We are excited to announced that we have scheduled the first workshops in The Ohio State University Libraries' spring Information Literacy Workshop Series. Webinars are free and open to all interested librarians, course instructors, and graduate teaching associates at any institution. Participants in these workshops are also eligible to complete the Teaching Information Literacy Certificate program, being offered by the University Libraries' Teaching & Learning Department. For questions, email LIB-Teach@osu.edu.
All are welcome!
Teaching AI Fluency with Authenticity and Vulnerability
January 15, 2026
12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26aifluency
The increasing presence of generative AI opens new opportunities for educators to make a significant impact on student learning. And yet, for those who lack significant experience or expertise related to AI, leading discussions about AI or engaging with AI tools may create feelings of vulnerability. How can we talk with our students about AI, or provide guidance or create policies for AI use, if we don't feel comfortable using AI ourselves? In this workshop, two educators with varying levels of expertise with AI will discuss how educators, even those who may not have a great deal of experience using AI tools, can approach teaching with or talking about AI in an authentic manner. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Information Literacy: Definitions and Core Concepts
January 22, 2026
12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26ildefinitions
What is information literacy? Why is information literacy important for students? In this workshop, participants will learn about several definitions of information literacy and develop an understanding of the key concepts, skills, and dispositions associated with information literacy. In addition, participants will learn why explicit information literacy instruction is crucial to students' academic and professional success and consider what their role in supporting students' information literacy development might be. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Teaching Information Literacy: Strategies and Resources
January 29, 2026
12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26ilstrategies
How do we teach information literacy? In order to develop the habits and skills associated with information literacy, students need explicit guidance and support across their entire academic careers. In this workshop, participants will learn more about strategies and activities that they can use to teach information literacy in a variety of contexts. In addition, participants will become familiar with multiple resources available to help them integrate information literacy into their teaching practices. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Should I Still Be Teaching That? Outdated Research Notions
February 5, 2026
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp25outdated
Are .org sources more credible? Should students be discouraged from using Wikipedia or Google Scholar as part of the research process? Students, and sometimes even instructors, may have a wide range of misconceptions or outdated notions when it comes to information searching and research assignments. In this workshop, participants will learn about some common, but outdated, understandings about how to find, evaluate and use information as part of the research process, and become familiar with more updated guidance. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department, and the University of New Mexico Libraries, and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Do Students Really Need to Learn That? Controversial Research Notions
February 12, 2026
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26controversial
Do first year students need to be using peer-reviewed journal articles? Should students spend time learning how to use Boolean operators? How important is it for students to be able to create perfect APA or MLA citations? Is plagiarism really theft? Research and information literacy instruction often centers around teaching students how to conduct research in the same way as disciplinary experts. We encourage students to learn how to use academic databases and peer-reviewed journal articles, to utilize Boolean operators and other precision search techniques, and to generate complete academic citations. However, after graduation, many (perhaps most) of our students will lose access to academic databases and will never use peer-reviewed articles or need to provide citations. This presentation will outline several controversial notions related to how we teach research and information literacy. Participants will be encouraged to consider these notions in light of their own teaching practices and consider potential alternative approaches for teaching research and information literacy. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department, and the University of New Mexico Libraries, and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Teaching Research Practices: The Impact of Prior Knowledge on Students' Research Performance
February 19, 2026
12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26priorknowledge
Students come into our classes with prior understandings about what it means to do research or how to perform specific research practices or tasks. While this prior knowledge can sometimes be useful, when it is inaccurate or inappropriate, prior knowledge can also cause students to struggle with research assignments or projects. This workshop will explore the relationship between prior knowledge, research, and information literacy. The presenter will share practical ideas for how to identify, activate, and, when needed, correct students' prior knowledge in order to support improved performance on research assignments. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Teaching Research Practices with Small Teaching
February 26, 2026
12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26smallteaching
In Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning, James Lang uses research on how we learn to provide guidance for small changes that instructors can make in order to support student learning. This workshop will provide an overview of the Small Teaching approach and consider how instructors can use this approach to help students develop key understandings and skills related to research and information literacy. The presentation will use Small Teaching to highlight activities and strategies that instructors can incorporate into their classes that do not require a significant amount of time or a major course redesign. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
Voices Not Sources: Reframing How We Teach Searching for and Evaluating Sources
March 5, 2026
12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
To register: https://go.osu.edu/sp26voices
As part of research or inquiry-based assignments, students are often instructed to locate X number of sources. However, such guidance may create the impression that having several different sources will naturally result in having a range of different perspectives on the topic, which is not always the case. Likewise, students are often told to use only specific types of sources, such as scholarly journal articles, which may create the impression that only academic perspectives are valuable. In this workshop, participants will consider what it would mean if we encouraged students to seek differing voices, not a specific number or type of sources. How could this change the way students search for sources? How could this change how students evaluate sources? Participants should leave with ideas for how they can help students to consider the value of incorporating multiple perspectives, including non-academic perspectives, as part of the research process. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department and is open to all faculty, staff, librarians, and graduate students at Ohio State. Instructors and librarians from other institutions are also welcome to attend.
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Jane Hammons
Teaching and Learning Engagement Librarian
The Ohio State University
hammons.73@osu.edu------------------------------