This document discusses adapting first-year instruction sessions in critical thinking and information literacy from in-person to remote digital formats while maintaining engagement. It provides details on typical in-class activities for different courses and which can be effectively replicated online through lecture modules or activities. While some interactive activities do not translate well digitally, alternatives like research consultations and virtual meetings are suggested as supplements. The goal is to accommodate students taking classes online or missing sessions with comparable online content.

1. Retrofitting first-year English critical
thinking and information literacy
instruction sessions for remote digital
presentation, while maintaining an
engaged and interactive user experience
Derek Malone
University of North Alabama

2. Background:
● First-year sequence (FYE 101 - EN 111 - EN 112)
● FYE 101 & EN 111 have one required visit;
● EN 112 visits twice;
● Library familiarization - critical thinking - information literacy.

3. Background:
Things are going really well in our first-year instruction sequence.
Engagement is extremely high.
The entire hour is interactive with feedback.

4. In-class activities
FYE - Escape Room

5. In-class activities
EN 111 - Critical thinking, web verification, social media exploration

6. In-class activities
EN 112 - Information Literacy, Evaluation, and Research Techniques

7. Changing it up, going online
We prefer in-person courses, but understand that there are circumstances that
dictate a need for an online version of our content.

8. With that said…..
FYE is going to stay, for now, in-person only.
We aren’t planning on replicating the escape room digitally, and it’s going
extremely well in-person.

9. EN 111
Reasons for online options:
● Class is either entirely online or hybrid;
● Missed attending their session.

10. EN 112
Reasons for online options:
● Class is either entirely online or hybrid;
● Missed attending their session(s);
● Possible 3rd session.

11. How we’re accommodating
EN 111 & 112:
● Online lecture modules;
● Can be standard or custom;
● Provided via LibGuides.

12. How we’re accommodating
Activities - some work, some don’t;

13. Activities
What works
● Comparison activity;
● Half image-website
evaluation.
What doesn’t work
● The other half image-
website evaluation;
● Sequence guessing game
(confirmation bias).

14. EN 111 has a simple goal - there is a ton of bad info
available

15. EN 111 follow-up for both in-class and online

16. EN 112
Works:
● CRAAP Test Activities &
Lecture for session 1;
● Research
Topics/Methodologies.
Doesn’t work:
● Feedback;
● Telephone game.

17. Supplements
Research Consultations

18. Supplements
Virtual Lectures/Meetings

19. Questions?
dmalone3@una.edu