Notes on Building the Information Literate University

Bill Johnston & Sheila Webber

Information Literacy

It’s big and complex. A lot has been done and researched, but not put together.

The information literate person is an information culture needs a broader, more creative and critical information and media education, not only to enjoy the economic benefits of digitally based infrastructures, but to fully engage either the social, political, and creative dimension of the developing information culture of the 21st century.

Hoping to lead to wise and ethical use of information.

Information Literacy as Discipline

professional associations and journals
international community
academic departments
graduate students
id with the discipline
distinctive language
knowledge and research base

Continuing to use the term, because it’s used at the international level. In essence, doesn’t really matter what term we use if we can connect the different areas. Partly, because there is no real alternative term. What you need to keep in mind is that the meaning may change depending on the context (work, subject, country), and users will express different needs.

Information Literate University

This includes graduates, academic peers elsewhere and wider society, but more specifically include:

Info Literate Curriculum (in curriculum, as discipline)
Info Literate students
Info Literate Research
Info Literate staff & managers
Staff development for IL
Management for IL (strategy, policy, resourcing, infrastructure, knowledge & research)

To move towards such a university, need to think about what forces can bring about this change, including:

whole course redesign
strategy for education (in institutional plan)
specific student learning environments
theoretically informed case studies

Institutional Strategies

A chance for opportunity spotting. For example, cross disciplinary research, and cross organization research. Another example is engaging students through thinking about how to integrate learning instead of just one off workshops, and using tools to enrich learning. Information literacy might be the discipline of the librarians (as faculty). Zones of action might include workshop model of educational development for librarians with subject/university focus with themes of assessment and online learning objects.

Mainstreaming IL

Many ways to to engaging academic staff.

pre-empt negativity
identify downside of not shifting
identify lecturers who have refixed the rate (combining staff time, etc.; transmissive vs. constructivist)
develop scenarios for refixing the rate

Teaching-Learning Environment

Student spending more time engaged in:

acitivites designed for deep processing of info
developing knowledge of reliable sources
etc.

Need to think about:

specific pedagogic approach

infrastructure such as classroom setups
e-learning: process of; focus on approach, not learning objects

Conclusions

Think BIG
Associate IL eith global themes, educational achievement, and institutional success
teach, learn, research, and communicate through IL
Challenge doubters and convince supporters

Workshop Notes

In the afternoon, we worked in groups to come up with different strategies to mainstream information literacy.

Aims and Strategies

Research a core group at every level and convince faculty of the value
Have students understand that the information they are looking for is available at the library
Education of the faculty
Building relationships with faculty

sharing successful stories and strategies
become more embedded: courses, research
building enough of a relationship to do a course redesign

maintain face to face contact
ensure programmatically implemented
testing critical student thinking
e-textbooks
audit course outlines and develop IL arguments or zones of intervention, then include statement
IL becoming component of the institutional teaching methodologies, sneaking it in
subject related divisions within OCUL which don’t exist
student survey on student info seeking and help behaviour
co-teaching

Key Levers

new strategic plan and new administration
related committees in teaching, curriculum, and info literacy
dealing with funding changes due to university specialization declarations
collaborations cross-university
integration of tutorials, tools, and services into environment e.g. Course Management Systems
making use of existing communications and marketing avenues e.g. Taking advantage of assessment to get support from upper administration
AACSB (accreditation)
program/course proposals
program review
online courses/e-learning
copyright
faculty meetings
conferences

Connecting It All

The key points to be taken forward.
Sustaining

Teaching chairs (R)
Teaching & Learning commons (Y)

Growing

growing learning commons to include topics of academic integrity
building on tri-mentoring to find out what info literacy skills employers are looking for (R)
meta-level points for engaging faculty in importance of IL e.g. Info society, ethical issues
getting upper admin buy-in and budget
opportunities for embedding and assessment

Initiating

R-Y partnership to talk about success & challenges specific to subject areas building on informal network
writing IL modules for courses that can be collaborative and shared
syllabus audit looking for IL opportunities
IL committee

Partnering

college (workshops, drop-in)
career centre
learning skills
tri-mentoring
other librarians in same subject
accreditation bodies: building on industry expectations
within the university: faculty liaisons

Developing library staff

more intensive opportunity to discuss these issues with outcomes of program documents or policies, etc. beyond just a one day workshop
retreat
instruction peer assessment
communication: key messages & how to convey them
time and training for IL
reexamine what IL should or can look like