Library Instruction & Information Literacy

Credo InfoLit Core is a database of Information Literacy videos and tutorials that students can access independently, or instructors can assign. Modules include quizzes and are mapped to information literacy standards in higher education as defined by the Association of College Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Modules are organized into 6 topic areas.

• Getting Started with Research: Students will become familiar with their own information seeking habits, privilege, and skills. The modules will help students develop primary research strategies.
• Sources of Information: Students will identify different types of sources, such as popular and scholarly or primary and secondary sources. Modules include a primer on how to interpret scholarly literature.
• Searching for Information: Students will develop strategies to effectively locate sources.
• Evaluating Information: These modules lead students through the process of determining the authority and credibility of sources, fact-checking, and identifying misinformation.
• Presenting and Organizing Information: Modules help with synthesizing information from multiple sources, developing annotated bibliographies, and skills of paraphrasing, quoting, or summarizing sources.
• Citations and Information Ethics: Tutorials include overviews of APA and MLA citation, as well as ethical use of information and plagiarism.

Additional topics not presented here include Visual and Quantitative Literacy, Using Critical Thinking and Logic, and Culture and Citizenship. If these modules interest you, or if you're looking for help selecting the best resource for your students, please reach out to Freya Gibbon, fgibbon@siena.edu. 

Information Literacy–Core gives you a “low lift” option to start incorporating information literacy instruction in your class and assignments. If your class already focuses on information literacy, Information Literacy–Core can complement what you’re doing through its more than 100 videos, tutorials, and assessments. You can increase instructional time for information literacy by shifting lecture-based instruction to homework (flipped classroom), allowing for hands-on, high impact learning when students come to class.

Here are 3 ways you can utilize Information Literacy–Core in your course: 

1. Before Library instruction
Do your librarians have limited time with students to teach them research and information literacy skills?

• It can be hard to balance teaching students the conceptual knowledge they need and the basic mechanics of research for their assignments in one sitting. Use multimedia to flip your library instruction. Students can go through multimedia on their own time (before or after class) to get basic concepts of information literacy.
• Benefit: Librarians can focus their in-person time with students on hands-on searching and practice for their assignment, and reinforcing information literacy concepts.

2. Scaffold throughout your Course
Are you concerned about having enough time to cover your course’s content and incorporate research instruction into your syllabus?

• Use multimedia to flip information literacy instruction throughout several weeks of your course. Students can go through multimedia on their own time to learn basic concepts and practice research skills. Reinforce IL concepts through the research assignments you planned to give as part of your syllabus—annotated bibliographies, research papers, etc. Relevant multimedia can be shared with students at each step of a major research project.
• Benefit: Students can benefit from information literacy instruction without a significant impact on your syllabus.

3. As a Remedial Tool
Do some of your students need a refresher or additional help with how to do research (transfer students, non-traditional students, at risk students)?

• Use multimedia as a remedial tool to for students who need to review basic information literacy skills. By making materials available online, students can get the help they need without significantly impacting your course syllabus.
• Benefit: Students who need additional help can benefit from information literacy instruction without a significant impact on your syllabus.

For more ideas on how to implement these suggestions, please visit our Help Site for Teaching Tools & Instructional Aids.