Gonzalez Stephanie Final Instructional Design Process Paper
Gonzalez Stephanie Final Instructional Design Process Paper
Gonzalez Stephanie Final Instructional Design Process Paper
Introduction page 3
Conclusion page 38
References page 39
Introduction
This document contains the instructional design elements for a 4-part summer workshop
on Understanding Authority that will be conducted at the Chisholm Public Library this summer.
In response to the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan of the library, this instructional plan has been
designed to embed information literacy concepts in recreational teen programming. By the end
of the summer series the teens will have engaged with the concept of authority, understood the
responsibilities associated with creating and sharing information, and how to apply this
This document begins with a Needs Assessment that identifies the target audience and
details the data collection process that informed the instructional design of this workshop. The
Goals and Objectives have been developed in response to the expressed needs of this target
group and the anticipated learning outcomes as identified by the teen department and library
director. The Assessment Plan outlines the formative and summative assessments developed to
measure learning of concepts as they relate to expressed student learning outcomes. Finally, the
Instructional Plan for Session 1 of the workshop is fully developed and ready for
implementation.
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developing information literacy skills outlined in the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan of the Chisholm
Public Library, the teen librarian has been seeking new opportunities to embed information
literacy concepts and standards into recreational programming for teens. Understanding that
most teens will not be interested in attending programs that mimic typical classroom style
teaching and learning after-school, the teen librarian has been looking to the teens themselves to
discover an information desire that could be used as a gateway to meet their information needs.
Recently, teen patrons who frequent the library have expressed an interest in the librarian
running a program where they would be able to engage with technology and create podcasts,
write blog posts, and/or produce their own videos. With this expressed learning desire that
already has the target audience engaged, the teen librarian sees an excellent opportunity to
embed the teaching of information literacy concepts of understanding authority, recognizing the
responsibilities that come with authority, and developing an authoritative voice. Before
needs, prior knowledge, and anticipated learning outcomes for the target group.
Objectives
This needs assessment seeks to measure and understand the information needs and wants of the
The criteria and strategies teens consider when determining the authority of an
information source.
The responsibilities associated with creating and sharing information.
Their expected learning outcomes to be achieved by attending the information literacy
sessions.
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Target Audience
The Chisholm Public Library serves a town with a population of 25,841 people. Located
in Queens, the most diverse borough in New York City, the library serves a culturally diverse
community with 47.4% of residents born outside of the United States and 20.6% of residents
speaking a language other than English (mostly Spanish and Chinese). The median household
income is $64,264 (only 6% higher than the state average), and 15.3% of the population is
reported to be living below the poverty line. 35% of the population has less than a high-school
education, and only 30% have a college degree or higher. 24% of households contain children
between the ages of 14-18. There are two public elementary schools, but no middle school or
public high school (one Catholic all-girls high school). Therefore, the majority of teens that
attend the library leave the neighborhood to attend school, yet the library appears to be a popular
destination for neighborhood teens after-school and on weekends as circulation statistics of the
YA collection and library usage surveys reveal a rising trend of teens attending the library.
The Chisholm Public Library has a steady group of about the same 30-35 teenagers (ages
14-18) who regularly attend the library, various workshops, and programming. On average, each
of these teens visits the library 3-5 days out of the week to do homework, access the Internet, and
socialize. All of the teens own smartphones, are active on different social media platforms, and
Being that she interacts with them regularly, the teen librarian already has a general
understanding of the registered groups level of comfort with technology, their reading and
writing strengths and weaknesses, their command of the English language, and their willingness
to be active participants during sessions. 18 of these regular teen patrons have pre-registered for
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the upcoming IL workshop that will take place over multiple sessions during the summer.
14 attend their zoned public high school; 4 attend a Catholic high school
Outside of information literacy instruction that is embedded into their school curriculum,
most of the teens have not had any direct instructional sessions regarding the concept of
authority and developing ones own authoritative voice. Through informal conversation, the teen
librarian has observed that the teens are generally aware of the following concepts:
Some sources may be more acceptable for school research than others.
Fake news is prevalent on social media and can be hard to distinguish from real news
(they have all admittedly fallen for a fake news story at some point).
When discussing the concept of fake news, the teens appear to be generally engaged and
interested in learning how to figure out what is real and what is fake. However, the teen librarian
is aware of their disinterest in programming that resembles classroom learning, and therefore will
use their expressed interest in fake news and creating their own information (through podcasts,
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how to determine the authority of an information resource, and how to develop their own
authoritative voice.
