Core Academic Skills Faculty Pack: Information Literacy

Have students prepare a one-minute “elevator speech” to persuade a theoretical boss on the merits of a new product, marketing strategy, project, etc. To be persuasive, students should expect to have relevant facts and data incorporated into the speech.

Students should then follow up with their “boss” with a written memo outlining the details of the pitch, and sources where they can find more information.

Students are broken up into five groups and given the following scenario (which can be adjusted to reflect other types of course content):

A new commuter rail line is being proposed for the South Shore of Massachusetts to connect a growing suburb of the city to Boston.

• Group 1 – You are residents and commuters in a town where the new rail will pass through.
• Group 2 – You are members of an environmental group concerned about the rail’s proximity to a marsh.
• Group 3 – You are taxpayers of the state who live on the North Shore and will probably never use the new rail.
• Group 4 – You work for the state’s Transportation Board and are preparing a briefing on the rail for the public.
• Group 5 – You are owners of an industrial park that houses a number of businesses in a town the new rail will serve.

Each group identifies what information they need/want to know and develops a strategy for finding it.

Groups then share their results with the class, and the results are discussed - what do all the groups need/want to know? What information is unique to their group? Did they identify any information they wanted, but had no idea how to find? Brainstorm solutions with the class.

Ask students to write a press release for a new product, service, or initiative from a company they admire. Important facts should be backed up with citations and data.