ACTIVITY 3:  ASSESSING INFORMATION LITERACY (Preliminary Task)

Please bring to the Workshop a significant credit-bearing coursework assessment that has been assigned to first year students.  It may be in any Sciences field.  Be prepared to introduce the task, identifying in what ways it could serve to promote students’ information literacy skills.

The Essay Topics for an assignment in 2010 – Comparative essay about two different kinds of Parasites, a Protist and an Animal.

a. Description of the task / What are students required to do?

    Students had to compare two parasites, protists or an animal (names given by the lecturer) and the way in which they infect and affect their host. And then design a poster on one parasite covered in the assignment.

b. What are the primary learning outcomes that are assessed through this assignment?

     Scientific writing, envision social relevance of the topic in society, format of citation list and in text referencing, coherence and logical comparisons.

c. Consider whether students are given clear guidance in respect of information sources.

      The only guidance that I can refer to from the assignment and the rubric was on how to reference and how to structure information from sources, with no clear instruction on information resources.

d. Is there any recognition of the underpinning information tasks and skills that may be necessary to fulfill the assignment?  Is provision made for supporting students in these?

      Scientific writing skills, computer skills, data presentation skills, poster design skills, reference and analytical skills. Little or no provision is made for these skills.

e. Is this specified as part of the criteria for performing the task, and awarded credit?

     Yes, but only for the references and the writing style.

f. How could this assignment be re-designed to explicitly build and recognise students’ information  literacy competencies?

      In order to re-design the assignment, a collaborative approach would be beneficial, whereby you    involve the librarian who could help students to access relevant web resources on primary literature and help them to navigate and create better searches. 

     The topic should be narrowly defined, instead of two: I would focus on one organism or let them search and choose a parasite of interest and identify relevant resources. Integrating and building in some plagiarism activities into assignment could make students more aware of information usage. I would provide students with journal articles on the topic and award those who add new knowledge to topic. I would provide: talks and sessions on poster design, computer laboratory exercises, experimental design, data analysis and presentation exercises and reference style exercises. 

    The assignment is not clear on objectives and outcomes, which should be in the handout students receive, because students need to be shown the link of how information is constructed and how scientific knowledge is formed. Since the assignment would require sessions on poster design, computer training, poster design and data presentation: time given to complete the assignment would be the biggest factor and the assignment should be a semester long. 

    Lastly, an oral poster presentation would then demonstrate their confidence and skills acquired throughout the assignment—showcase of their understanding and skills!