Presented at the 2014 Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy in February 2014, Blacksburg, VA.

1. Effectively Integrating Information Literacy:
A Conversation about Threshold Concepts
and Collaborations
Rebecca K. Miller and Sara M. Crickenberger, Virginia Tech
Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy | February 7, 2014

2. 2
Conversation Overview
• Who we are
• Who you are
• Conversation Session Objectives:
• Explain threshold concepts and information literacy (IL)
threshold concepts
• Describe an example of how IL threshold concepts can be
effectively integrated into a course
• Explore threshold concepts in course and assignment
design

3. Threshold Concepts
Introduced by Jan Meyer & Ray Land (2003):
Threshold concepts are the core ideas and processes
that define the ways of thinking and practicing for a
discipline, but are so ingrained that they often go
unspoken or unrecognized by practitioners
(Townsend, Brunetti, & Hofer, 2011, p. 854)
3

4. Criteria
• Criteria for threshold concepts (Meyer & Land, 2003)
• Transformative – causes a shift in perspective
• Integrative – brings together separate concepts
• Irreversible – once grasped, cannot be
ungrasped
• Troublesome – may be counterintuitive
• Bounded – helps define boundaries of a
discipline, or may be unique to a discipline
4

5. Examples
• Physics: Heat transfer
• Biology: Evolution
• Mathematics: Limits
• Literary and Cultural Studies:
Signification
• Economics: Opportunity cost
5

6. Threshold Concepts in IL
• Hofer, Townsend, and Brunetti (2012)
• Metadata = findability
• Good searches use database structure
• Format is a process
• Authority is constructed and contextual
• “Primary source” is an exact and conditional category
• Information as a commodity
• Research solves problems
6

7. Why?
Threshold concepts can help librarians devise
targeted curricula by prioritizing trouble spots….
Learners who cross these thresholds are well
positioned for academic inquiry.
(Hofer, Townsend, & Brunetti, 2012, p. 403)
7

8. Our Example
• English 1106 at Virginia Tech
• Instructor + Librarian collaboration
• Information Literacy Threshold
Concepts
• Research solves problems
• …and others
8

9. Adult Learning
• Collaborative
• Problem based
• Relevant
• Immediate/goal oriented
• Reinforcement
• Practical
9

10. English 1106: Writing from Research
• Collaborative learning process
• Traditional collaborators: Students +
Instructor
• Missing partner: The research expert
• Ideal collaboration = Students + Instructor
+ Research Librarian
10

11. Problem Based
• First session
• Library environment new/foreign for many
• Eases students into research
• Students reach basic level of understanding/competence
• Works for initial involvement/first projects
• Second session
• Stakes ramped up to biggest research project of semester
• Factors in place to bring students to deeper level of learning
• Opportunity to cross threshold
11

12. Key Factors
• Relevant: Research is extremely relevant to problem
in front of student
• Immediate/goal oriented: Second session is right
time to deepen skills/understanding of key concepts,
facing finite deadline, definite goal
• Reinforcement: Classroom session reinforces,
builds on skills introduced, used earlier
• Practical: Using students’ laptops simulates their
normal research environment
12

13. The Threshold
• Crossing the threshold
• Internal motivation
• Self direction
• Both are key factors for adult learners
• Those who are willing to go deeper have the
opportunity and the resources
13

14. Motivation
Motivation
• Ultimately learners must be internally motivated
• Some lack motivation to cross threshold, are satisfied with surface-level
skills, enough to meet basic requirements
Strategies to enhance motivation
• Allow students to research/write about topics that excite them, capitalize
on life experiences, prior knowledge, existing/personal interests
• Positive reinforcement, including peer review, opportunities to revise,
assessment
14

15. Success
What success is
• Increased understanding about what a quality research source is
• Ability to find appropriate sources that solve research problem
What success looks like
• More research sources
• More high-quality (peer-reviewed) sources
• Fewer low-quality electronic sources
• The bottom line: stronger research projects/papers
15

16. Conversation: Question 1
• Do you see any value in threshold
concepts? Why or why not?
16

17. Conversation: Question 2
• Which information literacy (IL) threshold
concepts seem particularly relevant to
your disciplines and your classrooms?
17

18. Conversation: Question 3
• How would you integrate any relevant IL
threshold concepts into your teaching?
18

19. Conversation: Question 4
• Can you identify any on-campus
partners who might be able to assist
and support you in integrating IL
threshold concepts into your teaching?
19

20. Conversation: Question 5
• What questions do you still have about
IL threshold concepts, or threshold
concepts in general?
20

21. Further Reading
• Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). (2000). Information literacy competency standards
for higher education. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency
• Hofer, A. R., Townsend, L., & Brunetti, K. (2012). Troublesome concepts and information literacy:
Investigating threshold concepts for IL instruction. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 12(4), 387-405.
• Meyer, J. H. F. & Land, R. (2003). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: Linkages to new
ways of thinking and practicing within the disciplines. ETL Project Report. Retrieved from
http://www.etl.tla.ed.ac.uk/docs/ETLreport4.pdf
• Meyer, J. H. F & Land, R. (2006). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: An introduction. In J.
H. F. Meyer & R. Land (Eds.), Overcoming barriers to student understanding: Threshold concepts and
troublesome knowledge (pp. 19-32). London: Routledge.
• Townsend, L., Brunetti, K., & Hofer, A. R. (2011). Threshold concepts and information literacy. portal:
Libraries and the Academy, 11(3), 853-869.
21

22. Contact Us
Rebecca K. Miller, University Libraries
millerrk@vt.edu
Sara M. Crickenberger, Dept. of English
smcrick@vt.edu
22