Thoughts on the Research Project

I continue to think about possibilities for the research project and I currently have a list of at least 8 potential problems that I would love to see addressed in my work. Most notably and what I have been struggling with for many years now is the concept of Informaiton Literacy and it's importance in curriculum - not only as a means for student success during their college education, but for lifelong learning as well. In the community college where I work, it has been a long road to get administration to see and accept the differences between Information Literacy and Computer Literacy, but Information Literacy has yet to be acknowledged as it's own "general education outcome." So what to do.....?

One thing that comes to mind is a pretest/posttest with students learning Information Literacy concepts in a computer classroom - hands-on instruction. Versus students learning such skills in a classroom environment in which the instructor teaches by demonstration and students just watch on a screen.

Also, I teach a credit course on how to do library research, which follows the Information Literacy standards set forth by the Association for College and Research Libraries. It would be nice to track a cohort of students - they take the course in their first semester - and assess their critical thinking and research skills throughout their stay at the college, with perhaps an outcomes assessment when they graduate???

I also am thinking about problem based learning as an instrument in teaching library research and how effective it is.

Much to think about....

Nancy Connor