Presentation at STLHE conference, 2012. In this interactive workshop, first, a view of undergraduate students’ information behaviour will be offered, as informed by a librarian’s perspective. The connections between the research process and intrinsic motivation will be discussed, with the aim of exploring best practices for sparking research motivation. In other words: how can students get interested in research, and how does motivation affect their success? Next, key solutions will be discussed, vis-à-vis holistic collaborations between professors and librarians in teaching information skills and designing assignments that motivate students to engage in research tasks.

1. Blurring boundaries to spark motivation:
collaborative approaches to teaching research skills
Megan Fitzgibbons
Liaison Librarian
McGill University
June 21, 2012

2. Our world is
awash in
information
2

3. 3

4. Solution? Information skills
4

5. Information behaviour
Student motivation
Designing assignments
Sharing!

6. Librarians:
What is our role?
6

7. 7

8. Consultations and guidance
8

9. Researchers:
Technology, learning, behaviour
9

10. Imagine you’re a 2nd year undergrad student…
…who has to write a paper about any topic in
American politics.
Take 5 minutes and draw the process.
What does the process look like?
What are your actions and decision-making points?
10

11. Information seeking behaviour
Data from:
Ishimura, Yusuke.
“Integrating information behaviour and
information literacy during academic tasks: A
comparative study of Japanese and Canadian
undergraduate students in a Canadian university.”
Doctoral research in progress at McGill University.
11

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15

16. 16

17. Assignment topics · Previously studied content
· Seeking originality
· Professor’s viewpoints
· Data availability
Decide topic Discussion with a doctoral student
· Thinking about data combination
Data search/collection
Keywords:
Carbon, emission, vehicle, public
transportation, hybrid car,
Google Scholar transition, long-term, global
warming, ガソリン価格, プリウス
etc
Reading
Iterative process
Outline
Making outline Data analysis Making hypothesis
submission
17

18. Iterative process
Outline
Making outline Data analysis Making hypothesis
submission
Advice from a
classmate
Finding backup information
Keywords:
Google Scholar Public transportation, vehicle, carbon,
carbon emission
Reading
Writing
Submission
18

19. Complex journey: many decision-making points
19

20. “Ethnographic” studies of info behaviour
• Project Information Literacy
• Studying Students (University of Rochester)
• Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic
Libraries (ERIAL) Project
20

21. 21

22. What are the hurdles?
22

23. Different mental models
23

24. In comparison with experts, students lack:
• Subject knowledge
• Technical abilities in retrieving information
• Understanding of how information is organized
• Experience with the research process…
…..it can be emotional!
24

25. Motivation
25

26. What motivates students?
• Tasks that seem doable
• Empowerment
• Topics and tasks that are “relevant”
26

27. Information literacy skills
27

28. Definition of information literacy (IL)
Information literate people are defined as those
who “know how to find, evaluate, and use
information effectively to solve a particular
problem or make a decision.”
(American Library Association)
Source: American Library Association (1989). Presidential committee on information literacy: Final report. 28
Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/presidential.cfm

29. Competency Standards for Higher Education
• Created by the Association of College & Research Libraries
• Consist of criteria defining
Standard #1
information literacy skills Know
• Have been adapted for Standard #5 Standard #2
Ethics Access
subject-specific contexts
Standard #4 Standard #3
Use Evaluate
29

30. Hierarchy of ACRL Competency Standards
ACRL IL
Standards
Standard #1 Standard #2 ......
Performance Performance Performance Performance
indicator indicator indicator indicator
Outcome Outcome Outcome Outcome
Outcome Outcome Outcome Outcome
30

31. IL Standard #1
Standard #1:
The information literate student determines the nature and extent
of the information needed
Performance Indicators:
• The information literate student defines and articulates the need for
information
• The information literate student identifies a variety of types &
formats of potential sources for information
• The information literate student considers the costs & benefits of
acquiring the needed information
• The information literate student reevaluates the nature & extent of
the information need
31

32. IL Standard #1
Standard #1:
The information literate student determines the nature and extent
of the information needed
Outcomes:
• Develops a thesis statement and formulates questions based on the
information need
• Defines or modifies the information need to achieve a manageable
focus
• Identifies the value & differences of potential resources in a variety
of formats (e.g., multimedia, database, website, data, book)
• Identifies the purpose & audience of potential resources (e.g.,
popular vs. scholarly, current vs. historical)
• Defines a realistic overall plan and timeline to acquire the needed
32
information

