Ellysa Stern Cahoy

Faculty Fellow Summer 2009

Ellysa Stern Cahoy is the Assistant Head of Library Learning Services in the Penn State University Libraries, developing programs and online resources that help students learn how to find, evaluate and use information. A former children’s librarian and school library media specialist, Ms. Cahoy has published research and presented on information literacy, library orientation, evidence-based librarianship and library instruction. Ms. Cahoy is Co-Director of the Central Pennsylvania K-16 Information Literacy Network, is on the Executive Committee of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Instruction Section, and is Editor of the ACRL Information Literacy Web Site.

Faculty Fellowship Plan

I plan to work with Education Technology Services (ETS) in Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) as a Faculty Fellow, exploring the topic of digital literacy acquisition in-depth and developing instructional solutions in collaboration with TLT/ETS staff expert in online content creation, including Digital Commons staff. Faculty Fellows engage with TLT/ETS to integrate technology within emerging educational projects that can be shared and implemented widely throughout Penn State. The Fellowship will also provide the valuable opportunity to engage and collaborate with other TLT Faculty Fellows studying related issues relevant to content creation. I will be in residence as a Fellow in ETS/TLT from July 1 – mid-August, 2009. Following this hands-on summer fellowship, I will continue my work with TLT/ETS, developing and finalizing project outcomes while simultaneously producing an article on the future of higher education information literacy standards and/or strategies for embedding digital literacy instruction within the online content creation process.

This project will result in new deliverables (i.e., online tutorials; instructional materials; curriculum support materials) to assist the Digital Commons, the Libraries and other audiences, including course instructors, in helping students develop digital literacy competencies. The project outcomes will benefit students, faculty and others creating or facilitating content creation on campus.

I have published two previous works on information literacy standards (Cahoy, 2002, 2004); the focus of this project will enrich one of my central research areas. I plan to publish the article(s) resulting from this project in a relevant, peer-reviewed outlet, which could include relevant Library & Information Science journals such as portal: Libraries and the Academy and Communications in Information Literacy, or journals addressing information technology in higher education, including EDUCAUSE Quarterly, the Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia or The Journal of Literacy and Technology. As a TLT Faculty Fellow, I anticipate sharing the outcomes of this project in a variety of interactive campus discussion venues; both online and in-person.