First Year Experience - How to Find the Information You Need: Start Here!

There are three (3) learning objectives for this instructional session:

1. List the three (3) steps of the information skills process
2. Use keywords to search for information
3. Evaluate internet research results

The session addresses developing these ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards:

• 1.1 The information literate student defines and articulates the need for information.
• 2.2 The information literate student constructs and implements effectively-designed search strategies
• 3.2. The information literate student articulates and applies initial criteria for evaluating both the information and its sources.

With the vast amount of information available on the Internet, people are accustomed to searching for what they want. This doesn't mean that they have the skills to easily find information that is on target, accurate and trustworthy. Beginning college students, in particular, need to develop effective information skills.

Madigan Library

This is where the Analyze Search Evaluation (ASE) Information instruction session comes in. This process will prepare students to analyze their information needs, search for information using the most appropriate and effective methods, and evaluate the information to make sure it meets their needs.

The goal of this instructional session is to help students learn to use the ASE process to improve their information skills for academic and personal purposes. The session is:

• Learner-centered:  It allows students to develop their own context for learning and encourages them to focus on what is meaningful and relevant to them.
• Reality-based:  This introduction to the ASE process focuses on a limited information skill set and will improve students' abilities to find information sought in their daily lives and have the further consequences of improving academic work as well.