Title: Using Information Literacy to Impart Critical Thinking Skills and Combat Misinformation Among Undergraduate Students
Stream: Higher Education
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Ahmed Alwan, California State University, United States
Eric P. Garcia, California State University, United States
Abstract:
An inability by many students to recognize information provenance and credibility, combined with weak information-seeking behaviours, has cultivated an environment suitable for the rapid spread of misinformation. Thus, the need to prepare post-secondary students with information literacy skills and knowledge has become crucial, as demonstrated by the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, QAnon, and COVID-19 conspiracy theories. As a result, higher education institutions (HEIs) must take the lead in developing life-long learners equipped with the information literacy skills to make informed judgments in their academic, professional, and personal lives. As experts in information literacy, library faculty are well suited for taking a central role in imparting information literacy skills. However, at most HEIs, library faculty are underutilized in the area of instruction that emphasizes higher-order thinking. The following presentation illustrates a case study of how library faculty at California State University, Northridge, designed an innovative credit-bearing course to develop the information literacy skills of the student population. As the first of its kind at the University, gaining approval, funding, and resources for this type of credit-bearing course required significant planning, collaboration, and a thorough understanding of the University's governance system.
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