in a
technological environment.” CGS 1060 (Basic Computer and
Information Literacy) uses Cengage’s SAM 2007 Assessment
software for the Final Exams.

16. Do we need a
Twitter break?
Twitter hashtags:
#cil2010 #cmairn

17. Twitter Feedback
© SAP 2009 / Page 17

18. Using Diigo to highlight and annotate
parts of articles

19. Article Analysis (i.e., “intervention”)
Assignment Instructions
Read "Government Should Regulate the Internet" article.
Answer the 10 questions. You may want to consider these questions
first and take notes while reading the article.
I will schedule a chat/video session to share ideas and to discuss the
issues.
It may help to organize your thoughts using the "Elements of Thought
and Standards Model”.
FYI: I will refer to this critical thinking rubric and to this general reading
rubric primarily when grading this assignment. Note: The VALUE
(Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) rubrics
are from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

20. "Elements of Thought and
Standards Model”.

21. Questions to consider …
1. What is the main argument of this article?
2. Can you distinguish between verifiable facts and the author’s
values?
3. How do you interpret the author’s conclusion[s] and is there an
alternative conclusion[s]?
4. Is there a problem with the author’s main thesis? Please explain.
5. Can you recognize any logical inconsistencies?
6. While reading the article did you assume anything that you
shouldn’t?
7. Did you have difficulties reading this article if you disagreed with the
author’s premise?
8. Are the author’s assumptions valid?
9. Can you detect any biases (stated and/or unstated)?
10. What did you learn from this process?

22. Here are some student quotes regarding what they learned
from the process.
"I learned that finding resources for research projects is a task which requires attention to detail,
rational thinking, and good judgement skills. The internet is full of information; some valid
information, some not so valid. I found that sometimes opinions are stated as facts, and
sometimes that facts can be misrepresented as opinions if citations are not present. I also learned
that while research a topic, if I find a source of information, it never hurts to also research a little
bit about the source in order to conclude if it's a valid source of information or not.”
"I think it was very interesting to tear down his article and evaluate it for biases, premises, validity,
thesis, inconsistency, facts vs. opinion, etc. I usually do this subconsiously when I read or watch
the news, but not to the extent that I did here when I really wrote it all out. It is so helpful to do this
so that you can identify the view of the author, and then find a differing opinion, and compare the
two, because the truth usually falls somewhere in the middle.”
"To dissect an article a little more thoroughly and to examine credibility and an author's intentions
when writing the article a little more closely.”
"I have read the entire article four times now, and I don’t necessarily find a problem with the author’s
thesis, however, find that there could be easily be more than just one.”
“I learned to be more critically aware of information that I read and to carefully evaluate sources.”

23. Course-long Pre-writing (i.e., research) Project
Tapping into one’s interests
Reading for discovery/reflection
Asking questions/What do you already know?
Research proposal: title, thesis, abstract, outline
Discuss topic with fellow students (peer review)
Gathering information (books, articles, web sites etc.)
Evaluating information (relevance, reliability, logic/claims)
Take notes to avoid plagiarism and build credibility/citing sources
Understand difference between cause and coincidence
Assess scientific/political biases.
Refining thesis/Group ideas
How to organize (use an outline)
Check outline for unity and coherence
Discuss topic with fellow students (peer review)
Support ideas with evidence
Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.
Revision/presenting ideas
Peer review
Explain and reflect upon one’s research process

24. Using RefWorks/RefShare
Hopefully students will have more quality time to digest and critically
think about retrieved content instead of jumping through hoops.

25. Using Twitter for class conversations
Extra credit: Ask students to use Twitter.
http://twitter.com/cmairn/my-students
DM @cmairn

26. Create course pages in Facebook (Static FBML) and add
applications (e.g., Vivox Voice for conferencing with students)

27. Use web-based software (e.g.,
Yuuguu, LogMeIn Express, etc) to
screenshare/control one’s desktop to
demonstrate more complex things.
Ask students to
demonstrate too!

28. Create screencasts to teach complex tasks

29. Some other activity ideas from LIS 2004
(Introduction to Internet Research) course
Ask students to write a book review or catalog a subject via
LibraryThing or WorldCat.
Ask students to become Wikipedians and either write an entry on
something that interests them and/or add to or correct an existing
Wikipedia article. Documenting your sources will build credibility!
Create a slideshow "movie" and document it using MLA or APA. Use
free, online software like Google's Picassa 3, iMovie, Window's
MovieMaker, Voicethread, or MemoriesonWeb to create a slideshow
"movie" that conveys a powerful message, constructs an argument, or
teaches an educational lesson.
More activity ideas can be found at:
http://www.spcollege.edu/SPG/WSPCL/librarians/mairn/lis2004/alterna
tive_activity_ideas.html

30. Provide multiple contacts
Twitter DM

31. Future plans to help foster information fluency and to develop
problem solving/analytical thinking skills.

32. Fine tune the course-long pre-writing project to completely incorporate
computer literacy. (Course of Record)
Continue to utilize Vivox Voice because Facebook is one “place” where
students are comfortable.
Explore Adobe Connect Mobile and other web conferencing
technologies for mobile devices. (iPad)
Continue to provide library visibility in Course Management Systems.
Explore Open Content and electronic textbooks (submitted a grant
proposal to conduct an eReader usability study).
Experiment with Google Wave and other collaboration applications.
Augmented Reality in the stacks? Information Fluency Games (Wii and
Google’s searching game is coming soon!)

33. Working with Offshoot Systems to modify our
LINCCWeb toolbar to include RefWorks, Reframe
It and more!

34. No matter what the future brings
we will always need the skills to
think critically about whatever
information is in front of us –
regardless of format. Technology
cannot truly comprehend for us!

35. Select Resources
• University of Central Florida Information Fluency Initiative
• Turning Point Technologies
• ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher
Education
• SPC Critical Thinking Gateway
• Elements of Thought and Standards Model
• Association of American Colleges and Universities VALUE Rubrics
• RefWorks/RefShare
• Follow Students on Twitter
• Yuuguu
• LibraryThing
• WorldCat
• Other activity ideas
• Mental Graffiti blog

36. What do you do to help enhance your
students/patrons information fluency (i.e.,
learning)? #cil2010 #cmairn
http://twtpoll.com/dkfz7k
Text @wif22514 + your message to 87884

37. Contact Information
mairn.chad@spcollege.edu
(727) 341.7181
+ 1 (727) 537.6405
chadmairn@gmail.com
With your phone take a quick photo of this code
and you’ll be directed to my mobile contact page.
For the software, visit http://www.beetagg.com
@cmairn