Faculty and Staff Resources: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

The following resources are available to help faculty and staff learn more about information literacy and options to more fully integrate IL in the classroom. Visit the Center for Teaching and Learning website for upcoming workshops.

About Information Literacy

The GEARUP initiative uses the following information literacy definition from the Association of College and Research Libraries:

Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participate ethically in communities of learning.

An information literate individual has the skills to make decisions about where and how to search for information, to determine the credibility and relevance of any information they encounter, and to use information effectively and ethically for a purpose. An information literate individual also has knowledge about how information is produced and shared and thinks critically about issues related to access, diversity, and the value of information. Finally, an information literate individual adopts habits to persist in pursuit of knowledge, embrace curiosity, and develop an open-mind in the face of multiple perspectives.

Information literacy also incorporates critical consideration of issues related the creation, access, use, value, and dissemination of information. It incorporates questions related to diversity and social justice, the role of the media in society, and the laws that govern our rights and responsibilities related to information.

Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education

Integrating IL Into My Class

GEAR Assignment/Activity Repository
Collaborate with a librarian. Librarians partner with faculty to develop and enhance our students’ information behaviors. Visit the library’s instruction webpage for details.
Canvas modules. Search the Canvas Commons for numerous information literacy modules developed by Steely teaching librarians, including four modules that align to Gather, Evaluate, Apply, and Respect
GEAR Rubric. A rubric was developed to gauge student learning within the GEAR courses. However, non-ambassadors may also use this rubric to determine whether or not students are achieving information literacy goals in a course.

GEARUP Foundations of Knowledge Alignment

GEARUP with Information Literacy seeks to integrate information literacy across the curriculum, including general education. The below chart maps GEAR to the general education SLOs and recommends instructional resources that can be embedded within a course.

Canvas modules can be found in the Canvas Commons. Several modules are available, including a series of four GEAR modules that were created to broadly address information literacy concepts relevant to general education courses.

FoK Categories	Gather	Evaluate	Apply	Respect	IL Instruction Resources
Written Communication	C2	C2	C2	C3	FY Students Canvas Modules ENG/HNR 101 ENG/HNR 102
Oral Communication	C2, A1	C2	A1, C2	C3	CMST 101/110
Math & Statistics		A3	A3		Evaluating Science Canvas Module
Natural Science		A3	A3		Evaluating Science Canvas Module
Cultural Pluralism	B1	B1			GE Modules Gather Evaluate
Individual & Society	A2	A2	D3	E3	GEAR Modules Gather Evaluate Apply Respect
Culture & Creativity	B1, A1	B1	A1, A4		GEA Modules Gather Evaluate Apply
Global Viewpoints	B1	B1		E3	GER Modules Gather Evaluate Respect

Faculty and Staff Resources

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