Chemistry and Infomation Literacy for Informed Citizens: Creating and Implementing a Chemistry Research Assignment Using News Media

Abstract

In an undergraduate chemistry research assignment, students used popular media to explore science in the news and connected the science media reports to the original scientific literature. A librarian and chemistry instructor collaborated on information literacy instruction to teach students the research skills required to successfully complete the assignment. Students participated in three scaffolded library lab activities: a pre-reflection exercise in which students were asked to articulate what they knew about scientific information and how they would conduct a search for scientific literature; a Google search activity on finding credible science news reports; and an exercise linking science found in popular news reports to the original scientific literature located in academic databases. Learning outcomes assessment is provided in qualitative summaries detailing student interactions with the library lab activities and class discussions.