Boolean logic can be a difficult concept for first-year, introductory students to grasp. This paper compares the results of Boolean and natural language searching across several databases with searches created from student research questions. Performance differences between databases varied. Overall, natural search language is at least as good as Boolean searching. With evidence that students struggle to grasp Boolean searching, and may not use it even after instruction, it could be left out of first-year instruction, freeing up valuable class time to focus on concepts such as question development and source evaluation. As the Framework for Information Literacy does not specifically address Boolean operators, the authors suggest it should have less prominence in first-year Information Literacy instruction. IntroductionConventional wisdom considers knowledge of Boolean logic a basic information retrieval Information Literacy (IL) skill. Librarians and other information professionals are taught the value of Boolean searching (referred to throughout this article interchangeably as "Boolean") in professional education, and it is seen in instruction, reference interactions, and database interfaces. However, the concept can be difficult for first-year (introductory) students to grasp, and it can take multiple sessions before a student demonstrates effective use of Boolean logic.A student's ability to use Boolean operators is a performance indicator within the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Compe-

In terms of international education, this concept of online education seems to be a growing trend.Edxonline.org, Minervaproject.com and Udacity.com are all new massive online open courses (MOOC's) -education websites similar to Coursera offering students the ability to receive the best education from elite universities entirely online. In this digital age, students are seeking ways to receive an education that is convenient and fits well with their lifestyles, but is also credible. The most tantalizing promise of a company like Coursera is the role it might play in improving education for the world's have-nots: high school dropouts, the global poor, and those less able to self-teach (Kamenetz, 2012). When the Internet became widely available to the general populace in the mid 1990s, higher education immediately recognized the untapped potential of virtual space as an effective and dynamic addition to the traditional model of university instruction. The initial foray to creating a new teaching environment involved rather rudimentary frameworks and significant limitations with communicating in virtual space. In most instances students were instructed to Telnet (or whatever their Internet Protocol might be) into the network server in order to access a virtual MOO (Multi-User Domain -Object Oriented) classroom through any LAN (Local Access Network) connection on campus, to discuss course content with their classmates and professors. This provided synchronous communication of ideas, but this early use of virtual education was mediated by a single line text-based interface. The tools and skill-set needed to access this virtual space were basic enough for anyone who was willing to explore. AN EXAMINATION OF COURSERA AS AN INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT 4Coursera is a social entrepreneurship company that partners with the top universities across the globe to offer free courses online for anyone to take. Its mission is to educate millions of individuals worldwide by offering courses on various topics from elite universities; professors have the to capacity to teach 30,000 or more students at once thanks to an instructional platform supported by robust computing power and complex infrastructure. This information environment can serve any student in the world, provided that they have an Internet connection. Aided by technology, students are able to watch lectures from home, rather than a lecture hall, and Coursera hopes to make this student experience more collaborative and interactive for those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to receive an elite education.Striving to make the platform distinct from other types of MOOC's, the Coursera team sought out sound pedagogy for effective learning methods, and then translated the concepts into processes that could be built into the design of the platform itself. These principles are foundational to the ways in which students engage with the assorted learning and networking tools that Coursera provides as part of their personal learning environment. The videos are appr...

Course and research guides are a common tool of teaching librarians, expanding the reach of instruction sessions. Traditionally these guides were designed in a pathfinder-style with lists of resources by type (e.g., websites, books, etc.). Guides can also be designed pedagogically, where the guide walks a student through the research process. This paper reports the results of a pilot Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) A/B study that examined whether guide type had an impact on student learning. Results indicate students using the pedagogical guide may learn and retain Information Literacy concepts better than students using the pathfinder guide.

Recognizing the importance of designing educational opportunities that draw upon students' prior knowledge and experiences, this paper uses focus groups to explore how Spanishspeaking students in a graduate program at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence understand academic information literacy practices within their new cultural contexts. This paper demonstrates that a variety of interwoven scholarly and sociocultural pressures mediate graduate student information activities. Findings from this paper broaden understandings of information literacy within today's diverse information environments while also highlighting the need for librarians to engage with the complexity of graduate student experiences.

Building off an earlier study, which examined whether or not it was beneficial to teach Boolean logic to introductory students, the present study examines the efficacy of Boolean OR searching in more advanced search strategies, for example, capstone projects and graduate theses and dissertations. Results show that both simple and advanced Boolean searches yield relevant results. Based on relevance, there is no compelling evidence that either search is superior. To capture all the literature on a topic, however, it is important that upper-level students know the relevant databases for their discipline and perform multiple searches. Results can help inform whether teaching Boolean search skills to upper-division students in disciplinary contexts is time well spent.