This document outlines information literacy activities and classes for English composition students at Montevallo University. It introduces activities focused on having students interact with information, each other, librarians, and instructors to create meaning. The activities are meant to encourage students to take control of their learning and see themselves as part of academic conversations. They cover exploring information sources, locating relevant information, evaluating sources, organizing research, and understanding how one's work fits into existing scholarship. The librarian hopes these options will support composition assignments and invites instructors to collaborate on tailoring activities and assessments.

1. English Composition and
Information Literacy
libguides.montevallo.edu/compinstructors

2. Information Literacy Instruction
That Supports English Composition
Lauren Wallis
Reference & Instruction Librarian
lwallis@montevallo.edu
This booklet outlines information literacy activities that encourage students to think
critically about information they encounter and create. The activities focus on creating
meaning through interactions—students must interact with information, with each other,
with librarians, and with their instructors. I engage the ACRL Information Literacy
Standards as useful guideposts that are meant to be questioned.
When trying to apply the ACRL Standards in the classroom, it’s possible to get bogged
down in a linear process: I picture students on a conveyer belt proceeding through steps
1, 2, 3, a, b, c. In many ways the Standards position “the information literate student” as
an object, a goal, that can be reached through unproblematic skills-based instruction. The
very term “literacy” implies an either/or: either you’re information literate, or you’re not.
My approach aims to decenter power in the classroom, encouraging students to take
control of their learning experience, recognize the skills they have already developed, and
become excited and confident about entering scholarly conversations.
In outlining these information literacy activities and classes, I hope to present options for
instruction that are meaningful for English Composition students and supportive of your
assignments. I am happy to work with you to tailor an activity to an assignment—or
collaborate to develop a new activity—and I encourage you to bring your classes in for
instruction multiple times throughout the semester. As you look over the activities,
please feel free to contact me with questions. I am excited to work with you and your
students!
“Critical information literacy exists in relationships between people
and information rather than as an identifiable thing in its own right.”
-James Elmborg
Contents
EXPLORE LOCATE EVALUATE

3. ORGANIZE
Students often enter the composition classroom as ultimate newcomers; they are just
beginning to learn about academic conversations, and their ability to evaluate information is
unrefined. To first-year students, the process of identifying important ideas, marshaling
evidence to become informed, and expressing themselves in compelling ways seems like a
daunting, if not impossible task.
Composition instructors realize that writing is a symbiotic exchange between research—
locating information and evaluating it—and expression—integrating one’s voice with the
knowledge and ideas that others have already created. In the digital age, this exchange has
been productively complicated by the rise of blogs, videos, and social media. At one time
students were only expected to find print resources; now, students should realize that a blog
post or even a single tweet can change the complexion of an academic conversation. Our
entire conception of what counts as good, relevant information has evolved.
The ideas in this booklet are designed to help you imagine how one well-respected rubric,
the ACRL Information Literacy Standards, can become the basis of your approach to
information literacy education. Furthermore, these pages provide a few examples of how
instruction librarians at Carmichael can become involved in your class and help your students
develop the craft of academic discourse. We offer many hands-on instruction sessions that
invite students to engage with digital technologies and fashion themselves as publically-
important writers. We’re always willing to work with you and support the education that
takes place in your class.
Andrew Battista
Information Literacy & Reference Librarian
abattista@montevallo.edu
QUESTION
“Students must realize that their personal and academic language
activities (speaking, reading, writing) are inseparable from their
information seeking behaviors.”
-Elisabeth Pankl and Jason Coleman
Assessment &
Further Reading

4. EXPLORE
STUDENTS ASK:
What kind of information do I need?
Where should I start to look?
1a - Identify library resources and services.
1b - Locate background information from general sources.
1c - Identify key concepts and vocabulary related to a topic.
1d - Develop a working thesis statement and ask related research questions.
Potential Learning Outcomes
There are two facets to these classes: exploring physical
and virtual library spaces, and exploring a research idea.

5. Tumblring through the Library
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcomes: 1a
Students are given a series of 5-7 questions about the library. In groups, they use the
Tumblr iPad app to add pictures and captions of their findings to a class Tumblr. As we
discuss the pictures at the end of class, students learn about library services and resources.
Instagrama-rama
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcomes: 1a
Students are given a series of 5-7 questions about the library. In groups, they “answer”
their questions by adding pictures and captions of their findings to the Carmichael Library
Instagram. As we discuss the pictures at the end of class, students learn about library
services and resources.
The Anti-Tour
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcomes: 1a, 1b, 1c
As student groups navigate the library, they complete five activities that help them practice
foundational research skills such as developing keywords, using a reference source,
searching a database, and finding books. The Anti-Tour is highly customizable to your
class theme and readings.
Classes & Activities
Mindmeister Mindmeld
Time: 25 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 1b, 1c
Students use the Mindmeister iPad app to create a concept map about a research topic.
Ethnographers in the Stacks
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcomes: 1a
Students become ethnographers for an hour as they observe the library environment and
inhabitants, take fieldnotes, and draw maps. By sharing their findings at the end of class,
students learn about library services and resources.
O R I E N T A T I O N !
O R I E N T A T I O N !
O R I E N T A T I O N !
O R I E N T A T I O N !

