Effective Information Literacy
Assignments typically have one or more of the following
characteristics:
Specify Acceptable and
Unacceptable Sources: Tell students what kind of sources they
are expected to use, and help them make distinctions where
ambiguities occur. For example, clarify the difference between the
free Web found through search engines like Google, and Web-based
periodical databases.
Encourage critical independent
thought: Assignments that emphasize comparing, contrasting, and
evaluating ideas are more likely to spur independent thought in
students than assignments that emphasize processes such as
comprehension and knowledge. You may wish to consult Bloom’s
Taxonomy for words to use in the assignment
description: http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html
Discourage plagiarism:
This can be accomplished by giving students assignments that are
unusual, engage the students’ imagination, and cannot be easily
completed by copying and pasting off the Web. Use of technologies
such as
Turnitin can also be helpful in educating students about plagiarism
and discouraging its practice. Defining plagiarism in the syllabus
and outlining its potential consequences can also be
effective.
Teach Proper Citation:
Require students to cite sources properly, according to whatever
format they have been assigned, and take advantage of resources
such as
RefWorks, which make it simple for students to keep track
of sources and format their bibliographies. Emphasize that citing
sources serves a dual purpose: to fulfill the ethical obligation of
giving credit when using another person’s words or ideas, and to
allow the reader to judge the quality of
research.
Grade the Research, Not Just
the Paper: Make clear to students that you will pay close
attention to the sources that they choose, and that their grade for
the assignment will depend partly on the quality of their
bibliography. Discourage them from indiscriminate use of the World
Wide Web, and encourage the use of peer-reviewed, scholarly journal
articles. Assign
tutorials to help your students through the
process.
Break Longer Assignments into
Steps: For research papers or presentations, have students
first submit an outline with their research question, short outline
of what will be covered, and an annotated bibliography. This is
helpful to students, who get feedback on their topic selection and
preliminary research, and gives the instructor a chance to assist
those students who may have gotten off track.
Use the Information
Literacy Grading Rubric: Share this rubric with your students,
and make them aware that it will be used as the basis of their
grade for the assignment. The IL Rubric is available at http://www.stjohns.edu/assessment.