Health sciences information literacy in CMS environments: learning from our peers

Abstract

Purpose-With academic institutions' adoption of Course/Learning Management Systems (CMS), librarians are increasingly providing content through this delivery method. This study aims to identify practical information for librarians considering CMS content development or re-evaluation of online offerings. Design/methodology/approach-Academic libraries with health sciences information literacy programs within CMS were examined through a literature review and then queried through an online survey. Trends and issues identified within the literature were utilized to develop the survey. Collected data was analyzed to determine how librarians incorporate CMS into information literacy. Analysis focused on strategies used in development and delivery, benefits and challenges of CMS and pairing its content with traditional instruction methods. Findings-An overarching theme is the ease and accessibility of CMS, especially for distance learners and those with time restrictions. However, although online tools and learning spaces are readily available and beneficial, librarians maintain in-person instruction. A shift from primarily positive published reports by early adopters to more constructive feedback that stems from longer-term CMS experience is identified. Assessment practices of online library instruction need additional attention to provide a more robust approach. Originality/value-This unique examination of the last ten years of publications focusing on information literacy librarians' CMS activity is paired with a broad, updated examination of current trends. It identifies best practices related to time commitment, faculty relationships, and assessment for implementation in CMS environments and the importance of utilizing blended learning strategies.

Teaching information literacy skills to medical students: perceptions of health sciences librarians

“…Librarians opined that IL should be part of medical education as an independent course to teach students the skills to access, evaluate and use information for their educational and research goals. In this regard, our study confirms findings of the previous studies regarding the integration of IL instruction into the health sciences curriculum (Baro et al, 2011;DeBose et al, 2017;Kingsley & Kingsley, 2009;Spiranec & Pejova, 2010;Starkey, 2010;Tierney & Stefanie, 2013). The integration of IL instruction into the medical curriculum is not an easy task for a developing country like Pakistan.…”

“…They suggested integrating IL instruction in the medical curriculum at undergraduate level in collaboration with the medical faculty. Previous studies (DeBose, Haugen & Miller, 2017;Derakhshan & Singh, 2011;Kingsley & Kingsley, 2009;Li, 2007;Mahmood, 2013;Spiranec & Pejova, 2010;Starkey, 2010;Tierney & Stefanie, 2013) addressed the key areas, such as integration of IL instruction into the curricula, collaboration with faculty, adoption of IL standards and mode of IL instruction delivery for fostering IL programs in academic institutions. Bazrafkan et al (2017) evaluated the IL skills of medical students at Shiraz University, Iran.…”

Strengthening information literacy in a writing-designated course in the mathematics major

“…In contrast, studies on information literacy teaching abound in other science and engineering disciplines, particularly in biology (Petzold, Winterman, and Montooth 2010;Fuselier and Nelson 2011), health (Lyons and Warlick 2013), and nursing (Argüelles 2012). According to Lackie and Fullerton (1999), the lack of analogous literature in mathematics may be due to faculty not seeing information literacy education as necessary and/or not knowing that information literacy instruction is available.…”

Maintaining Quality While Expanding Our Reach: Using Online Information Literacy Tutorials in the Sciences and Health Sciences

“…However, the Standards were recently replaced with the more flexible Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (the "Framework") (ACRL, 2016). A good amount of research has been done to evaluate online ILI in the sciences and health sciences (Li, 2011;Schimming, 2008;Tierney & Stefanie, 2013;Weiner, Pelaez, Chang, & Weiner, 2012), but (due to the very recent rescinding of the Standards) none of this research examines online ILI based on the newly adopted Framework. Greer et al emphasize how well-suited an online format is to providing Framework-based instruction, due to the fact that it can "allow for more exploration and feedback than what may be possible in a more traditional face-to-face instructional setting" (2016, p. 296).…”