Information Literacy 

Here is a list of general dos and don’ts when creating assignments that incorporate Information Literacy:

• Address at least some of the major Information Literacy competencies
• Be consistent with the course content and objectives
• Give clear directions, and specify learning objectives & evaluation criteria in writing
• Consider scheduling a Library instruction session
• Discuss plagiarism & citation
• Encourage students to ask Librarians for help
• Test out the assignment; make it do-able
• Consult a Librarian and/or provide a copy of the assignment to the Library (Assignment alert)
• Avoid busywork, scavenger hunts and/or trivia questions
• Don’t assume student knowledge or expertise in the subject matter or research process
• Don’t require print sources only; the majority of the Library’s journal access is online
• Don’t require resources that are not available at the Library
• Don’t give everyone the same topic

For more information on Information Literacy “best practices,” see the following Web sites:

Here are some common examples of effective Information Literacy assignments that are alternatives to the traditional research paper:

• Write an annotated bibliography on a topic
• Write a literature review on a topic
• Compile an anthology of readings on a topic and explain why they fit together
• Evaluate sources based on specific criteria (esp. Web sites)
• Evaluate scholarly vs popular sources on the same topic
• Evaluate primary vs secondary sources on the same topic
• Evaluate conservative vs liberal sources on the same topic
• Prepare a small group presentation on a research topic
• Summarize a journal article and provide citation
• Conduct personal research (use literature to answer personal question or back up personal experience)
• Evaluate and reflect on course readings
• Find sources that back up an editorial/opinion piece
• Research paper “scaffolding”: select focused research topic; prepare annotated bibliography; write outline; write thesis statement, introduction & conclusion
• Examine bias in media (print, broadcast, and/or online)
• Wikipedia article evaluation/critique

For more information on these types of assignments, as well as other ideas for assignments incorporating Information Literacy, see the following Web sites: