Don Latham

What's skill got to do with it?: Information literacy skills and self-views of ability among first-year college students

This study replicates a previous study based on work in psychology, which demonstrates that students who score as below proficient in information literacy (IL) skills have a miscalibrated self-view of their ability. Simply stated, these students tend to believe that they have above-average IL skills, when, in fact, an objective test of their ability indicates that they are below-proficient in terms of their actual skills. This investigation was part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services-funded project and includes demographic data about participants, their scores on an objective test of their information literacy skills, and self-estimates of their ability. Findings support previous research that indicates many students come to college without proficient IL skills, that students with below-proficient IL skills have inflated views of their ability, and that this miscalibration can also be expressed by students who test as proficient. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Experiences with and Perceptions of Information: A Phenomenographic Study of First-Year College Students.

This investigation examines experiences with and perceptions of information reported by first-year college students whose level of information literacy skill is known. Participants were identified as having either proficient or below-proficient information literacy skills based on an objective test of their abilities. Interviews were performed outside of a classroom or library context and were equally interested in imposed (school assignments) and self-generated (personal) information seeking. The study uses a phenomenographic approach to collect, categorize, and analyze transcripts from seventy-seven interviews. The resulting categories of description illustrate how conceptions of information mask and minimize the need for individuals to attain information literacy skills, the primacy of the Internet and people as information resources, limited interest in information quality, and differences in experience with and perceptions of information when imposed and self-generated contexts are compared.

Information architecture: notes toward a new curriculum

There are signs that information architecture is coalescing into a field of professional practice. However, if it is to become a profession, it must develop a means of educating new information architects. Lessons from other fields suggest that professional education typically evolves along a predictable path, from apprenticeships to trade schools to college- and university-level education. Information architecture education may develop more quickly to meet the growing demands of the information society. Several pedagogical approaches employed in other fields may be adopted for information architecture education, as long as the resulting curricula provide an interdisciplinary approach and balance instruction in technical and design skills with consideration of theoretical concepts. Key content areas are information organization, graphic design, computer science, user and usability studies, and communication. Certain logistics must be worked out, including where information architecture studies should be housed and what kinds of degrees should be offered and at what levels. The successful information architecture curriculum will be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the changing needs of students and the marketplace.

Improving Below-Proficient Information Literacy Skills: Designing an Evidence-Based Educational Intervention.

This article describes the design and development of an educational intervention intended to improve information literacy skills based on research with first-year college students. The intervention was developed over the course of a three-year period, during which time grant funding was received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), supporting the collection of research data on the learning needs of first-year college students who scored below proficient on a standardized information literacy test. A variety of empirical methods including tests, surveys, interviews, and focus groups were used to collect data. The resulting intervention is a modular session that can be used as a stand-alone presentation or incorporated into other information literacy interventions. The design of the intervention stresses three main research goals: orientation to information literacy as a skill set, improved ability to self assess skills, and the acquisition of at least one skill that demonstrates the utility of instruction. At the heart of the intervention is the three-step Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) process model of information literacy, which is easy to remember, easy to adapt to multiple instructional situations, and can provide a foundation for building additional information literacy skills.

The role of technical and professional communication in the LIS curriculum

Educators and employers agree that it is important for information professionals to have strong communication skills, but few library and information science (LIS) schools teach courses specifically in technical and professional communication. A content analysis of recent job advertisements for information professionals, titles and descriptions of courses offered at American Library Association (ALA)-accredited LIS schools, and recent job announcements for LIS faculty reveals that, while effective communication skills are widely sought by employers, few LIS schools are addressing that need. This paper argues that instruction in technical and professional communication is vital to the success of information professionals in the workplace and that LIS schools should recruit faculty and develop courses to support such instruction.

Practicing what we teach: A descriptive analysis of Library services for distance learning students in ALA-accredited LIS schools

This study analyzes and describes the types of library services available to distance learning students who were attending American Library Association (ALA)-accredited masters programs in library and information studies during the 2000-2001 academic year. It identifies: the types of library services available to distance learning students, the ways in which the services were marketed, the types of training the library staff members received to meet the needs of distance learners, and the methods that were used to evaluate the provision of library services to distance learners.

The Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) Process Model: Three Steps Toward Information Literacy

The Analyze, Search, Evaluate (ASE) process model is one result of the three-year IMLS study, Attaining Information Literacy (AIL), which focused on developing interventions for students who test as below-proficient on an objective information literacy skills test. The ASE process model provides a three-step process that is easy to understand and remember and that can be used as the basis for a variety of information literacy (IL) interventions. It was developed in response to data provided by below proficient students in surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Both the ASE process model and the related AIL educational intervention were developed using iterative formative evaluation and underwent extensive summative evaluation. This article introduces the ASE process model and explains how it can be used in community and Junior colleges to prepare students for college-level work, entrance into the workforce, and self-directed learning.