Curriculum Development: Integrating Information Retrieval into Undergraduate Curricula for Small and Medium Sized Universities - A Module-Based Approach

在信息时代，为了有效地利用数字和在线信息，职业和终身学习越来越依赖于信息检索(IR)技能。然而，将信息检索融入本科课程并没有跟上这一需求。作为许多学科的一个组成部分，信息检索值得更多的关注。为解决当前大学信息素养教育中存在的主要问题及其可能的原因，本项目正在开展三类活动：(1)创建以模块为基础的课程模式，以促进开发一系列能够灵活采用和整合的信息素养模块。这些模块包括主要为IT/CS专业设计的通用信息检索模块，以及基于生物学、心理学等特定学科的学科信息检索模块，可根据不同大学和项目的具体需求而采用。(2)在阿姆斯特朗大西洋州立大学创建一个跨学科的信息检索实验室，不仅为教师和学生提供理想的培训环境，也是将信息检索系统地整合到多学科课程中的平台。(3)推广该计划的成果，以协助其他大学透过不同的渠道，包括会议、工作坊和论坛，采纳单元为本的教学方法。这项计划让学生和教职员从不同学科的不同角度，了解国际关系的理论与实践之间的联系。它还强调了信息检索在多个学科中的无处不在的性质，提升了信息检索在本科教育中的地位。

In the Information Age, career and life-long learning are increasingly dependent on information-retrieval (IR) skills in order to utilize digital and on-line information effectively. However, integration of IR into undergraduate curricula has not kept up with this demand. IR deserves more attention as an integral element of many disciplines. To address primary problems in the current college-level IR education and possible causes of the problems, this project is carrying out three kinds of activities: (1) Creation of a module-based curricular model, which facilitates the development of an array of IR modules that enable flexible adoption and integration. These modules, including general IR modules mainly designed for IT/CS programs, and discipline-oriented IR modules based on specific disciplines such as Biology and Psychology, can be adopted based on the specific needs of different universities and programs.(2) Creation of a Multi-Disciplinary Information Retrieval Laboratory across departments at Armstrong Atlantic State University, which provides not only a desirable environment for faculty and student training, but also a platform to systematically integrate IR into multidisciplinary curricula. (3) Dissemination achievements of the project to facilitate the adoption by other universities of the module-based approach through different channels including conferences, workshops and forums.This project provides students and faculty with an appreciation of the connection between theoretical and practical aspects of IR, from different angles of different disciplines. It also emphasizes the ubiquitous nature of IR in multiple disciplines and promotes the status of IR in undergraduate education.