This paper presents a study on discovery learning of scientific concepts with the support of computer simulation. In particular, the paper will focus on the effect of the levels of guidance on students with a low degree of experience in informatics and educational technology. The first stage of this study was to identify the common misconceptions…

The intent of this study was to evaluate the Guide on the Side (Gots), an online learning tool developed by the University of Arizona Libraries, and a screencast tutorial for teaching information literacy and database searching skills. Ninety undergraduate students were randomly assigned into three groups: group 1 completed a GotS tutorial; group…

Schools everywhere are facing a difficult conundrum. Parents and the government continue to ask them to educate more children at higher standards with less time and less money. On top of that, students must master a whole new set of skills--digital age skills--if they are to succeed. What's a school to do? This article presents strategies and…

A science librarian in the laboratory can become a "point of access" for database instruction and provide a learning opportunity for students to develop their information literacy skills. A case study describes how a librarian in an organic chemistry laboratory helps the class run smoothly and identifies the science librarian as an ally and a…

The response to the countless forms of information delivery and creation has been the catalyst for the development of the new literacies that are being researched and implemented into teaching by educators around the world. This article will examine information literacy courses being taught at colleges and universities and how the courses…

Course-integrated information literacy (IL) instruction can be enhanced via the use of student response devices, or "clickers". The first phase of this study focused on how first-year undergraduate students perceived the use of clickers as a mechanism to encourage active learning and engagement in order to establish a baseline of…

Close collaboration between faculty and librarians yields a seamless blend of core subject information and information seeking/evaluation skills. This article examines how collaboration and the integration of information literacy skills into an undergraduate global housing unit affects the ability of students to locate and evaluate materials for a…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of instruction in information problem solving within the world wide web (the web) environment. The participants were 20 seventh and eighth grade students with a learning disability (LD) in reading. An experimental pretest-posttest control group method was used to investigate the…

Many students cannot discriminate between posts that are accurate and attributable and those that are undocumented and misleading. This fact leads teachers to limit online research to subscription services like netTrekker or Web directories like Awesome Library. While sites like these certainly play an important role in the classroom, there…

Discusses two approaches to student information and technology assignments: one stressing product, the other process. Suggests methods for assuring that students learn what they are supposed to learn from process: make a chart listing desired outcomes or skills to be mastered and the student's level of proficiency, have semester or year-end tests,…

This is a collaborative column by K-12 library media specialists and academic librarians who write about the motivational strategies that have worked for them in teaching IL skills. Students who do not raise their hand to answer a question and are reluctant to learn something new often suffer from something called "fear of failure." They…

Presents a general model for introducing preservice teachers to instructional technology; a key premise of this model is a view of technology as an evolving complex system. Reviews the properties of complex systems and introduces a method of instruction based on the concept of iterative exploratory practice. Discusses examples of student work in…

This column is a collaborative effort by library media specialists and K-16 educators who write about the motivational strategies that have worked for them in teaching IL skills. Motivational strategies include ways to gain and sustain attention, increase relevance for learning information literacy skills, build confidence in students' developing…

Computing and educational technologies allow cooperation between faculty and academic librarians and redefinition of their relationships with students and information. Searching and assessing Internet content, the process of using technology, and lobbying in the area of information policy and infrastructure are all important. An action plan is…

The aim of this research was to study applicability of a teaching method of using supplementary printed student worksheets together with two educational Web sites--"Estonian Vertebrates" and "Estonian Plants." The teaching method was fully approved by the expert group of 27 pilot teachers. A case study focused on development of…