As we move toward an information based society, it is crucial that students and educators be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in a world of increasing scientific discoveries and technological demands. The proliferation of information in electronic and print media demands the efficient application of research and communication tools and the ability to apply critical thinking in their use. To provide students with skills that will enable them to process information effectively, educators must ensure that all students are grounded in critical thinking and information literacy .
To meet these needs, Bellevue Community College proposes to build and institutionalize a program that infuses critical thinking and information literacy across the curricula using interdisciplinary topics based on scientific concepts and science-related issues as a vehicle for developing skills that will assist students throughout their educational and professional careers. Towards this goal, following are the proposed objectives of the project: (1) Refocus the Information Literacy Across the Curriculum project to use interdisciplinary scientific concepts and issues as vehicles for the integration of critical thinking and information literacy into the curriculum. (2) Equip faculty and students with critical thinking and information literacy skills that will empower them with the skills needed to fully function in the global information environment; (3) Develop an understanding of personal, institutional, and public policy issues as they relate to information literacy; (4) Develop an environment to foster collaborative efforts between faculty, students, information technologists, and librarians.
To accomplish these objectives, BCC has developed an institution-wide leadership panel to ensure wide-spread participation and dissemination. The Information Literacy Across the Curriculum (ILAC) project was funded by BCC to pilot the concept 0f incorporating information literacy into the curricula of various disciplines. The current proposal (CTILAC) is providing faculty with the tools to incorporate critical thinking and information literacy skills as they deal with scientific concepts and science-related issues in their courses. Faculty and students will be provided knowledge and skills to use technology effectively in their research activities. Methods of instruction include workshops, symposia, electronic courseware, tutorials, ongoing technical support, and peer training and assistance.
Collaborations with the University of Washington UWired program, the NorthWest Center for Emerging Technologies and the Regional Advanced Technology Education Consotium will ensure dissemination of the methodologies developed in the project as well as findings on student success and learning experiences.
Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Across the Curriculum is conceived as an ongoing, fully integrated project leading to infusion across the campus. Thorough evaluations and collaborations will result in a model program with materials to be shared on a local, regional and national level.
