Improving Information Literacy Skills
for ENG101 Students

About the Information Literacy Tutorial

Information Literacy is your ability to find, evaluate and use information in an ethical way. These are your skills in conducting research, finding great sources, organizing your information in a way that makes sense and giving credit to those who created your information sources. These are important skills for all students to master! This tutorial has been created to help refresh your abilities in this area and to prepare you to research effectively both in class and in your everyday life. The tutorial consists of the following:

• 10 Mini-modules that address information literacy competencies.(60 total points)
• Using the Library for Research (4 points)
• Types of Sources & Selecting Appropriate Sources (9 points)
• Search Terms and Strategies (6 points)
• Using Library Databases (6 points)
• Evaluating Sources (6 points)
• Google Like a Librarian (6 points)
• MLA Citation (8 points)
• Avoiding Plagiarism (5 points)
• Summarizing and In-text Citation (6 points)
• Ask A Librarian for Assistance (4 points)
• Score Submission (page 12) that allows you to submit tutorial scores to the librarian and create a printable certificate that summarized your performance on the *Test Your Knowledge* activities throughout the tutorial.

Earning Points:

Within each module, you will see multiple *Test Your Knowledge* items and other activities. You will need to complete each of these items as you work through the modules. This is how you will learn the material and earn points for this assignment.  When you have completed all modules, go to page 12 of the tutorial. Here you find directions on how to email a copy of your score report to the librarian and print a copy for yourself or submission to the instructor.

Best Browsers

The best browsers to use for the tutorials are Firefox and Explorer. It seems that the score summary (completion certificate) does not load properly when in Chrome.

Technical Requirements

This online tutorial requires the use of pop-ups for this website as well as ActiveX content. If you see a narrow yellow bar at the top of your browser window, be sure to click on it and enable ActiveX and/or pop-ups. This tutorial also requires Javascript to be enabled. Please follow the steps below for your browser.

Internet Explorer

1. Start Internet Explorer.
2. At the top, go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
3. At the top, click the Security tab.
4. Click Default level. (If you don't want to use the Default level, then click Custom level. Scroll down to the Scripting section and under Active scripting select Enable. Click OK.)
5. Click OK.
6. Exit out of Internet Explorer. (File/Exit).
7. Re-start Internet Explorer. (You may need to refresh the browser if you go to the same web page.)

Firefox

1. Start Firefox.
2. At the top, go to the Tools menu and choose Options.
3. At the top, click the Content tab (icon).
4. Select the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
5. Click OK.
6. Exit out of Firefox. (File/Exit).
7. Re-start Firefox. (You may need to refresh the browser if you go to the same web page.)

Safari (on the Macintosh)

1. Start Safari.
2. At the top menu, select Preferences.
3. At the top, click the Security tab.
4. Select the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
5. Close the Preferences window.
6. Quit Safari.
7. Restart Safari (You may need to refresh the browser if you go to the same web page.)

Using the Library for Research

Objectives:

1. distinguish reasons some materials are available for free on the web and others are not
2. identify ways to access copyright protected materials.

4 Points Available 

Copyright

*Test Your Knowledge*

Click the 'check answer' box to submit your answer to each question.

 Yes or No? Quiz Yourself!

 Yes or No? Quiz Yourself!

Free Access to Information: Find It At The Library

*Test Your Knowledge*

Click the 'check answer' box to submit your answer to each question.

 Yes or No? Quiz Yourself!

 Yes or No? Quiz Yourself!

Need Help?

Check out the video and transcript for more information on this topic. Please note that the off-campus access mentioned in this video has changed. Now, you login with your MEID and password.

Transcript: Using the Library for Research

Video: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Types of Sources & Selecting Appropriate Sources

Objectives:

1. Learn about different types of sources available including books and articles.
2. Identify appropriate sources for a specific research need.

Different Types of Resources

*Test Your Knowledge* 

 *Test Your Knowledge* 

Test Yourself: What source would most likely have this type of information

Test Yourself: What source would most likely have this type of information?

