Using Standards - Develop Courses

Example: Introduction to Visual Culture 
as developed by Margarat Nee

Outline of the process

"Using the Information Literacy Standards was an educational process. Of course the process did help me define my course objectives more clearly, but, I also needed to adapt them for my particular course. Fortunately, as an artist I am skilled in adapting information for new purposes. I needed to adapt the Standards to a course that focused on visual information, rather than the text-based focus of the Standards. I had to read the visual world into the language of Information Literacy Standards. For example, identifying the act of looking as an information gathering strategy, and defining visual art as a primary information source."

This course is designed as a lower-division 200 level course; suitable for sophomores who have completed a university writing course or equivalent. Suitable for general education, recomended for art practice and art history majors.

Course development began with using the Backward Design Process that first asks the instructor to identify desired results, then determine acceptable evidence, and conclude with planning learning experiences that will result in the desired understanding and proficiencies.

From this process the Course Objectives were developed, and then paired with applicable Outcomes from the the Standards. This course emphasizes the skills outlined in Standard Three.

The final aspect of planning involved the design of learning experiences and instruction; becoming concrete in the design of the syllabus and assignments.

Further reading on course design

Carla List, "Branching Out: A Required Library Research Course Targets
Disciplines and Programs," The Reference Librarian 51/52 (1995).

Jill Newby, "Evolution of a Library Research Methods Course for Biology
Students," Research Strategies 17 (2000).

Craig Gibson and Jane Scales, "Going the Distance (and Back Again): A Distance
Education Course Comes Home," The Reference Librarian 69/70 (2000).

Jeanne R. Davidson, "Faculty and Student Attitudes toward Credit Courses for
Library Skills," C&RL 62 (2001).

Also see our bibliography for faculty