Information Literacy Instruction

Information Literacy II Course Outline

1. Session Description

Information Literacy II is an 80-minute session required as part of the ENGL II-English Composition II curriculum.The session is taught by a librarian in the Library Classroom during one regular meeting time of each English Composition II section.It is designed to help students accomplish information-seeking assignments for the class but also to learn information-seeking skills that are more broadly relevant to the student. The classroom faculty member is required to be present during the session.

2. Statement of Need

Information Literacy II builds on the information literacy concepts and skills introduced in Information Literacy I, completing the students’ Information Literacy program at RVCC. The session provides students with the skills necessary to conduct introductory and scholarly research across disciplines at the college level.

3. Place in College Curriculum

This session is a required component of the English Composition II curricula, as stated in the ENGL 112 Course Outline, section V.E.. 

4. Outline of Content

1. Review of different source types by intended audience, kind of information, and purpose of source.
   1.  Use sources already found/read as basis for review
   2. May be completed online before IL session
2. Introduce scholarly articles as a communication tool among scholars to address gaps in their field or line of research inquiry.
   1. Defining characteristics of scholarly articles
   2. Narrow focus of scholarly articles – compare two articles on a related topic with different narrow focus
3. Formulate questions for further research based on student’s information gaps or on reexamination of existing, possibly conflicting, information.
   1. Identify appropriate keywords and search tools based on information need
   2. Search tools may include RVOneSearch and/or subject-specific databases
4. Advanced search strategies for finding scholarly articles and other sources

5. Educational Goals and Learning Outcomes

1. Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to:
   1. Identify the kind of information and/or types of sources needed to fill gaps in their knowledge/research.
   2. Recognize scholarly articles based on intended audience, information communicated, and purpose of the article.
   3. Use appropriate keywords to search library databases for scholarly articles and other sources.

6. Modes of Teaching and Learning

1. Librarian-led demonstration at instructor computer (no more than 60% of class time)
2. Hands-on practice in groups or student computers (at least 40% of class time)
3. Class discussion

Revised 7/2019 MD