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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.

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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. 

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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.
 

bulletPost 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.

bulletSummer 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.

bulletFall 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.
 
bulletFall 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.
 
bulletSummer 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.
 
bulletFall 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.
 
bulletSummer 2005: Information Literacy is included as part of the series of summer faculty development workshops offered by TLTR and Academic Affairs.
 
bulletFall 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.
 
bulletSpring 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.
 
bulletSummer 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.
 
bulletFall 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.
 
bulletFall 2007: The Information Literacy Subcommittee of the Undergraduate Education Committee (UEC) replaces the Information Literacy Task Force (ILTF). A full faculty vote makes the IL Subcommittee official, and also adds the Coordinator of Information Literacy as an advisory member of the UEC. Outreach to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies progresses rapidly.
 
bulletSpring 2008: The School of Liberal Arts progresses in outlining an IL plan for the College Studies Program, years 1-3.
Planning for more formalized Summer and Fall 2008 outreach to Graduate Students begins.
 
bulletSummer  / Fall 2008 - present: In conjunction with the Learning and Advising Center, a Thesis Workshop for all graduate students takes place. Library orientation and web-based research instruction for all Graduate Programs in the School of Science Health takes place. These workshops are repeated in Fall 2009 and 2010, and will be repeated in the future.
bulletDisaster Management Medicine
bulletMidwifery
bulletOccupational Therapy
bulletPhysician Assistant
 
bulletFall 2008: The University unveils a new five-year Strategic Plan, 2008-2013. Information Literacy is included:
bulletunder the Liberal Education component of Strategic Initiative One: Formalize the Philadelphia University "Signature Learning" to distinguish the university's educational experience (p9)
bulletunder the Goals of Strategic Initiative Four: Invest in academic strengths to create leaders in the professions (p14)

bulletSpring 2010 - Fall 2010: The Information Literacy Subcommittee's new membership is established
bulletSubcommittee meets to discuss implementation of IL as outlined in University Strategic Plan
bulletRevision of the original year 2000 University-wide IL Outcomes is discussed
bulletIL Framework document undergoes revision
bulletThe School of Continuing and Professional Studies begins a curricular review of all degree-completion programs, and centers on improving assignment design to better address learning outcomes, particularly involving writing, information and technological literacy
 
 

Last Updated 2/11

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