33. Why standards?
Ideal
state of
IL skills
Actual
state of
IL skills
33

34. Students see
information seeking
and use as an
integrated process
34

35. Our efforts for
scaffolding
research skills
should be holistic
35

36. Solution:
assignment design
36

37. Sample assignment to critique
One 10-15 page term paper, which should explore in depth some issues
central to the course. Paper topics will not be assigned, but it is important that
you choose a paper topic appropriate for the course and your interests.
Students are expected to do original work and demonstrate the ability to
research, understand, and write about American politics.
Style: The paper should clearly address a research question and must include
proper citations. A proper bibliography must be attached. Provide the
background information that is pertinent to understand your arguments, but
not other information.
Academic integrity: McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all
students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating,
plagiarism, and other academic offenses under the code of student conduct and
disciplinary procedures (see http://www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more
information)
Assistance: Students can get advice on how to proceed on the assignment
during the instructor’s office hours. A presentation on how to use library
resources will be held on January 8.
Deadline: April 12
37

38. (Re-)design an assignment
1. What hurdles might students face with this
assignment?
2. How might the assignment be broken down or
redesigned to improve student motivation in
the face of these hurdles?
3. Which specific information literacy skills can
be promoted with the assignment?
38

39. Collaboration examples
Collaboration examples
39

40. 1. Scaffolding assignments
• Annotated, evaluative bibliographies
• Research logs
• Wikipedia assignments
• Comparative evaluations of sources
• Iterative search assignments
• Role play
• Plagiarism case studies 40

41. 2. Co-teaching
• More than one “library lecture”!
• Shared assignment design
• Both contribute to assessment
• “Embedded” librarian
41

42. General principles
• Inquiry-based
• Multiple opportunities to practice skills
• Explicit instructions
• Use web-based resource guides
• Limit point-and-click presentations
42

43. Collaboration examples
43

44. Assessment examples
Assessing information skills
44

45. Rubrics for assessing skills
Source: Oakleaf, M. (2009). The information literacy instruction assessment cycle: A guide for increasing student learning and improving librarian instructional skills. 45
Journal of Documentation, 65(4), 539-560.

46. 46

47. Sharing
47

48. Take-away
• Novice researchers + hurdles = low motivation
• Librarians = info experts
• Collaborative assignment design = good!
48

49. Photo credits
• Slide 2: Binary flow By adrenalin http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrenalin/4250667/ License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
• Slide 3: Stick figure in peril By IndiepoprockJesse http://www.flickr.com/photos/
indiepoprockjesse/266239576/in/photostream Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC
BY-NC 2.0)
• Slide 7: An unhealthy relationship http://www.flickr.com/photos/31001240@N00/
516902570/ by baking_in_pearls Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
• Slide 20: Map by dunechaser http://www.flickr.com/photos/12426416@N00/1721982928/
License: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
• Slide 23: Hurdle by By n.kuzma http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickuzma/2538576359/
in/photostream/ License: Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic
• Slide 35: “SPNP #52” by By J_P_D http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_p_d/6178848605/ License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
• Slide 47: Sharing the Popsicle by The Facey Family http://www.flickr.com/photos/
44124461706@N01/2384239540. License: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0
Generic
• Slide 48: Riced out by dslrninja. http://www.flickr.com/photos/65694461@N00/350982990/
License: Attribution 2.0 Generic
49

50. References and further resources
Understanding students’ information behaviour
• Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries (ERIAL) Project:
http://www.erialproject.org
• Foster, N. F., & Gibbons, S. L. (2007). Studying students: The undergraduate research
project at the University of Rochester. Association of College & Research Libraries.
https://urresearch.rochester.edu/institutionalPublicationPublicView.action?institutional
ItemId=7044
• Holman, L. (2011). Millennial students’ mental models of search: Implications for
academic librarians and database developers. The Journal of Academic Librarianship,
37(1), 19–27. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.10.003
• Ishimura, Y. Integrating information behaviour and information literacy during
academic tasks: A comparative study of Japanese and Canadian undergraduate
students in a Canadian university. Doctoral dissertation in progress at McGill
University.
• Kuhlthau, C. (1993). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information
services. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1993.
50

51. References and further resources
Understanding students’ information behaviour (con’t)
• Leckie, G. J. (1996). Desperately seeking citations: Uncovering faculty assumptions
about the undergraduate research process. The Journal of Academic Librarianship,
22(3), 201–208. doi:10.1016/S0099-1333(96)90059-2
• Lee, H.-L. (2008). Information structures and undergraduate students. The Journal of
Academic Librarianship, 34(3), 211–219. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2008.03.004
• Pencek, B., Nelson, S., & Brians, C. L. (2009). What students tell us about doing
research: Information literacy assessment as pedagogy. SSRN eLibrary. Retrieved from
http://papers.ssrn.com/Sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1450021
• Pennanen, M., & Vakkari, P. (2003). Students’ conceptual structure, search process, and
outcome while preparing a research proposal: a longitudinal case study. Journal of the
American Society for Information Science and Technology, 54(8), 759–770.
• Project Information Literacy: http://projectinfolit.org
51

