The document discusses an online undergraduate course on information competencies developed at Universidad Veracruzana, focusing on essential skills for information literacy among students and faculty. It outlines the course structure, modules covering knowledge generation, information retrieval, and intellectual property, alongside challenges faced in course delivery. The course aims to foster independent learning and improve information skills in students while incorporating feedback for continuous improvement.

1. Information competencies for learning
Jesus Lau
jlau@uv.mx / www.jesuslau.com
Director, USBI-VER Library, y Coordinator Biblioteca Virtual UV
Universidad Veracruzana
Boca del Río, Veracruz, México
www.uv.mx/usbi_ver
/ www.uv.mx/bvirtual
Facebook jesuslau / Twitter jesuslau
Flickr jesuslau
New Zealand, 2010
Online undergraduate course, 6 credits
Design and implementation

2. Topics
• Background
• Search for experiencies
• Development of the course
• Components
• Challenges for improvement

3. Universidad Veracruzana
• Information Literacy needs of students and faculty
• Challenge of having a limited number of information
professionals/librarians
• Immediate requirements of Virtual Veracruzana
University distance programs
• Creation of Clavijero Consortium, 29 higher education
institutions (It was dissolved this year).

4. Course Credits
• Undergraduate course / Bachelor degree
• Distance course, web-based
• Six credits, 90 hours of work for the learner
• Similar number of credits as the rest of the
subjects

5. Search for experiencies
• Nothing alike could be found in Hispanic world
• Except two classroom courses but with a different, more generic
approach
• Some relevant experiences in the United States and England
• Many workshops, optional courses
• Scarce literature with reports on the subject
• Used Mexican Information Literacy Standards

6. COMPETENCIES
1. Understand information. Understanding the
structure of knowledge and information
2. Identify need. Determine the nature of the
information need
3. Locate. Propose effective strategies to search and
find information
4. Retrieve. Retrieve efficiently
5. Evaluate. Analyze and evaluate information
6. Use. Integrate, summarize and use the
information
7. Communicate. Adequatly communicate the
results of the work
8. Ethics. Respecting the intelectual property and
copyright
Information competencies - MX

7. EDUCATION
Doctorate
Master
Bachelor
High School
Junior High School
Elementary School
Kindergarten
LEVELS
Advanced
Medium
Basic
Information competencies- MX
High
1. Understand information. Understanding the
structure of knowledge and information
2. Identify need. Determine the nature of the
information need
3. Locate. Propose effective strategies to
search and find information
4. Retrieve. Retrieve efficiently
5. Evaluate. Analyze and evaluate information
6. Use. Integrate, summarize and use the
information
7. Communicate. Adequatly communicate the
results of the work
8. Ethics. Respecting the intelectual property
and copyright
COMPETENCIES

8. Course Modules
Information Competencies for learning -
MODULES
5. Information analysis
and evaluation
1. Knowledge and
information
2. Nature of the
information needs
3. Information search
4. Information retrieval
6. Integration and use of
information
7. Presentation of results
8. Intelectual property
and copyright

9. Module 1. Knowledge and information
1.1. Generation, treatment,
organization and
dissemination of information
1.3. Types and categories of
information sources
1.5. Scientific character of
knowledge
1.2. Knowledge and
Information
1.4. Importance of
consultation with various
sources of information

10. Module 2. Nature of the information
needs
2.2. Scope and
limitations of the topic to
research
2.1. Organization and
analysis of the topic to
investigate
2.4. Establishment of work
schedule
2.3. Definition of information needs

11. 3.4. Logic and structure of
information sources
Module 3. Information search
3.1. Resources, media and
services of a university library
3.2. Information sources
3.3. Selection of information
sources

12. Module 4. Information retrieval
4.1. Primary, secondary and
tertiary sources
4.6. Information
retrieval formats
4.2. Means of physical
and virtual storage
4.3. Transmission of
information
4.4. Main ideas of a text
4.5. Procedures to obtain
information from
organizations or people

13. Module 5. Information analysis and evaluation
5.1. Comparison of results
with information needs
5.4. Most important elements of
information resources
5.2. Academic
character of
publications
5.3. Value of information
resources
5.5. Analysis and restatement
of initial information problem

14. Module 6. Integration and use of information
6.1. Selection of relevant
information
6.4. Summary of
obtained information
6.2. Translation of
knowledge
6.3. Techniques to
organize information

15. Module 7. Presentation of results
7.1. Audience
7.4. Techniques for
presentation of information
7.2. Organization of ideas
7.3. Types of documents for
the presentation

16. Module 8. Intelectual property and copyright
8.1. Intelectual property
8.4. Elements that integrate a
bibliography
8.2. Federal law on
copyright
8.3. Guidelines for citing
documents

17. Course – Initial elements
• Course introduction
• Overall objectives
• Evaluation scheme
• Modules
• Specific objectives of the modules
• Learning objectives
• Bibliography

18. Modules - Elements
• Subjects covered in module
• Learning activities
• Learning exercises deadlines
• Learning goals
• Exercises and homework to deliver
• Bibliography – basic and optional readings
• Complementary materials
• Interaction and discussions

25. Course mounting

26. Online Platform
• Mounted in Eminus, an in-house Universidad
Veracruzana software
• Moodle – New Zealand
• Readings: digital publications and web-based
resources
• Communication via e-mail, chat and discussion
forums

27. Course - Sessions
• Facilitated 19 times (Quarterly) at Clavijero, since 2006
• Four times at Universidad Veracruzana with more than
one group (Semester)
• It is offered every term in both institutions
• It originally was thought in 29 higher education
institutions that were part of a state consortia

28. Challenges for improvement
• Reduce amount of exercises, it was too much for
some students
• Make course instructions clearer
• Questionnaires for reading with more of a
constructivist approach
• Find or create ad hoc readings for the course
• Include more graphics and images

29. Conclusions
• It has been welcomed by different faculties
• Plans make the course more graphic and
interactive
• It contributes to the development of Satisfies and
information competencies in new students
• Will contribute to form independent learners
• Challenge to motivate professors and lecturers to
enhance students´information skills