FFC Library Information Literacy Instruction Now Better than Ever! Leatherby Libraries revamps curriculum for teaching through Canvas

The Leatherby Libraries is excited to announce that a team of librarians has updated the materials used by librarians to teach information literacy in Chapman University’s First-Year Focus Courses (FFCs). These changes have been made with a focus on the fact that now, more than ever, students face a world of easy access to endless amounts of (often questionable) information sources, and here at Chapman University, we aim to give all of our students the tools needed to navigate this new world of overabundant information.

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) defines information literacy as follows:

Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.

The updates to the Leatherby Libraries FFC instruction also reflect the shift that Chapman has made to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The instruction has been set up as a series of six Canvas modules, which will be required for students enrolled in all FFC courses. In addition to the modules, most FFC sections also have a date scheduled for a virtual session with a librarian.

What to expect from the Canvas modules:

• There are six modules, which we expect will take about 90 minutes to complete, in total.
• These modules are designed to introduce and engage students with fundamental concepts of information literacy.
• The modules are based on the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, which serves as the best practices of library instruction for higher education. The six Frames are
  • Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
  • Information Creation as a Process
  • Information Has Value
  • Research as Inquiry
  • Scholarship as Conversation
  • Searching as Strategic Exploration
• Each module contains a mixture of media, including text, images, videos, interactive elements, and quizzes.
• Completion of the quizzes provides assessment data for the librarians to assess students’ achievement of learning outcomes.
• Students show completion of the modules through a discussion post reflecting on what they have learned about information literacy.

Many thanks to the committee of librarians who developed the new curriculum: Taylor Greene, Rand Boyd, David Carson, Doug Dechow, Lauren Dubell, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker, Essraa Nawar, Margaret Puentes, and Ivan Portillo.

For more information, contact Chair of Instructional Services Taylor Greene.