A survey was chosen as the method to collect specific data regarding the information
needs and expected learning outcomes of the intended target audience for the instructional
sessions. Although the teen librarian has a substantial rapport with the teens registered for the
program and has learned a significant amount regarding their information needs, a survey creates
an anonymous forum for teens to provide more details about gaps in their knowledge and their
desires for learning that they may be unwilling to share in an informal group setting.
Given that the target population for this instructional unit is only 18 known individuals,
the survey will be distributed to all of the teens registered for the program. By doing so, it is not
necessary to statistically prove that the sample is representative of the target audience, as the
needs of each workshop participant will be equally assessed. Although it will be impossible to
ensure that each participant completes the survey and returns it in a timely manner, the teen
librarian will be satisfied with a 75% (minimum of 13 teens) or greater response rate. A
response rate of less than 50% (fewer than 9 teens) may compromise the integrity of the results.
In an effort to encourage participation, the length of the survey was kept relatively short and free
library swag was given to those who successfully completed and returned the survey within two
weeks of distribution. The goal of the survey was to develop a basic understanding of teens
prior knowledge of authority concepts and the desired outcomes they wish to achieve through
participation in the sessions by directly assessing the needs of the target audience.
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Before distributing the survey to the 18 teens registered for the program, the survey was
pilot-tested with members of the Teen Advisory Board to confirm its viability with the target
audience and to ensure the questions were clear, understandable, and measured their intended
purpose. Suggestions for clarification of questions and the addition of options for responses by
the Teen Advisory Board resulted in the survey found in Appendix A. In an effort to make
survey completion a pleasant and convenient experience, it was presented in two formats.
Respondents had the option to complete a paper survey or an online survey using
SurveyMonkey.com.
Data Analysis
Results
Figure 1 shows the results of the first question of the survey, which asked the teens to say
how often they use particular criteria to determine whether or not an information source is
Author: Teens displayed an equal distribution with 6 students (33.33%) each choosing
Always, Sometimes, or Never. This means that the majority (66.66%) of the teens do
Date: The majority of teens (77.78%) have indicated that they look at the date Always or
Format: Although the majority of teens (61.11%) do consider the format with which an
information source is presented, 7 teens have indicated that they do not ever consider it.
the source of publication. Only 2 teens have indicated that they never consider the
Domain: Although most teens either always or sometimes consider the domain type
(55.56%), it is only a small majority over those who do not ever consider it (44.44%).
Bias: Exactly half of the teens never consider whether an information source presents
more than one point of view in its contents. Only 1 teen claimed that it was a factor that
they Always use. This shows that generally teens do not consider this element to be
Sources: The majority of teens (66.67%) do not consider whether an author cites other
considers it always, suggesting that this is not an extremely important element to teens.
Motive: The results of this element are fairly even, with 22.2% indicating that they
Always consider it, 50% using it Sometimes, and 27.78% Never using it. This
demonstrates that teens are fairly indecisive on using motive as a determinant for
Only one respondent indicated an extra element they use when determining the credibility
of an information source. Their identified element is, who shared the information if it
Part 2 of the survey asked respondents to indicate whether a statement was true or false. They
were also given an option to state, I am not sure if they could not determine an absolute answer
for the statement. The results for this section are as follows:
If a story is written by a journalist, I can trust it True (5), False (9), I am not sure (4)
If an information source quotes eyewitnesses, I can trust it - True (6), False (4), I am not
sure (8)
It is my responsibility to determine whether information is credible - True (8), False (4), I
am not sure (6)
If a news story has been retweeted by famous people, I can trust it - True (4), False (8), I
am not sure (6)
If someone I know tweets or shares an article on Facebook, I can trust it - True (2), False
(10), I am not sure (6)
I have a responsibility to not share false information - True (4), False (6), I am not sure
(8)
If a story turns out to be made up, its not that big of a deal - True (5), False (4), I am not
sure (9)
It is important for me to question the credibility of all information sources, no matter
where it came from - True (9), False (4), I am not sure (5)
The final question of the survey asked respondents to indicate what they most expect to learn
from attending the sessions over the summer. The results for this sections identified responses
Respondents were also given the option to indicate their own expected learning outcomes. Three
I havent really thought of me having to be responsible for stuff I share or create online.
