SHNU: Graduate Student Information Session: Teaching Science Information Literacy

In the United States students often have anxiety with regards to science information and mathmatics.  One of my bigest goals in teaching science information literacy sessions is to reduce the fear and anxiety about science information.  I want to make students comfortable with science information so that they can use it in their everyday lives.

I try to do this in a number of different ways as outlined on the right.

在美国，学生经常对科学信息和数学感到焦虑。我讲授科学信息素养课程的最大目标之一就是减少他们对科学信息的恐惧和焦虑。我想使学生对科学信息感到自在以便他们能在日常生活中应用。

右边列出的是我所用的一些方法。

I create online course and subject guides to collect all the information students need in one location.  I try to select the best resources available to them to complete the project.  Here are some examples of guides I have created.

I use cartoons to help explain some science infromation literacy concepts.

Below is a cartoon I use to expalin the significance of author order with research articles.

I feel that this cartoon makes students laugh. I think that this helps them to remember the concept presented.

"Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

I use short videos to teach various information literacy concepts.

I get bored just having a teacher or professor talk to me so I do not want the students to be bored.

I use videos as a way to get students attention, start conversations about topics, and variety to information literacy sessions.

I try to locate examples, which students would be familiar with, that parallel a scientific information literacy concept I am trying to teach.

For example in the table below I use the concept of dog breeds to teach scientific names and a bit about scientific classification. These concepts are important to understand when looking for information on organisms.

Also, I use the following web page from the American Kennel Club to illustrate the concept for students:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/terrier_group.cfm

The research process of finding information is not aways a straight road.  Often one encounters issues on the way to finding the information you need.  The most important thing is what you do when a issue or problem comes up.

I am not the best speller.  When teaching a class I may  inadvertently misspell a search term.

When this happens sometimes no results are found.  I show the students my mistake and then correct the spelling emphasizing that mistakes can happen in the information searching.  That if something you do does not get results double check you search and try again.

I want students to understand that finding information is not a perfect science, but what matters most is figuring out the issue and moving forward and finding the information you seek,

Locating the information you need can be a trial and error process.