Cracking the Case: A Model for Librarian-Faculty Collaboration in Developing an Information Literacy-Intensive Forensic Science Course

Abstract

Forensic science is a multi-faceted field that includes expertise from a variety of disciplines. A challenge for creating a course to address skills to develop information literacy competencies and encourage lifelong learning for future practitioners is covering those diverse disciplines. This poster details how librarians at Texas A&M University developed a junior-level forensic science seminar in collaboration with an entomology professor to meet the research needs of students in the forensic sciences program. The authors outline the steps taken to create six separate information literacy-intensive classes, including the development of the assignments, and how feedback was provided to the students. By creating this information literacy course, instructors are able to better prepare students for their program’s research intensive courses with the amount of detail required that cannot be covered in a one-shot instruction session. Additionally, the poster addresses issues raised in class, such as open access, the cost of information, and evaluation of science and legal materials which helps the students translate current school work to their future careers.