Exemplary Online Information Literacy Courses at Selected Four-Year Colleges and Universities
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Exemplary online information literacy courses at selected four-year colleges and universities by Gloria Creed-Dikeogu B.Bibl., University of Cape Town, South Africa, 1986 H.D.E: PG (Sec.), University of Cape Town, South Africa, 1988 M.L.S., Emporia State University, 1999 MAHR, Ottawa University, Kansas City, 2006 M.B.A., Ottawa University, Kansas City, 2008 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2017 Abstract Twenty three in-depth qualitative telephone interviews were conducted in this multiple case study with instruction librarians at eight four-year colleges and universities. Snowball sampling was used to select instruction librarian, information literacy department head and administration participants employed at institutions recognized by Association of College and Research Libraries for exemplary information literacy best practices: information programs. The questions researched in this dissertation were: How are selected four-year colleges implementing exemplary information literacy courses? How do exemplary four-year college library information literacy courses implement the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (2016)? How do exemplary four-year colleges and universities implement digital literacy and the six frames of the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016)? The Association of College and Research Libraries Standards (2000) and the Framework for information literacy for higher education (2016) were used as a foundation for this study. A conceptual framework was built in this study around information literacy historical underpinnings and five major national educational reports that were submitted to Congress between 1983 and 1989. These reports accelerated the information literacy agenda in institutions. The major study findings suggested that information literacy programs in institutions were most successful when the library’s program was supported by the institution’s administration. Successful information literacy course and program implementation in all eight institutional settings were dependent on the collaborative arrangements made between the instructional librarians and the faculty. Online information literacy courses were not common at the eight institutions. Information literacy instruction was blended and information literacy tutorials provided to students had online- components. Instruction librarians were using best practices in six areas that directly related to the development and design of the information literacy course: in their reference interactions with students, in choosing information literacy and teaching and learning models that would fit their institution’s programs, in the development of information literacy curriculum, in curriculum and program administration procedures and in assessing their information literacy courses and programs. Findings also indicated that although there was a great deal of anecdotal evidence that instructors provided that their students were information literate when they graduated, and that they were lifelong learners, no institutions had implemented tests for seniors that determined whether they were graduating information literate. Exemplary online information literacy courses at selected four-year colleges and universities by Gloria Creed-Dikeogu B.Bibl., University of Cape Town, South Africa, 1986 H.D.E: PG (Sec.), University of Cape Town, South Africa, 1988 M.L.S., Emporia State University, 1999 MAHR, Ottawa University, Kansas City, 2006 M.B.A., Ottawa University, Kansas City, 2008 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2017 Approved by: Major Professor Dr. Debbie Mercer Copyright © Gloria Creed-Dikeogu 2017. Abstract Twenty three in-depth qualitative telephone interviews were conducted in this multiple case study with instruction librarians at eight four-year colleges and universities. Snowball sampling was used to select instruction librarian, information literacy department head and administration participants employed at institutions recognized by Association of College and Research Libraries for exemplary information literacy best practices: information programs. The questions researched in this dissertation were: How are selected four-year colleges implementing exemplary information literacy courses? How do exemplary four-year college library information literacy courses implement the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (2016)? How do exemplary four-year colleges and universities implement digital literacy and the six frames of the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016)? The Association of College and Research Libraries Standards (2000) and the Framework for information literacy for higher education (2016) were used as a foundation for this study. A conceptual framework was built in this study around information literacy historical underpinnings and five major national educational reports that were submitted to Congress between 1983 and 1989. These reports accelerated the information literacy agenda in institutions. The major study findings suggested that information literacy programs in institutions were most successful when the library’s program was supported by the institution’s administration. Successful information literacy course and program implementation in all eight institutional settings were dependent on the collaborative arrangements made between the instructional librarians and the faculty. Online information literacy courses were not common at the eight institutions. Information literacy instruction was blended and information literacy tutorials provided to students had online- components. Instruction librarians were using best practices in six areas that directly related to the development and design of the information literacy course: in their reference interactions with students, in choosing information literacy and teaching and learning models that would fit their institution’s programs, in the development of information literacy curriculum, in curriculum and program administration procedures and in assessing their information literacy courses and programs. Findings also indicated that although there was a great deal of anecdotal evidence that instructors provided that their students were information literate when they graduated, and that they were lifelong learners, no institutions had implemented tests for seniors that determined whether they were graduating information literate. Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xvi Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... xviii Dedication .................................................................................................................................... xxii Prologue ...................................................................................................................................... xxiii Chapter 1 - Information Literacy ..................................................................................................... 1 Chapter Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1 Background of the Issues: Why do this project? ......................................................................... 1 Background of the Issues: Why attempt this research? ............................................................... 2 Information in the Global Knowledge Economy ........................................................................ 3 Growth of Online Courses in Higher Education ......................................................................... 9 Relating Metaliteracy to Information Literacy .......................................................................... 31 American Association of College and Universities Rubrics ................................................. 41 The Link Between Information Literacy and Academic Writing Skills .................................... 43 Online Information Literacy Course Growth in Colleges and Universities .............................. 49 2014 Information Literacy Surveys ....................................................................................... 54 The Online Information Literacy Course .................................................................................. 58 The Higher Learning Commission Accreditation ..................................................................... 59 Higher Learning Commission and the Library: Criterion 3 ...................................................... 61 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 62 Research