Information Fluency

Starting the Conversation Between

the FIT Team and the E-Learning Team

@ the University of New Brunswick and

David G. Brown, Wake Forest University

September 26, 2000 8:00 AM

Metaphors for Achieving Information Fluency

• Use a library--23• Drive a car--13• Write an essay--10• Speak French--8• Give a speech--6

Check the two thatfor you come closest!

• Play tennis--4 • Program a VCR--3• Name State Capitals--3• Pass drivers’ exam--1• Understand tennis--0

Components of Information Fluency

• Evaluate materials on the web & in print--40• Know where to get help when stumped--39• Find materials on the web & in print--39• Recognize the perishability of information--35• Organize information against hypotheses--35• Place information on the web & in print--26• Create a Spreadsheet--18• Create a Web Page in html--9

Check all that apply & add others.

Our students will graduate with “information fluency” when they can

•Find

•Evaluate

•Organize &

•Use Data

These goals are achieved by nurturing students with--

•Concepts--relevant, useful

•Resources--reliable information

•Skills-- finding, analyzing, presenting

Accessing and sorting skills are as important as knowledge!

WHY INFORMATION FLUENCY?

…the institutional answer

• Communication & Community!

• Level Playing Field

• After College Use

• Faculty/Students Demand Them

• Customized/Personalized

• Digitized Scholarship

• Marketable Difference Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

WHY INFORMATION FLUENCY?…the faculty answer

• Interactive Learning

• Collaborative Learning

• Communication

• Visualization

• Different Strokes for Different Folks

• From Interactive Learning (Anker Publishing Co., November, 1999) Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

THE WAKE FOREST PLANF96: IBM

365XD, 16RAM, 100Mhz, 810MB, CD-ROM, 14.4 modemF97: IBM 380D, 32 RAM, 130Mhz, 1.35GB, CD-ROM, 33.6 modemF98: IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modemF99: IBM 390, 128 RAM, 333 Mhz, 6GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem F00: IBM A20m, 500 Mhz, 11GB, 15”ActMatrix, CD-ROM, 90 modem

• Thinkpads for all

• New Every 2 Years

• Own @ Graduation

• Printers for all

• Wire Everything

• Standard Software

• Full Admin Systems

• IGN for Faculty

• Keep Old Computers

• 40+30 New People

• 75% Faculty Trained

• 85% CEI Users

• 99% E-Mail

• +15% Tuition

• ~$1500/Yr/Student

• 4 Year Phase In

• Pilot Year

• Plan for 2000

ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000ICCEL -- Wake Forest University, 2000

Order at---http://iccel.wfu.edu

FIRST YEAR SEMINARThe Economists’ Way of Thinking

A Course Required of All Freshmen

Wake Forest University

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

Brown’s First Year Seminar

• Before Class– Students Find URLs &

Identify Criteria

– Interactive exercises

– Lecture Notes

– E-mail dialogue

– Cybershows

• During Class– One Minute Quiz

– Computer Tip Talk

– Class Polls

• After Class– Edit Drafts by Team

– Guest Editors

– Hyperlinks & Pictures

– Access Previous Papers

• Other– Daily Announcements

– Team Web Page

– Personal Web Pages

– Exams include Computer

– Materials Forever

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

Personal Use of Computers by Wake Forest Faculty

Source: 1998 HERI Survey

• 98% E-mail

• 91% Memos & Letters

• 75% Scholarly Research

• 41% Presentations

• 36% Data Analysis

• 22% On Line Discussion Groups

Computers Enhance My Teaching and/or Learning Via--

PresentationsBetter--20%More Opportunities toPractice & Analyze--35%

More Access to SourceMaterials via Internet--43%

More Communication with Faculty Colleagues, Classmates,and Between Faculty and Students--87%

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

With Ubiquity---The Culture Changes

• Mentality shifts-- like from public phone to personal phone.

• Teaching Assumptions shift-- like from books in the public library to everyone owns a copy of his/her own.

• Timelines shift-- like from “our class meets MWF” to “we

see each other all the time and MWF we meet together”• Students’ sense of access shifts-- like from “maybe I

can get that book in the library” to “I have that book in my library.”

• Relationships shift-- like from a family living in many different states to all family members living in the same town

Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University

Our students will graduate with “information fluency” when they can

•Find

•Evaluate

•Organize &

•Use Data

Raise Awareness

Pilot Programs

Assure Universal Access

Provide Learning Opportunities

Measure/Certify Results

Next Steps?

Actions to Raise Awareness

• Define Information Fluency

• Conduct PR Campaigns on Campuses

• Sponsor “The Fluency Bowl”

• Appoint Blue Ribbon Advisory Group

• ________________

• Identify the “Eager” Departments

• Research Other Programs

Pilot Programs

Assure Universal Access(Field of Dreams Approach)

• Provide “Client Machines” (e.g. laptops)---either individually or at public stations

• Teach Assuming Access

Provide Learning Opportunities

• Fluency Camp

• Non-Credit Sessions (Required or Optional)

• Degree-Credit Course (Required or Elective)

• Fluency Across-the-Curriculum

Measure/Certify the Results

• Grade for Course

• Threshold Proficiency Test

• Fluency Certificate

Possible Roles for the Library

• Politic for “Information Fluency”

• Purchase & Manage Electronic Databases

• Suggest All College Standards

• Train All Students (Just in Time)

• Train Faculty and Staff

• Certify Information Fluency

Possible Roles for the Faculty

• Define “information fluency” minimums

• Set policies for the use of technology

• Teach assuming “information fluency”

• Judge the wisdom of a requirement

• Politic for adequate funding

• Monitor the quality of “fluency” training

Possible Roles for IS

• Research & Recommend Hardware and Software

• Choose “back office” components

• Implement and maintain infrastructure

David G. BrownWake Forest University

Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109336-758-4878

email: brown@wfu.eduhttp//:www.wfu.edu/~brown

fax: 336-758-4875