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I completed my Special Research Project, “Perceptions of Information Competency among Students Enrolled in Colorado Community Colleges Online’s ENG 122 Course,” in ILS 680, Research and Evaluation. My project grew out of my frustration with attempting to help students locate credible and reliable sources for their research papers. For instance, I had one student enrolled through Trinidad State Junior College, yet she actually lived in a small town in central Minnesota. In another instance, the student was enrolled through one campus of Front Range Community College, and we couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t use the electronic databases from our main campus library. It turns out students enrolled through campuses other than the main one must drive to the library on the main campus to have their library card validated before they can use the databases. Students who are living overseas run into even more difficulties using libraries.
The CCCOnline consortium is designed so that most student services are provided by the student’s home school; this includes the library. Because of this, students are really on their own when they try to figure out how to use the library. It’s near impossible for each CCCOnline instructor to collaborate with all the libraries to insure students are finding the right resources and are getting the right instruction for particular assignments. And clearly, there is no sure way to guarantee students are getting adequate information literacy instruction.
I am not alone in my concern on the issue of providing quality library services and in turn, information literacy instruction to students. I’ve shared conversations with the Chair of Arts and Humanities and other faculty. Recently we discussed the possibility of using the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center which could offer students a selected database of more than 2000 articles. Most faculty prefer that students learn to use library resources and the Internet rather than rely on filtered databases. Ideally, it would be wonderful to offer students access to one library, with its reference librarians, and its electronic and print resources. Some have put forward the idea of “piggy-backing” onto one of the bigger metro Denver community college libraries, but at this point, licensing and budget issues are obstacles to putting the idea into action. CCCOnline currently has access to some services offered by the Jones e-global library, including the organized web resources and the online reference librarian service. Purchasing more services including electronic databases could be a possibility, but again, budget is an issue.
Eventually, a workable solution will be found, but for now offering information literacy instruction directly through core courses is a possible solution, and as my Special Project shows, with further research and course tweaking, information literacy instruction will be successful. Other instructors will certainly be interested in adding similar instruction to their courses once they realize it’s possible to incorporate information literacy instruction into their courses without losing time for content instruction.
Contact information for CCCOnline Academic Dean and Arts and Humanities Chair
Last updated to add CSS Stylesheet on March 5, 2005, by Mary L. Cash