Re-architecting an Information/Technology Literacy Course: Breaking New Ground and Laying Foundational Pedagogies

In the late 1990’s, grants and support from the National Science Foundation and the National Research Council impelled many institutions of higher education to consider course redesign. The science mega-classes, usually introductory courses, were targeted for re-visioning of pedagogical approaches, toward a more active learning model. This meant (a) more faculty-student interaction, (b) greater student classroom interaction in mastering new discipline knowledge in a social constructivist environment, and (c) continuous formative and summative assessments to increase student engagement and understanding of material.