This document discusses integrating information literacy threshold concepts into course design through collaboration between instructors and librarians. It provides an example of how an English instructor and librarian collaborated at Virginia Tech to incorporate threshold concepts like "research solves problems" into an English 1106 course. The librarian introduced concepts in an initial session and reinforced them in a second session focused on a major research project, helping students cross an important threshold for research skills. The goal was to give students a deeper understanding of quality sources and help them produce stronger research projects.

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)
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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
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5. Examples
• Physics: Heat transfer
• Biology: Evolution
• Mathematics: Limits
• Literary and Cultural Studies:
Signification
• Economics: Opportunity cost
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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
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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)
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8. Our Example
• English 1106 at Virginia Tech
• Instructor + Librarian collaboration
• Information Literacy Threshold
Concepts
• Research solves problems
• …and others
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9. Adult Learning
• Collaborative
• Problem based
• Relevant
• Immediate/goal oriented
• Reinforcement
• Practical
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10. English 1106: Writing from Research
• Collaborative learning process
• Traditional collaborators: Students +
Instructor
• Missing partner: The research expert
• Ideal collaboration = Students + Instructor
+ Research Librarian
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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16. Conversation: Question 1
• Do you see any value in threshold
concepts? Why or why not?
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17. Conversation: Question 2
• Which information literacy (IL) threshold
concepts seem particularly relevant to
your disciplines and your classrooms?
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18. Conversation: Question 3
• How would you integrate any relevant IL
threshold concepts into your teaching?
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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?
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20. Conversation: Question 5
• What questions do you still have about
IL threshold concepts, or threshold
concepts in general?
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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.
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22. Contact Us
Rebecca K. Miller, University Libraries
millerrk@vt.edu
Sara M. Crickenberger, Dept. of English
smcrick@vt.edu
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