1. Huntingdonshire Regional
College’s journey with
Information Literacy and
E-Safety
Abigail Cuthbertson
Head of Learning Resources
Huntingdonshire Regional College

2. • Context
• IL and E-Safety in FE
• Our example
• Thinking of running a qual?
• Future Plans

3. Huntingdonshire Regional College
• Small FE college near Cambridge.
• Apprentices, Access courses, HE courses (through
Anglia Ruskin), BTEC courses, LLDD courses.
• Vocational areas: Motor Vehicle, Engineering, Hair and
Beauty, Art and
Design, Fashion, Photography, Childcare, Sport, Uniform
ed Public Services.

4. Independent E-books / Online
Learning Sessions Resources
Structured
Class Resources
Information Skills Support
Reading Challenges
E-Safety
Drop In A space to learn
Support Assignment
Literacy Support Hand in
Support Using
Resources
Numeracy Support
Support with CVs
IT Support and Job Applications
E&D
Flexible and
Book displays and responsive to staff and
celebrations student needs

5. Information Literacy for FE
• How to search the internet effectively.
• Evaluating sources for academic value
(bias, credibility etc).
• Awareness of plagiarism and how to avoid it
through referencing.
• Range of starting points.
• Range of levels of ability.

6. Functional Skill for life
• Future Identities report.
• 'IL empowers people so they can make informed
decisions...’ (Secker 2007 p2).
• Digital divide: skills not access to technology.
'It is as absurd to try and solve the problem of
education by giving people access to information
as it would be to solve the housing problem by
giving people access to bricks.' (Laurillard 2002 in
Secker 2007 p4).

7. Information Skills - Difficult to Deliver
• Timing in year – context.
• Must be generic but engaging to varied subject
areas.
• Staff to deliver it.
• Range of ability in FE.
• Perceived as dull!
• Previous experiences.

8. • Biggest problem: Learner perception of
ability is much higher than actual ability.
• High levels of confidence is one of the
noted iGeneration traits. (Rosen 2010
p47).

9. Confidence vs Ability
Blue = learner confidence level
Red = staff assessment of learner ability
Note-taking Time Management
20
20
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
Very Confident / Okay Not Confident Not Sure
Very Confident / Okay Not Not Sure Confident / Competent / Not Very
Confident / Competent Confident / Very Able Able
Very Able Not Very Able
From summer 2011 surveys of staff and students at Huntingdonshire Regional College.

10. Confidence vs Ability
Blue = learner confidence level
Red = staff assessment of learner ability
Web Searching / Evaluating Sources Referencing / Bibliographies
25
20
18
20
16
14
15
12
10
8 10
6
4 5
2
0 0
Very Confident / Okay Not Not Sure Very Confident Confident / Okay Not Confident Not Sure
Confident / Competent Confident / / Very Able Competent / Not Very
Very Able Not Very Able
Able
From summer 2011 surveys of staff and students at Huntingdonshire Regional College.

11. Confidence vs Ability
Blue = learner confidence level
Red = staff assessment of learner ability Encyclopaedia Britannica
research amongst
Essay / Assignment Planning secondary school students
18
indicates '...a huge gap
16
14
between young learners'
12 proficiency with
10 technology, which is often
8 highly advanced, and their
6
skills in analysing and
4
2
understanding the
0 information - and risks -
Very Confident Confident / Okay Not Confident / Not Sure presented by such
/ Very Able Competent Not Very Able
technology.‘ (Grant 2012)
From summer 2011 surveys of staff and students at Huntingdonshire Regional College.

12. Summer • Created Xerte Tutorials for Info Skills
2011
Autumn • Delivered sessions to 36 classes
2011
• Reflections and feedback from LRC Staff
Winter
2011 and learners
• Foundation degree IT students worked on
Spring
2012 Xerte tutorials
Spring • Head of LRC completed PTLLS
2012

13. Summer 2012 – E-Safety
• Decided to deliver BCS Level 1 E-Safety.
• Response to employability concerns
around social networking.
• Response to concerns around
safeguarding.
• Funded qualification - college earns
money for each learner.
• LRC is a curriculum area.

