Information Literacy at Temple University

Integrating Information Literacy into Temple Courses

The set of skills and abilities associated with the use of library and other information sources is sometimes called "information literacy." Developing these skills is one important goal in the general education plan at Temple University. Integrating information literacy outcomes into your course can be an interesting way to think about your overall course objectives, and may not require as much work as you think. Often, small tweaks to your existing assignments will illuminate information literacy components that were always there. These are some steps to take to get started:

1. Contact the library's subject specialist for your academic department. The librarian can recommend outcomes and will have ideas for developing assignments or other learning activities. You can schedule a group session or individual consultations for your students when appropriate. The librarian can also visit departmental or committee meetings to discuss integrating information literacy across a disciplinary or major curriculum.
   
    
2. Use the following links to learn about teaching information literacy skills, outcomes assessment, and more.
   • What is Information Literacy?
   • Information Literacy Outcomes
   • Teaching and Assessing Information Literacy
   • Information Literacy in Accreditation and Professional Standards
   • Bibliography on Core Works in General Education
      
3. Select a few information literacy outcomes appropriate for students in your course.
   
    
4. Design assignments based on these desired outcomes.

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Last update 3/11/08. For further information, contact Jenifer Lee Baldwin, or the subject specialist for your academic department.