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Definition
Assessment
Faculty
History of
The Information Literacy Project
@Philadelphia University
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Spring 2000: The Information Literacy Project formally began as a discussion topic
among the University TLTR
members. The technological component of information literacy was and is a
recurring theme in TLTR discussions. Therefore, the TLTR was the initial
university organization to begin the campus-wide discussion. At Philadelphia
University, faculty, staff, and administrators from across the university
comprise the TLTR. |
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Fall 2000: The TLTR reviewed drafts of a Proposal for a University Wide
Information Literacy Plan. The draft was finalized, and adopted by the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee in Fall, 2000. |
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The Teaching and Learning Subcommittee of the Undergraduate
Curriculum Committee then undertook the responsibility of implementing the
University-Wide Plan. Initially convening in Fall 2000, the T&L Subcommittee
devised working drafts of targeted student information literacy skills,
competencies and outcomes, outlined according to class standing. |
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A faculty development workshop was presented at the end
of October 2000, to introduce information literacy to a larger faculty audience.
The presentation provided background and definitions of information
literacy, and why information literacy is an important topic for the university
to address. |
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Spring 2001: Using the draft for first-year student outcomes, a pilot project
was launched in the Spring semester of the 2000-2001 year. Pilot classes from
each school were identified as candidates for information literacy programming.
Via collaboratively-developed assignments, faculty--and in some cases
librarians--delivered instruction and assignments that targeted one or more
identified information literacy outcomes for first-year students. |
| Summer 2001: In the Summer of 2001, pilot project faculty, T&L faculty,
and university librarians took part in a day-long workshop. During this workshop,
faculty revised and improved the initial assignments used in the pilot project,
in preparation for re-issue during the Fall 2001 semester. |
| Fall 2001 and Spring 2002: Pilot classes
implemented the revised assignments, and evaluated the results. Gaps in
addressing IL goals for first year students via the assignments were further
identified and discussed. Greater clarity as to the role of General
Studies was gained, after the specific IL goals being met by the
professional schools was more clear. During the Spring 2002 semester, T&L members drafted a University-wide
Information Literacy Plan for Undergraduates. It is decided to abandon the
term "Plan" for the more fitting term "Framework."
"Framework for an Information Literacy Program at Philadelphia
University" is available from the Documents
page, in both a short and an expanded form. Although still a working draft,
the Framework is being used as the guiding document for the initiative. Faculty in each school teaching second-year classes that might be targeted
for information literacy programming are identified and approached by their
committee representatives. |
| Post Spring 2002: The Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee ceases, and is to be replaced by the Undergraduate Education
Committee. In Summer 2002, the Chair of the Undergraduate Education
Committee is briefed on the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee's past
activities and future plans. |
| Summer 2002: A faculty development program for second-year faculty
is held in May 2002. It is much like the Summer 2001 workshop, but prior
knowledge of the IL Project allows programming to be condensed into a
half-day workshop. Again, librarians and faculty work together to determine
specific information literacy outcomes for particular assignments the
faculty will use, either during their summer sessions or in the regular
2002-2003 year. |
| Fall 2002 - Spring 2003: A general meeting of all Project members
and pilot faculty for both the first and second years is held in Fall 2002. Second-year goals are incorporated with
varying degrees of success across the pilot courses in the various schools.
Refinement of first-year pilot courses also occurs. Most notable are the
inroads made with the pilot courses in the School of Architecture and
Design. |
| Fall 2003 - Spring 2004: Revisions to instruction and assessment
provided to first years is ongoing. First year instruction is in the final
phases of being pilot instruction, and is formally adopted by instructors of
targeted courses. Work continues in each school to identify potential courses to target for IL infusion, at the second and third years. Schools are progressing at different rates with the identification of target courses to pilot at the second and third years, due to programmatic and curricular changes. |
| Summer 2004: Information Literacy is included as part of the
series of summer faculty development workshops offered by TLTR and Academic
Affairs (TLTR Technology Boot Camp) aimed primarily at adjunct
faculty. |
| Fall 2004 - Spring 2005: Work continues in each school to
identify potential courses to target for IL infusion. Refinement of existing IL instruction and assessment is ongoing. |
| Summer 2005: Information Literacy is included as part of the
series of summer faculty development workshops offered by TLTR and Academic
Affairs. |
| Fall 2005 - Spring 2006: Preparation for Middle States
reviewers produces a period of reflection as opposed to action. Assessment
results and measures are tied to outcomes stated in the IL Framework,
therefore revisions of the Framework document must wait until the Middle
States review has been completed. Reports of progress to date and future
actions are written by the librarian liaisons to each school, and assessment
data is compiled and presented to Middle States reviewers. These documents
are available on the
Documents page
of this website. |
| Spring 2006: Middle States recognizes the Information Literacy
initiative as a coherent program that includes the elements necessary for
success and effectiveness. The recommendation in the University's self-study
to create individual information literacy plans for each School
becomes a charge of the ILTF. |
| Summer 2006: Information Literacy is again included as part of
the series of summer faculty development workshops offered by TLTR and
Academic Affairs, including primarily adjunct and a few fulltime faculty. |
| Fall 2006 - Spring 2007: Information literacy is firmly embedded
in several courses throughout the schools of the University.
Therefore, the word "Initiative" is dropped in favor of the word "Program,"
in all references to the IL Project@PhilaU and the ILTF. Revisions to the IL Framework Document (the Comprehensive IL Plan) are drafted, with the intent to provide different versions of the IL Framework for different audiences--Administrators, Faculty, Students, Prospective Students and Parents. The ILTF members begin drafts of individual school IL Plans, in consultation with their colleagues. Work continues to expand and improve IL instruction, delivery mechanisms, assessment, faculty development, and marketing of the Program. |