LIBR 287-12
Seminar in Information Science
Topic: Information Literacy
Fall 2011 Greensheet

Michelle Holschuh Simmons, Ph.D.
E-mail
Office Hours: virtually via weekly Elluminate sessions (see D2L for schedule), by e-mail, and by phone
Phone: (336) 854-3034; call as needed (please keep in mind that I am on Eastern Time)

I will open the D2L site on Monday, August 22nd. I will send you an email on August 22nd when the site is available. Please log in to our class' D2L site no later than Wednesday, August 24th.

Course Description

This course combines theory and practice of information literacy to give students the foundation they need for teaching in a library setting. Though the focus of the course will primarily be on academic libraries, the concepts are transferable to any type of library, and students may adapt the assignments to reflect the library setting of interest (K-12, public, or academic). The course emphasizes the practical aspects of teaching, the creation of effective instructional materials, the evaluation of instruction programs, and the management of instruction programs within a larger organizational setting.

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to do the following:

• Define the scope and content of information literacy instruction in libraries according to the guidelines of the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards and/or the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.
• Explain and apply major learning theories to instructional design and teaching.
• Structure instructional programs to meet diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences in students at all levels.
• Design and produce instructional materials that give learners clear, well-organized content that can be applied in a variety of settings.
• Apply evaluation methodology to instruments to measure and assess learning
  outcomes.
• Analyze an information literacy session in light of established learning theory and the current published information literacy literature.
• Design and teach an effective information literacy session in a classroom setting.

LIBR 287 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

• Competency K: Design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories.
• Competency N: Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.

Please keep in mind that individual assignments may support additional core competencies, and students can and should use any and all of the course assignments (including discussion posts) as artifacts for their e-Portfolio.

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Course Requirements

Mode of instruction
This course will be asynchronous, except for the student instruction session presentations at the end of the term.

Please note that if we have fewer than 30 students enrolled, we will cancel one or more of the sessions listed above.

We will use D2L for online discussions, for the submission of assignments, and for accessing readings and course materials. Attendance at the asynchronous office hour in Elluminate is optional; the office hour is intended for me to answer students’ questions, for students to get to know me and each other, and for students who would prefer to interact in a synchronous environment. If students ask questions during the office hour from which I believe the rest of the class will benefit, I will post the question and my response to our D2L site.

Assignments

• Screencast and Reflection: Librarians design, create, and post online tutorials/screencasts that explain how to use specific research tools (such as the OPAC or a database). For this assignment, you will have the opportunity to design and create your own brief screencast (less than five-minutes) using the freely-downloadable Jing or a similar product for your chosen audience. Secondly, you will write a reflection (around 2-3 pages, double-spaced, standard fonts and margins) reflecting on your process of composing the screencast, explaining your choices of what to include and what to exclude, and reflecting on changes you would make if you could redo it. Please see the Screencast assignment sheet in D2L for detailed information and a grading rubric. (15% of final grade) (Competency K)
  
• Instruction Observation Report: You will have the opportunity to observe a library instruction session with a practicing instruction librarian. After the observation, you will fill out and submit a report form on which you will summarize your experience, including the pre- and post-meetings with the librarian. Additionally, on this form you will provide some preliminary ideas regarding the theme(s) you might focus on for your seminar paper. Please see the instruction observation form in D2L for more detailed information. (5% of total grade)
  
• Seminar Paper: In this paper, you will apply the ideas and theories from our discussions and readings to your instruction observation experience. Please see the seminar paper assignment sheet in D2L for more detailed information and a grading rubric. (30% of total grade) (Competency N)
  
• Instruction Session with Lesson Plan, Visual (handout, PowerPoint, or some other instructional aide), Reflection, and Feedback to classmates: You will have the opportunity to synthesize the learning theories, teaching methods, and information literacy concepts that we will learn throughout the term by preparing and teaching an instruction session of approximately 20 minutes via Elluminate. Please see the instruction session assignment sheet in D2L for more detailed information and a grading rubric. (30% of total grade) (Competency K)
• Weekly Online Discussions: Because this class is mostly asynchronous, the online discussions are an integral part of this course. These will be structured, and participation is mandatory. For each week’s class material, one substantive, thoughtful initial post (a few hundred words) and one response to another person's posts (around 150 words each) are required. Please see the online discussion expectations sheet in D2L for detailed information. (20% of total grade)

Late Assignments Policy
There will be a late penalty for assignments turned in after the due date without prior approval. If your life circumstances require you to seek an extension, please do so at least several days before the assignment is due. No extensions will be granted for discussion posts or for the instruction session (including all accompanying materials).

Textbooks and Readings

Please note: There is no required textbook for this course; all readings will be available electronically in the D2L site. However, if you have a strong interest in information literacy instruction, you may want to borrow or purchase the Grassian and Kaplowitz book, since it is considered the standard text on this topic.

Recommended Textbooks:

• Grassian, E. S. & Kaplowitz, J. R. (2009). Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555706665.

Grading Scale

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 level work;
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — 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 the following semester. 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.

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

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

• "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
  • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
• "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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