A Collaborative approach to implementing 21st Century skills in a High school senior research class

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda

Businesses and higher education leaders seek students who can evaluate and analyze information and apply it to real-world problems through strong information literacy. Evidence suggests many high school graduates are not prepared for the rigor of college-level courses and research. The article presents a case study of collaboration between an English teacher and a high school librarian to help seniors locate reliable sources, analyze information, and apply it to solve authentic issues.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Goal of college and workplace readiness

Information literacy and higher-order skills

Strategies such as K-16 councils

Evidence from prior studies and assessments

Challenges in integrating information literacy

Articles A Collaborative approach to implementing 21st Century skills in a High school senior research class By Michael K. O’Sullivan and Kim B. Dallas Abstract Businesses and higher education leaders are looking for students with the ability to evaluate and analyze information and to use this information to solve real-world problems. These are the information literacy skills students need for the 21st century. However, several recent studies on the ability of college freshmen to handle the rigor of college courses and research indicate that high school students are not being adequately prepared to apply these skills. The authors provide a case study of a collaborative effort between an English teacher and the high school librarian to better prepare high school seniors on how to locate reliable information, analyze the information and then determine how it can be applied to solving a real world issue or problem. Introduction The goal of any high school is to ensure that its students have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college and in the workplace. However, several recent studies have claimed high school students are graduating without the necessary basic skills they need to be successful in college or at work. High schools throughout the country are being pushed to redesign and align their curriculum with college readiness standards. The problem is that there is no consensus among postsecondary institutions as to what constitutes “readiness”, and “readiness” may vary from institution to institution (Olson, 2006, April 26) . This article will focus on how a high school research paper class, as an example, can be designed and structured to give high school seniors an opportunity to experience what college level research and writing involves. A study conducted by ACT, Inc., entitled “Rigor at Risk: Reaffirming Quality in the High School Core Curriculum”(2007), states that to eliminate the essential skills gap between secondary and postsecondary education needed to be successful in college, high school courses should be made more rigorous. Many of these studies have focused on the basic reading, writing and math skills needed for college entry. However, simply requiring high school students to take more years of math, science and language arts will not ensure their success in meeting the rigorous academic requirements of college or the workplace. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which includes the business community, education leaders and organizations, believes high school graduates must obtain strong learning skills in information gathering, communication, critical thinking and problem solving (Jobs for the Future, 2005) . High school students need to be taught these sophisticated “higher-order” skills, such as the ability to locate and analyze complex information in order to solve real world problems. For high school students to obtain these “higher-order”skills, the Partnership’s agenda calls for high schools to align their graduation requirements “with college and workplace entrance expectations”(Jobs for the Future, p. 12) . An earlier report from the National Commission on the High School Senior Year recommended a similar strategy through the creation of K-16 councils in every state in order to strengthen relationships between high schools and two and four year institutions (Woodrow Wilson, 2001) . Perhaps one of the reasons for the skills gap between highschool and college is the fact that student standards are established in separate orbits. K-16 faculty members rarely work together on standards, curricula or assessment (Callan & Kirst, 2008) . Other studies also include critical thinking and research skills into their definition of college readiness skills. These studies have found that high school students are not being adequately prepared for the rigors of a college research assignment. In a 2002 report, the Association of American Colleges and Universities gave a c

FAQs

What problem does the article address about information literacy?

It argues that many high school students are not adequately prepared to apply information literacy and higher-order research skills needed for college-level work.

How is the collaboration case study structured?

The case study describes cooperation between an English teacher and the high school librarian to help seniors locate reliable information, analyze it, and determine how it can be applied to real-world issues.

Why does the article say measuring ICT literacy alone is insufficient?

It states that college courses differ fundamentally from high school classes, and students must be able to solve complex problems, conduct research, and support conclusions with evidence beyond ICT measurement.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda