Library Instruction for Information Literacy & Critical Thinking

Librarians partner with instructors to advance information literacy and critical thinking throughout the curriculum. Critical thinking is closely intertwined with information literacy, which is defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries as "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 participating ethically in communities of learning." Learn more about information literacy.

At OHIO, we start exposing students to the basics of what it means to navigate scholarship at orientation and build on that as students progress through their studies. As one way to build that foundation, the Libraries have partnered with University College, the School of Music, and others to embed our First Year OHIO Libraries Tutorial into the curriculum. This tutorial acts as the next step from orientation to foundational library and information literacy skills.

As students advance into higher level course within their majors, we encourage all instructors to consider how and why their students might be interacting with library and information resources. And discuss with their subject or regional campus librarian how best to support student learning in this area. Librarians can deliver instruction to your class in-person or online, asynchronously or synchronously. Here are some of the type of collaborations librarians and instructors have used to advance student learning:

• Re-imagined the research paper assignment to meet your learning objectives and your time constraints.  
• Created Subject or Course Guides that list the most appropriate resources in support of programs or assignments.
• Discussed how information literacy, critical thinking, and the library fit with BRICKS General Education.
• Developed customized library instruction or workshops for your class, in-person or online.
• Created targeted instructional videos like this one on Evaluating Health Research, by Hanna Schmillen, health science librarian.
• Created tutorials that teach, engage, and quiz students, like these:
  • Plagiarism Tutorial - Hanna Schmillen, contact
  • Visual Literacy Tutorial - Laura Smith, contact
  • Fair Use and Creative Commons for Images
  • Searching 101 for School of Art + Design Students
  • Introduction to Archives & Special Collections - Miriam Intrator, contact
  • Ethics in Archival & Historical Research - Miriam Intrator, contact
  • Industry & Market Research Basics Tutorial - Chad Boeninger, contact
• Used archival collections and digital special collections to teach primary source literacy.
• Shared lesson plans to examine authority and bias; helping students ask, “What is true?” “What is Fake news?”
• Supported instruction on background research and concept mapping to hone topics.

Specialized Workshops & Instruction Sessions

Ohio University Libraries provide additional learning opportunities to increase your information skills and knowledge in creative ways.  

These requestable, group sessions are open to all students, faculty, and staff in groups of 5 or more. Most sessions can be delivered online, in person, or in a hybrid setting. When requesting a session, please allow 3 weeks to schedule the session.  

To begin browsing our offerings and request a session, click on a category below. If you do not see a session that meets your needs, please explore our On-Demand content and do not hesitate to share ideas of other topics with us or reach out to your subject librarian for more options by discipline.