INFO-254: Information Literacy and Learning

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID: INFO 254
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This digital textbook is being utilized in a Library and Information Science course for graduate students by Bernd Becker at San Jose State University. The digital textbook provides practical applications of learning theories to prepare students for working in a library’s information literacy instructional program. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to eliminate any extra costs. Students access the digital textbook as an ebook provided by the SJSU library.

About the Course

INFO-254: Information Literacy and Learning
Brief Description of course highlights: Provides theory and practice for teaching information literacy in a library or educational setting. The course emphasizes learning theory as well as the practical aspects of teaching with technology. Students learn about the methods and tools for providing instruction in both synchronous and asynchronous settings.

Student population: The course is for graduate students enrolled in the Master’s of Library & Information Science program at San Jose State University’s School of Information. The prerequisite is INFO-200, one of the degree program’s introductory courses.

Learning or student outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

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.
Explain and apply major learning theories to instructional design and teaching.
Structure instructional materials that meet the needs of diverse learners.
Design and produce instructional materials that give learners clear, well-organized content that can be applied in a variety of settings.
Evaluate information literacy instruction in light of established learning theory and the current information literacy literature.
Design and teach effective information literacy lessons in both synchronous and asynchronous environments.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption: Information Literacy and Learning, INFO 254 (Online, 3 Units). To maximize experiential learning, this is a hands-on course which scaffolds the mastery of technical instructional skills alongside learning theories. All of the content is within the context of preparing students to be successful in providing information literacy instruction in any type of learning environment.

The course is built around four major projects that simulate work done in preparing and delivering information literacy instruction. First, the students learn to create short instructional videos that adhere to best practices for information literacy learning. Then they take what they’ve learned to create an online research guide containing a collection of new tutorials using the skills gained from the prior project. Students go on to incorporate information literacy assessment into their practice, and then the semester’s work culminates in the creation of an online research guide with a more complete information literacy instructional session.

About the Instructor

Instructor Name - Bernd Becker
I am a lecturer for the Master’s of Library and Information Science program at San Jose State University.
Please provide a link to your university page.
https://ischoolapps.sjsu.edu/facultypages/view.php?fac=beckerb
Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach. INFO-254: Information Literacy and Learning

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching. In my profession, I believe that nothing is more important than providing practical, real-world learning experiences for students in the MLIS degree program. They are future practitioners, and the classroom should be a laboratory where students can experiment with different approaches to teaching and learning. They should be allowed to struggle with the material without consequence, and have the opportunity to revisit their work and improve it. They should be allowed to apply the course content in whatever ways they’ve discovered work best for them and the type of patrons they will be working with.

OER/Low Cost Adoption

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. The intent behind my decision to use this textbook was based solely on saving students money. In my role as an academic librarian, I have been contacted by many SJSU students who are looking to the library for textbooks. When the library doesn’t have it, they will ask for advice on where to find the cheapest copy available. As librarians working with students at this moment of need, we witness their hope of the library having the textbook turn into anxiety and disappointment; their minds are spinning to answer the question “What am I going to do now?” That’s when I know they will probably end up with an outdated version or nothing at all. Their grades and learning are directly affected either way. It’s a terrible feeling for everyone.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? First I collected the information on a number of titles that would support the course, while also comparing reviews. Then I checked to see what licensing options were available for institutional subscriptions or purchases.

Sharing Best Practices: Check to see if your institution’s library has an affordable textbook program and find a librarian who can help you, especially when developing or redesigning a new course. Also, a little known fact is that many ebook vendors allow the downloading of a certain number of pages (ex: 50 pages), but what isn’t known is that the limit usually resets in 24hrs. This reset isn’t advertised by the vendor, but it is written into the licensing agreement. A simple way to check is to download some content and then come back the next day to see if the limit resets. At this time, many seem to.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved and lessons learned. My biggest concern is that the ebook vendor will change the licensing agreements without warning (as it happened in my example when the access option changed from the unlimited number of simultaneous users to 3 simultaneous users). If that happens, then tell students to log-in and download as much of the course content as permitted, then logout so that another student can access it. There will be a little bit more effort involved if that’s the case, but the savings outweigh the slight inconvenience.

About the Resource/Textbook

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: Reflective teaching, effective learning : Instructional literacy for library educators (2011, ebook)

Brief Description: Char Booth shares key ideas to help anyone, no matter their experience, improve as designers and presenters while also feeling more confident and effective as library instructors. The book uses a four-part approach to instructional literacy which includes reflecting on your work, understanding learning theory, using teaching technologies, and creating effective lesson designs.

Please provide a link to the resource
https://csu-sjsu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_SJO/tu4ck5/alma991013596904902919
Authors: Char Booth

Student access: A link to the ebook is provided in each weekly, online module. The link directs students to the library’s catalog where they can access it via the vendor’s portal. The vendor recently changed the access from mult-user to 3-simultaneous users. However, students are able to download chapters as PDFs to keep for themselves. All students are encouraged to do so.

I think it’s also important that the library has a print copy of the book. If there’s an issue with online access, students would be able to request a scanned copy of the chapters. In the case of my library, it could be done on site and speeds up the process of fulfilling the request.

Supplemental resources: There are no supplemental resources provided with this title. However, I do provide links to a variety of research articles that are aligned with the topic of the week. These are accessible through the library’s journal and database subscriptions.

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook. $62 book x 35 students= $2,170/semester. If students wish to own the book, then the $65 price is still low-cost compared to that of a traditional textbook.