The Larger Picture
Information literacy is not just a priority for librarians, it has been recognized as a valuable skill by the larger higher education community.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation (Standard III.5.b.)
Association of College and Research Libraries
Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
Project Information Literacy
Information Literacy
Information literacy is the ability to think critically about the discovery, use, and creation of information as both producers and consumers.
Students at the University of Baltimore arrive with a variety of experiences and skill levels. The information literacy program is designed to meet their needs at multiple points in the curriculum:
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INFO 110: Introduction to Information Literacy
This course, required for any student arriving at UBalt with fewer than 24 credits, teaches students the fundamentals of information literacy. Students will determine their research needs, develop a search strategy to select appropriate sources, access those sources, critically evaluate the material found for relevance and credibility, and synthesize that material into original work. In addition, students will learn about the legal and ethical issues surrounding information such as plagiarism, proper citation practices and copyright.
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WRIT 300: Composition and Research
There is a librarian embedded in every section of WRIT 300. That librarian works with the instructor to integrate information literacy instruction into the course. Librarians often respond to information literacy related online discussion threads, meet with the students for one or more class periods to improve their research skills related to a specific assignment and make themselves available for individual student research consultations.
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Information Literacy Graduation Requirement
As part of the General Education Program at UBalt, most majors have a course or series of courses designated as fulfilling the information literacy graduation requirement. This course will help students apply the general skills learned in INFO 110 or WRIT 300 to the kinds of information problems encountered in their specific program of study.
Area Definition: Students will learn the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in personal and professional environments.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who satisfy this requirement will demonstrate that they are able to do all of the following:- Use a discipline-specific research tool, mechanism, or strategy to address an information need.
- Apply discipline-specific evaluation criteria to an information source.
Course Requirements:
Note: The following are the minimum required course elements needed to satisfy the information literacy graduation requirement. More than the minimum is encouraged if this can be accommodated by the instructor(s).
Includes Area Definition and GR SLOs on course syllabus.
Includes assignments that produce written artifacts demonstrating these SLOs.
Details assessment criteria for each SLO.
Uses class time or specific time on task to model and address information literacy concepts, and to have students practice evaluating sources and using/selecting research tools.
Includes a required research journal, research log, research narrative, or similar assignment in which students document their searches and reflect on the search process and selection of material.
Approved by University Faculty Senate January 3, 2017
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Library Instruction Sessions
In addition to the courses listed above, there are a number of courses offered at the University that ask students to demonstrate information literacy skills. To help students be successful, librarians partner with faculty to plan one or more sessions in a library lab or classroom. Faculty can request library instruction by completing a Library Instruction Class Request Form online or contacting a librarian.
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Research Consultations
Our reference librarians can meet with students to develop research strategies catered to a specific assignment, recommend specific information resources, or review tools and strategies that can be helpful when gathering information. You can make an appointment with one of our reference librarians through on our research consultations page.
If you have questions, please contact the library's Head of Information Literacy Initiatives, Mike Kiel, at skiel@ubalt.edu or 410.837.4236