Information Literacy for Net Generation

Information Literacy for the Net Generation: Challenges and Approaches for the Open University Maryam Nazari Research Student in Information Literacy and Online Distance Learning January 2009 Presented to the IL team, Library and Learning Resources Centre of Open University Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield University of Sheffield Department of Information Studies

Overview
The Net generation
IL needs of the N Gen
IL at the OU
Challenges
Approaches
Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield

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 Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield Find Organise Create and Share Communication Update YouTube Wikis Blogs Social networking Tagging Folksonomies Facebook MySpace YouTube Blogs Wikis Delicious Slideshare Flickr Constant messaging Facebook RSS Feed Google 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 Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield Background Courses & Subjects Levels 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 Diversity Ambitions and goals Abilities and competency-needs Information behaviour, needs No entry requirements 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0

Fixed Curricula Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

IL as an enabler for transferable and lifelong learning Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield 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 Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield

Engage learners in thinking and questioning their information and skill-needs when accomplishing their tasks
Using 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 gaps
To 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 18 th November.
Open University Library. Library courses and workshops. http://library.open.ac.uk/services/libcourses/index.cfm
Wikipedia
YouTube videos

Thank you. Maryam Nazari – University of Sheffield

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Information Literacy for Net Generation

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