Information Literacy in Engineering Technology Education: A Case Study

Information literacy is a vital component of engineering and engineering technology programs, as evidenced by its alignment with the engineering design process and as required by ABET the body that accredits all engineering and many engineering technology undergraduate programs. However, information literacy in engineering technology and applied engineering curricula is understudied when compared with information literacy in engineering programs. This paper describes a case study of information literacy integration into an undergraduate mechanical engineering technology design course, with a focus on patent information and patent searching. Online pre- and post-assessment data for four semesters were analyzed, showing improvements in student self-reported confidence and content knowledge of patents searching, post intervention. This approach shows promise in improving student outcomes, as well as providing an opportunity for collaboration between librarians and engineering technology faculty. Suggestions for refining further iterations of this project are included.