Integrating information literacy into the Virtual University: a course model

Library Trends, Fall, 2002 by Lori E. Buchanan, DeAnne L. Luck, Ted C. Jones

INTRODUCTION

   Increased access to technology has altered the way that students study,
   while the variety of electronic information resources has widened the
   potential resource base for all students. These developments have reduced
   face-to-face teaching in the library and the need to visit the library
   building for help. It has also meant that librarians need to alter the way
   they plan and deliver information literacy instruction. (Orr, Appleton, &
   Wallin, 2001, p. 457)

User expectations regarding electronic access to information are increasing. Academic library collections are evolving from primarily print-based collections to growing electronic collections. Universities are offering more and more distance education courses. As a result, library services, including user education, must evolve to meet new user expectations in the virtual university environment.

According to Saunders (1999), "partnerships with teachers are more necessary in the virtual library than ever before to design learning experiences that require multiple formats and critical thinking" (Users' Expectations section, para. 4). Although librarians have a long history of collaboration with faculty, the successful integration of the new Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (2000) into college and university curricula depends on forming even closer partnerships with faculty. A newer type of partnership, which is likely to increase in the years to come, is the development and team-teaching of online courses by librarian-faculty teams. Integrating information literacy (IL) into online courses will help students become more aware of the issues surrounding information and its use. This article describes the development, teaching and assessment of an online course in which IL learning outcomes are integrated with course content.

During Fall 2001, two Austin Peay State University (APSU) librarians teamed with a communications professor to develop and teach an online graduate course in communications topics entitled Multimedia Literacy. In order to place this course into context, this paper will first discuss the role of librarians in the virtual university environment. Next, it will consider the importance of instructional design and librarian-faculty collaboration to the integration of IL learning outcomes into the virtual university. Within this broader context are descriptions of APSU librarian-faculty collaboration and the APSU Library User Education Program. The paper then discusses how this particular graduate multimedia literacy course was conceived, developed, and taught. It addresses the integration and assessment of IL student learning outcomes with course content. The final sections of the paper include student feedback, as well as the instructors' observations and recommendations concerning the integration of IL into online courses.

The Virtual University Environment: Background

The College and University Systems Exchange (CAUSE) Current Issues Committee (1997) defines a virtual university as "an institution, or a set of institutions, engaged in a delivery of degree granting programs in higher education, using technology and methodology outside a traditional classroom" (Virtual Universities section, para. 1). Over 2 million college students will be engaged in distance learning by 2002, according to a January 1999 International Data Corporation report rifled Online distance learning in higher education, 1998-2002 (as cited in Distance Learning in Higher Education, 1999, Expanding Universe section, para. 1). The report concludes that 84 percent of four-year colleges and universities and 85 percent of two-year colleges will offer distance education courses in 2002. Given these numbers, it is imperative that librarians seek additional ways to meet the needs of distance learners. As Hricko (2001) points out, "students that have a greater intellectual framework for using information will most likely be the individuals that have the greatest success in completing distributing [sic] learning courses" (para. 2).

Librarians and the Virtual University

Library gate counts are decreasing (Carlson, 2001), which comes as no surprise to librarians. More and more students are visiting library Web sites, or simply bypassing the library altogether. When students do use the library in addition to the general Internet, they expect Internet-based services such as online public access catalogs, full-text database articles accessed via the Web, and e-reserves. Libraries try to meet these expectations by providing growing numbers of materials electronically, document delivery via Ariel and other services, such as Ingenta, for faster access to materials not held locally. More databases, more full-text articles, and more electronic books are making research possible anytime, anywhere. Remote patron authentication, which enables users to access library services from anywhere in the world, is now in place. Martell (2000) suggests that, in the future, "librarians will deal with users almost exclusively in a virtual environment and face-to-face interchanges will become atypical" (p. 104). Librarians are hard at work constructing well-designed Web sites and answering live chat and e-mail reference questions. However, providing access to needed resources and answering reference questions is only part of the equation. Librarians also need to instruct users about the variety of resources available to them both on the World Wide Web and through library Web sites, as well as about the differences among the various types of resources that they need. Derlin and Erazo (1997) state that "teaching patrons how to effectively apply the increasingly sophisticated search methods available online will be an important function in the digital library" (p. 105). Because users are accessing library Web sites rather than visiting library buildings, librarians need to consider new ways to design instruction for distance learners. In order to capitalize on the unique opportunities and challenges present when teaching IL in the online environment, librarians need to absorb and apply current instructional design principles.