The Instructional Menu

Abstract

Esther Grassian's and Joan Kaplowitz's wonderful text, Information Literacy Instruction: Theory and Practice, devotes a chapter to the "Instructional Menu", referring to the many 'modes' we use to try to get 'information literacy' across. Chapter nine highlights the pros and cons of the instructional modes included. But, how often do instruction librarians tie the mode to the type of activity, either consiously or subliminally? Since information literacy is not done in a vacuum, usually the purpose of putting information literacy skills to use is because the person has a goal in mind. In academia, that goal is usually an assignment. Most often information literacy instruction is tied to that traditional, and tired, manifestation, the 'research paper.' But we know that there are many different sorts of assignments, some because of the academic discipline, some because of the level of student, and some because a teacher and a librarian have worked together to format a new assignment. The instructional menu below has grown in the years since the Grassian/Kaplowits text have been published. The author of this article began a conscious effort to identify as many research/writing, etc. activities as she could. The result has been fun. See what you can do with this list. If you can think of other items to include in either column, please let the author know!