Skip to Main Content
Skip to main content
Library

Information Literacy at Augustana

Teaching Ideas

Augustana’s Librarians have identified key learning outcomes and curated relevant online resources, instruction ideas, and assignments. Faculty can use these resources independently or in collaboration with librarians in order to meet information literacy learning outcomes. Ideas can be implemented in individual courses and can be scaffolded throughout programs. Please contact Kara Blizzard to get started.

Six Concepts

The resources are organized into the following "frames," or concepts, and broad learning outcomes:

  • Authority is Constructed and Contextual
    • Evaluate information sources
    • Identify the contexts and value of different types of sources
    • Recognize the benefits and limitations of peer review
    • Articulate ways in which social contexts and structures privilege certain voices
  • Information Creation as a Process
    • Identify differences between types of information sources
    • Recognize processes involved in creating different types of information sources
  • Scholarship as Conversation
    • Perform critical close readings
    • Follow scholarly conversations
    • Examine the connections and ongoing narratives among information sources
    • Identify multiple perspectives for a given topic
  • Research as Inquiry
    • Form an appropriate research topic or question
    • Identify gaps in information and knowledge
  • Searching as strategic exploration
    • Identify broader, narrower, and related terms for key concepts
    • Use basic search strategies
    • Identify relevant databases and search engines
    • Use database features
  • Information Has Value
    • Credit sources through citation
    • Consider the value and power of information
    • Recognize personal information roles
    • Use reference management software

Levels of Difficulty

Instructional resources for courses beyond FYS include videos and tutorials, instruction and activities, and assignments. They are organized into three levels within each of the six concepts:

  • Introductory:
    • Novice-level approach to the concept, introduced after FYS. In many programs, introductory resources will fit nicely into 100-level courses.
  • Intermediate:
    • Assumes some introductory knowledge of information literacy concepts. In many programs, intermediate resources will work for 200-level courses.
  • Advanced:
    • Sophisticated approach to information literacy concepts. In most programs, advanced resources will work best in 300- and 400-level courses.

More Information and Sources

If you want to use a particular learning outcome but don't see a resource that meets your needs, talk to a librarian! We can adapt and create more resources.

Sources for the ideas in this guide include, but are not limited to: