Information Literacy for Net Generation

Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield

Information Literacy for the Net Generation:

Challenges and Approaches for the Open University

Maryam NazariResearch Student in Information Literacy and Online Distance Learning

January 2009Presented to the IL team, Library and Learning Resources Centre of Open University

University of Sheffield Department of Information Studies


Overview

• The Net generation• IL needs of the N Gen • IL at the OU• Challenges • Approaches


Net/ Y Generation• Born in or after 1980• Hypertext mindset• Defined by instant messaging and a Web 2.0 life

perspective • Interested in team work• Hand-outs learning style• Needs constant feedback• Prefer doing, rather than knowing: “play to learn”• Me Generation: want jobs that fit their lives vs.

adapting themselves to their jobs

(Feiertag & Berge 2008; Lorenzo & Dzinbun 2006)


Net Gen Information Behaviour

Find Organise Create and Share

Communication

Update

YouTubeWikisBlogs

Social networkingTagging Folksonomies

Facebook MySpaceYouTubeBlogsWikisDeliciousSlideshareFlickr

Constant messagingFacebook

RSS FeedGoogle personalization features


IL needs of the Net Gen

• Understand the function of Web 2.0 tools and resources in the context of their learning

• Ability to effectively select, interact with, and use appropriate Web 2.0 tools

• Ability to produce, organise, share information and update their knowledge in the 2.0 information landscape

• Requires learning environment, tasks, assessment methods that support their information behaviour and needs

• Need fun and exciting tasks and assessment methods


The OU through an IL lens

Background

Courses & SubjectsLevels of education

25,000 outside of UK

20% under 20

Average age 32

A TYPICAL OU student is older than an undergrad elsewhere

150,000 Undergrad

30,000 Postgrad

10,000 with Special needs

13 subjects

600 courses

Q, R, … X & Y Gens

DiversityDiversity

Ambitions and goals

Abilities and competency-

needs

Information behaviour,

needs

No entry requirements

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0


Fixed Curricula

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3


IL as an enabler for transferable and lifelong learning

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3


Challenges for the IL team• How to meet the vision of OU: “OU

transforms lives through education”?• How to update teaching methods,

curriculum design, and learning environment and materials to support the development of information literate online distance learners in the e-world?

• How to accommodate Q, R, X and Y Gens with their IL needs?


Current Approaches to IL development in

e-environments • To position IL in the e-literacies framework • To add other literacies to the IL models• To develop new courses on IL with a focus

on Web 2.0 resources and tools e.g. TU120 • To use Web 2.0 to teach IL concept and

practice IL competencies


IL in e-environments• IL is a constructive and

contextualised concept, needs to be built by learners and becomes part of them

• IL is an enabler for transferable and lifelong learning, rather than only “a” set of transferable skills


Solutions for the OU based on the new view of IL in e-

environments


• Engage learners in thinking and questioning their information and skill-needs when accomplishing their tasksUsing 5 YouTube videos and 10 journal papers as

sources of information to write an essay on a topic and publish it in the form of a Wiki

to know how to formulate a search strategy to find videos on YouTube and in a database that matches their needs

to understand the organization of knowledge published on YouTube website and databases

to be aware of the evaluation criteria for both types of information sources

to know how to document their thoughts and knowledge gained from these two sources of information and write them in the format of an essay

to upload a video, cite a video etc to publish their assignment on a Wiki


• Involve learners in evaluating their knowledge and skills gapsTo develop quizzes or other self assessment tools that

would encourage them to identify their knowledge and skill gaps, and to share their profile with others

To use IL as a reflexive tool to identify the scope of knowledge and competency needs of learners in the e-environments e.g. Web 2.0 (using learners’ tasks, assessment methods, other task accomplishment requirements)

To design assessment tools or quizzes that would ask learners to situate themselves in the context of their task/assignment and identify their knowledge and skill-gaps

The system creates a kind of Facebook profile/ portfolio of the person. Then with his permission it can be shared with others

To develop the learners’ IL facebook in the form of a bank of expertise and provide instant and other communication facilities so that they can get in touch and exchange their expertise and expriences


• Support learners’ information behaviour and needs

To provide learners with information and learning materials they may need

To provide learners with tutorials on information evaluation published e.g. in YouTube websites or blogs, comparing the criteria with the ones apply for a database, journal paper etc (to reduce the gap between X and Y Gens knowledge)

Tutorials on what is a Wiki, what are the functions of Wikis as source of information, how to evaluate them, how to use them, how to cite to them etc


• Support learners’ information behaviour and needs – cont.To use tools and materials that make the IL tutorials

more fun and exciting

To use Web 2.0 tools to develop the IL learning materials e.g. in the form of YouTube videos (e.g. how to use a journal paper, a Wiki, or how to evaluate information gathered from blogs)

To use some real experiences of people when they talk about the tips and tricks they have used in the form of some videos

To provide learners with an environment where they can make video or audio documents of their IL and learning experiences, and failure and success stories and publish them in the bank of IL tutorials

To use Web 2.0 tools and features to update learners’ IL needs e.g. add a RSS feed to the bank of IL tutorials or to the learners’ IL Facebook profiles so that they can refresh their information immediately


Openness, Collaboration, Practice

• To contextualise IL in the e-information and e-learning environments, and in the context of disciplines

• To establish a common understanding of the contextualised concept of IL among the key IL role players and contributors in the OU

• Course designers and tutors to design tasks in a way that engage learners in the IL activities

• To set a new IL agenda to research the IL studies and practices in e-environments

• To use learners’ self IL- and competency- assessments to enhance IL content, methods, and environment


Bibliography • Goodwin, Peter. 2008. Information literacy meets Library 2.0.

London: Facet Publishing. • McPherson, Keith. 2008. Shaping global creativity with school

libraries. School Libraries Worldwide, 14(2): 35-44.• Geck, Caroline. 2006. The generation Z connection: teaching

information literacy to the newest net generation. Feature article in Teacher Librarian, 33(2): 19-23.

• Andretta, Susie. 2007. Change and challenge: information literacy for the 21st century. PublisherAdelaide: Auslib Press.

• Feiertag, Jeff, and Zane L. Berge. 2008. Training generation N: how educators should approach the Net Generation. Education + Training, 50(6): 457-464.

• The Open University Information Literacy Strategy 2003-06. Information Literacy Unit, Open University Library.

• Mallett, Liz. 2008. Going Beyond Google at The Open University. Presented in the department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield in 18th November.

• Open University Library. Library courses and workshops. http://library.open.ac.uk/services/libcourses/index.cfm

• Wikipedia • YouTube videos

http://library.open.ac.uk/services/libcourses/index.cfm


Thank you.