Librarians at the University of Louisville developed an evaluation of information exercise that is completely interactive. Students learn evaluation skills by participating in a small-group exercise, after which, the groups teach their classmates what they have learned.
Each small-group is assigned a different publication to evaluate such as a book, a website, a scholarly article, magazine or newspaper. They also have questions to answer in order to evaluate each source. After they evaluate the sources, each group chooses a student to present the information in front of the class.
The librarian acts as a facilitator to guide the students and to point out key elements of the assignment that may have been overlooked. Presentation will include detailed classroom examples, online materials, and discussion. Copies of teaching materials and a related article will be provided.
Break out of the lecture mode, and blaze a new trail for teaching evaluation at your library!
Original Publication Information
Reynolds, Latisha and Anna Marie Johnson. "Wikipedia, iPods, and Chickens: An Active Learning Exercise to Teach Evaluation of Information." Blazing Trails: On the Path to Information Literacy. Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh National LOEX Library Instruction Conference. Eds. Brad Seitz, et. al. Ypsilanti, MI: LOEX Press, 2011. 125- 130.
Reynolds, Latisha and Johnson, Anna Marie, "Wikipedia, iPods, and chickens : an active learning exercise to teach evaluation of information." (2011). Faculty Scholarship. 23.