World War II Poster Project & ACRL Information Literacy
1. World War II Poster Project Learning Outcomes as Mapped to the ACRL
Information Literacy Standards
ACRL Standard Performance Indicators (P.I.) Integration into HIST 100 Poster Project
– The information literate
student....
Standard One: The P.I. 1.1: Defines and articulates Students worked together in pairs to identify
information literate the need for information. research topics and a thesis statement for their
student determines final papers.
the nature and extent
of the information
needed.
P.I. 1.2: Identifies a variety of Students’ basic understanding of information
types and formats of potential sources was gauged during a pre-test exercise
sources for information. using personal response systems (“clickers”)
during Session One.
- Identifies purpose and
audience of potential
resources (e.g., popular
vs. scholarly, current
vs. historical)
- Differentiates between
primary and secondary
sources.
Standard Two: The P.I. 2.1: Selects the most Students selected appropriate research sources
information literate appropriate investigative for the papers. In addition to using the Internet,
student accesses methods or information retrieval students were encouraged to use subject-
needed information systems for accessing the needed specialized databases related to history, and to a
effectively and information. lesser degree, art.
efficiently.
Students needed to balance using primary
sources available through Special Collections
with secondary source research collected
elsewhere.
P.I. 2.2: Constructs and During Session 2, students worked in pairs to
implements effectively-designed identify key concepts and terms to use for their
search strategies. research. Students participated in class
discussions and discussions with smaller groups
of peers about their information needs and
plans for research.
During Session 2, students participated in a
brainstorming session to create keywords,
synonyms and related terms that were used in
search strategies. Students discussed their
intended search strategies with each other and
their instructors.
World War II Poster Project David Del Testa, Ph.D. History
www.paperandpixels.org Abby Clobridge, M.S. Library Science
2. Research logs were maintained by all students.
Del Testa placed the emphasis on “process over
product,” encouraging students to consider how
they approached their research.
P.I. 2.3: Retrieves information To complete their papers, students needed to
online or in person using a use materials from Special Collections along
variety of methods. with library-licensed databases. Some materials
were available in person at Special Collections,
in the Reference collection, at the Reserves
Desk, and in the library’s main book collection.
Most students also needed to order articles or
books through an inter-library loan system.
Standard Three: The P.I. 3.1: Summarizes the main The research/analysis papers required that
information literate ideas to be extracted from the students were able extract and synthesize
student evaluates information gathered. information from various sources; evaluate
information and its information and sources; and construct new
sources critically P.I. 3.2: Articulates and applies ideas based on all of the information gathered.
and incorporates initial criteria for evaluating both
selected information the information and its sources.
into his or her
knowledge base and P.I. 3.3: Synthesizes main ideas
value system. to construct new concepts.
Standard Four: The P.I. 4.1: Applies new and prior The digital library, created over the course of
information literate information to the planning and several class sessions, required students to
student, individually creation of a particular product create a new product. As a class, students
or as a member of a or performance. decided how to organize the content for their
group, uses collection. They created digital surrogates of
-
information their posters, manipulated digital images, and
Organizes the content
effectively to used specialized information technology
in a manner that
accomplish a supports the purpose applications to create the digital library.
specific purpose. and format of the
product or performance.
- Manipulates digital
text, images, and data,
as needed, transferring
them from their original
locations and formats to
a new context.
World War II Poster Project David Del Testa, Ph.D. History
www.paperandpixels.org Abby Clobridge, M.S. Library Science
3. P.I. 4.2: Revises the As part of the initial written instructions for the
development process for the poster project that were distributed to students,
product or performance. Del Testa:
- Remember that process is as important as
Maintains a journal or
or more important than product in this
log of activities related
to the information assignment, therefore you must
collectively keep a diary/journal of all
seeking, evaluating, and
actions you take related to this project and
communicating process.
- submit it to the instructor along with your
Reflects on past
poster report.
successes, failures, and
alternative strategies.
Your instructor recognizes effort as much
as outcome. The best proof of this effort,
especially if you don’t come up with
much supporting material in the end, is
your diary/journal. You are encouraged
to make notations in this diary/journal
every time you meet to discuss your
poster, examine your poster, research
your poster, and so on. This will provide
valuable “proof” of your efforts to your
instructor.
Once you and your partner have selected
a poster to investigate, you should
immediately get out your journal/diary,
note the date and place, and then proceed
write down all of the information you can
about it, perhaps even sketching out
roughly what you see. You should write
down all of your first impressions and
observations, and take notes on all of the
text you can find on the page. None of
these impressions or observations are
‘wrong’…what you’re doing is bringing
your combined knowledge together to
provide a basis for investigating the image
further and analyzing it for others. These
first impressions and initial information is
critical, for it will help guide you.
Journals were submitted as part of the final
project, along with the formal research paper.
P.I. 4.3: Communicates the The digital library, created over the course of
product or performance several class sessions, required students to
effectively to others. create a new product. As a class, students
decided how to organize the content for their
- collection. They created digital surrogates of
Uses a range of
their posters, manipulated digital images, and
information technology
used specialized information technology
applications in creating
applications to create the digital library.
the product or
World War II Poster Project David Del Testa, Ph.D. History
www.paperandpixels.org Abby Clobridge, M.S. Library Science
4. performance.
- Students were also involved in making
Incorporates principles
recommendations for the look and feel of the
of design and
online exhibit showcasing their work that
communication
would be created at a later date.
Standard Five: The P.I. 5.3: Acknowledges the use Students were required to use Turabian or
information literate of information sources in Chicago Manual of Style for footnotes and
student understands communicating the product or bibliographies.
many of the performance.
economic, legal, and Copyright was discussed in class within the
social issues context of the digital library.
surrounding the use
of information and
accesses and uses
information ethically
and legally.
World War II Poster Project David Del Testa, Ph.D. History
www.paperandpixels.org Abby Clobridge, M.S. Library Science