Presenters:

• Kate Mercer, Liaison Librarian for Systems Design Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, University of Waterloo 
• Kari Weaver, Learning, Teaching, and Instructional Design Librarian, University of Waterloo

Description:

Download Slides - PPTX

In this presentation, participants will learn how librarians at the University of Waterloo are piloting a new pedagogy and theory called Critical Evaluation of Information (CEI) in conducting library education workshops. 

The efforts at Waterloo constitute a type of information literacy training approached through the norms of disciplinary practice, to meet users where they are. Library instruction has shifted from training undergraduate students on the mechanics of search (with the tacit implication that they have been doing search wrong) to discussions on the evaluation of sources and the decision-making processes on what sources to use. These discussions also prompt examination of disciplinary values and hierarchies, as students are asked to consider why some sources like peer-reviewed journal articles are more highly valued than others, questions that can help support short-term academic success and longer-term career success.  

The presenters will discuss their pilot efforts and the early results of their program assessment. They have found that even the shift of nomenclature -- from “information literacy” to “critical evaluation of information” -- has seen a positive response from students and professors alike at Waterloo and has likely improved the perception of the value of the library across campus. 

This webinar will be of interest to liaison librarians who support information literacy efforts and the training of undergraduate researchers.