The University of Iowa Science Information Literacy Initiative

摘要

The University of Iowa Libraries recently received a two-year dollar 270,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to develop a new program called the Science Information Literacy Initiative (http://sciencelit.lib.uiowa.edu/), which is designed to help University of Iowa undergraduates taking courses or majoring in the sciences to develop skills in locating, critically analyzing, organizing, and applying scientific information. Participating academic departments include Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematical Sciences, Psychology, Science Education, and Engineering. This paper will describe the steps taken with the College of Liberal Arts prior to receipt of the grant to launch the more general, UIII (University of Iowa Information Literacy Initiative) (http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/user-ed/uiii/index.html). Concepts behind planning and implementing the Science project will then be examined. Project staff, science librarians, and faculty design discipline-specific components and assignments to meet a set of learning objectives. Faculty and librarians test these components in actual courses and present them in a variety of formats depending on the course requirements, needs, and structure. Information literacy components deemed successful will be further developed into what is hoped to be an easily adaptable program for widespread use throughout the sciences. Issues and challenges faced in launching the Science Information Literacy Initiative will also be featured.