52. References and further resources
Motivation and information skills
• Head, A.J. & Eisenberg, M.B. (2010). Assigning inquiry: How handouts for research
assignments guide today's college students. Project Information Literacy Progress
Report: http://projectinfolit.org/publications/
• Kyndt, E., Dochy, F., Struyven, K., & Cascallar, E. (2011). The direct and indirect effect of
motivation for learning on students’ approaches to learning through the perceptions
of workload and task complexity. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(2),
135–150. doi:10.1080/07294360.2010.501329
• Shenton, A. K., & Fitzgibbons, M. (2010). Making information literacy relevant. Library
Review, 59(3), 165–174.
• Small, R. V. (2006). Designing motivation into library and information skills instruction.
Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/
volume11998slmqo/small
• Weimer, M. (n.d.). Shining a light on your assignments. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/shining-a-light-on-
your-assignments/
52

53. References and further resources
Instructor-librarian collaboration
• Ford, M., & Williams, C. (2002). Research and writing in sociology. Public Services
Quarterly, 1(3), 37–49. doi:10.1300/J295v01n03_05
• Germain, C. A., & Bernnard, D. (2004). Empowering students II: Teaching information
literacy concepts with hands-on and minds-on activities. Pittsburgh, PA: Library
Instruction Publications.
• Harrington, J. (2011). Alternatives to the term paper: Creative assignments that
develop information literacy skills. Teaching Innovation Projects, 1(1). Retrieved from
http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/tips/vol1/iss1/5
• Jacobson, T., & Mackey, T. P. (2007). Information literacy collaborations that work. New
York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.
• Scheepers, M. D., De Boer, A. L., Bothma, T. J. ., & Du Toit, P. H. (2011). A mental model
for successful inter-disciplinary collaboration in curriculum innovation for information
literacy. Retrieved from http://137.215.9.22/bitstream/handle/2263/17259/
Scheepers_Mental(2011).pdf?sequence=1
• Stein, L. L., & Lamb, J. M. (1998). Not just another BI: Faculty-librarian collaboration to
guide students through the research process. Research Strategies, 16(1), 29–39.
doi:10.1016/S0734-3310(98)90004-0 53

54. References and further resources
Library guides for assignment design
• Alternatives to the Research Paper, University of Texas at Austin Libraries:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/signaturecourses/tags/779
• Assignment Ideas that Develop Information Literacy Skills, University of Arizona
Libraries: http://www.library.arizona.edu/services/for-faculty-instructors/assignment-
ideas-that-develop-information-literacy-skills
• Designing Research Assignments, Leddy Library, University of Windsor:
http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/leddy/leddy.nsf/DesigningResearchAssignments!OpenF
orm
• Education/Assignment Design, Wikimedia Outreach:
http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/Assignment_Design
• Guidelines for Creating Effective Library Assignments, California State University San
Marcos: https://biblio.csusm.edu/ilp/effective-library-assignments
• Ideas for Library/Information Assignments, Memorial University Libraries:
http://www.library.mun.ca/qeii/instruction/assignment_ideas.php
• Tips for Creating Good Research Assignments, University of Louisville:
http://louisville.edu/library/infoliteracy/tips-for-creating-good-research-
assignments.html 54

55. References and further resources
Assessment
• Coco, P., & McClure, H. (2011). Research guidance rubric for assignment design.
Retrieved from http://gvsu.edu/library/research-guidance-rubric-for-assignment-
design-175.htm
• Information Literacy Rubrics. Lorain County Community College: http://www.
lorainccc.edu/Library/Library+Services/Services+for+Faculty/IL+Rubrics.htm
• Oakleaf, M. (2009). The information literacy instruction assessment cycle: A guide for
increasing student learning and improving librarian instructional skills. Journal of
Documentation, 65(4), 539-560.
• Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (RAILS) Project:
http://railsontrack.info/rubrics.aspx
Information Literacy Standards
• Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy
Competency Standards for Higher Education. ACRL. http://www.ala.org/acrl/
standards/informationliteracycompetency
• Information literacy in the disciplines (ACRL): http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards 55

56. Merci!
Thank you!
Megan Fitzgibbons
megan.fitzgibbons@mcgill.ca
June 21, 2012