14. What does it look like?
• 20 guided learning hours.
• Workbook.
• Xerte e-learning tutorials.
• LRC sessions + homework.
• Exam – 75% pass mark.

15. Impact
• Raised profile of e-safety across the
organisation.
• Employability.
• Discussion between learners.
• Ideas for Induction 2013.
• Income – funded qual.

16. Benefits of Xerte for Info Skills
For the learner
• Resource that learners can go back to – unlike
presentation from Librarian.
• Engaging – continuous feedback on learning.
• Learner feedback.
• Supports varied learning styles and activities.
For the college
• Staff utilisation – para-professional can deliver.
• Can use as cover.

17. Thinking about doing something similar?
• Check funding.
• Target classes, not individual sign ups.
• Think as a learner: what will I get out of this?
• Differentiation  stretch and challenge.
• Can you staff it?
• Do a basic teacher training qual.
• Consider mode of assessment.

18. Your place in
your institution

19. Future plans 2013-14
• Funding changes  College certificate/ready for
work scheme.
• Induction 2013 activities.
• Resources are recyclable.
• Better sessions for each academic year – keep
reflecting, iterating and improving.
• Safer Internet Day 2014 – work with Student
Council and Student Services.

20. Bibliography
• Campbell, A. et al. 2007. Learning, Teaching And Assessing In Higher Education: Developing
Reflective Practice. London: Learning Matters.
• CEOP, 2013. Who Can I Tell If I’m Worried? [online] Available from:
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_16/report/ [Accessed: 3rd September 2012].
• Chatfield, T., 2012. How To Thrive In The Digital Age. London : Macmillan.
• CILIP, 2003. Information Literacy: Definition [online] Available from: <http://www.cilip.org.uk/get-
involved/advocacy/information-literacy/pages/definition.aspx> [Accessed:13th April 2012].
• CILIP, 2013. Health literacy skills need to be improved. CILIP Update, January 2013 p7.
• Get Safe Online, 2013. Just How Safe Are You? [online] Available from:
https://www.getsafeonline.org/quiz/[Accessed: 3rd September 2012].
• Government Office For Science, 2013. Future Identities Changing Identities In The UK: The Next
10 Years [online] Available from: <http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/identity/13-523-
future-identities-changing-identities-report.pdf> [Accessed: 20th February 2013].
• Grant, I., 2012. 'Generation Y-fi': library resources in the mobile age. CILIP Update, October 2012
p24.
• Hill, C., 2008. Teaching With E-Learning In The Lifelong Learning Sector. London : Learning
Matters.

21. Bibliography (2)
• Molesworth, M. et al., 2011. The Marketisation Of Higher Education And The Student As
Consumer. Oxon: Routledge.
• Parcell, L., 2012. Child Safety Online: The Kickstart Guide To Protect Your Child From Internet
Dangers. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Petty, G. (2004). Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
• Powers, W., 2011. Hamlet's Blackberry: Building A Good Life In The Digital Age. London: Harper
Perennial.
• Rosen, L. D., 2010. Rewired: Understanding The iGeneration And How They Learn. Hampshire:
Palgrave Macmillan.
• Rowlands, I. et al., 2008. The Google generation: the information behaviour of the researcher of
the future. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives Vol. 60 No. 4, 2008 pp. 290-310.
• Scales, P. (2010). Teaching In the Lifelong Learning Sector. London: Open UP.
• Secker, J., 2007. The Information Literacy Cookbook : Ingredients, Recipes And Tips For
Success. Cambridge : Chandos Publishing.
• Whitworth, A., 2009. Information Obesity. Cambridge: Chandos Publishing.
• Vaidhyanathan, S., 2011. The Googlization Of Everything (And Why We Should Worry). California
: University of California Press.

22. Any questions?
Abigail Cuthbertson
Head of Learning Resources
01480 379175
abigail-cuthbertson@huntingdon.ac.uk