Libraries Select Information Literacy Participants
Posted by Monte Maxwell.April 29th, 2010
The WVU Libraries have selected six faculty members to participate in the second year of an information literacy initiative designed to help faculty to enhance their courses.
The Information Literacy Course Enhancement Program, a collaborative effort between the Libraries and the Provost’s Office, is focused on fulfilling the University’s 2010 Plan for information literacy to become a curriculum component across all disciplines.
“We have learned a great deal this year about designing discipline-specific lessons that address critical research components through active learning,” said Carroll Wilkinson, WVU Libraries’ Director of Instruction and Information Literacy. “I look forward to sharing our learning with the next group of participants in this program.”
This year’s participants are Dr. Brian Ballentine, assistant professor of English, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Louis McDonald, associate professor of plant and soil sciences, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design; Beth Nardella, instructor of exercise physiology, the Human Performance and Applied Exercise Science Department, School of Medicine; Dr. Melissa Olfert, assistant professor of human nutrition, Davis College; Dr. Kate Staples, assistant professor of history, Eberly College of Arts & Sciences; and Dr. Barbara Douglas, senior lecturer, nursing, WVU Institute of Technology.
They were chosen from among a field of applicants who submitted detailed plans for integrating information literacy into their classrooms.
Participants will work with Wilkinson and their librarian liaison to create discipline-specific active learning assignments that incorporate information literacy concepts. They will each earn a $3,000 stipend or, if a 12-month faculty member, other relevant professional remuneration.
This year’s librarian liaisons are Susan Arnold, Kevin Fredette, Grace Gmeindl, Noel Kopriva, Jessica Tapia, and, from WVU IT, Jewel Rucker.
Expectations are for the faculty to begin teaching the revised courses during the fall 2010 or spring 2011 semester and to take part in a Showcase of Information Literacy Learning Progress Forum during the 2011 academic year.
Courses to be enhanced include Exercise Physiology- ExPh 370 -Writing for Exercise Science (fall 2010 and spring 2011 course); History-HIST 346-Women, Family, and Gender in Premodern Europe; (fall 2010 course); Human Nutrition-Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences HNF 610-Nutrition and Fitness (fall 2010 course); Plant and Soil Sciences-AGRN 410-Soil Fertility (fall 2010 course); English-ENGL 303-Multimedia Writing (spring 2011 course); and WVU IT Nursing-NURS 442-Advanced Clinical Problem Solving (spring 2011 course).
Last year, five faculty members and five librarians participated in the program. Course enhancement grants will be offered again in the spring of 2011.