*Test your Knowledge*

 Test Yourself: What is the best resource to use?

 Test yourself: What is the best resource to use?

 Test Yourself: What is the best resource to use?

Need Help?

Check out the video and transcript for more information on this topic

Transcript: Types of Resources

Video: 4 minutes, 14 seconds

Watch this video to learn more about selecting appropriate sources. 

Transcript: Search Strategies

Video: 1 minute, 22 seconds

Search Terms and Strategies

Objectives:

1. Learn about the importance of selecting appropriate search terms.
2. Discover strategies to improve your searches.

 Search Terms and Keywords

Finding Keywords

Another way to help you generate keywords about your topic is to create a mind map (see image below). A mind map is a diagram that has a central idea or main topic in the center and other items or sub-topics arranged around it. This is a great way to brainstorm about your topic and the keywords you might use when searching.

Other Search Strategies

*Test Your Knowledge*

 Test Yourself: Choose the best keywords

Using Library Databases

Objectives:

1. Learn to use library databases for accessing resources.

 What Database Should I Use?

Libraries subscribe to databases in order to have access to digital copies of books and articles. Libraries also subscribe to streaming video databases. A database will organize all of the bibliographic information about a source and then link to the full-text of that source. View the descriptions of several databases below and then select the database that would be best for finding information on a given topic.

 Test Yourself: Match the Topic to the Most Relevant Database

 Test Yourself: Searching the Databases

Evaluating Sources

Objectives:

1. Develop an understanding of the importance of evaluating sources.

Evaluating Sources

Who Wrote This?

*Test your Knowledge*

Other Evaluation Tips to Consider

 Test Yourself: Wikipedia

Google Like A Librarian

Objectives:

1. Understand the way a search engine works in order to improve your search results.
2. Learn how librarians think to assist in finding the best quality, most appropriate information sources.

 UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Top Tips to Google Like a Librarian

MLA Citation

Objectives:

1. Learn about the MLA (Modern Language Association) Citation Style.
2. Practice organizing parts of citations.

Why is Citation Important?

Parts of MLA Citation

Create the Citation

Avoiding Plagiarism

Objectives:

1. Explore academic integrity.
2. Identify both intentional and unintentional plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Avoiding Plagiarism is Easy!

 Is it Plagiarism?

 Test Yourself: Is it Plagiariam?

 Test Yourself: Is it Plagiarism?

 Test Yourself: Is it Plagiarism?

 Test Yourself: Is it Plagiarism?

 Test Yourself: Is it Plagiarism?

Summarizing and In-Text Citation

Objectives:

1. Identify common errors when summarizing material.
2. Utilize in-text citation correctly.

Basics of Paraphrasing

Sample MLA In-Text and Works Cited

 Image of Sample MLA Paper from The University of Texas at El Paso University Writing Center.

*Test Your Knowledge*

 Test Yourself; Paraphrasing

 Test Yourself: Paraphrasing

 Test Yourself: In-Text Citation

 Test Yourself: In-Text Citation

 Test Yourself: In-Text Citation

 Test Yourself: In-text Citation

For more information on in-text citation in MLA style, please visit the OWL at Purdue Online Writing Lab

Ask A Librarian

Objective:

1. Identify ways to obtain the assistance of a librarian.

Librarians Are...

Contact a Librarian:

*Test Your Knowledge*

 Test Yourself: Mark All That Apply

Need Help?

Check out the video and transcript for more information on this topic.

Transcript: Ask A Librarian!

Video: 1 minute, 26 seconds

Submitting Your Work For Participation Credit

Complete the following instructions in the submission box at the end of this page.

1. Enter your MEID and Full Name in the blank box
2. Click on 'Email Score' (score will be emailed to librarian)
3. Click on 'Print Score Summary' and then print out the summary report to submit to your instructor

Best Browsers

The best browsers to use for the tutorials are Firefox and Explorer 8 and above. It seems that the score summary (completion certificate) does not load properly when in Chrome.