Analysis
The results of this survey support the initial understandings of the teen librarian generated
from informal conversations. The teens that are preregistered for the summer sessions have a
general understanding that they must determine whether or not an information source is credible,
but vary incredibly in the strategies and elements they use to determine it. Despite their
differences in approach, it is evident that they understand they are responsible for questioning the
credibility of information they access for their own personal use, but seem to lack in
understanding the responsibilities that come with sharing false information or creating their own
information. The majority of teens have generally indicated that they have an interest in learning
more about the suggested objectives listed by the teen librarian on the survey. However, they
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have especially indicated their desire to learn their obligations when creating information,
perhaps because of their expressed wish to work with information technologies that will allow
them to create and share their own information (something the teen librarian had indicated they
will have the opportunity engage with during the sessions and continue using after the sessions).
The teen librarian will consider these demonstrated gaps in knowledge and expressed
information desires when creating the goals, objectives, and expected learning outcomes for the
instructional unit.
Institutional Assessment
Before the teen librarian can begin designing instruction, she must situate the
instructional unit within the scope of the Chisholm Public Library and the broader Queens Public
Library. This will provide the necessary rationalization for the creation of such programming, as
well as the frame to develop objectives and expected learning outcomes that align with the
overall mission and goals of the institution. Such justification will be necessary for the teen
librarian to gain approval from the library director to move forward with the proposed
instructional unit.
Mission
The Chisholm Public Library strives to develop quality programming that enables patron
access to a variety of information resources and technologies. The mission of the Chisholm
This instructional unit will provide teens with the opportunity to fulfill the education and
sessions will introduce teens to strategies and practices that will facilitate their understanding of
the concept of authority and their development into critical consumers and creators of
information.
Strategic Plan
The 2016-2019 Strategic Plan for the Chisholm Public Library identifies:
v Strategic Goal #2: Improve the quality of library programming to support the
In alignment with the strategic goal and objective outlined above, this instructional unit will seek
to enrich programming for teens by integrating the teaching of information literacy concepts.
Teen programming faces unique challenges with this strategic initiative, as teens have
consistently avoided educationally focused programming in the past. This has resulted in a
teens to relax after-school and throughout the summer. Therefore, the teen librarian has taken
their recently expressed desire to work with information creation technologies (podcasting,
blogging, YouTube) to create an instructional unit that can integrate the information literacy
concepts of understanding authority, recognizing the responsibilities that come with authority,
Current Environment
For the past ten years, programming had fallen significantly short in meeting the
education and information needs of teen patrons at the Chisholm Public Library. After receiving
negative feedback and a drop in attendance at educational teen programming, the entire schedule
of programs was reduced to only include enjoyable and recreational activities designed to
encourage relaxation and socialization. However, after the retirement of the library director last
year, the entire library organization has felt a renewed interest in refining its library services.
With the drafting of the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan, the entire climate of the library has
significantly improved under the new leadership. The new library director has been very
receptive to new ideas that will improve the overall programming and delivery of services to its
community.
The results of this needs assessment have revealed that the teens have an expressed desire
to learn more about the skills that will help them develop into information literate citizens.
However, given the overall climate of the institutions programming from previous years, the
library has been significantly neglecting the information needs and desires of its teen patrons.
Due to the severe cutbacks in educational programming under the previous library director, there
is little value that can be drawn from current programming. Fortunately, the librarian can access
open educational resources and technologies (free software) that will facilitate the design and
The design of this instructional unit is aligned with the overall mission of the library and
the strategic initiatives outlined in last years strategic plan. The library will not ignore the
expressed distaste of teen patrons with education-heavy programming, but instead will creatively
engage teens with their expressed learning desire to work with fun, information creation
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technologies in an effort to teach concepts and skills required to become information literate
citizens.
14 attend their zoned public high school; 4 attend a Catholic high school
Instructional Context
The teens are all regular attendees of library programming at the Chisholm Public
Because it is not a school setting, there is no academic discipline within which this
instructional unit will be situated. However, the teen librarian will be using the teens
authority, the responsibilities that come with being an authority, and developing an
authoritative voice.
The students have expressed a desire to engage with information technologies to create
and share their own information using podcasts, blogs, or videos. This provides the
opportunity for the teen librarian to design a fun and creative assessment that will
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demonstrate if learning has occurred without subjecting the teens to a typical assessment
The needs assessment demonstrated that the target audience understands their
responsibilities to be critical consumers of information they access for personal use, but
lack in their understanding that they have responsibilities to others when sharing
programming meeting the information literacy needs of the target teen audience. An
assessment of the strategic vision for information literacy instruction supports the
implementation of this instructional unit, which will strive to teach the information
literacy concept of authority and skills necessary for teens to become critical consumers
The teens have expressed a willingness and desire to learn more about the information
literacy concepts of authority through their interest in learning more about fake news.
