Course Syllabus

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Explore a local academic or public library.

2. Find information effectively and efficiently in databases (online journal indexes).

2. Evaluate information and its sources critically.

3. Review the economic, legal, and social issues that surround the use of information.

Module Breakdown (See link in right sidebar)

Prerequisites

We have designed this course at an introductory level though weekly topics will certainly appeal to various levels of expertise.

Expectations

1. Successful completion in this course requires completing all module content.

2. Time: We anticipate that it will take roughly between 2-3 hours each week to go through lecture content, do the assignments, respond to discussion questions, and complete quizzes.

3. Discussions have been posted for each module within this course. We encourage you reply to these questions and also comment upon the responses of others. Simply click on the REPLY button in order to respond. Also, you may wish to try directly recording a video response into your reply (select the Record/Upload Media  icon ). Doing so makes the discussion threads more personal and interesting since we can see and hear each other.

4. Quizzes: Short quizzes have been added to the end of each module for you to assess your comprehension and measure your learning.

5. Evaluating Discussions/Quizzes: We will not be grading/evaluating discussions or quizzes. However, we will review discussions once a week and leave general comments in response. Please do not expect a specific response from anyone. All quizzes will automatically show correct answers upon submission so you can self-correct.

6. Netiquette: We also expect all participants to follow Netiquette (Net + Etiquette) best practices when participating in discussions.

7. Contacting Instructors: Please click on the Discussion area (left menu) and look for the discussion called Question? Issues? That is the place to ask questions. We will be moderating all questions from there. We may respond with general answers rather than to you specifically if we feel multiple participants have the same question. Note: We are not experts in the Canvas Platform, however, whenever possible we have provided links to their support sites, which contain detailed information (see below).

However, you are encouraged to contact the Librarian at your college or public library directly. That's what they are there for--to assist you in learning about finding and using information.

8. Completion of Modules: Each module will officially be completed upon submission of the quiz and the reply to discussion at the end of each week. 

9. Badge of Completion: Those of you who complete everything will be acknowledged for it.

Costs

This course is free.

Textbook

There is nothing to buy for this course. However, most of your libraries will have LibGuides, pathfinders, or other Information Literacy help pages readily available to you. These were created to make your life easier. Use them!