The Framework, re-framed in "plain English" for students and faculty. The goal was to make the ACRL Framework easier to understand (many people don't use iterative in everyday conversation, for example) and to make the connection between information literacy and institutional mission/vision and learning outcomes clear.

Cover photo by geraldo stanislas on Unsplash

Information is inherently valuable. Access to it, or lack of access, has the potential to affect the quality of one’s life. In this lesson, students will learn how access to information shapes people’s lives and how they can make informed decisions related to access to information in their lives and in their communities.

When looking for information, one of the first steps is to develop a research question to figure out the scope of what exactly is needed. In this lesson, students will explore what it takes to narrow a search in order to find the best information.

A Beginner's Guide to Information Literacy covers the ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy frame by frame, using casual language and real world examples. Use this click-through text-based resource to understand the Framework as a whole or to work on understanding a particular Frame. Reflection questions are included for the casual learner or for anyone incorporating Information Literacy conversations into a classroom or workshop.

Information can be packaged in a variety of digital formats that have their own properties and can lead down certain information paths. In this lesson, students will explore properties of digital formats in order to identify the best format to meet their information needs.

The Citations lesson is mapped to Information has Value and Scholarship as Conversation Frames. It discusses why citations are a foundation of scholarly communication and the basic components of a citation. Through infographics and videos, students will learn the differences between paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting.

The Evidence-Based Practice lesson is mapped to the Research as Inquiry Frame and addresses how to match a clinical question to types of research evidence.

Google Scholar can be a valuable complement to your institution’s subscription databases when researching a topic. In this lesson, you will learn how Google Scholar works, and how to use it to complement your use of discipline-specific subscription databases.

Graduation is a board game designed to teach the frame "Information Has Value" from the Association of College and Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2015). Created by students in ISI 6372 Information Literacy at the University of Ottawa, Winter 2020.

A Twine choose your own adventure flipbook that teaches students the concept of authority from the "Authority is Constructed and Contextual" frame, as outlined in the Association for College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (2015). Created by students in ISI 6372 Information Literacy at the University of Ottawa, Winter 2020.

Deb Baker created this after consulting with faculty, librarians, and colleagues from around the country. The idea was to create a practical tool for assessing information literacy that anyone could use, was easy to norm, and focused on what students could do and where research instruction could be improved to increase students' information literacy. This rubric can help improve student success and information literacy learning outcomes in research assignments for any course. Used early in the semester it can serve as a diagnostic tool for supporting student researchers in developing the skills and habits of mind needed to successfully find and use information to answer a question, support a thesis, or solve a problem. Students could even use it to self-assess.

Cover photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Question Authority lesson is mapped to the Authority is Constructed and Contextual Frame. The lesson introduces the concept of authority in the research process, that it is constructed and contextual, and that the authority sought changes based on the research question. Criteria for evaluating authority are discussed, as is the idea that not all voices are represented in authoritative conversations.

Academic research articles have a structure and language that is different from our other reading materials such as textbooks. This lesson can help students new to academic research understand these differences and learn strategies for finding information in such articles.

What is information literacy? Simply put, it's the skills and habits that allow you to find and use information. At MCC it is a Core Learning Outcome -- one of the areas you will demonstrate competency in before you graduate. In the Academic Catalog, MCC states that Information Literacy is:

"The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand."

The way information literacy is assessed at MCC is through research assignments. When you see instructions that ask you to find, use and cite sources, you're doing research.

This course will help you succeed in research assignments.

It is divided into five self-paced chapters that progress through the stages of a student research process. Each chapter should take roughly 30 minutes to complete, and covers two to three learning outcomes that align with the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, adopted by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2016.

This course is adapted by Deb Baker from "Information Literacy for College Students" by Amanda Burbage & Olivia Reinauer, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Many resources included in the course have been reused/remixed and may hold different versions of Creative Commons licenses. Please note that if you use or adapt any of the individual resources this course, you should abide by the licensing for that specific resource.

Jumping into research on a specific subject may feel overwhelming when faced with the vast amount of information that has been published on the subject. In this lesson, students will discover how research is like a conversation that takes place between scholars in a field and will investigate ways they can become part of the conversation over time.

The Search Strategies lesson is mapped to the Searching as Strategic Exploration Frame and introduces the concept of strategic searching in order to use search tools more effectively. By understanding strategic searching techniques, students will be able to not only compose an initial search query, but will be able to refine and revise their search in order to locate relevant sources. In this lesson students will learn how to:

Identify keywords and search terms
Strategically combine search terms using Boolean operators and punctuation
Evaluate search results to apply useful search refinements

Searching as Information Literacy: Unpacking the ACRL Frame of Searching as Strategic Exploration is an OER that includes a podcast, blog and associated exercise. Three University of Ottawa librarians are interviewed on search challenges they have encountered and their proposed search strategies as it relates to the ACRL framework: Searching as Strategic Exploration.

Interview 1: Thinking Outside the Box

Interview 2: Selecting Appropriate and Relevant Search Terms

Interview 3: Rethinking the Value of Google

Created by students in ISI 6372 Information Literacy at the University of Ottawa, Winter 2020.

he Inheritance is a video game that uses storytelling to teach the ACRL framework Information Creation as a process. The game can be an engaging way for librarians to teach the abstract concept. The objective is not only about reaching the end of the game safely, but also, about gathering the necessary items along the way to solve the mystery. You will have a checklist of items that you must gather in order to make it through the game. We used Twine, an application made for game creation, to visualize our concept. This game gets quite complex as you go, so it is recommended that you keep a piece of paper on hand to track your progress. Also, if you do not make it through the game on your first play-through, it is recommended that you try again! Finally, if you choose to listen to the narration clips throughout the game, it enhances the immersive experience. Overall, have fun playing our game! The goal was to allow the user to enjoy the process, rather than putting so much emphasis on reaching the end. Now you can simply download the zip file, open it, and click on index.html. Created by students in ISI 6372 Information Literacy at the University of Ottawa, Winter 2020.

The Types of Information lesson is mapped to the Information Creation as a Process Frame and introduces various types of information in relation to typical research questions. Characteristics of information are discussed including what criteria can be used to identify popular, professional, and scholarly materials.

With the vast amount of information that can be found as quickly as a mouse click, it is easy to think that all information is free. However, information and access to it is paid for by someone and is not all created equally. In this lesson, students will explore the value and cost of information and learn how to make wise information decisions.