Demystifying the Chemistry Literature: Building Information Literacy in First-Year Chemistry Students through Student-Centered Learning and Experiment Design

This paper describes curriculum modules developed for first-year general chemistry laboratory courses that use scientific literature and creative experiment design to build information literacy in a student-centered learning environment. Two curriculum units are discussed: Exploring Scientific Literature and Design Your Own General Chemistry Laboratory Experiment. The modules sequentially develop and expand upon students’ chemical literacy, including the use of scientific literature to support experiment design. Student success is dependent on developing and using information literacy in service to critical thinking and practical analytical problem solving. A longitudinal study of students participating in this project surveyed self-assessed attitudes and beliefs. Initial findings suggest that introducing the scientific literature and building information literacy skills in first-year chemistry courses provide immediate and long-term benefits to student performance and engagement in the sciences. Course materials and assessment strategies used in the modules are provided as Supporting Information to this paper.