GE INFORMATION LITERACY GOALS & COMPETENCIES:

AREA A- WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

GE Program and Area Distribution | Area Competencies

GOAL I: Student understands how information is defined by experts, and recognizes how that knowledge can help determine the direction of their search for specific information.

Competencies Learned:

Student knows how information is generated, specifically the editorial review process.
Student knows the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Student knows the different physical formats (book, periodical, microform, video, etc.).
Student is able to construct a basic research strategy and is able to research a topic on a basic level.

GOAL II: Student understands the importance of the organizational content, bibliographic structure, function, and use of information sources.

Competencies Learned:

Student understands bias on a basic level.
Student knows how a "book" is organized (table of contents, index, preface, etc.).
Student can use a citation from an information source and can locate the title cited.
Student knows how to use basic indexes.
Student can construct the appropriate reference for a research paper (footnote, bibliography, etc.)

GOAL III: Student can identify and use appropriate information from information sources or information systems.

Competencies Learned:

Student can use LCSH and knows that other thesauri exist.
Student can use the OPAC (CSUSM's).
Student can construct a simple Boolean search using "and" and "or".

GOAL IV: Student understands the way collections of information sources are physically organized and accessed.

Competencies Learned:

Student knows their way around CSUSM's library (reference, periodicals, stacks, etc.).
Student is able to locate materials using L.C. Call #'s.

-Adapted from ACRL's Model Statement of Objectives for Academic Bibliographic Instruction

by Donna M. Ohr and Gabriela Sonntag