An Online Course in Information Literacy

Abstract

PCF2 // In order to make best use of available information through the Internet, students need to develop their skills in information literacy. Specifically, they need to have a strategy that enables them to find and evaluate information, and then use it effectively. The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) has developed an online course Mining Information in the Internet Age to accomplish this purpose. The course also trains students in the use of the OUHK’s Electronic Library, which makes available to OUHK students a vast array of educational resources (journals, e-texts, etc.). The course presents students with a 5-step strategy that is designed to suit most information-seeking situations. The strategy is then applied in detail to Internet resources. Each of the three units presents content that is linked to interactive activities and an online discussion group. Links are also provided to online resources relevant to each topic (such as information literacy, search strategies and plagiarism). Assessment is through a series of online tests. // The course was offered for the first time in October 2001. The case study reports on the design and development of the course, its outcome, and includes the results of course evaluation. //