Information Literacy and Learning
INFO 254

Ellyssa Valenti (Kroski)
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Other contact information:
Office Location: Online
Office Hours: by appointment.

Information literacy instruction is an integral part of the library profession in nearly every LIS setting.  This course discusses key tenets of teaching information literacy including learning theory and the evolution of library instruction in the field as well as alternate literacies, innovative trends in IL instruction, and new and emerging tech tools for passing on these valuable skills to library patrons. Students will learn how to provide both synchronous and asynchronous info lit instruction, how to effectively use technology to meet their IL instructional goals, and how to assess these types of programs.

Expectations

Students are expected to participate fully in all class activities. It is expected that students will be open-minded and participate fully in discussions in class and debate in a mature and respectful manner. Use of derogatory, condescending, or offensive language including profanity is prohibited. Disagreement is healthy and perfectly acceptable. Expressing disagreement should always include an explanation of your reasoning and, whenever possible, evidence to support your position. In accordance with San José State University's Policies, the Student Code of Conduct, and applicable state and federal laws, discrimination based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability is prohibited in any form.

Course Workload

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group; contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes) Supported

INFO 254 supports the following core competencies:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the history and current trends of information literacy instruction, including the development and application of published standards, such those published by ACRL or AASL.
2. Explain and apply major learning theories to instructional design and teaching.
3. Structure instructional materials that meet the needs of diverse learners.
4. Design and produce instructional materials that give learners clear, well-organized content that can be applied in a variety of settings.
5. Evaluate information literacy instruction in light of established learning theory and the current information literacy literature.
6. Design and teach effective information literacy lessons in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Thomas, N., Crow, S., Henning, J., & Donham, J. (2020). Information literacy and information skills instruction: New directions for school libraries (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: B0881X3HWT

Grading & Assignments

Screencast & Reflection: Screencast tutorials are an excellent way to demonstrate ways of accessing and using online tools and materials. In this assignment, you will design and create your own brief screencast using Zoom. Additionally, you will write a reflection commenting on your pedagogical choices. Please see the Screencast assignment sheet on Canvas for details and the grading rubric. (Supports CLO #2, CLO #3, CLO #4; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K) 

Online Research Guide and Reflection: Research guides such as LibGuides are being used by every type of library in the world. These subject-specific pages provide curated lists of links, video tutorials, FAQs, and instructions that instruct patrons in their research and use of library resources.  For this assignment, you will have the opportunity to design and create an information literacy online research guide and then compose a thoughtful reflection that shows your application of the course material to your guide's design. (Supports CLO #2, CLO #3, CLO #4; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K)

Instruction Observation & Analysis: You will observe a library instruction session conducted by an instruction librarian in a public, school, or academic library. You will submit a paper that includes a summary of your experience, a reflection on the effectiveness of the lesson, making connections to the course materials. Please see the Instruction Observation & Analysis assignment sheet in Canvas for more details. (Supports CLO #1, CLO #5; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency N) 

Instruction Session for Classmates w/ Lesson Plan, Visual support, Reflection, & Feedback: You will synthesize the learning theories, teaching methods, and information literacy concepts studied throughout the term by preparing and teaching an instruction session using Zoom. Please see the instruction session assignment sheet and rubric in Canvas for all project components and important details. (Supports CLO #3, CLO #4, CLO #6; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K & N) 

Weekly Online Discussions: The online discussions are a critical piece of our work in this course. Discussions will be structured. Thoughtful participation is expected. Each week you will craft one substantive, thoughtful main post and respond substantively to at least two classmates, more are encouraged. Please see the online discussion expectations sheet and rubric in Canvas for important details. (Supports CLO #1, CLO #2, CLO #5; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K & N) Final Projects 

Extra Credit Project: You will have the opportunity to create an innovative IL instructional tool using: technology such as Twine or Google Sites to produce a digital Breakout, a LibGuide, a plan for a makerspace instructional program, or other innovative IL instructional program. (Supports CLO #1, CLO #2, CLO #3, CLO #4; Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K & N) 

Extra Credit Paper, Article, or Blog Post Review: You will have the opportunity to review the reading material of our INFO254 course and choose an area of particular interest. Find a recent peer-reviewed article or expert blog post or popular article published online that you believe would add value to the course module readings. And through this work, you might have a hand in developing the reading content for future INFO254 students. (Supports CLO #1, Program Learning Outcome/Core Competency K & N) 

Topics

1. Information Literacy: History, Frameworks, and Standards
2. The Information Literacy Landscape
3. Information Literacy in Practice
4. Information Literacy Modes of Instruction
5. Learning Theory and Styles
6. Designing Instructional Materials
7. Technology and Information Literacy
8. Virtual Information Literacy
9. Gamification and Information Literacy Instruction
10. Assessment of IL Instruction
11. Information Literacy Trends/Future of Information Literacy

Class Format
This course will be asynchronous, except for the student instruction session presentations at the end of the term. Students are required to be active participants in synchronous Zoom sessions on two of the following dates: TBA.

Late Assignments Policy
If circumstances require you to seek an extension, please do so with advance notice and we can discuss. No extensions will be granted for discussion posts, however.

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA) level work;
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, or BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

Per University Policy S16-9 (PDF), relevant university policy concerning all courses, such as student responsibilities, academic integrity, accommodations, dropping and adding, consent for recording of class, etc. and available student services (e.g. learning assistance, counseling, and other resources) are listed on the Syllabus Information web page. Make sure to visit this page to review and be aware of these university policies and resources.

This schedule is subject to change with advance notice. If there is a discrepancy between the schedule on this syllabus and the schedule on the Canvas page, please rely on the Canvas version and alert me to the issue.