mnobe mini-immersion august 6, 2009 information literacy in the liberal arts barbara fister
TRANSCRIPT
MnObe Mini-ImmersionAugust 6, 2009
Information Literacy in the Liberal Arts
Barbara Fister
AAC&U: liberal learning is . . .
. . . an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.
AAC&U: Essential learning outcomes
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the
Physical and Natural World
But focused on enduring “big questions” rather
than rote knowledge
Intellectual and Practical Skills, Including Inquiry and analysisCritical and creative thinkingWritten and oral communicationQuantitative literacyInformation literacyTeamwork and problem solving
Personal and Social Responsibility, Including -Civic engagement (local -and global)-Intercultural knowledge -and competence-Ethical reasoning and action-Foundations for lifelong learning
Integrative Learning – demonstrated through application
How do we motivate students to take ownership for their own learning?
How do we shift the focus from skills to critical information literacy?
What aspects of what we teach will matter after graduation?
Going beyond the reward system – the importance of playfulness in research
Critical information literacy
learning about context and content in understanding how information "works“
the moral and political commitment to flattening rather than reinforcing current information and
literacy hierarchies
individuals and groups of people actively shaping the world as knowledge producers
Christine Pawley
Students who understand what evidence is, and how other people use it to further particular agendas are powerful. Students who can find, understand, evaluate and use evidence themselves are even more powerful. When people graduate from college without those skills and without mastering those concepts, it’s bad for the world. As a teaching librarian I get to focus my time and energy on helping students develop their power, and making the world a better place.
Anne-Marie Deitering
Learning that lasts
What can we do to make IL meaningful beyond college no matter what direction a student's life takes?
Photo Credits
bfistermnInkyhackPat HawkhddodKandy(away)
Works cited
Joan Bechtel. “Conversation: A New Paradigm for Librarianship? College and Research Libraries, 47.3 (May 1986): 219-24.
Richard Feynman. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character . New York: Norton, 1985.
Christine Pawley. "Information Literacy: A Contradictory Coupling." Library Quarterly 73.4 (2003): 422-452.