Presented at LILAC 2016

1. Eileen Wright
Montana State University Billings Library
Billings, Montana

2. Backgound on MSU Billings Information Literacy course
New Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
framework for Information Literacy
Hands on Activities
 Many Ages of Information
 Critical Thinking
 Concept Maps

3. LSCI 125: Research in the Information Age
Introduces students to the organization, retrieval, and evaluation of
both electronic and print sources; covers concepts of the research
process, methods, and ethics of information research, the evolving
nature of information resources, and appropriate information citation.
Formats
In-person Online
Hybrid Intersession
Summer Half Semester

4. Years Online
Students
In-Person
Students
Total Students
2007- 2015 935 644 1579
I thought I knew everything about research, but I
learned a lot from this class

5. “Information literacy is a set of integrated abilities
encompassing the reflective discovery of
information, the understanding of how information
is produced and valued, and the use of information
in creating new knowledge and participating
ethically in communities of learning.”

6. is “organized into six frames, each consisting of a concept central
to information literacy, a set of knowledge practices, and a set of
dispositions.”
“At the heart of this Framework are conceptual understandings
that organize many other concepts and ideas about information,
research, and scholarship into a coherent whole.”

7. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are
evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be
used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of
authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of
authority required.
Information Creation as a Process
Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a
selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and
disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
Information Has Value
Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a
means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding
the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and
dissemination.

8. Research as Inquiry
Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions
whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
Scholarship as Conversation
Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse
with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and
interpretations.
Searching as Strategic Exploration
Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a
range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new
understanding develops.

9. Knowledge Practices Dispositions
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
 Use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the
credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper
this credibility
 Recognize that authoritative content may be packaged formally or
informally and may include sources of all media types
 Develop and maintain an open mind when encountering varied and
sometimes conflicting perspectives
 Develop awareness of the importance of assessing content with a
skeptical stance and with a self-awareness of their own biases and
worldview
Information Creation as a Process
 Recognize that information may be perceived differently based on
the format in which it is packaged
 Develop, in their own creation processes, an understanding that
their choices impact the purposes for which the information product
will be used and the message it conveys
 Understand that different methods of information dissemination
with different purposes are available for their use
Information Has Value
 Give credit to the original ideas of others through proper attribution
and citation
 Articulate the purpose and distinguishing characteristics of
copyright, fair use, open access, and the public domain
 Make informed choices regarding their online actions in full
awareness of issues related to privacy and the commodification of
personal information
 Respect the original ideas of others
 See themselves as contributors to the information marketplace
rather than only consumers of it

10. Knowledge Practices Dispositions
Research as Inquiry
 Deal with complex research by breaking complex questions into simple ones,
limiting the scope of investigations
 Use various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry
 Organize information in meaningful ways
 Synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources
 Draw reasonable conclusions based on the analysis and interpretation of
information
 Maintain an open mind and a critical stance
 Seek multiple perspectives during information gathering and assessment
 Seek appropriate help when needed
 Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information
Scholarship as Conversation
 Cite the contributing work of others in their own information production
 Contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level, such as local online
community, guided discussion, undergraduate research journal, conference
presentation/poster session
 Critically evaluate contributions made by others in participatory information
environments
 See themselves as contributors to scholarship rather than only consumers of it
 Understand the responsibility that comes with entering the conversation
through participatory channels
 Value user-generated content and evaluate contributions made by others
Searching as Strategic Exploration
 Determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information needs
 Utilize divergent (e.g., brainstorming) and convergent (e.g., selecting the best
source) thinking when searching
 Match information needs and search strategies to search tools
 Design and refine needs and search strategies, based on search results
 Understand how information systems (i.e., collections of recorded information)
are organized to access relevant information
 Use different searching language types (e.g., controlled vocabulary, keywords,
natural language)
 Manage searching processes and results
 Exhibit mental flexibility and creativity
 Understand that first attempts at searching do not always produce adequate
results
 Realize that information sources vary greatly in content and format and have
varying relevance and value, depending on the needs and nature of the search
 Seek guidance from experts, such as librarians, researchers, and professionals
 Persist in the face of search challenges, and know when enough information
completes the information task

11. Information Creation as a
Process:
Knowledge Practices
Recognize that information
may be perceived
differently based on the
format in which it is
packaged
Information Creation as a
Process:
Dispositions
Understand that different
methods of information
dissemination with
different purposes are
available for their use

12. What other types of information were
they getting?
How were they getting that
information?
How much information were they
getting at one time?
How quickly was the information
getting to her/him?
How important were the bits of
information?
Colonial time: only horses and ships
Agricultural Age: horse and buggy
– limited trains on East Coast and wire
Industrial Age: trains, cars, limited
phones, and no television
80’s: computers but no Internet access yet –
no email – no cell phones
Information Age: today
Information needs are the same for each time period: water, food, shelter.
However, how has it changed through the ages?

