Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery

The purpose of the Faculty Awareness Project is to promote information literacy awareness, assist faculty, and provide support for integrating information literacy standards, objectives, and competencies into the classroom and across the curriculum at UMBC.  The interactive modules in this project are one part of a comprehensive approach to developing and graduating information literate students who are life-long learners.
 

Information literacy is defined as the ability to access, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources. The Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has developed five information literacy standards, with accompanying performance indicators, and outcomes that will be used for benchmarking purposes and in program development at UMBC. These standards form the basis for the Faculty Awareness Project. The five standards are described briefly below and modules and other resource materials will be developed based explicitly on these standards and their accompanying ACRL performance indicators and outcomes.
 

This module focuses on the student’s ability to recognize a need for information. It also includes identifying a variety of types and formats of potential information sources.

This module focuses on leading students to the best information sources needed to complete research assignments.  It also includes developing effective search strategies, choosing the best search terms, and selecting appropriate resources.

This module focuses on the student's ability to evaluate information efficiently and effectively. It also includes acquiring and integrating new information into a prior knowledgebase, and the development of critical thinking skills

This module focuses on the student’s ability to plan, create, and communicate information effectively when completing an assignment or presentation.

This module focuses on the legal, ethical, and social issues surrounding the use of information and information technology. It will also include issues of plagiarism and copyright and the acknowledgement of the use of information when completing an assignment or presentation.