WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
INFORMATION LITERACY LEARNING OUTCOMES

These are the desired outcomes for the Western Libraries' instruction program. The instruction program is evolving so this list may also be expected to change in years to come. This document was created in Fall. 1999. Last update: Fall 2006.

GOALS

LOWER DIVISION STUDENTS

UPPER DIV./ GRAD STUDENTS

should be able to:

should be able to:

The Social Aspect of Information

A. Understand the role, power,

1. Explain the different uses of information

1. through 4.

and value of information in

(occupational, intellectual, recreational,

our society

etc.)

5. Explain the difference between

information and knowledge

2. Describe how scholars use information

and keep informed

3. Describe how practicing professionals

use information and keep informed

4. Describe the uses of information

along with the possibilities and

consequences of misuse

B. Explain public policy issues

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the ethics

1. and 2

relating to the access and

of information use by defining plagiarism

use of information

and by explaining how and when to give

credit for information and ideas from

others by appropriately citing sources

2. Demonstrate knowledge of the concept

3. Explain the legal, ethical, and

    of Intellectual Property (including copyright)

political issues surrounding information

technology, such as privacy,

access to government information,

information overload, equal access to

information, and the responsibility to

properly credit sources

4. Explain concepts and issues related to

censorship, intellectual freedom, intellectual

Property (including copyright) and respect for different points

of view

The Organization of Information

C. Explain different information

1. Describe different information environments

1. through 4.

environments

2. Describe the processes by which scholarly and

popular information is produced,

5. Describe the commodity nature of

organized and disseminated

information: who generates, controls,

disseminates, and uses it

3. Describe and distinguish between

scholarly , trade, and popular publications

6. Explain the concept of discourse

community and that discourse

4. Describe and distinguish between

communities independently

primary and secondary sources

develop specialized

vocabularies

7. Identify the stages of the scholarly

publication cycle

8. Demonstrate familiarity with unique and

shared concepts of research strategies

across disciplines

D. Explain how information is

1. Explain the major classification systems

1. through 6.

organized in a library

libraries use to organize and classify

materials

7. Explain how the Internet differs from

systems used to organize libraries

2. Explain the use and identify the parts of

library catalog records

8. Explain the use of citation indexes, the

ways in which they differ from other

3. Identify appropriate reference sources

indexes, and the fields in which they are

(encyclopedias, directories, indexes,

most relevant

abstracts, etc.) and explain their utility

4. Define types of databases and their

organization (files, records, etc.)

5. Define and distinguish between key

words, subject headings, and

descriptors

6. Describe the difference

between controlled vocabulary

and free text searching

E. Recognize the availability of

1. Identify physical and virtual service points

1. through 2.

assistance in locating

in Western's libraries

resources

2. Find Western Library's locally produced

research tools

The Research Process

F. Identify and articulate

1. Identify a specific information need

1. through 3.

information needs

2. Articulate the information need as

a researchable question

3. Determine information requirements,

often through a series of sub-questions

G. Identify a variety of

1. Use reference tools to extract key words or

1. and 2.

information resources

controlled vocabulary, such as subject headings and descriptors, appropriate to the research topic

3. Explain how people and organizations

can be used as information resources

2. Identify and use appropriate search

language which describes broader,

4. Explain how search terms may vary with

narrower and related terms

time and context, for example, culture and discipline

H. Develop effective search

1. Describe a variety of search techniques such as

1. through 4.

strategies

using indexes, advanced search, etc.

2. Select categories of information resources

5. Demonstrate a variety of search

appropriate to a specific information need

techniques

3. Outline a simple search strategy for a

6. Construct a logical plan for advanced

specific information need

library research in a particular discipline

4. Identify the criteria for evaluating

possible sources (timeliness, format,

importance of using more than one kind, etc.)

I. Execute appropriate

1. Select the search strategies

1. through 4

search strategies

appropriate to the topic and

discipline

5. Use controlled vocabulary and

free text efficiently in search strategies

2. Use controlled vocabulary, key words,

for both print and electronic sources

author, and title searches to locate

relevant items in print and electronic

6. Effectively use the campus

resources

information systems, information

networks, and Internet to locate

3. Use Boolean logic and similar operations to

information appropriate to the need

construct a successful search

7. Demonstrate that different information

4. Access the campus

sources and formats require different

information systems, information

searching techniques

networks, and Internet to locate

information appropriate to the need

J. Analyze and interpret search

1. Identify the components of a citation

1. through 3.

results and select relevant

and differentiate between types of

materials to examine

resources cited (books, periodical

4. Assess the number and quality of the

articles, government documents,

citations to determine whether the

Internet resources, etc.)

search strategy must be refined

2. Demonstrate how to obtain items

5. Use the components of a citation to

through several techniques (e.g. on the

choose those most suitable for the

shelf, electronically, or via Interlibrary

information need, using criteria such as

Loan) based on a bibliographic citation

currency, reputation of author or

source, formats, elements of URL, etc.

3. Access specific information within

resources by using internal organizers

(indexes, tables of contents, etc.)

K. Analyze and critically

1. Review information for relevance to

1. and 2.

evaluate information

the topic

3. Skim and scan for major ideas and

2. List and explain elements that may

keywords to identify relevant information

help in analyzing the reliability of the information:

table of contents, abstracts, bibliography, author

4. Use a variety of criteria, such as

and publisher credentials, editorial review process,

author’s credentials, reputation of the

URL analysis, and organization of the material

of the publisher, editorial review process, and provenance to assess the objectivity

and reliability of the information

5. Demonstrate the use of elements that

help in analyzing the objectivity and reliability of the information: table of

contents, abstracts, bibliography, URL

analysis and organization of material

6. Differentiate between fact, opinion,

propaganda, point of view, and bias

7. Explain that different points of view may exist within a discipline.

8. Analyze information retrieved and

determine whether the search strategy

needs revision.

L. Organize information

1. Organize information from a variety of

1. through 3.

collected

sources for practical application (e.g.

term paper, oral presentation)

4. Synthesize information from a variety

of sources

2. Summarize the information in the

student's own words; paraphrase or

5. Identify systems used to organize and

quote important facts and details when

retrieve ctiations (index cards, databases,

necessary for accuracy or clarity

etc.)

3. Prepare a bibliography and citations,

demonstrating the proper formats for

citing books, journal articles, government

documents, websites, etc.

M. Evaluate the research

1. Determine the extent to which the research

1. and 2.

process

met the defined information need and/or satisfied

the assignment

3. Determine the extent to which the

research process conformed to the

2. Explain that information-seeking is

standards of the discipline

an evolving, non-linear process that

involves making a series of choices

4. Describe the criteria used to make

choices at each step of the particular

process used

5. Consider whether the reference

question, strategy, resources, or

interpretation should have been

expanded, revised, or modified

Notes:

1999 Original Authors: Robin Angeley, Jeanne Armstrong, Margaret Fast, Robert Lopresti, Ray McInnis, Judith Segal

2006 Revision Authors: Muriel Green, Kristin Kohles, Robert Lopresti, Jeff Purdue, Sylvia Tag

Sources:

ACRL/BIS Task Force on Model Statement of Objectives. "Model Statement of Objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction: Draft Revision." 1998. http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/is/publications/mso.html(downloaded 9/27/99)

Gilchrist, Debra. "To EnABLE Information Competency: The Abilities Model in Library Instruction." LOEX-96. Page 19-33.

Oberman, Cerise, et al. "Integrating Information Literacy Into The Curriculum." College and Research Library News. May 1998. 59 (5) Page 347-352.

Olsen, Jan Kennedy and Bill Coons. Unpublished paper for ALA. Cornell University. 1992.

Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians. "Information Literacy Competencies and Criteria for Academic Libraries in Wisconsin, Fall 1998." 1998. http://facstaff.uww.edu/WAAL/Infolit/ilcc.html (downloaded 9/22/99)

Work Group on Information Competence. California State University. "Information Competence in the CSU." 1995. http://www.calstate.edu/ITPA/Docs/html/info_comp_report.html (downloaded 9/20/99)

Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.” 2000.

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm