BUT Information Education course

The BUT Information Education course offered by the BUT libraries is designed for first-year students providing them with the basic information needed to improve their information literacy. The course focuses on practical use of information resources, information institutions and the services they offer for each faculty. Students should learn how to work, for example, with the information resources available to get support for their study and research work.

After the completion of the course, the students should:

• know how to work with Moodle
• know the services, and options offered by BUT libraries and others
• know the basic principles of searching any library catalogue and how to apply them
• know how to define the key words for web searching
• be able to explain the concept of invisible web and describe the reasons why it is suitable as an information resource
• know the specialised resources of good quality
• be able to assess the quality of the information found
• know and employ the most important databases of their speciality
• be able to explain and interpret the Internet ethical rules
• know how to create a reference to a monograph, paper in a series, conference proceedings contribution, webpage
• know the basic rules of scientific writing

The course is implemented in a fully distant form using the Moodle LMS e-learning module with an introductory lecture. The module is managed by the BUT Computing and Information Centre. Led and methodically guided by a person authorised by the BUT Central Library, the courses are taught by tutors provided by the relevant faculty libraries.

There are ten tutors teaching the courses at the following faculties:

• Faculty of Chemistry
• Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication
• Faculty of Information Technolog
• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Faculty of Fine Arts
• Faculty of Business and Management
• Faculty of Civil Engineering

Each year, the Information Education course (customized for each faculty) is completed by more than two thousand students with the seventh year beginning in Autumn 2013.