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Delivered at Facilitate Problem-Based Learning Summer School, June 23 – 27 2008, Dublin, Ireland. 2008-06-23.
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Experience of the Veterinary Medicine
Library
Lorna Dodd
Liaison Librarian
University College Dublin,
Belfield, Dublin 4,
Ireland
Lorna.dodd@ucd.ie
Shining a spotlight on Information Literacy:
Background
• Only Veterinary Medicine programme in Ireland
• Review in mid 1990s resulted in introduction PBL in the 2 pre-clinical years
• Students attend traditional lectures & lab sessions as well as PBL module
What is Information Literacy?
“recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” (Association of College Research Libraries, 2000)
Why is Information Literacy important in PBL?
• Self-directed learning
• Development of life-long transferable skills
• Critical and reflective thinking
INFORMATION LITERACY
Identify an information need
Identify the most appropriate source
Effectively retrieve relevant
information
Evaluate the reliability, relevance, currency &
appropriateness of the information
Use the information
in an ethical way
What the students think…
• 95% of students consider the library to be important in PBL
• Those who did not think the library was important in PBL also experienced difficulties with PBL
• Half of students spent longer in the library for PBL because of the way PBL affects how they find and use information
What the students think…
• 40% of students experienced difficulty finding information for PBL
• Most students consider information seeking skills very important or extremely important in PBL because: “As a qualified vet you have to do your own PBL”
• Students who value information skills were able to search for information more easily
All those who spent more time
in the library for PBL
considered information literacy
important in PBL
Students who selected their own material:
Considered information literacy skills more important & displayed
higher levels ofinformation literacy skills
Students who feel the library is important in PBL
display higher levels of information literacy
• Anatomy of the lung Factual Information –
Textbooks
• Allergens and treatment Current Research – Journal
Articles or Websites
• Is the information reliable?
• Is the information relevant to problem? Location Availability of treatment
The Coughing Horse
Identify an information
need
Convert Learning Issues
into search strategies
Identify most
appropriate source
Identify kind of information &
resource
Effectively retrieve relevant
information
Evaluate reliability, relevance, currency
& appropriateness
Use the information
in an ethical way
Apply information to problem &
integrateinto existing knowledge
APPLYING INFORMATION LITERACY TO
PBL
Veterinary Library Experience
As a result of PBL:
Librarian is PBL tutor
Knows problems & therefore required resources
Talks to students about resources they use
Close collaborative relationship with faculty
Information literacy delivered after first problem – in context
Start of PBL:
Information literacy delivered during orientation
Librarian in support/admin role
Veterinary Library Experience• Facilitator/Tutor plays important role
Results showed that facilitators differedSome recommended material and
directed students in finding informationThese students selected material
themselves lessDisplayed lower levels of information
literacy – never verified information by checking another source
Conclusion
• Information Literacy should be consciously developedFacilitators can - encourage students to think about information they need challenge students to critically evaluate the information
they find and the source
• Information Literacy can be: Included as a learning outcome An assessment criteria
• Involve librarians in curriculum development: Ensure there are sufficient resources Help students develop necessary skills
Running or planning a PBL course?
Don’t forget your friendly librarian!!!
“Know where to find information and how to use it. That’s the secret of success.”
Albert Einstein
References
• Association of College Research Libraries (2000), ‘Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education’ [online], American Library Association. Available from http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm.
• Dodd, L. (2007) ‘The impact of Problem-Based Learning on the Information Seeking Behaviour and Information Literacy of Veterinary Medicine Students at University College Dublin’, Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 33(2), pp.206-216
• Eskola, E (1998) ‘University students’ information seeking behaviour in a changing learning environment – How are students’ information needs and use affected by teaching methods?’ Information Research vol. 4(2)
• Oker-Blom, T. (1998) ‘Integration of Information Skills in Problem Based Curricula’, 64th IFLA General Conference, August 16-21, 1994, Amsterdam, pp.1-8, IFLA
• Rankin, J.A. (1996) ‘Problem-based learning and libraries: a survey of the literature’, Health Libraries Review, vol. 13, pp.33-42
• Silen, C & Uhlin, L (2008) ‘Self-directed learning – a learning issue for students and faculty’ Teaching in Higher Education.
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