6. LOCATE
STUDENTS ASK: What kind of information do I need?
Where should I start to look?
LOCATE
STUDENTS ASK:
Where can I best find the info I need?
How do I use the database
(or other resource) most effectively?
Potential Learning Outcomes
2a - Recognize the scope, content, and general organization of a library
database or other information resource.
2b - Develop a list of search terms and apply them to basic search
functions in a database in order to locate appropriate books and
articles.
2c - Assess the quantity, quality, and relevance of database search results
and refine the research strategy as necessary.
Locate classes and activities allow students to practice using the
best resources for finding books, articles, and more.

7. Human Databases
Time: 5 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 2a
The EBSCO Classroom turns into a giant database and the students are the articles.
Students learn about Boolean operators as they get “selected” by the database.
Classes & Activities
Database Nuts & Bolts
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 2a, 2b, 2c
Students are introduced to searching for articles from magazines, newspapers, and
academic journals in Academic Search Premiere. They learn to generate good search terms
and refine a search.
Taming the WorldCat
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 2a, 2b, 2c
Students practice finding books, articles, and other materials using the WorldCat Local
Catalog. They apply their knowledge by creating a WorldCat List.
Newsies Appy Hour
Time: 15 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 2a, 2b, 2c
Students use the World Newspapers iPad app to find newspaper articles.
EasyBib Blowout
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcomes: 2b, 5a
Student groups look up books in the catalog, find them in the stacks, and use the EasyBib
iPad app to create a MLA bibliography.

8. EVALUATE
STUDENTS ASK:
Do I trust this information? Why?
How does it fit with what I already
know and believe?
Evaluate classes and activities help students
recognize how they already analyze the information
they encounter on a daily basis. Students learn to
translate these skills to academic resources.
Potential Learning Outcomes
3a - Evaluate articles and websites for reliability, accuracy, authority,
timeliness, and point of view.
3b - Distinguish between popular and scholarly sources.

9. Class Options
Classes & Activities
Popular vs. Scholarly Nuts & Bolts
Time: 10 minutes
Learning Outcome: 3b
Students watch a short film featuring Cromwell the Carmichael Falcon to learn about
popular and scholarly articles. We look at an example of each and identify their features.
Wikilicious
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcome: 3a
Student groups develop a list of criteria that they use to evaluate websites in everyday life.
They apply these criteria to a website of their choice and a selected reference source. Each
group posts their findings on a class Wiki page, which is used to guide class discussion.
Flipboard Flip-Out
Time: 25 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 1b, 3a
Students use the Flipboard iPad app to curate a collection of websites and blog posts
about a topic.
Googlemonster Showdown
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcome: 3a
Student groups are each given a resource for research: Google, Wikipedia, Google Scholar,
or the Virtual Reference Shelf. Each group has to come up with an argument about why
their resource is the best place to do research. As groups present their arguments, we
learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each resource.
Is it CRAAP?
Time: 30 minutes
Learning Outcomes: 3a, 3b
Students give the CRAAP test to a variety of sources (website, reference source, popular
and/or scholarly article). They analyze each source for currency, relevance, accuracy,
authority, and purpose. Class discussion emphasizes that while the CRAAP test is a handy
tool, it’s possible that useful sources won’t always pass with flying colors.

10. ORGANIZE
ORGANIZE
STUDENTS ASK:
How do I organize what I find during
the research process?
What could I do better next time?
Each of the IL Standards is closely linked to the
writing process--but this one is almost inextricable.
These activities are designed to be highly
integrated with a writing assignment.
Potential Learning Outcomes
4a - Develop a research plan that includes time for finding background
information, creating and revising a database search strategy,
reading and evaluating articles, and finding additional information as
necessary.

11. Ants on a Research Log
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcome: 4a
Students search for books or articles and complete a research log for 4-5 sources. They
record the database search strategy they used, the main argument of the article, and a
couple of ways that the article interacts with their thesis or research question. This activity
can be done on paper, or digitally through a blog or Canvas course page.
Advanced Concept Mapping
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcome: 4a
Students come to this session having already constructed a working thesis or research
question, found and perused 2-3 articles, and thought through some of their argument.
They build giant concept maps on the walls using painter’s tape and color-coded
whiteboard sheets. This tactile activity allows them to organize their thoughts and make
connections between their ideas and the secondary sources they plan to use. The session
helps students recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their argument and engage
meaningfully with their secondary sources.
Classes & Activities
Zoinks! Zotero!
Time: Throughout the Semester
Learning Outcome: 4a
Students use Zotero to organize articles they collect for assignments throughout the
semester. Zotero allows users to create folders of articles for different projects, assign tags
to further categorize articles, share research with others, and generate citations. This
ongoing assignment can take a number of shapes based on your assignments.
Research Journal Journey
Time: Throughout the Semester
Learning Outcome: 4a
Students record their research experiences throughout the semester in a research journal
(a blog or a notebook). This ongoing assignment is highly adaptable to your class and
assignments. Students can freewrite, respond to prompts, or do some combination of
both.

12. QUESTION
STUDENTS ASK:
How does my work fit in with existing
research on this topic?
What does it mean to use others’ work to
support my ideas?
These classes and activities encourage students to
see their research and writing as part of an ongoing
scholarly conversation.
Potential Learning Outcomes
5a - Identify some ethical, legal, and socio-economic issues related to
information access.
5b - Recognize the need for citations to give credit to the original source
and utilize MLA citation properly.

13. Human Citations
Time: 10 minutes
Learning Outcome: 5b
Each student is given a “piece” of a citation and they have to arrange themselves in the
right order. We discuss the parts of the citations and the reasons resources are cited
differently.
Classes & Activities
The Amazing EasyBib Race
Time: 20 minutes
Learning Outcome: 2b, 5b
Student groups are given 3-5 sources to find (some books in the stacks, some articles in the
library databases). They use the EasyBib iPad app and database tools to generate citations
and email them. The first group to construct a correct Works Cited wins a fabulous prize!
Information Outlaws
Time: Full Class Period
Learning Outcome: 5a
We read Alice Walker’s new poem about Wikileaks and students hear a lecture about
“Information Outlaws” Aaron Swartz, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden. Class
discussion centers on how these current events relate to the students’ positions as new
college students, citizens, and creators of information.

14. Basic Assessment
Starting in Fall 2013 we will be giving every English Composition class a short assessment
specialized to the content of their class session. Students will complete a three minute,
three question online form at the end of class. While this kind of summative assessment is
problematic in many ways, it will help us get a big picture of information literacy
instruction for our first-year students, make improvements to our library classes, and
develop better assessments in the future. This data will be used in the library, but we can
provide you with your students’ results if you would like.
Assessment
Mini-Projects
Many of the sessions listed in this booklet require students to produce something during
the library class. We can work together to make this into an assignment you can list on
your syllabus as class work—or grade if you would like.
“This current dominant culture of higher education privileges a model of student learning
that can be substantiated in standardized tests and other measures that similarly erase
difference and reward conformity to immutable, uninterrogated standards. These
measures serve to perpetuate the existence of the dominant culture. Understandably,
many critical teachers chafe at such standards.”
-Maria Accardi
Wiki and Canvas Assessment
We can use your Canvas page or a class Wiki for students to post an article they find and
answer questions about it. This short activity can help us assess how well students
understand how to locate and evaluate particular types of articles.
Research Journals or Canvas Research Discussion Board
Research Journals help students think through their growth as critical thinkers and
researchers. They can also help instructors and librarians better understand new college
students’ research strategies and challenges. We can help your students set up blogs
where they can keep a research journal, and we can and monitor journal entries so that
students get research assistance when they need it. This kind of assessment could also be
done on a smaller scale with a Research Discussion Board monitored by a librarian on your
Canvas site.
Works Cited Assessment
After your students complete a research paper, a librarian can assess the quality of the
sources on their works cited. This would not be a grade for your students, but rather a
chance for you and the librarian to get a big picture of students’ success in finding sources.

15. Further Reading
Peary, Alexandria, and Linda Ernick. “Reading, Writing, Research: Incorporating Strategies From
Composition And Rhetoric Into Library Instruction.” College & Undergraduate Libraries 11.1 (2004):
33-44. Print.
Jenks, Kelly, et al. “Advancing Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Skills in First Year College
Students.” College & Undergraduate Libraries 15.1/2 (2008): 81-98. Print.
Atwood, Thomas A., and Alice Crosetto. “How to Address ‘I’ve Already Written My Paper, Now I Just
Need to Find Some Sources’: Teaching Personal Voice Through Library Instruction.” College &
Undergraduate Libraries 16.4 (2009): 322-328. Print.
Pankl, Elizabeth and Jason Coleman. “‘There’s Nothing on my Topic!’ Using the Theories of Oscar Wilde
and Henry Giroux to Develop Critical Pedagogy for Library Instruction.” Critical Library Instruction:
Theories and Methods. Eds. Maria Accardi, Emily Drabinski, and Alana Kumbier. Duluth, MN: Library
Juice Press, 2010. 3-12. Print.
Accardi, Maria. “Teaching Against the Grain: Critical Assessment in the Library Classroom.” Critical
Library Instruction: Theories and Methods. Eds. Maria Accardi, Emily Drabinski, and Alana Kumbier.
Duluth, MN: Library Juice Press, 2010. 251-264. Print.
Elmborg James. “Critical Information Literacy: Definitions and Challenges.” Transforming Information
Literacy Programs: Intersecting Frontiers of Self, Library Culture, and Campus Community. Eds.
Carroll Wetzel Wilkinson and Courtney Burch. Chicago: Association of College and Research
Libraries, 2012. 75-96. Print.