This document summarizes Information Literacy initiatives at CPUT. It discusses the Information Literacy policy, committee, and certificate program. The certificate program includes 5 modules taught over 5 weeks and is assessed through a multiple choice test. Statistics on participation in the program from 2009-2015 are provided. Challenges include large class sizes, scheduling sessions, and ensuring teaching skills for librarians. Next steps discussed are improving long-term skills retention, taking a departmental approach, and integrating Information Literacy across subjects and levels as a graduate attribute.

1. Information literacy @ CPUT
Janine Lockhart
INFOLIT Day - Gauteng
31 August 2016

2. Introduction
Information Literacy policy
Information Literacy
Committee (ILC)
Certificate of Information
Literacy (CIL)
Advanced Information
Literacy Programme
•Since 2009
•All academic programmes must include IL
•Responsibility part of normal academic
management process
•Sub-committee of Senate Teaching & Learning
committee
•Monitor implementation of policy
•To support faculty
•Offered mostly to 1st and ECP students
•Lecturer book CIL with their librarian : time-
tabled
•Refresher courses available
•For M & D students
•Implementation 2016
•Not formally assessed at this stage

3. Information Literacy
Certificate
Curriculum
• Search strategy
Module
1
• Information tools
• Information sources
Module
2
• Evaluating information
Module
3
• Copyright
• Plagiarism
Module
4
• Bibliographic referencing
Module
5
Over 5 weeks
45 - 90 min
per module
Subject essay
assingment
Rubric: 30%
for IL

4. Information Literacy
Certificate
Assessment Summative
assessment
Multiple-
choice
100
questions,
random 50
60 minutes
LMS,
Blackboard
50% and
above =
pass
Included in
year marks
Validity &
reliability
research

5. Information Literacy
Certificate
Administrative
process
Registration
Training
intervention
Assessment
Submit
results
Issue
certificates
Distribute
certificates

6. Statistics
Librarians submit statistics by:
• Attendance registers to QA librarian
• Upload to the CPUT libraries statistical database
Total number of students and sessions per year
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
6673 361 6873 371 9577 436 12193 600 16206 935 18799 943 21382 1008
IL statistics 2009-2015
Description 2015 2014 2013
Nr of registrations 3804 3079 2756
Nr of courses/groups registered 87 63 64
Nr of students completing test 3804 2707 (88%) 1977 (71%)
Average % for test 64% 66% 66%
Nr of students who failed 186 (5%) 191 (7%) 91 (5%)
IL Certificates 2013-2015

7. Challenges
•Monitor statistics per librarian and provide resources when needed
•Limit of 8 groups per cycle per librarianIncreased teaching load
•Use of library and faculty venues
•Data projectors, laptops, screens and speakersTeaching venues
• Shared online booking calendar
Scheduling sessions
•Incorporating clips, screencasts, PowToons, etc. in classroom, upload to LMS
•CIL online development (2016) – OERs, CC
Large classes, manageable
groups, repetition

8. Teaching skills for librarians
Continuous
staff
development
Train-the-
Trainer
certification
Regular
information
sessions
IL group on
LMS
Peer-
observation

9. What next?
Retention and skills transfer
Short-term vs long-term retention
Skills transfer takes time
Departmental approach
Assess IL across subjects and levels

10. What next? (cont.)
Wang, L. 2011. An information literacy integration model and its
application in higher education. Reference Services Review, 39(4): 703-
720.

11. What next? (cont.)
• IL as Graduate Attribute – CPUT GA Task Team
IL in FYE
• Curriculum Mapping for IL
• Departmental Approach to IL
• CIL as online development

12. Conclusion
• Having an IL policy is key, but only the start
• Information Literacy Committee to oversee implementation
and awareness of policy
• Constant awareness: Senate committees, faculty committees,
task teams, etc.
• Teaching certificate with subject-specific essay assignment
• Rubric – heavy weightings for IL
• Academic program to continuously test students and integrate
IL into the curriculum
• IL as graduate attribute
Thank you!