University Studies Program
(June 24, 2002)
(updated January 9, 2003)
Definition: Information Literacy, as defined by the American Library Association, is the ability to “recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate and use effectively the needed information.”
Rationale: Information Literacy entails developing the skills and abilities essential for adult learning. It transcends disciplines, learning environments, and levels of education.
Courses in Information Literacy teach students about general information as well as information that is specific to a given discipline. Such courses help students to effectively use library resources, evaluate information, and apply their knowledge to research assignments.
Outcomes: Students should demonstrate the ability to:
1. Formulate a research question.
2. Understand the use of an information database (this includes bibliographies, full text databases, e-texts, online exhibits, statistical datasets, and virtual images).
3. Use the UW library catalog to locate materials. (this includes inter-library loan, holds, recalls, and reserves as well as UW online resources, e-mail and off-campus access).
4. Use a general article index.
5. Discriminate between primary and secondary sources and popular and scholarly sources.
6. Evaluate web sites, know the difference between a search engine and a directory, and use both to fulfill information needs.
7. Avoid plagiarism.
8. Use accepted citation styles for both printed and online sources.
9. Pass the library information tutorial exam (TIP) with a minimum score of 70.
Criteria for Approval of University Studies Courses:
1. The L requirement will usually be met as an embedded component of a course taken during the freshman year.
3. While the L requirement will most commonly be embedded in the USP Intellectual
Community course or in another USP course, courses fulfilling the L requirement may be offered in disciplines and interdisciplinary programs throughout the university.
4. When the L requirement is fulfilled within a major, it is best offered as part of a basic level course within that major.
5. While it isn’t required that a course seeking L certification already be a part of USP, each course should show how a significant portion of the design and rationale relate to the philosophy of University Studies as articulated by this goal.
6.
Courses submitted in the Information Literacy category may not fulfill more than one other USP requirement.

Recommendations:
Applicants should consult the University Studies Committee’s statement on embedded components, which begins with the following definition:
For the purposes of University Studies, Embedded Components are those that may be taught as part of another course. This does not preclude those components being taught in courses dedicated to that topic. It is envisaged that of the five embedded components (G, D, L, WB, WC), some may be embedded in courses dedicated to the Core Components of University Studies, some may be embedded in courses required for the major, and some may be fulfilled by courses that are dedicated to that particular topic. We anticipate that embedded components will ordinarily be fulfilled in the context of three credit courses.
In order to ensure that embedding requirements will be met, faculty are urged to consult with department heads or program directors before proposing L courses. Because most courses submitted for this goal will also aim to fulfill one other University Studies goal, the guidelines for both goals should be consulted.
We understand that the L component of USP serves as a foundation for more advanced information literacy work done within the major.
Process:
Using the University Studies Program criteria and outcomes, a sub-committee of three selected from the membership of the University Studies Committee will evaluate each course submitted for credit within the Information Literacy (L) category and will make recommendations to the full committee.
A course that is being proposed for dual credit – Information Literacy plus one other
USP goal – will be considered simultaneously by two subcommittees of the University
Studies Committee: one representing each of the goals being addressed.

University Studies Program
Criteria Review Sheet
Information Literacy (L)
Information Literacy entails developing the skills and abilities essential for adult learning.
It transcends disciplines, learning environments, and levels of education. Courses in
Information Literacy teach students about general information as well as information that is specific to a given discipline. Such courses help students to effectively use library resources, evaluate information, and apply their knowledge to research assignments.
Students should demonstrate the ability to:
1. Formulate a research question.
2. Understand the use of an information database (this includes bibliographies, full text databases, e-texts, online exhibits, statistical datasets, and virtual images).
3. Use the UW catalog to locate materials. (this includes inter-library loan, holds, recalls, and reserves as well as UW online resources, e-mail and off-campus access).
4. Use a general article index.
5. Discriminate between primary and secondary sources and popular and scholarly sources.
6. Evaluate web sites, know the difference between a search engine and a directory, and use both to fulfill information needs.
7. Avoid plagiarism.
8. Use accepted citation styles for both printed and online sources.
9. Pass the library information tutorial exam (TIP) with a minimum score of 70.
Course Prefix & Number:
Course Title:
Credit Hours:
Please attach a detailed course syllabus that includes the objectives or outcomes for the course and the means to assess the extent that students reach them.
List any prerequisites:
What is the anticipated student/faculty ratio?
1.
What discipline or disciplines are addressed in this course?
2.
Is this material embedded in a first-year course? If not, why not?

3.
Using information from the syllabus, please describe how this course meets the learning goals (outcomes) and criteria for the L category.
A.
How will students learn to formulate appropriate research questions?
B.
What information database(s) will be included in the course and how will they be used?
C.
How will the UW library catalog be incorporated into the course?
D.
What general article indexes will be used?
E.
How will students learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, and between scholarly and popular sources?
F.
How will students develop the knowledge to understand search engines and directories as well as their functions, and how to use both appropriately?
G.
H.
How will the topic of plagiarism be addressed in the course?
What citation styles will be included in the course?

I.
How will the library information tutorial exam (TIP) be incorporated into the course?
4.
Explain how the assessment method(s) used for this course demonstrate student achievement of the learning outcomes for the L category. Explain how this assessment might provide information that can be used to improve accomplishment of desired learning outcomes.
5.
Does this course include an embedded USP component?
A.
If yes, which embeddable component is included, and how are the outcomes of the embedded component appropriately addressed in the course proposal?
6.
What other factors should the committee consider?