If there's one thing you learn today, let it be this: keywords. Not specific keywords but the idea of them. If you whisper the correct keywords into the algorithm, you will achieve relevance. If you don't achieve relevance on the first try (which is super common), imagine you're an academic with a specialization in a super-niche disciplinary area…

This paper explores the connection between critical theory, information evaluation, and the instructional practice of critique for STEM students and librarian instructors. Using an emerging theory and instructional method, the authors examine how to more deeply include voices that have historically been excluded from STEM information critique. The…

This article extends Kuh and associates' research describing high-impact learning as kinds and types of projects and assignments shown to benefit postsecondary students and increase rates of student retention and engagement. Given that the content and implementation of postsecondary courses have continuously evolved in recent years, this present…

In this study, researchers evaluate a homework exercise assigned before a standalone information literacy session. Students in a Master of Education program completed a worksheet using the ERIC database thesaurus. The researchers conducted pre- and posttests within a single library session to assess student learning, using a control group for…

Libraries are continually changing to meet the needs of users; this includes implementing discovery tools, also referred to as web-scale discovery tools, to make searching library resources easier. Because these tools are so new, it is difficult to establish definitive best practices for teaching these tools; however, promising practices are…

Since the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) unveiled its WorldCat Local library catalog discovery layer in 2008, library instructors have debated how to incorporate this tool into their teaching. WorldCat Local's faceted searching brings both educational benefits and unexpected challenges to the classroom. Instructors frequently hold formal…

Offered as an alternative to the search strategy model for bibliographic instruction, the approach to library instruction in psychology which is described involves analysis of the natural structure of the research literature. An example using Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance is presented. Twelve references are cited. (EJS)

Describes a process-oriented approach to teaching searching skills for computer-based resources that was developed at the New York University library. A syllabus based on DIALOG's Classmate Program is explained, and the use of active learning theory to help restrict results is described. (LRW)

After briefly tracing the development of modern bibliographic instruction since the 1870s, this report concentrates on the characteristics of bibliographic instruction in the past decade. It points out that the 1980s, dubbed the "second generation" of library instruction, saw an increased emphasis on preparing students to deal critically…

Term paper bibliographies were independently examined and rated by a librarian and a writing instructor. Students receiving bibliographic instruction in classes that taught a cognitive strategy for using library resources did a better job of accessing and using library resources than those whose instruction emphasized specific tools and resources.…

Describes an experiment that examined the relationship between successful searching of CD-ROM databases by undergraduate students and various types of instruction provided by the library staff. The findings indicate that the only level of instruction that resulted in a significant difference was a live demonstration of searches. (six references)…

Describes a study that measured undergraduate students' grasp of library concepts taught using the online catalog and the traditional card catalog, and student preferences for one system over the other. The discussion includes the comparative effectiveness of different instructional methods. (12 notes with references) (Author/CLB)

Describes methods used to increase the participation of staff and students in their own searching at the European Institute for Business Administration. Areas discussed include the use of CD-ROM and floppy disks as alternatives to online searching, and the development of a prototype expert system to help users move between online and offline…

Analyzes the attitudes that humanistic students and scholars typically display toward information technology and discusses the effect they have on bibliographic instruction. Highlights include information needs versus available technology; needs assessment; necessary concepts and skills; search strategies; searching skills; and instructional…

Five papers examine the adoption of resource based learning at Charles Sturt University (Australia). "Literature Searches and Distance Education: Whose Problem?" (Stephen Parnell) discusses the question of who should accept responsibility for the intellectual content of literature searches; the library is at the center of a resource…