They have demonstrated that they understand the need to be critical information
consumers, and now just need to apply those understandings toward becoming
information producers.
The teens are generally technology savvy and will have little difficulty learning and using
Most of the characteristics of the group are inconsequential for designing the learning
objectives to meet the needs of individual learners. However, the limited English
capabilities of some of the teens will play a role when designing instructional activities.
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Program Goals
As students progress through these sessions, they will acquire and apply knowledge about
the concepts of authority so they may ultimately create their own information source that is
reliable and accurate, appropriately credits the work of others, and constructively contributes to
The following goals, aligned with the ACRL frame of Authority is Constructed and
To motivate students to find appropriate authoritative sources that will effectively satisfy
authority.
In alignment with the Chisholm Public Librarys mission to provide for the educational and
informational needs of the community, this instructional unit will offer the opportunity for teen
patrons to fulfill their education and information needs of becoming critical analyzers of
information resources and responsible creators of information. This instructional unit will also
meet the strategic goal of the library to improve the quality of library programing to support the
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literacy concepts in recreational programming for teens. This program has been designed to
embed the information literacy concept of authority within the expressed learning desire of teens
1. Students will understand that there are certain agreed-upon elements that make an
2. Students will understand that they should be critical of the authority of information
3. Students will understand that there are certain responsibilities and obligations to the
information community associated with creating and sharing information (Session 2).
4. Students will understand the necessity of using the determinants and responsibilities of
authority when developing their own authoritative voice (Sessions 3 and 4).
1. Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for determining the
determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not information sources are
3. Students will be able to locate appropriate authoritative information sources on their own
4. Students will be able to articulate the potential consequences of sharing false or non-
5. Students will be able to use the class-identified criteria of authority to make responsible
and informed decisions when choosing to share information on social media (Session 2).
6. Students will be able to create a checklist of necessary criteria to use as a reference when
7. Students will be able to apply these criteria when creating their own authoritative
The overall goal for this assessment plan is to outline the formative, summative, and self
assessments that will take place to measure learning that has occurred during Session 1 of the
workshop: Understanding Authority. The objectives for this assessment plan are as follows:
To design at least one formative, summative, and self assessment that together will
To explain how each of the assessments align with their intended objective.
To develop detailed criteria that will measure the performance of student learning.
evaluating what constitutes authority, recognizing the responsibilities that come with being an
authority, and developing an authoritative voice (concepts that will be taught throughout the four
instructional sessions). Session 1 will focus on developing the understanding that there are
agreed-upon elements that make an information source authoritative, that they should be
critical of all information sources, and that the context of an information need will determine the
level of authority required of an information source. In alignment with the ACRL framework
ditching the standards in favor of guiding students through understanding with the pedagogical
practice of threshold concepts, the assessments developed in this plan are intended to achieve
learning that is transformative, integrative, and irreversible (Townsend, Brunetti & Hofer, 2011).
The assessments will be designed to measure where students are in their understanding of these
instruction satisfies the requirements imposed by the library director and meets the goal outlined
in the strategic plan. However, because public libraries ultimately serve their local communities,
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the actual stakeholders for this instructional unit are the teen patrons. It is not enough to simply
teach concepts deemed important by librarians and the profession. We must actively seek to
ensure that we have communicated the value of learning these concepts to our patrons. In
essence, I want to know if my teens feel as though they have learned some skill or achieved new
understandings as a result of participating in these sessions. Therefore, the teens will be given
the opportunity to assess and communicate their learning at the completion of each session.
Formative Assessment
classroom lesson, formative assessments will be embedded in the program as group discussions
that will occur both naturally and deliberately during instructional activities. Therefore, the
students will not be asked to engage in extra assessment work, as I will observe and record notes
without their knowledge. For Session 1, there are two instances where I will make use of
anecdotal records and one instance where I will informally assess students during whole group
Anecdotal records will first be taken during the opening activity (prior to any instruction),
and can effectively meet a given information need. This activity is designed so that
students will be engaging with the elements that determine authority (author, source,
citation of sources, etc.) without necessarily realizing it. I will circulate the room to listen
to the vocabulary they are using, what elements they value as determinants for
trustworthiness, and the strategies they may be employing to come to those conclusions.
Notes will be recorded using post-it notes (one for each student) with particular color ink.
These notes will then be put aside until later in the session.
