ACRLog blogger StevenB responds to Bill Badke's article "Ten reasons to teach information literacy for credit."
I'm with Steven on this. In my experience teaching a credit-bearing IL course in the past, it wasn't worth the time we put into it. It didn't reach very many people as an elective course. And it certainly didn't prove anything to faculty about the importance of information literacy. In fact, some professors figured they didn't have to worry about IL because our course was available to students.
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2 comments:
Actually, I agree with LibraryWoman - credit bearing information literacy courses taught as electives are a dead loss. I've taught them, and the number who sign up are not worth the effort. But I have also taught a required info lit course for the past 20 years that is at the heart and soul of a graduate program. It's powerful and effective. I am about to teach within an inaugural research and writing course in our Communications Department that is required (3 credit hours) in the core of all Communications programs. That kind of info lit, whether stand alone or as part of a course, is pure gold.
As far as professors not taking responsibility for information literacy if librarians teach it, I almost don't have the words to respond. Just let me ask this, "How many professors do you know now who take responsibility for information literacy?"
Thanks for your comments.
A required course within a department, either taught as a stand alone within that dept. or as a lab to accompany a course, is ideal. I know of a couple examples of these that work very well for students, librarians and faculty. I hope you're planning on writng about your experience with your Comm Dept. The IL community will want to know how it goes!
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