Librarians and Engineering Faculty: Partnership Opportunities in

Information Literacy and Ethics Instruction

Alice J TrussellKansas State University

Presented at:25th Annual IATUL Conference:

Library Management in a Changing EnvironmentKraków, Poland

May 31, 2004

Introduction—a quick survey

• Librarians have tradition of patron service

• Information literacy is essential

• Patrons are changing

• Where are accreditation standards headed?

• We can assist faculty in meeting accreditation standards

• Let’s examine converging factors

Librarians and Engineering Education

• Engineering education itself is changing– Accreditation standards changing– Closer relationships with partner corporations– Students from more variable background

• Librarians: traditional warehoused system– “Just in case” paradigm– Library instruction paper & object based– Parameters well defined

Librarians and Engineering Education –Con’t

• Electronic Access: expanded information gateways

• Patron expectations skyrocket

• Librarians organizing the world of information

• High potential for patron information confusion

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology:

North AmericaABET 2000 Criterion #3Engineering Programs must demonstrate that

their graduates have…

• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

• Each program must include an assessment program

ABET 2000 Criterion # 4

• Students must be prepared for engineering practice…

• Incorporate economic, manufacturability, ethical, et.al.

Role of the Engineering Librarian as collaborators

• Librarians have the necessary information utilization skills

• Librarian can be a neutral party for collaboration, partnering

• Librarian mediate electronic interface

• Emerging roles as content developers

• Instruction

Information Literacy…critical thinking skills

• Recognize when information is needed

• Locate, evaluate & use information effectively

• Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use of information and use the information ethically and legally (ACRL).

Today’s Student

• Millennial students are different (Newton)

• More general knowledge, but less experience in exploring a subject in depth

• Technical mastery not equal to critical thinking

• They don’t “know all that stuff” (Weiler).

• Values gap: cut and paste plagiarism

• The internet is “free” & “public” information

• Skills can be embedded into curricula

The Global Perspective

• Engineering and engineers becoming more mobile

• Accreditation and licensing standards now relevant to international employers

• ABET active in international “mutual recognition” agreements

• 1970’s= USA and Canada• 1980’s=Washington Accords; 6 countries

Globally: the forecast?

• Reciprocal recognition sought

• Seeking “substantially equivalent” programs

• ABET has emerged as a leader

• ABET’s shifting emphasis to qualitative potentially impacts reciprocity of future agreements

• Reasonable forecast concludes more and more schools will require ethics training

Implementation

• Librarians have the skills

• Clearly label specifics as “ethics” issues

• Embed in the curriculum-not sporadic– Nerz, Weiner

• Must include assessment-ABET

• Engineering & Library faculty collaborate on cycle of assessment/improvement

THE END

Alice J. Trussell

Assistant Professor and Director

Fiedler Engineering Library

Kansas State University

alitrus@ksu.edu