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After the activity, a group discussion will provide the opportunity for students to
volunteer some of the elements they used to determine if the source was trustworthy and
could be used to meet the information need. I will guide the vocabulary that will be
added to the list (example: change they quote people to citation of credible sources)
and expand on their current understanding of these elements. I will also informally
assess the students to determine if more time should be spent discussing particular
After the group discussion and next instructional strategy (which results in providing the
students with a clever mnemonic device), students will return to their small groups with a
new information source and will use the list, to now determine the authority of that
source for a given information need. During this activity, I will once again circulate the
room with the same post-its and a different color ink to record anecdotal records of these
conversations. I will take notes to determine if there is a change in the vocabulary they
are using and if they are successfully determining the authority of the source. This will
allow me to see if their understanding of the concepts has changed (or strengthened) as a
result of instruction. At this point, these notes will be used to determine if the students
should move on to the final activity for the session or if further instruction of these
concepts is needed.
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for determining the
o This objective will be measured using the group discussion activity. Although
informal, I will be able to understand the elements that students use to determine
authority, how many groups also used the same elements (this will be known by
asking all students to raise their hand if they also used that element), and how they
explain their elements (showing me how well they truly understand the element being
SLO 2: Students will be able to apply the class-identified criteria of authority to critically
determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not information sources are
o This objective will be measured using the two-part anecdotal record assessment. The
first record will be used to determine where students are prior to instruction. It will
take note of the determinants they already have prior knowledge of, the vocabulary
they use, and the strategies they discuss with one another. The anecdotal notes taken
during the second group activity will focus on the changes (if any) in their
vocabulary, the determinants they use, and the strategies employed to defend their
choice of whether or not the information source is authoritative. These two sets of
have changed as a result of instruction and to measure the individual growth with this
objective for each student. Using the measure listed below, I will also be able to
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for determining the
o Students will have successfully achieved this SLO if they are able to contribute
o Exemplary, good, and poor performance of this assessment will be determined using
Poor: As a small group, students did not contribute (or agreed to inclusion)
SLO 2: Students will be able to apply the class-identified criteria of authority to critically
determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not information sources are
o Students will have successfully achieved this SLO if they can appropriately identify if
an information source is authoritative for a given information need and are able to
defend their choice using the determinants of authority. If students display a poor
performance with this objective, the remainder of the session will be used to clarify
o Exemplary, good, and poor performance of this assessment will be determined using
as authoritative or not, and can defend that choice using more than two
determinants of authority.
authoritative or not, and can defend that choice using one or two determinants
of authority.
Summative Assessment
assessment of a student-created podcast that will integrate learning from the first three
instructional sessions, each session will contain a summative assessment to measure student
learning of at least one session objective. For Session 1, students will end the session by using
their newly acquired understandings of the determinants of authority to individually search for an
authoritative information source to fulfill a given information need on their own. Students will
(Williams, 2000). Once they have located an appropriate information source, they will then
mark the determinants of authority that they feel support their choice and provide detailed
information regarding that element (Example: The student checks off Citation of Credible
Sources and writes that the news article they have selected contains the results from studies
Although the summative assessment will primarily measure performance as it relates to SLO 3,
students will have to use knowledge learned and skills acquired from SLOs 1 & 2 in order to
o This objective will be measured using a response checklist where students will be
able to record their process of determining the authority of an information source they
found on their own to fulfill a given information need. This allows me to measure if
students have understood the different determinants of authority (SLO 1), can apply
them to determine the authority of an information source (SLO 2), and are able to
o Students will have successfully achieved this SLO if they can locate an authoritative
information source, identify the determinants that make it authoritative, and express
o Exemplary, good, and poor performance of this assessment will be determined using
source AND have identified more than two correct determinants of authority
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to support their choice AND have explained how the information need
their choice AND have explained how the information need determined the
AND/OR did not identify any determinants of authority AND/OR did not
explain how the information need determined the level of authority needed
Student Self-Assessment
closely mimic a school assignment. I wish to avoid lengthy essays, basic notebook journaling,
and disjointed surveys that can easily be dismissed or completed with little thought. Because the
teens have expressed an interest in blogging, I believe that this is the perfect platform for them to
reflect on the days activity, self-assess their learning, and inform the instructor of whether or not
they feel as though they have learned something of value, all while engaging with a desired
technology. The goal is for teens to view this assessment as a low-stakes activity that they
actually want to complete. Using EDUBlog, the teens will be asked to self-assess whether they
view themselves as approaching, meeting, or exceeding the outcomes detailed in each objective
and to support their claim by explaining when in the session (detail an activity or discussion)
they felt they were able (or unable) to meet this objective (Sackstein, 2016). This activity allows
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effort to differentiate the assessment to accommodate different learning styles, they can either
write their response in the form of a narrative or choose to record a verbal response and upload it
to the website. The instructor will provide feedback to the student to encourage their reflective
thoughts and further their thinking. Students will also have the opportunity, if they wish, to
comment on each others responses in an effort to keep the conversation going outside of the
session. However, the main goal for this assessment is for the students to consider their
learning, and equally as important, share that understanding with the teacher, allowing the
instructor to adjust the pacing of instruction and inform future sessions (Sackstein, 2016).
