INFORMATION LITERACY CLASS GUIDE F.A.Q.

1.  What is an Information Literacy Class Guide?

Your faculty librarians can create a supplemental Web page for your course that teaches students information research skills and good information research habits.  We call these "Information Literacy Class Guides".  Designed in collaboration with you, the instructor, each class guide is developed in the context of your course assignments or the content theme you are using in your courses.  Your guide will encourage your students to participate in the learning process through examination of resources relevant to your assignment in the formats that they will most often encounter in their college work - the modern academic library, subscription electronic online databases and reference tools, and the open or free World Wide Web - while instructing on information research skills and abilities at the same time.

2.  Do you have some examples of Information Literacy Class Guides that I can look at?

Yes!  We have an index page of all the class guides in use on our Web site at http://www.polk.edu/it/library/classguides/index.htm

3.  Can I put other supplemental course documents on the class guide?

Yes!  We can link to your syllabus, BCI, assignment sheets or other documents if they are already on the Web, or we can assist you with making them Web accessible.

4.  How do I access my class guide and associated documents?

Your class guide would reside as part of the library's Web site.  Each guide will have it's own folder for graphics and content.  If you wish to change or add something to your guide, you just need to contact us with your request.  The URL for your guide would look something like this "http://www.polk.edu/it/library/classguide/yourname/index.htm".  However, you and your students can easily access your class guide from the PCC Library Homepage under the heading "Research Tools".

5.  How do I request an Information Literacy Class Guide?

It's easy!  At Winter Haven, contact Chris Fullerton at ext. 5302 and at Lakeland, contact Helen Schmidt at ext. 6205 to get the ball rolling.  An appointment to collaborate with you on your guide will be scheduled.  Following the collaboration process, we will create a draft guide for you to review and modify.  Once you approve your guide, we'll post it to our class guide Web site and send you the URL.

6.  What kinds of assignments work best the Class Guide?

Our Information Literacy Class Guides are adaptable to a wide variety of topics and assignments.  In our experience though, they work best when students are engaged in doing work around a topical theme or focus.  For example, in an English 1101 research paper assignment students are directed to develop research subjects around the theme of poverty.  The class guide concept is not suitable, however, for open assignments where students can choose any topic they desire.  There should be some sort of guiding subject focus or theme.  For the most part, our class guides are best suited for active learning or problem-based instruction modalities.

Information Literacy@Polk Community College

Updated:  1/29/2003