Introducing Credo Instruct
Healey Library is excited to introduce a platform called Credo Instruct, a set of standalone, interactive information literacy modules. These modules are used in the Library’s in-person instructional program and are also available for independent faculty use.
Information literacy addresses critical thinking and research skills by teaching students:
- How to identify an information need
- Where to locate the information they need
- How to evaluate the quality and reliability of the information they find
- How to use the information they find ethically
These interactive Credo Instruct modules include text tutorials, videos, and interactive exercises, and they allow students to test their learning with graded quizzes. The interactive modules include:
- Getting Started with Research
- Sources of Information
- Searching for Information
- Evaluating Information
- Presenting Research and Data
- Citation and Academic Integrity
How Can Faculty Use Credo Instruct?
Faculty can choose individual videos and activities to incorporate into their classes as needed, or they can assign students to review entire modules. Faculty may select and assign the lessons independently, or they may assign specific modules or lessons to their students to review before a library instruction session. When students view the modules before a session with a librarian, students have more opportunities during that session to engage with library and information resources and expand on larger conversations about research and critical thinking.
For more information, please review the Faculty Guide to Credo Instruct, which contains the full menu of Credo Instruct learning objects.
Contact the reference department at library.reference@umb.edu if you have questions or need help with the links.
Feedback from Faculty and Students
Since the introduction of Credo Instruct this year, faculty feedback has been incredibly positive.
Faculty have told us:
- “Tell me how I get your wonderful Credo segments into my class’s Blackboard page, so I can have them well prepared before they come to visit the library.” (Nursing)
- “This is great!” (English)
- “In advance of your visit, I had the students review Credo Instruct, choose a module that would be helpful for them, and then write a short paragraph explaining why the info was helpful.” (Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)
Students have told us:
- They like the content, pacing, and activities, especially the Test Your Knowledge segments.
- The citation activities give them a better understanding of what a citation is and its different parts.
- Viewing the module Presenting Research and Data gives them an understanding of how to synthesize information for a research paper. One student said, “In high school, I never even thought about where information was coming from. My teacher would give me an article and tell me to write about it. I didn’t have to do research; in high school everything was given to me. Until I viewed the module, I didn’t realize how complicated information is.”
- “I watched the Evaluating Information module. My main takeaway was how ineffective Google is when evaluating for quality.”
Review the Faculty Guide to Credo Instruct, and contact Library.Reference@umb.edu for more information about using these modules in your classes!
Healey Library: We’ve Got You Covered
We want to begin the new school year by reaffirming our mission to support our users. “We’ve Got You Covered” is our commitment to the campus and our community partners. If you need something, we will do everything we can to try to get it for you, whether it’s a specific research resource, research or classroom support, or any of the services offered by Healey Library staff. We’re here to help you and your students succeed, so please let us know what we can do for you.