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First Year Information Literacy Program

First Year Student Workshops

The Information Literacy program for First Year Students addresses the Information Literacy Requirements of the Foundation Level General College Requirements of Western New England College as stated in the Catalogue:

“Students should have the ability to identify, access, evaluate, and select information to fit defined needs and the ability to use that information in an ethical manner” (39).

Since information literacy is a critical thinking skill that spans all disciplines and develops over time and through multiple exposures, this program is presented collaboratively with the Library, the First Year Seminar and the English Department's first year courses. This program is an introduction to the basic skills and concepts of information literacy, delivered in four class periods through three different courses that all first year students encounter at Western New England College. Each module addresses a different aspect of information literacy and proceeds in a sequence, one building on another. The modules are presented to the first year students in two first year seminar classes and two English courses. The first two modules, entitled "Discovery" and "Strategy," are delivered through the first year seminar course. The third module, "Evaluation," is delivered in conjunction with the English course for first year students, ideally, before the Thanksgiving break. The fourth module, "Specialized Resources," is presented in the spring semester in conjunction with the English 133 course.

• Module A: Discovery Lesson Plan (LA 100/BUS 101/ENGR 102)
• Module B: Strategy Lesson Plan (LA 100/BUS 101/ENGR 102)
• Module C: Evaluation Lesson Plan (ENGL 132)
• Module D: Specialized Resources Lesson Plan (ENGL 133)

To develop information literacy early on in the career of Western New England students, it is suggested that the sequence of workshops outlined above be followed, particularly for first year students. First Year Seminar and English Composition faculty are invited to contact either Mary Jane Sobinski-Smith at 413-782-1533 or Josh Becker at 413-782-1537 as early as possible to schedule the sequence of workshops for their classes.

In addition, an assignment to apply the skills that are presented is effective for learning. This assignment will make the skills learned meaningful, by allowing the students to incorporate them into their knowledge base. To reinforce the importance of information literacy in lifelong learning, faculty are encouraged to accompany students to the workshop, and to participate in the discussion of information literacy. The librarians at D'Amour Library look forward to working with the faculty, at both the first year and advanced levels, to develop lifelong information literate students at Western New England College.

Works Cited

Western New England College. Catalogue, 2008-2009. Springfield, MA: Western New England College, 2008.

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This page was created by Mary Jane Sobinski-Smith on 7/15/04; rev. 07/25/08.