This article details the process of implementing a sequenced information literacy program for two core English composition courses at Utah State University. Anextensive needs assessment guided the project, leading to a curriculum design process with the goal of building a foundation for deeper critical thinking skills. The curriculum development and implementation process highlights several of the advantages of using the course-integrated model of instruction to develop a more comprehensive information literacy program.

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This study compared three plagiarism-avoidance training formats (i.e., no training, online tutorial, or homework assignment) in several undergraduate ecology courses. The authors found that students trained with the homework assignment more successfully identified plagiarism or the lack thereof than did untrained students or students trained with the online tutorial.

This paper outlines the process and results of an authentic assessment of student work using a revised version of the AAC&U's Information Literacy VALUE rubric. This rigorous assessment, which included the scoring of nearly 900 student papers from four different stages across the undergraduate curriculum, revealed much about the process of authentic assessment of student learning, the struggles and competencies of our students, and a clear path forward for improving practice. It also gave us a broad view of student learning, allowing us to immerse ourselves in student work and providing a stronger narrative to share with stakeholders.or the last several years, stakeholders across higher education have been calling for greater accountability and transparency, especially in the assessment of student learning. High-profile books and articles have questioned the degree to which students are actually learning the knowledge and skills required to be successful and productive citizens.1 Reform movements are challenging the status quo, including the credit-hour system for defining degrees, and calling for clearer definitions of learning outcomes and competency-based measures of success and completion.

Purpose -Reports methodology and findings of focus groups conducted at Utah state university to assess students' needs in the library's new information commons. Design/methodology/approach -A joint committee of computer services personnel and librarians, with assistance from undergraduate library peer mentors, undertook a series of focus groups with participants from the Utah state university student population. The goals were to assess the undiscovered needs of students and students' preferences in a new library. Findings -After the focus group responses were organized into eleven categories, we recorded several key traits and sets of comments from our user population; our users spend a good deal of their study time in the library either working individually or as a group, participants differ in their preferences for seeking help in the library, and participants consider noise levels and adequate space to study important concerns. Practical implications -By following a few standard procedures, focus groups can be a useful format for collecting data regarding patrons' needs and interests in the library. Focus groups can help library staff plan for and design new intellectual and physical spaces in the library. Originality/value -This paper will be useful to academic librarians planning an Information Commons or other services in the library, or librarians interested in assessing their users' needs through focus groups.