Active Learning Techniques 

for Library Instruction

Information Literacy Activities Designed by Librarians, For Librarians
Submit an activity About the editors

 

Who is this site for?  Any instructor, at any educational level, teaching information literacy skills in a classroom setting.

What will you find here?  Lots of creative classroom activities for developing information literacy skills that actively engage students in their own learning experience.  These activities are designed to:

  • appeal to a range of learning styles
  • be customizable for use with a wide range of age groups (primary through post-secondary)
  • have measurable outcomes for assessment

Active learning is an essential part of teaching information literacy skills, whether you are teaching at an elementary school, a high school, or a college.  However, coming up with fresh ideas, class after class, can be tough on even the most creative person.  

Feeling stale and need to perk up your information literacy class?  Try one of these ideas:

 
Identifying & developing a topic

ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher  Education, Standard 1
AASL Information Power, Standard 1 

Generating key words and synonyms

 
Keyword and synonym challenge

Reading for key words and concepts

Reading for background knowledge

Hot Potato!: a synonym game

Keyword Posters

 
Teaching Boolean logic

Human Database

Boolean Burrito

The Brain Candy Game

Shuffle and Deal

 
Keyword vs. subject headings Phone book keyword vs. subject heading

Thinking like a computer:  Magazine or journal citation examination

 
Searching & retrieving sources

ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher  Education, Standard 2
AASL Information Power, Standard 1 

 

Building a search query
The Google Parlor Game

Research Game Plan
Evaluating sources

ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher  Education, Standard 3
AASL Information Power, Standard 2

 

Popular magazines vs. scholarly journals
Hands-on comparison of paired periodicals

Author search

 
Evaluating web pages Web page worksheet

 
Understanding the social and ethical aspects of information

ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher  Education, Standard 5
AASL Information Power, Standard 7 & 8

 

Using proper citation style
Human Citation

 

 

General Library Orientations
 

Destination Information!

Library Lingo: a crossword puzzle

Library Cyber-Chase

 

Note:  activities contributed to this collection may be edited for consistency.  The contributor agrees that their idea may be freely used in the classroom by other librarians.  Activities may not be reproduced electronically or in print without permission of the contributor.  If you feel that material reproduced on this site violates copyright law, please contact atatnall@yccc.edu or jmoreno@cmcc.edu    

This site is hosted by York County Community College in Wells, Maine.

Last updated:  10/03/07

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