An overview of collaborative information and academic literacy integration projects within postgraduate and undergraduate research methods courses in higher education

1. Integrating information and
academic literacy into research
methods courses: a collaborative
approach
Claudia Adams, Neda Zdravkovic, Josta Heyligers,
EBLIP8
8 July 2015

2. Content
• Context
• Methodologies
• Postgraduate course - Experience
• Undergraduate course - Experience
• Outcomes

5. “The word research is
used to cover a whole
range of activities
including very high
level professional
focused research … right
through to a quick
search for references…
and everything
inbetween”
(Johnstone cited in Lane 2006
Lane, B. (2006). Cheating study dismays dons.
The Australian.p.23)

6. Townsend, Brunetti & Hofer 2009, p.1
• Transformative
• Irreversible
• Integrative
• Bounded
• Troublesome
Research skills=Threshold concepts
Meyer, J., & Land, R. (Eds.). (2003). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: linkages to ways of
thinking and practicing within the disciplines in Improving student learning – ten years on C. Rust (Ed)
OCLSD, Oxford.

7. Context

8. Intra-
curriculum
Assessment
integrated
Assessment
for learning
Testing
skills
Context

9. Postgraduate
• Foundation course
• Online
• International cohort
• Cohort returning from workplace
• Academic integrity module

10. Wang’s IL
integration
model
Wang 2011
Method

11. Wang’s IL Integration Model
Reproduced with permission: From Wang, X. (2011). An information literacy integration model and
its application in higher education. Reference Services Review 39 (4): 703-720.

12. Mapping

13. 30%

14. Search journey

15. Outcomes
• Students achieved well
• Low level of support requested
• High use of online resource
indicated engagement &
usefulness
• Terminology addressed
Photo courtesy Natasha Wakefield
SpindriftCollections
http://www.spindriftcollections.com/

17. UG Competencies
INTERPERSONAL COGNITIVE
Communication & Presentation Thinking Modes
Project Design, Management,
Intervention, Evaluation
Academic Argument & Debate
Collaboration Team Work Information & Data Management
Change Management Research
Problem Solving Skills
INTRAPERSONAL CARING
Self & Time Management Ethics
Self-Reflection & Resilience Advocacy
Leadership Decision Making
Problem Solving Global Awareness
Cultural Safety
Used with permission Petersen, L. (2014). BHSc Curriculum Attributes &
Competencies Map. School of Population Health. Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences. University of Auckland. Unpubl.

18. INTERPERSONAL COGNITIVE
Communication & Presentation (H) Thinking Modes (H)
Project Design, Management,
Intervention, Evaluation
Academic Argument & Debate (H)
Collaboration Team Work (M) Information & Data Management
(H)
Change Management Research (H)
Problem solving skills
INTRAPERSONAL CARING
Self & Time Management Ethics (NC) Academic Integrity
Self-Reflection & Resilience Advocacy
Leadership Decision Making
Problem Solving Global Awareness
Cultural Safety
Used with permission Petersen, L. (2014). BHSc Curriculum Attributes &
Competencies Map. School of Population Health. Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences. University of Auckland. Unpubl.

20. E-learning design –
collaborative
Carpe Diem
“… to enable fast,
effective and fully
embedded, learner-
ready, future-proofed
learning.”
Salmon & Wright 2014, p. 52

21. 15%

22. Research Question
Research skills
- Thinking modes
(Critical thinking skills)
- Evaluation

23. Research skills
- Information skills
- Evaluation skills
Finding

24. Research skills
- Thinking modes
(critical thinking)
- Academic
arguments & debate
Writing

25. Interactive

26. Outcomes
• IT issues – with downloading
• Clarity around instructions
& timing
• Examples of what was
required was helpful
• Marking rubrics requested
• Use of resource was
obligatory
Photo courtesy Natasha Wakefield
SpindriftCollections
http://www.spindriftcollections.com/

27. Outcomes
•Research questions - better formulated
•Literature review structure improved and
consistent across group
•Quality of submission improved – having
examples
•Quality of ideas (thinking skills)
•Writing improved - tighter and better
summarised

28. Issues & risks
• Key collaborators
• Engagement with institutional policy, AIL
principles & key documents
• Sustainability / staffing
• IT support
• Add to workload for students/academics
• Timeliness

29. What next?
Postgraduate research methods course:
Evaluate effectiveness of resource - examine
knowledge, skills and attributes of learners to
measure effectiveness.
•Ethics approval for pre and post test surveys
•Longitudinal study planned to collect data
through focus groups to examine whether
learning is retained and reused
•Include writing support

30. What next?
Undergraduate research methods course:
•35% allocated to the online activity (replaces
literature review)
•Use online module to generate 350-500 words for
each activity
– Compose research question,
– Find select and critically analyse literature,
– Compose key structure of literature review and
– Write synthesis of one of identified key themes

31. Converging theory,
evidence & practice

32. Conclusion

33. References
• Booth, C. & Mathews, B. (2012). Understanding the learner experience: threshold concepts
and curriculum mapping California Academic & Research Libraries Conference. Presentation
available http://www.slideshare.net/charbooth/understanding-the-learner-experience-
threshold-concepts-and-curriculum-mapping
• Fields, A. (2015). Engaging learner support: an investigation of faculty – library collaboration
to provide live course-specific learner support in the online classroom. Journal of Open,
Flexible and Distance Learning 18(1): 46 -57
• Meyer, J., & Land, R. (Eds.). (2003). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge:
linkages to ways of thinking and practicing within the disciplines in Improving student learning
– ten years on C. Rust (Ed) OCLSD, Oxford.
• Lane, B. (2006). Cheating study dismays dons. The Australian.
• Salmon, G. & Wright, P. (2014). Transforming Future Teaching through ‘Carpe Diem’ Learning
Design. Education Sciences 2014, 4, 52-63; Retrieved 18/6/15
http://www.gillysalmon.com/uploads/1/6/0/5/16055858/_salmon__wright_transforming_futu
re_teaching_through_carpe_diem_learning_design_2.pdf
• Shumaker, D. & Tally, M (2012). Models of embedded librarianship. Final report, Special
Libraries Association. http://hq.sla.org/pdfs/EmbeddedLibrarianshipFinalRptRev.pdf
• Wang, X. (2011). An information literacy integration model and its application in higher
education. Reference Services Review 39 (4): 703-720.
• Wilison, J & O’Regan, K. (2007). Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a
framework for students becoming researchers. Higher Education Research and Development
26(4): 393-409.
• Woodward, K.M. (2015). Information literacy in competency-based education. College and
Research Libraries 76(3): 118-121.

34. Acknowledgements
Assoc Prof Stephen Buetow
Megan Clark
Dale-Cormack Pearson
Dr Richard Edlin
Sue Foggin
Derryl Hayman
Wen-Chen Hol
Vanda Ivanovic
Dr Lynne Petersen
Dr Li Wang

35. Questions?Thank you