Information Literacy education for Masters students

Sheila WebberDepartment of Information StudiesUniversity of SheffieldNovember 2007

Structure

• Context and aims for Information Literacy• Blended learning as approach• Focus on an extended activity in a core module• Second Life

“4. Demonstrate the core capabilities and skills of information literacy, interacting

confidently with the nature and structure of information in their subject and handling

information in a professional and ethical manner;

5. Explore the history of and challenge the processes of knowledge creation, applying

creativity, enterprise and innovation, to push against the boundaries of current

practice"

Character-istics of a Sheffield Graduate(University Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy)

http://www.shef.ac.uk/content/1/c6/04/83/65/lta-strategy2.pdf

My aims

• Students become self-aware (critical and confident) about their own information literacy and information behaviour

• Students understand value of information literacy in their lives and work

• I adopt a pedagogic approach which facilitates this, using whatever tools, techniques etc are appropriate

Student contextEvidence from some student research studies & audit e.g.• Some students feel have had no IL training in 1st degree• Most of rest recall it being in 1st year• Students report variety of pedagogic approaches to IL by

previous lecturers, but mostly that of facilitating access to resources, or seeing it as someone else’s job

• Different aspects of IL brought into focus by different types of task/assignment

• Mix in: disciplinary backgrounds, nationalities, future career goals

Blended learningReview observed 3 ways in which term being used:1. Supplementary resources on a VLE2. “Transformative course level practices underpinned by radical course designs”3. “Students taking a holistic view of the interaction of technology and their learning, including the use of their own technologies”

Sharpe, R. et al (2006) The undergraduate experience of blended e-learning: a review of UK literature and practice. York: Higher Education Academy.

• Lecture and seminar rooms; office; Labs• Tools in rooms: computers, whiteboard, flipchart,

copycam, post-its, data projector, video etc• Virtual Learning Environment “MOLE” (aka WebCT)

inc discussion boards & journals• Email, conversations in corridor or after classes• [students peer-to-peer] Facebook, texting, phoning• Second Life…….

Blended

Information skills module (Library) covering searching, evaluating, avoiding plagiarism etc. – all students can accessIncludes Departmental-specific materialMay be incorporated into subject courses in whole or part

Will focus on an extended activity in a core module

Learning objectivesInformation resources and information literacy

• By the end of the module inf6350 students will:– understand key aspects of information literacy and information

behaviour including: the nature of information needs, information seeking strategies, and the complexities entailed in satisfying information needs;

– understand organisational issues relating to the satisfaction ofinformation needs and developing clients’ information literacy;

– will be able to demonstrate and evaluate their information literacy, for example expertise in accessing, using, comparing and evaluating information resources such as Web of Science, the Internet and DIALOG.

Theoretical & practical sideSlide used in week 1

Assessment1. Annotated bibliography2. Literature review based on 1.3. Reflection on achievement in information literacy using

SCONUL 7 Pillars model

Each lecturer in Dept. sets topics (& then acts as client and marks assignment), students select from list posted to VLEc.60 students – Information Management & LibrarianshipFAQ, discussion board and scheduled session on what assignment is about

Search/ teach exerciseIndividual search

Bibliography

AbstractingLiterature review

Educating others in IL.Reference services.

Focus on information needs

Dialog etc.

Slide used in week 1

Search/ Teach Exercise

“For this task you will produce a brief guide to searching a specific database, and publish a short list of other resources providing training and advice”

(Not assessed: formative)

Search/Teach ExerciseBy the end of the activity you should:• Have better knowledge and skills in using WoK, Google

Scholar, Emerald Library, LISA• Have created a guide to WoK, Google Scholar, Emerald

Library or LISA• Know more about the skills and knowledge needed to produce

and evaluate support materials to help people search• Have increased knowledge and skills relating to Squidoo or a

weblog• Be aware of how these activities relate to information literacy

and be able to reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses in these areas. This is relevant to the assignment for this module and for lifelong learning. [Also given a document “How this task relates to the SCONUL 7 Pillars of IL…”]

1a Briefing, linked to session on evaluation

2a. Short presentations on guidelines for learning & differences in learning & cognitive styles

1c. Examination of resource, searching1b. Students sign up in

groups 2-3, examine/ evaluate resource, determine way group should functionStudents: In lab f2f; using VLE (sign up and group discussion board if wanted)

LecturerF2f + material posted to VLE

Between classes: Students, mostly individual. Questions to lecturers posed in various ways

Lecturers: F2f + material posted to VLE

2b. Auditing progress, posing questions, working on task

Students: In lab f2f

3a. Completing guide and blog/lensBetween classes: Creating blog or Squidoo; No f2f lab in week between 2b and 4a. Questions to lecturers posed in various ways

3c. Post guide & link to blog/ lens

Students: to VLE

4a.Groups paired to evaluate each others’ guides and give feedback

Students: In lab f2f

4b. Feedback on exerciseEveryone f2f

3b. Lecture on IL work in practice

Speakers from Open Uni and Unilever

Blogexamples from last year

Second Life: virtual world• July onwards lent office by Eduserv for Centre for Information

Literacy Research: started discussion series• Successful bid to Centre for Inquiry Based Learning for the

Arts and Social Sciences to fund island for a year• Island delivered early October• Compulsory activity (feeding into assignment) for 1st year BSc

Information Management students in Information Literacy class (20 students) starting 22 October

• Aim is for students to undertake critical incident interviews with SL residents (a time when they had an information need relating to a SL activity) in SL itself

• Work with 2 librarians: in Sheffield (Lyn Parker) & St Andrews (Vickie Cormie)

Observations• SL a learning (and play) space – more like a

classroom space than a website – with new possibilities

• Has to be pedagogic rationale or is just faffing about in SL

• Students won’t automatically be engaged & there is a learning curve, even for gamers

• Transmissive approaches even duller in SL than in Real Life – need activity rather than content

Sheila Webber s.webber@shef.ac.uk http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/

http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/

Sheila Yoshikawa