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for determining the
o Students will rate their own learning for this objective by identifying if they are
may point to evidence from the opening group activity, the small group
rating. This will enable me to see which activities were most valuable (as
sessions.
SLO 2: Students will be able to apply the class-identified criteria of authority to critically
determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not information sources are
o Students will rate their own learning for this objective by identifying if they are
may point to evidence from the group discussion/activity of creating the list, the
second small group activity, or the second small group discussion as evidence to
support their choice in rating. This will enable me to see which activities were
o Students will rate their own learning for this objective by identifying if they are
may point to evidence from the opening group activity or the last individual
activity as evidence to support their choice in rating. This will enable me to see
which activities were most valuable (as determined by the teens) in supporting
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for determining the
SLO 2: Students will be able to apply the class-identified criteria of authority to critically
determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not information sources are
o Students will have successfully achieved these SLOs if they are able to choose an
rating they chose to measure their own learning as it relates to each of the above
objectives.
o Exemplary, good, and poor performance of this assessment will be determined using
objective AND has provided more than one activity or discussion that
Good: Student provided a rating to measure their learning for the objective
evidence of learning.
Poor: Student provided a rating to measure their learning for the objective, but
evidence of learning OR- their choice does not provide sufficient evidence.
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The session will begin with developing the concept of determining credibility of
students are capable of identifying credible sources. This session will focus on developing the
understanding that there are agreed-upon elements that make an information source credible
and authoritative, the context of an information need will determine the level of authority
required of an information source, and that they should be critical of all information sources
After the icebreaker activity, remind them that in order for them to get to the end
goal of creating a podcast, they will be discussing the important concept of
authority that is necessary for them to create their podcasts. (1 minute)
Following the constructivist tradition, this session will seek to activate prior
knowledge by having them work through an opening challenge with little direction
and/or instruction. The goal is for the students to not be given the tools needed to
participate in the activity, but will actively construct their own knowledge from
their past experiences (Grassian & Kaplowitz, 2009). Therefore, students will not
be privy to the goals and objectives of this lesson, and the lesson will immediately
transition to the first instructional activity.
Instructional
Strategy One
Strategy Group Activity: Time
Explanation Display prompt on the projector and explain activity. (Challenge Prompt: I am 15
doing research for a school report on US-Russian relations. I found an article minutes
stating that war between the two countries is imminent. Can I trust the
information in this article?) (2 minutes)
Technology: Students will access the news article on an iPad and students will
record their thought process using the notepad feature on the iPad.
Differentiation: Divide teens into groups of 3, ensuring that the 2 students with
limited English are paired with at least one other student who speaks both their
native language and English.
Understanding Check: Ask if anyone has any questions or needs to clarify the
activity before beginning. (1 minute)
In groups of 3, students will engage in a Think, Pair, Share activity, as they will
be encouraged to read the article on their own, come to their own conclusion,
share their thoughts, discuss and take note of their process, and then share with the
larger group. (12 minutes)
Instructor Instructor Role: During this activity, the instructor will be a guide on the side and
Role will try to not interfere in the knowledge construction process. The instructor is
expected to circulate the room throughout the activity, taking anecdotal records of
each student. The goal is to take note of students prior knowledge on the subject.
These notes will be placed aside for the formative assessment in Instructional
Strategy Two.
Student Role Student Role: During this strategy, the students are expected to be active learners
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Formative SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for
Assessment determining the authority of information sources.
This objective will be measured during the group discussion activity. Although
informal, I will be able to understand the elements that students use to determine
credibility, how many groups also used the same elements (this will be known by
asking all students to raise their hand if they also used that element), and how
they explain their elements (showing me how well they truly understand the
element being described). I will be able to use this discussion to determine if
further instruction is necessary, if some concepts need to be clarified, or if
students are ready to move to the next part of the lesson.
