Scholarly Information Discovery in Academic Learning Environments: A New Information Literacy Frame Work to Promote Critical Thinking Skills

In the age of information explosion, many academic administrators, instructors, IT specialists, librarians, school teachers, and other professionals are engaged in developing skills for critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving in student-centered and service-oriented academic learning environments. However, many undergraduate students, especially first-year students, still have great difficulty in accessing and searching scholarly information from academic information resources and services. To help academic instructors design more effective teaching portfolios, this proposal suggests what should be done to promote excellence in teaching and information literacy instructions. Using a new customized information literacy framework called Info6, this proposed presentation outlines six key stages of assisting junior undergraduates to think critically while accessing and searching scholarly information from academic information resources and services. Also provided is a roadmap to assist junior undergraduates while searching print and online information. A list of academic web search engines and the related web search methods is also introduced for students how to think critically during the course of analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and utilizing the needed information. To outline the major components, this proposed presentation will include, but not limit to, the following major sections: Introduction Dilemma of Information Literacy Instructions in the State of Georgia: This section will explore dilemma of current information literacy instructions in the University System of Georgia. Critical Thinking in Excellence in Teaching: This section will explore how to promote learning skills of critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving in dynamic academic learning environments. Recommendations, Suggestions, and Advice: This section will highlight how academic instructors, librarians, and school teachers can enlighten information literacy competencies in the future. Summary Target participants will include academic administrators, instructors, LIS faculty, librarians, and other professionals who would like to explore how to improve information literacy competencies in the cyberspace. Notes: This presentation is adapted from the author’s second book titled “Scholarly Information Discovery in the Networked Academic Learning Environment.