A presentation given at the CONUL Information literacy seminar at Trinity College Dublin on 14th June 2012

1. Dr Jane Secker,
London School of Economics and Political Science
CONUL Information Literacy Seminar
14th June 2012
flickr.com/photos/mcginnly/2197675676

2.  Developing the new curriculum
◦ Arcadia Fellowship May to July 2011
◦ Research undertaken with Dr Emma Coonan from
Cambridge University Library
 Outputs from the research
◦ Expert consultation
◦ Theoretical background
◦ The curriculum and supporting docs
 ANCIL Phase 2: strategies for implementation -
ANCIL at LSE

3. The Arcadia Programme
 Based at Cambridge University Library
 Academic advisor: Professor John Naughton
 Exploring the role of academic libraries in a digital age
 20 Arcadia Fellows over 3 years
 Many from outside Cambridge, not all librarians

4. Develop a new, revolutionary
curriculum for information literacy in a
digital age
• Understand the needs of undergraduates entering HE over
the coming 5 years
• Map the current landscape of information literacy
• Develop a practical curriculum and supporting resources
• All in 10 weeks from May – July 2011

5. Method
 Literature review
◦ theoretical overview of the field
◦ revealed conflicts in terminology, pedagogic approach, values
 Modified Delphi study
◦ means of obtaining expert future forecasting
◦ consulted widely in the fields of information and education using
interviews and questionnaire
 Expert workshop
◦ method, findings and preliminary curriculum presented
◦ curriculum refined in light of feedback

6. What do we mean by
Information
Literacy?
Digital fluency

8.  Interviews and online questionnaire with a range of experts in
the information and education field
 Open questions on what an information literacy curriculum for
future undergraduates should look like
 The experts told us:
◦ How you teach IL as important as what you teach
◦ Flexibility in terms of content, delivery, format, timing
◦ Teaching rather than training
◦ Embedded in the academic discipline: holistic and supported by the
institution as a whole
◦ Focus on underlying skills, knowledge and behaviour rather than
technologies and tools

9. IL is not:
• seen as part of the mainstream academic mission
• merely functional/technological skills
• the preserve or saviour of the library
IL is:
• a continuum of skills, abilities, values and attitudes
around analysing, evaluating, managing and assimilating
information
• fundamental to the ongoing development of the
individual, social as well as academic

10. It is the defining characteristics of the discerning
scholar, the informed and judicious citizen and
the autonomous learner
ANCIL definition of information literacy (2011)

11. Our key curriculum attributes
Holistic
Modular
Embedded
Flexible
Active and assessed
Transitional : Transferable : Transformational

13. Reflect on your current &
previous information
Consider the expectations behaviour - what’s Understand conventions around
at higher education level different? reading, writing and presenting
in your discipline at higher education
level in your discipline
Strand 1: Transition to
higher education
Affective or emotional
Learning to learn impact of learning
Strand 2: Becoming an
independent learner
Strand 3: Developing
Academic reading, critical
Academic writing, rhetoric academic literacies analysis and textual
and persuasive writing interrogation

14. Understand who are the
experts in your field and
Identify trusted sources why Evaluating source material and
and formats its appropriateness for
specific purposes
Strand 4: Mapping &
evaluating the information Finding and using specialist
Using key finding aids in landscape sources of information including
your discipline and going people as information
beyond them sources
Strand 5: Resource
discovery in your
discipline Storing information
appropriately including file
Note taking, time management
management and
planning
Strand 6: Managing
information
Bibliographic and Keeping up to date, push
reference management services and alerting

15. Attribution and avoiding
plagiarism
Sharing information
appropriately
Awareness of copyright
and IPR issues
Strand 7: Ethical dimension
of information
Finding your voice
Strand 8: Presenting and
Communicating your
findings appropriately communicating
knowledge
Managing your online
Identity and digital
footprint
Strand 9: Synthesising
Formulating research
questions and information and creating Assimulating information
framing problems new knowledge within the disciplinary
Framework

16. Ethics and politics of
Becoming a lifelong
information
learner
Strand 10: Social dimension
of information
Information handling, problem Information handling, problem
solving and decision making solving and decision making
in the workplace in your daily life

18.  Follow on joint fellowship was funded at Cambridge from
Oct – Dec 2011
 Katy Wrathall and Helen Webster explored strategies for
implementing the new curriculum
 Helen explored bottom up approaches at Cambridge
◦ Developed resources for supervisors and colleges
◦ Information Literacy First Aid Model
 Katy started top down at York St John and University of
Worcester
◦ Piloted the use of ANCIL as an institutional audit tool
 Lesson plans, teaching resources all on project wiki

19.  Specialist social science institution
 Highly ranked in terms of research excellence
 Cosmopolitan student body, relatively small undergraduate
population
 Largest departments Economics and Accounting and Finance
but strong qualitative departments: Anthropology, Political
Science, Sociology, International Relations, Philosophy etc.
 Compulsory course for undergraduates (LSE100)
 Traditional teaching and assessment: lectures & seminars
and end of year exams
 LSE use Moodle

20.  Information and digital literacy primarily
supported by Library through liaison librarians
teaching in some programmes
 Optional information skills programme
 LSE100 contains Information Skills materials in
Moodle
 Centre for Learning Technology offer classes for
staff and research students
 Awareness of IL in teaching course (PGCert)

21.  Research to explore practical implementation of ANCIL
 To inform our own teaching provision:
◦ Reviewing the portfolio of support for undergraduates to help
us provide better support
 To highlight good practice and any gaps in provision
◦ By exploring how joined up Library / CLT provision is with other
support departments
◦ To explore how embedded IL is in academic programmes
◦ To encourage collaborative approach to support
 Put information literacy on the agenda at LSE in
academic departments, but expecting
the unexpected!

22. Careers
Alumni Office Teaching and Learning
Student Services Centre
Language Centre
Disability Office
Departments
Departments
Centre for Learning
Technology
Careers Departments
Departments Teaching and Learning Centre
Language Centre
Library
Centre for
Departments
Learning
Library
Technology
Library Library
Information Skills

23.  Undertaken interviews with key members of
staff to explore provision in central support
departments, e.g. Language Centre, Teaching
and Learning, Careers, IT, Student Services
 Interviews with Deans of UG and PG Studies
 Interviews / online survey for academic staff
 Questionnaire for Academic Support Librarians

24.  Dean of Undergraduate Studies keen we consulted
students about support they receive
 A key stakeholder not consulted as part of the
ANCIL research
 Scheduled focus groups for the end of June (after
exams finish)
 Hope to explore:
◦ How prepared students feel for study at LSE
◦ The types of support students believe they need
◦ Their preference for how it is delivered

25. @Kaiho on flickr
Watch this space!

26. ANCIL outputs
Phase 1 reports
• Executive summary, expert consultation report, and
theoretical background
• Curriculum and supporting documents
http://newcurriculum.wordpress.com/
Phase 2 resources and case studies
• Case studies - University of Worcester, York St John
University
• Cambridge resources
http://implementingancil.pbworks.com
YouTube Video
• Search for “ANCIL curriculum”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY-V2givIiE

27. Email: j.secker@lse.ac.uk Twitter: @jsecker
Blog : www.newcurriculum.wordpress.com
Wiki : www.implementingancil.pbworks.com