Reading, Research, and Writing : Teaching Information Literacy with Process-based Research Assignments

The research paper has become so ingrained in higher education that its benefits are assumed to be self-evident, but the connection between student writing and learning is not always clear. Educators frequently discuss the lack of critical thinking demonstrated in undergraduate research papers, but it may not be that students will not invest in writing assignments—it's possible that many cannot with the educational support currently provided. Through theory and examples, and with ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education integrated throughout, __Reading, Research, and Writing: Teaching Information Literacy with Process-Based Research Assignments__ shows just how difficult research assignments can be for novice learners, and offers concrete plans and approaches for building assignments that enhance student learning. In six chapters—including a final chapter on turning theory into practice—__Reading, Research, and Writing__ is an in-depth, interdisciplinary look at the literature in rhetoric and composition studies, reading comprehension, cognitive psychology, education theory, and library and information science that captures what academic librarians and their teaching faculty collaborators should know about reading and writing to improve undergraduate writing-from-sources assignments. The implications for such an understanding include improving students's motivation to research, analyze, and synthesize information at a deeper level; improving librarians's ability to influence effective assignment design among teaching faculty; and opening new avenues of meaningful formative assessment in library instruction. Information literacy and writing-from-sources are important skills for college graduates who leave formal education to be professionals and, hopefully, lifelong learners. Librarians must examine the broader picture that their piece fits within and work across disciplines to produce truly literate—and therefore information-literate—college graduates. The research paper has become so ingrained in higher education that its benefits are assumed to be self-evident, but the connection between student writing and learning is not always clear. Educators frequently discuss the lack of critical thinking demonstrated in undergraduate research papers, but it may not be that students will not invest in writing assignments—it's possible that many cannot with the educational support currently provided. Through theory and examples, and with ACRL's Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education integrated throughout, Reading, Research, and Writing: Teaching Information Literacy with Process-Based Research Assignments shows just how difficult research assignments can be for novice learners, and offers concrete plans and approaches for building assignments that enhance student learning. In six chapters—including a final chapter on turning theory into practice— Reading, Research, and Writing is an in-depth, interdisciplinary look at the literature in rhetoric and composition studies, reading comprehension, cognitive psychology, education theory, and library and information science that captures what academic librarians and their teaching faculty collaborators should know about reading and writing to improve undergraduate writing-from-sources assignments. The implications for such an understanding include improving students's motivation to research, analyze, and synthesize information at a deeper level; improving librarians's ability to influence effective assignment design among teaching faculty; and opening new avenues of meaningful formative assessment in library instruction. Information literacy and writing-from-sources are important skills for college graduates who leave formal education to be professionals and, hopefully, lifelong learners. Librarians must examine the broader picture that their piece fits within and work across disciplines to produce truly literate—and therefore information-literate—college graduates. Table of Contents Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Why Learn about Reading and Writing? Why Are Reading and Writing So Hard? Why Do Librarians Need to Revisit the Research on Reading and Writing? This Book Notes Chapter 2 Theoretical Foundations of Process-Based Information Literacy Cognitive Needs Affective Needs Encouraging Students’ Cognitive and Affective Progress A Theory of Process-Based Information Literacy Reflections on Process-Based Information Literacy Notes Chapter 3 Informal, Low-Stakes Writing Process, Creativity, and Low-Stakes Writing Types of Low-Stakes Writing Purposes of Low-Stakes Writing Conclusion Notes Chapter 4 Reading for Comprehension and Reading to Write Meaning Making from Texts Reading and the Framework Reading Comprehension Strategies to Teach Students Conclusion Notes Chapter 5 High-Stakes Writing-from-Sources Assignment Design Instructional Supports Conclusion Notes Chapter 6 Turning Theory into Practice Question 1: Is There a Recommended Framework for Implementation That Would Help Librarians Put This Theory into Practice? Question 2: What Do Librarians Need to Give Up in Order to Move toward a Rhetorical, Process-Based Approach to Information Literacy Instruction? Question 3: Are There Any Time-Management Strategies to Facilitate Process-Based Information Literacy Instruction? Question 4: Lifelong Learning and Developing Complex Research Skills over Time Require Students to Transfer Their Information Literacy Skills from One Context to Another. How Do Librarians Teach for Knowledge Transfer? Question 5: How Do Librarians Manage Change at the Program Level? Conclusion Notes "Information literacy involves a combination of reading, writing, and critical thinking. Librarians in an academic library, while not directly responsible for teaching those skills, are involved in making such literacy part of the students' learning process. Broussard approaches the misconceptions about the relationship between libraries as a source of information literacy, and offers suggestions on providing students support when working on research papers." Why Learn About Reading And Writing? -- Theoretical Foundations Of Process-based Information Literacy -- Informal, Low-stakes Writing -- Reading For Comprehension And Reading To Write -- High-stakes Writing-from-sources -- Turning Theory Into Practice. By Mary Snyder Broussard. Includes Bibliographical References. Text In English.