Transition *Transition: Once the students have collectively created a list of elements and the Time
instructor has deemed that there is a general understanding of each of the criteria 2
of credibility/authority, provide a short stretch break. (1 minute) minutes
The instructor will bring the class back together and move the class into the next
instructional strategy by putting this sentence up on the screen: Cats And Dogs
Are Bad Singers. This strange sentence is meant to reengage students and pique
curiosity for the next segment. (1 minute)
Instructional
Strategy Two
Strategy Explanation/Lecture: Time
Explanation Explain to the students that this sentence is a mnemonic device that can help them 10
remember the different elements that determine the credibility (and later authority) minutes
of an information source.
Differentiation Distribute a paper copy for each student to use and display the
self-created chart on the screen (Appendix B)
33
Break down the sentence by showing them that all of the elements they added to
their list comprise the different pieces of the sentence in some way. (8 minutes)
CATS - Citations (Who is the information source citing? Who is citing them? Are
they credible?)
AND - Author (Is the author someone we should listen to? Are they an expert on
the subject? Are they a respected person in society? Were they a witness or
participant in an event?)
DOGS - Dates (When was the information published? Have recent developments
tempered the credibility of this source?)
ARE - Accuracy (Are the arguments outrageous? Are some of the details
obviously false? Does this information in the article contradict information in
other sources? Can I find more than two other sources that agree with the
arguments or information in the article?)
BAD - Bias (Is the author overly opinionated? Is the information too one-sided? Is
there a clear motive?)
SINGERS - Source - (Have you ever heard of this source? What is the sources
reputation? Can anyone add information to this source? Is it trying to deceive?)
Instructor Instructor Role: During this instructional strategy activity, the instructor takes on a
Role more active role by entirely leading the discussion and disseminating knowledge to
the students.
Student Role Student Role: During this strategy, the students are expected to be active listeners.
They should be engaged in the short lecture in an effort to develop their
understanding of the concepts that constitute authority. Students are always
encouraged to ask questions.
you are all done, take turns discussing why you think so in your groups. Come to a
group consensus if you believe the information source is credible.
Technology: Display the URL to the article on the screen to have students access it
on their iPads. (It may be easier to create a TinyUrl for this project.) Article
Citation: Tanner, L. (2017). Games, crafts, and other activities may safeguard
aging brain. Associated Press. Retrieved from:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/aa60ef4fbff043cc8a98edda18651056/games-crafts-
other-activities-may-safeguard-aging-brain
Understanding Check: The activity will end by bringing the group back together
and having them vote whether or not they believe the article to be credible. A short
discussion activity will follow. (5 minutes)
Transition Transition: Allow the students a short break to chat, recharge, and relocate their Time
seat, if they wish, in the room (1 minute). 5
minutes
Bring the students back together by displaying the word Authority on the screen.
Ask the students what they think the words means, and then display the definition:
Authority is a type of influence recognized within a community (NLA, 2016).
Inform them that determining the credibility of an information source is not enough
when doing research, they must dig deeper to determine whether it is authoritative
enough for your particular information need. (4 minutes)
Instructional
Strategy Three
Strategy Differentiation: Play the short video, Credibility is Contextual to provide the Time
35
Explanation necessary instruction on how credibility and authority are related, how the 15
information need determines authority, and ways to determine the level of authority minutes
needed. (3 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRlHmK8drWc (Eissen, 2014).
Individual Work:
Distribute the Individual Authority Challenge worksheet to each student
(Appendix C). This is the evidence of learning that will be used for the
Summative Assessment.
Technology: Using iPads, the students will seek a related information source.
Their chosen information source can be credible/not credible and authoritative/not
authoritative. The goal is for students to mimic the research process and make this
determination on their own.
They must use the credibility/authority checklist, state whether they believe it is
credible and/or authoritative, and they must defend their choices.
Students will record their responses directly on the sheet and turn it in to the
instructor.
(7 minutes)
Instructor Instructor Role: During this instructional strategy activity, the instructor will
Role circulate the room only to provide guidance when necessary; however, the goal is
for the instructor to allow the students to work independently.
Student Role Student Role: During this instructional strategy activity, the students will be active
learners engaged in applying the concepts learned throughout the entire session to
the realistic research process. They may ask questions, but are encouraged to work
through problems and make their own decisions.
Closing Once all of the students have turned in their final summative assessment, inform Time
students that they have just simulated the natural research process and are one step 3-5
closer towards developing their own authoritative voices for their end of the minutes
workshop podcasts.
