Where does IT fit in?Approaches to integrating IT

skills into Information Literacy

Julie AdamsInformation Services28 February 2007

Where does IT fit in?

Approaches to integrating IT skills into Information Literacy

Julie AdamsInformation Services28 February 2007

Topics

• Who should IT skills training be for?

• What content should be covered?

• How to deliver IT skills

• When to deliver training

• What option best supports IL?

Who for?• Often assume students now have (enough)

IT Skills– Is this always the case?– Do they have the ‘right’ skills?

• May be more extremes in skills now– Some very good, others very poor– Vary in background and subject area

• Challenge is to bring all up to same level– But what is the ‘right’ level?– Problem might occur because students think they are

competent

• What about staff?– Concentrating on students today (but are issues with

staff skills as well!)

What do students need to know?

• Some staff (and students) think that IL = IT– Need to show that this is not the case

• What are the core set of IT skills needed?– Should these be defined at an Institutional level?

• Same skills needed for all?– Different subject areas, UG/PG may have different needs

• What aspects of Info literacy do IT skills need to support?– e.g.. Presentation of information, effective/appropriate

communication, managing/storing information

How to deliver IT Skills• Many options!

• Accreditation schemes– Formal e.g. ECDL– ‘In-house’ accreditation schemes

• Taught courses – informal

• Electronic resources for self-study

• Embedded within modules

• Ad hoc support – help desks etc

How?• Formal accreditation schemes

– Several schemes available which cover range of IT skills– Allows candidates to demonstrate mastery of specific IT skills– Range from basic to advanced skills

• Most popular is ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence)

• Other options: – Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)– For staff: ITQ from the British Computer Society (BCS)

Formal accreditation• Advantages

– Know students will acquire specific knowledge (set syllabus); external recognition; students may value it if get something out of it; can buy in quality assured materials; increased confidence and competence; reduced IT support costs

• Disadvantages– Expensive to take/run tests and buy in materials; Can be time

consuming to study; if taught sessions delivered take up a lot of staff time; cost may not equal benefit; students may not need to know all the required applications; can be high-drop out rates.

ECDL• What is ECDL?

– A European-wide recognised qualification in computer competence– Controlled by British Computer Society in the UK

• Flexible approach, take up to 3 years to complete

• ECDL is non-application specific– Although most materials cover Microsoft products

• 7 modules covering the key concepts of computing, its practical application and use in the workplace and society.

ECDL modules• Basic concepts of IT

– Terminology, Health & Safety, Legal issues

• Using a computer & managing files– Folder structure, copying, moving, backup etc.

• Word processing– To mail merge level

• Spreadsheets– Simple formulae, charting, multiple sheets

• Databases– Forms, queries, reports

• Presentation– Develop a slide show

• Information & Communication– Internet, email

ECDL in education• Used by many institutions for both staff and students

– BSC survey in 2002 indicated 85 HE institutions offered it– More than this now, but can get low take up

• Should it be compulsory: for some, for all? – Requirement for some subject areas – e.g.. Social Work

• UCISA ECDL survey and conference - 2002– http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/sdg/ecdl/survey.htm

• LSE Benchmarking report - July 2006– http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/tlig/usdg/ECDL_benchmarking.pdf

‘In-house’ accreditation• Some Universities develop own accreditation

schemes

• May be mandatory for all, for specific student Faculties/departments or optional

• Advantages:– Ensure all students have specific skills/knowledge, students

value training as get something out of it, institutional buy-in

• Disadvantages– Can be time consuming and costly to plan and deliver, ideally

need institutional strategy, extra time needs to be found

Example ‘in-house’ scheme• University of York

– ILIAD (Information Literacy In All Departments)

– Designed by the Computing Service and the Library

– Covers IT and IL - 5 units: Intro to computing, Researching and evaluating information sources, Word processing for academic purposes, Using spreadsheets, Presenting information using a computer

– Optional: on-line TNA, then opt for appropriate modules• http://www.york.ac.uk/services/cserv/iliad/itlit.html

– http://www.york.ac.uk/services/cserv/iliad/itlit.html

Example ‘in-house’ scheme• University of Glasgow

– Certificate of Basic IT Competence

– Run since 1994 by the Information Technology Education Unit

– Mandatory for all new UG students: university regulation and a requirement for graduation.

