Presented at the 2014 Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy in Savannah, Georgia, October 11, 2014

1. Collaboration, Information Literacy, and
Troublesome Knowledge: Threshold
Concepts in the Real World
Rebecca K. Miller and Sara M. Crickenberger, Virginia Tech
Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy | October 2014

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Session Objectives
• Explain threshold concepts and
information literacy (IL) threshold
concepts
• Describe how IL threshold concepts can
be effectively integrated into a course
• Explore threshold concepts in course and
assignment design

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6. Framework for IL for Higher Education
• Scholarship is a Conversation
• Research as Inquiry
• Authority is Contextual and Constructed
• Format as a Process
• Searching as Exploration
• Information has Value
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7. Threshold Concepts
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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)

8. Criteria
Criteria for threshold concepts (Meyer & Land, 2003)
• Transformative – causes a shift in perspective
• Integrative – brings together separate concepts
• Irreversible – once grasped, cannot be un-grasped
• Troublesome – may be counterintuitive
• Bounded – helps define boundaries of a discipline
or may be unique to a discipline
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9. Examples
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Discipline Threshold Concept
Physics Heat transfer
Biology Evolution
Mathematics Limits
Literary & Cultural Studies Signification
Economics Opportunity cost

10. Threshold Concepts in IL
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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

11. Why?
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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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13. Changes & Challenges
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…threshold concepts are of limited use for one-shot
instruction because a fundamental feature of crossing
a learning threshold is that it takes some time to
accomplish
(Hofer, Townsend, & Brunetti, 2013, p. 112)

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the-door-to-narnia-what-makes-this-couple-build-a-
secret-passage-to-their-living-room/

15. Our Example
• English 1106 at Virginia Tech
• Instructor + Librarian collaboration
• Information Literacy Threshold Concepts
• Research as Inquiry
• …and others
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16. Adult Learning
• Collaborative
• Problem based
• Relevant
• Immediate/goal oriented
• Reinforceable
• Practical
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17. 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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18. 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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19. 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
• Reinforceable: Classroom session builds on skills
introduced, used earlier
• Practical: Using students’ laptops simulates their
normal research environment
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20. The Threshold
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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

21. Motivation
Motivation
• Ultimately, learners must be internally motivated
• Students lacking motivation may fail to cross threshold
Strategies to enhance motivation
• Allow students to research topics that excite them
• Provide positive reinforcement
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22. Success
What success is
• Increased understanding of quality research sources
• Ability to find appropriate sources to solve research problem
What success looks like
• More research sources
• More high-quality (peer-reviewed) sources
• Fewer low-quality sources
• The bottom line: stronger research projects/papers
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Image from
http://www.mosbybuildingarts.com/blo
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you/

24. Conversation: Question 1
Which information literacy (IL) threshold
concepts seem particularly relevant to
your disciplines and your classrooms?
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25. Conversation: Question 2
What sorts of strategies might you use to
integrate any relevant IL threshold
concepts into your teaching?
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26. Conversation: Question 3
What challenges might you encounter
when integrating IL threshold concepts
into your teaching?
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27. Conversation: Question 4
Are you able to 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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28. Conversation: Question 5
What other questions do you have about
IL threshold concepts or threshold
concepts in general?
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29. Further Reading
• Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). (2014). Framework for information literacy in higher
education draft 2. Retrieved from
http://acrl.ala.org/ilstandards/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Framework-for-IL-for-HE-Draft-2.pdf
• Hofer, A. R., Townsend, L. & Brunetti, K. (2013). A thresholds concepts approach to the standards
revision. Communications in Information Literacy, 7(2), 108-113.
• 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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30. Contact Us
Rebecca K. Miller
University Libraries, Virginia Tech
millerrk@vt.edu
Sara M. Crickenberger
Dept. of English, Virginia Tech
smcrick@vt.edu
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