The Framework for Information for Higher Education (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2016) is a move towards a constructivist understanding of information literacy, but translating the six frames into actionable steps for working with faculty and students can be challenging. Instructors expect that students will develop and demonstrate their information literacy through course-based assignments but are often frustrated with the results, because students (as novices) and instructors (as disciplinary experts) are seemingly speaking two different languages (Leckie, 1996). Using findings from our study exploring instructors’ perceptions of information literacy, we developed a new information literacy taxonomy (Removed for peer review, 2024). We believe the taxonomy will help librarians and instructional partners to intentionally develop information-literacy learning outcomes with clear expectations and scaffolding for learners, because it accounts for both foundational information literacy skills and the threshold concepts that highlight valued ways of thinking and knowing. Based on Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001), our taxonomy allows for the information literacy-related expectations that instructors have for students to be placed on a familiar continuum from “remember” to “create.” This model has implications for how we approach the development of learners’ information literacy with intentionality, both in collaboration with faculty and for our own teaching practices as librarians.
In this workshop, participants will explore the five levels of the taxonomy, collaboratively classify where common research assignments fall on the taxonomy and develop learning outcomes for their information literacy instructional contexts. Sample research assignments will be provided, and participants will work in small groups or individually to analyze the assignments in relation to the taxonomy. Reflective questions will be included in the presentation, and collaborative software such as Padlet and Mentimeter will be used to anonymously share these insights.
At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to:
• Describe the five levels of the information literacy taxonomy.
• Consider how different skills or ways of thinking or acting could be categorized in the taxonomy.
• Apply the taxonomy to a sample research assignment to begin mapping skills and knowledge needed for success.
Throughout the workshop, we will encourage participants to reflect on the value of the taxonomy in supporting their teaching practices and work with instructors. We hope this work will equip and empower librarians to have conversations with instructors about information literacy outcomes rooted in a generally accepted taxonomy.
Participants are encouraged to bring their electronic devices, though some paper copies of the workshop materials will be available. Presenters will need to be able to project a PowerPoint presentation on a screen. Target audience: Any librarian who works with faculty/ instructors, particularly at a college or university.
References
Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2016). Framework for information literacy for higher education. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
[CITATION REMOVED FOR ANONYMOUS PEER REVIEW]
Leckie, G. J. (1996). Desperately seeking citations: Uncovering faculty assumptions about the undergraduate research process. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22(3), 201-208.