The instructor will summarize some of the key understandings from the session
(the three objectives) and will answer any remaining questions.
The instructor will provide a brief overview of the understandings and concepts
that will be learned at the next session The responsibilities of Authority.
Remind students to follow the directions to complete the Student Reflection Blog
after the session. Inform them that they are welcome to stay in the teen area to use
the iPads or library computers to blog or they may complete the blog at home.
Remind them that this activity is optional. (If time allows, students can begin
blogging during the remaining time).
Self- SLO 1: Students will be able to identify and compose a list of criteria for Time
Reflection determining the authority of information sources. (post-
Assessment SLO 2: Students will be able to apply the class-identified criteria of authority to session,
Strategy critically determine and defend their choices of identifying whether or not will
information sources are authoritative based on a specific information need. vary)
SLO 3: Students will be able to locate appropriate authoritative information
sources on their own for a specific information need.
This assessment will occur post-session on the teens own time. They are invited to
stay at the library after to use a computer/iPad or they may participate at home.
Because this is a recreational lesson; however, this assessment is entirely optional
for the teens to complete. The overall goal is for students to evaluate their own
learning and share their understanding with the instructor (Sackstein, 2016).
Assessment: Students are provided a link to an EDUBlog where they will be asked
to sign in (usernames and passwords were created when students signed up for the
program or when they turned in their pre-assessment survey) and rate their own
learning according to this lessons 3 SLOs. Students are asked to rate their own
learning and provide evidence of an activity and/or discussion that supports their
choice in rating. They are also given instruction to use the space to reflect on their
experience in the session, ask questions of the instructor, or discuss concepts with
other teens who participate in the workshop.
37
Conclusion
The instructional plan contained in this document outlined the entire design process for
the 4 part summer workshop series on Understanding Authority for teen patrons at the Chisholm
Public Library. At the conclusion of the summer series, the teens will have developed their own
authoritative voices by completing podcast presentations that will be posted to the librarys
website. These podcasts will provide other patrons at the library with helpful tips on how to
determine the credibility and authority of various information resources. In order to complete
these recordings, they will have to apply their understanding of the concepts of credibility and
authority they engaged with throughout the workshop. Data collected from student self-
assessments at the end of each session will be used to measure the success of each of the
anticipated student learning outcomes. This will inform the design of future teen instructional
References
Adl-Tabatabai, S. (2017). NATO chief: World war three with Russia very likely.
YourNewsWire. Retrieved from http://yournewswire.com/nato-chief-world-war-3-russia/
Grassian, E. S. & Kaplowitz, J. R. (2009). Information literacy instruction: Theory and practice.
New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
King, T. (2017). LIS 221: Information literacy instructional plan template - Modified from
Lesson Plan Template Designed by Oakleaf, M. (2008). Retrieved from:
meganoakleaf.info/lessonplantemplate.doc
Sackstein, S. (2016). Student self-assessment practices that work. Education Week Teacher.
Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/work_in_progress/2016/05/student_self-
assessment_practi.html
Tanner, L. (2017). Games, crafts, and other activities may safeguard aging brain. Associated
Press. Retrieved from:
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/aa60ef4fbff043cc8a98edda18651056/games-crafts-other-
activities-may-safeguard-aging-brain
Townsend, L., Brunetti, K. & Hofer, A. R. (2011). Threshold concepts and information literacy.
Portal: Libraries and The Academy, 11(3), 853-869.
Appendix Survey
1. Please indicate how often you consider the following factors when determining whether or not
a source of information is credible, meaning whether you trust the information to be true and/or
real.
Always if you always use this element when you come across new information.
Sometimes if you use this element only sometimes when you come across new information.
Never if you never use this element when you come across new information.
4. It is my responsibility to determine whether information is credible.
True I am not sure False
5. If a news story has been retweeted by famous people, I can trust it.
True I am not sure False
8. If a story turns out to be made up, it's not that big of a deal.
True I am not sure False
41
10. Tell us what you want to know after attending these summer sessions? (Check
all that apply)
Strategies to determine if an information source is trustworthy
How to determine fake news from real news
Your responsibilities when sharing information on social media
Your responsibilities when creating information
Other (please specify anything else you want to learn through these
sessions)
42
43
44
Name____________________________________
I am trying to convince my school principal to extend lunch by 15 minutes. I need credible and
authoritative information sources to support my reasoning. Find an information source related to
this topic and determine if you think it is credible/not credible and authoritative/not authoritative
enough for your information need.