UCC 100: Information Literacy
Course Purpose:
This course is designed to equip students with the competencies, skills and attitude
necessary for academic achievement and lifelong learning.
Expected Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
i. Determine the nature and extent of needed information
ii. Access information effectively and efficiently
iii. Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected
information into a knowledge base and value system
iv. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
v. Understand the variety of economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use
of information and
vi. Access and use information ethically and legally.
Course Content:
Introduction: Definitions, Attributes of IL person, IL skills, Research steps; Sources of
information: Information sources formats, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary; Access to
information sources: Finding aids; catalogues, bibliographies, indexes, abstracts,
thesauri; Search tools; search engines, web directories, specialized search engines,
OPACs, QR codes, web discovery tools; Search strategies: Searching online catalog,
Searching library databases; Searching the world wide web: Surface web, Hidden web;
Evaluating information: Criteria for print, Criteria for electronic; Legal and ethical
dimension of information: Academic integrity, Copyright, Citation and referencing,
Referencing management software, Anti-plagiarism tools; Collaboration and research
tools: Google forms, docs, groups, RSS, Social bookmarking, Discussion lists.
WEEK1 Introduction Definitions Course outline
Importance of IL in Higher Lectures
education Discussions
forums
WEEK IL Skills Attributes of an IL person/ IL Lectures
2 competencies video
IL and critical job competencies
o Problem solving
o Critical thinking
o Higher order thinking
o communication
WEEK Research Process Characteristics of information Lectures
3 Sources of information Group
o Documentary- Print vs Non print work
Primary
Secondary
tertiary
o Non-Documentary
WEEK Access to Finding aids Lectures
4 information o Catalogues Takeaway
sources o Finding aids assignment
o Bibliographies
o Indexes
o Abstracts
o Thesauri
WEEK Access to Online Search Tools Lectures
5 information -The visible v/s invisible web Class discussions
sources o Search engines
o Subject Directories
WEEK Access to o Subject Gateways Lectures
6 Information o Discovery tools Class discussions
Sources o QR Codes
WEEK Search Strategies Steps in Developing search Lectures
7 strategies Video
Search features of information
retrieval tools
WEEK Search Strategies Library Catalogue Practicals
8 (Practical) Library Databases
Web searching
WEEK Evaluation of Evaluating print resources 45 minutes
9 Information Evaluating online resources cat
Lectures
WEEK Legal and Ethical Academic integrity Lectures
10 Dimension of Copyright Discussions
Information Citation and referencing video
WEEK Reference Proprietary referencing tools Lectures
11 Management Open source referencing tolls Group
tools Anti-plagiarism tools discussion
WEEK Collaboration and Google forms Lectures
12 research tools Groups Group work
Social Book marking
Discussions lists
WEEK EXAM REVISION
13
WEEK EXAMS
14& 15
References
1. Lloyd, A. (2010). Information literacy landscapes: Information literacy in education
workplace and everyday contexts.
2. Secker, J. & Coonan, E. (Eds). (2013). Rethinking information literacy: A practical
framework for supporting learning. London: Facet
3. Solomon, A., Taylor, T.L. & Wilson, G (2011). 100% information literacy success.
New York: Cengage Learning
4. Walton, G. (2011). Information literacy: Infiltrating the agenda, challenging minds.
5. Wright M.S & Welsh, T. S (2010). Information Literacy in the Digital Age: An
Evidence-Based Approach. Oxford: Chandos Publishing