13. Scholarship as Conversation:
Disposition
See themselves as
contributors to scholarship
rather than only consumers
of it
Searching as Strategic
Exploration:
Dispositions
Exhibit mental flexibility and
creativity
Realize that information sources
vary greatly in content and format
and have varying relevance and
value, depending on the needs and
nature of the search

14. Title of Show
Define the subject of area of investigation: What is the crime?
Formulate the search strategy: What do they decide to do? Search for the
criminal, investigate the wife, look online? When searching, do you notice any search terms/key
words that are repeated?
Find the information from varying sources: Where do they find
their answers? What type of resources do they use?
Analyze/Evaluate the data collected: Was the information they found
valid, was the witness credible? Was the evidence reliable?
Organize the information: Did you see them organize the information in any
special way: poster board, use a computer, paper notes, charts?
Communicate the information: How was the evidence presented? A written
report, a news report, online media, to their boss, to their colleagues?
Respond to the following questions in a word document:

15. Authority is
Constructed and
Contextual:
Knowledge Practices
Develop and maintain an
open mind when
encountering varied and
sometimes conflicting
perspectives
Develop awareness of the
importance of assessing
content with a skeptical
stance and with a self-
awareness of their own
biases and worldview
Research as Inquiry:
Knowledge Practices
Synthesize ideas gathered
from multiple sources
Draw reasonable
conclusions based on the
analysis and
interpretation of
information
Research as Inquiry:
Dispositions
Maintain an open mind
and a critical stance
Seek multiple
perspectives during
information gathering
and assessment

17.  Someone says she reached her sister in Memphis an hour ago and they are all heading
south
 Cell phones are not working now
 The water outside is frozen solid and you see lots of people traveling on the ice,
leaving the city
 Friend’s dad says stay inside –anyone going outside will instantly freeze when the next
wave comes through
 Police officer says it is nonsense to stay – need to get going before the snow gets any
deeper
Keep these things in mind that you just saw from the movie clips:
Would you accept the information from your friend’s dad or from the police officer?
Would you stay or would you go?

19. Searching as Strategic
Exploration:
Knowledge Practices
Determine the initial scope of the
task required to meet their
information needs
Utilize divergent (e.g.,
brainstorming) and convergent
(e.g., selecting the best source)
thinking when searching
Use different searching language
types (e.g., controlled vocabulary,
keywords, natural language)
Searching as Strategic
Exploration:
Dispositions
Exhibit mental
flexibility and
creativity
Research as Inquiry:
Knowledge Practices
Deal with complex
research by breaking
complex questions into
simple ones, limiting
the scope of
investigations

23. Broad topic Laura Ingels Wilder
Restricted
topic
Homestead Act
Main
Research
Question
How did the Homestead Act shape the West?

24. What is the Homestead Act?
What opposition was there to the Homestead Act?
Who was affected by the Homestead Act?
What opportunities did the Homestead Act provide?
You need to ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how.

25. Your search term Synonym
Homestead Dwelling, home, farm
Opposition Competition, contention, resistance
Change Development, shift, transformation
Study Investigation, survey, course

26. LSCI 125 Research in the Information Age
Incorporation of the new ACRL Framework into
LSCI 125 class
 Group activities
Thank you!!!

27. Association of College & Research Libraries. (2015). Information literacy competency
standards for higher education. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
Hofer, A. R., Brunetti, K., & Townsend, L. (2013). A threshold concepts approach to the
standards revision. Communications in Information Literacy, 7(2), 108 – 113.
Gibson, C., & Jacobson, T.E. (2014, May). Informing and extending the draft ACRL
information literacy framework for higher education: An overview and avenues for
research. College & Research Libraries, 73(5), 250-254. doi:10.5860/0750250
Solomon, A., Wilson, G., & Taylor, T. (2012). 100% Information Literacy Success. Boston:
Wadsworth.
Upson, M., Hall, C. M., & Cannon, K. (2015). Information now: A graphic guide to student
research. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.