– 3 options: beginners course, standard course, on-line course. Followed by test.

– Topics covered include file management, email, word processing, on-line library, location/retrieval/evaluationof on-line resources, spreadsheets, using help systems, using IT responsibly

– http://www.iteu.gla.ac.uk/students/itcertificate.html

Other approaches

• Training courses/workshops/drop-in sessions– no recognition for attendance

• Advantages– Can be flexible, adapted to meet needs, easy to add new

sessions on new topics as they become relevant, less staffing needs

• Disadvantages– poor attendance, extra burden for students, may not get to

those who need it, not so easy to bring what it available to the attention of students

Other approaches• Electronic support materials that students

use in own time, or to top-up existing skills– May be IT only, or combine other skills (IL, study skills etc)– Assignment Survival Kit: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/ask

• Advantages– Can buy in materials so less of a burden for staff to develop,

can study as and when required – or cover topics a number of times if necessary

• Disadvantages– some people do not like this type of study, extra burden for

students, may not get to those who need it as rely on self-assessment/take up, need to promote range of what is available

Other approaches• ‘Ad hoc’ approach

– no specific training courses: support through help desks, as and when needed; self-help documentation; chat systems etc.

• Advantages– Can seek help on exactly what they need when it is needed,

personalised approach.

• Disadvantages– extra burden for students, may not get to those who need it,

not so easy to bring what it available to the attention of students.

Other approaches

• Embedding within modules – By academic staff e.g.. study skills modules– By Library/IT staff as part of other IL embedded sessions

• Advantages– In right context, delivered at appropriate time, no extra time

required.

• Disadvantages– If some lack basic skills may need to top it up with other

things. May not be enough depth for some.

When to deliver IT training

• Partly determined by how training delivered

• Some basics covered by induction– e.g.. introduction to computer setup at the institution;

using library catalogue

• Need to cover the basic requirements prior to first assignments– also include study skills, key skills, information skills?

• Build on basic skills at later stages– Not a ‘one-off’ exercise

Does formal IT training

help with IL?• Even if people do an accredited scheme (such as

ECDL) does this mean that it will help with IL?

– Well, yes and no (or yes and maybe!)

– May not complete relevant module when knowledge needed

– May have the technical knowledge, so should know how to do things but can they apply this to their situation?

– May still need to add context at appropriate time (embedded sessions)

What are the essential

skills student need?

• Look at scenarios provided – identify the skills needed by the students in these situations– How would these skills be delivered in your institution?

Essential (IT) Skills• Windows and File management

– Graphical user interface; creating/managing files and folders; awareness of security/virus protection; legal issues - data protection, copyright.

• Word processing– Basic editing; changing fonts, line spacing, margins etc; page

setup/printing; page numbers, footnotes; tables; inserting

graphs/images; sharing data with other applications

• Excel– simple formula; creating graphs, different types of graphs;

sharing data with other applications

Essential (IT) Skills

• Using the Internet– Basic navigation techniques; favourites/bookmarks; searching;

printing/saving; copyright.

• Email– Basic techniques; managing email; using email appropriately –

netiquette

• PowerPoint– Creating presentations; guidance on appropriate style; simple

animation; including information from other applications.

What about new technologies?• May start to make use of Web 2.0 technologies/

software such as Blogs/Wikis– Do people need training in these?– Not so easy to teach these as ‘skills’– Do they have a role in IL?

• Do accredited schemes offer the flexibility neededto accommodate these newer technologies?– None of these newer technologies covered by standard accredited

courses.– Change too rapidly

• More easily included in internal, less formal sessions

Best solution?• Is there a single best solution for all students and

institutions?– Probably not!– May depend on institution type, structure and size

• Flexible approach may deliver the best results– Accreditation can be useful, but is not the only answer– Embed where appropriate– Cover new technologies/topics as required– Ways for students of different ability to ‘top-up’ skills

Want to know more about accreditation

schemes….?

Would you credit IT?

Approaches to IT accreditation

UCISA-TLIG User Skills Development Group

Inaugural event

Monday 16 AprilAustin Court, Birmingham

http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/groups/tlig/usdg/events/accredit.htm

Questions?