Information Literacy - Outcomes
Faculty and librarians will provide students with opportunities to acquire, practice, and demonstrate information literacy competencies through assignments. ACRL competencies are listed below in bold followed by observable/measurable student outcomes.
Competency 1 - The information literate student is able to determine the nature and extent of the information needed. assignments
Defines and articulates the need for information
Identifies key concepts and terms that describe the information needed- keywords, synonyms, related terms, subject headings
Explores general information sources to increase familiarity with the topic
Identifies the purpose and audience of potential resources (popular vs. scholarly)
Differentiates between primary and secondary sources
Identifies value and differences of information found in variety of formats
Determines the availability of needed information and makes decisions regarding extending the search beyond local resources--interlibrary loan, WorldCAT
Determines a realistic plan and timeline to acquire the needed information
Competency 2 - The information literate student accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently. assignments
Constructs a search strategy using appropriate commands for selected databases
Implements the search strategy in various databases and indexes
Uses specialized online or in-person services available to retrieve information (reference librarians, reference desk, consultations, interlibrary loan, experts, faculty)
Competency 3 - The information literate student critically evaluates information and its sources. assignments
Examines and compares information from various sources
Differentiates between types of sources cited and provides proper documentation and citations
Examines, compares, and evaluates information based on selected criteria including reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view
Recognizes prejudice, deception, or manipulation
Competency 4 - The information literate student uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. assignments
Organizes the content in a manner that supports the purposes and format of the final project
Incorporates the new information into student's knowledge base
Integrates the new and prior information effectively with proper use of quotations and paraphrasing
Manipulates digital formats for class assignments
Competency 5 - The information literate student understands the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information. assignments
Accesses and uses information ethically and legally
Demonstrates an understanding of intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material
Demonstrates an understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and does not represent work of others as his/her own
Selects an appropriate documentation style and uses it consistently to cite sources