Information Literacy: The Case for Strategic Engagement

Information Literacy: the
Case for Strategic Engagement

Professor Sheila Corrall
Centre for Information Literacy Research

Presentation outline
•  The concept and context of information literacy
•  Developments in the higher education sector
•  Case study – the University of Sheffield and its
Centre for Inquiry-based Learning (CILASS)
− strategic engagement – tactical deployment
− operational achievements – success factors
•  Institutional benefits of strategic engagement

© The University of Sheffield / Department of Information Studies

Information Literacy

Definitions – Origins – Dimensions
Social, Technological, Educational, Professional

A Plain English definition
‘Information literacy is knowing when and why
you need information, where to find it and how to
evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical
manner.’
Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals
(CILIP, 2004)


The Original American Definition (1979)
‘People trained in the application of information
resources to their work can be called information
literates. They have learned techniques and skills
for utilising the wide range of information tools as
well as primary sources in molding information-
solutions to their problems.’
Paul Zurkowski, President, Information Industry Association
(in Eisenberg et al., 2004: 3)


Why Information Literacy matters
IL is an essential pre-requisite for achievement of important
personal, social, educational, cultural and economic goals
•  to bridge the digital divide that cuts off people with poor
IT skills and hinders the free flow of information and ideas
•  to facilitate independent lifelong learning in a fast-moving
environment, including access to e-learning resources
•  to strengthen employability in an economy where work is
characterised by information dependence and intensity
•  to solve the problem of information overload arising from
the proliferation of communication, especially email


Why Information Literacy matters
IL gives people the key, generic, transferable skills needed
to fulfil their potential in education, work and society, e.g.
•  to retrieve information from the ‘deep’ or ‘invisible’ web
which is hidden from people with limited searching skills
•  to apply evidence-based policy and practice in research,
government and the professions, such as medicine
•  to access and manage intangible assets in organisations
represented by their knowledge or intellectual capital
•  to engage with e-government processes and participate
actively as informed citizens in their local communities


The Information Problem
•  Easy access to vast quantities of information via
search engines, Internet directories, portals, etc
•  False confidence of many Internet users about
their ability to find the information that they need
•  Information behaviour often characterised by
shallow searches and poor selection of sources
•  High incidence of information misuse and abuse,
including copyright infringement and plagiarism


©8/1/09
The University of Sheffield / Department of Information Studies

An Essential Competency for…
•  Individual and organisational learning
•  Employability and workforce performance
•  Democratic participation and global citizenship

Information Literacy has a vital role in:
− Information and knowledge management
− Continuing professional development
− Evidence-based policy and practice


An Educational Imperative (1975)
‘Dealing efficiently with information must now be
recognised as one of the major problems of
modern society…[a learner] must be able to
identify his own information needs…know the
sources…judge the value…select the limited
amount which will serve him best’
A Language for Life
Committee of Inquiry into Reading and the Use of English
London: HMSO, 1975 [Bullock Report]


International Recognition – OECD
‘As access to information becomes easier
and less expensive, the skills and
competencies relating to selection and
efficient use of information become more
crucial.’
The Knowledge-based Economy OECD/GD(96)102
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/51/8/1913021.pdf


International Recognition – UNESCO
‘Governments should develop strong
interdisciplinary programs to promote Information
Literacy nationwide as a necessary step in
closing the digital divide through the creation of
an information literate citizenry, an effective civil
society and a competitive workforce.’
Towards an Information Literate Society
UNESCO Prague Declaration (20-23 September, 2003)
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en


International Recognition – UNESCO
‘we urge governments and intergovernmental organizations
to pursue policies and programs to promote information
literacy and lifelong learning. In particular…
•  recognition of lifelong learning and information literacy
as key elements for the development of generic
capabilities which must be required for the accreditation
of all education and training programs
Beacons of the Information Society
UNESCO Alexandria Proclamation (6-9 November, 2005)
http://www.ifla.org.sg/III/wsis/BeaconInfSoc.html


An Educational Imperative (2009)
‘We recommend that…
•  HEIs, colleges and schools treat information literacies
as a priority area and support all students so that they
are able, amongst other things, to identify, search, locate,
retrieve and, especially, critically evaluate information
from the range of appropriate sources – web-based and
other – and organise and use it effectively, attributed as
necessary, in an appropriate medium’
Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World
Committee of Inquiry (Bristol: March 2009)

Higher Education
in a Web 2.0 World
Report of independent
Committee of Inquiry
into the impact on
higher education of
students’ widespread
use of Web 2.0
technologies
Bristol, March 2009
http://www.clex.org.uk/

‘The skills that students
lack when they arrive at
university are much the
same as those students
have always needed to
develop: the capacity to
filter and analyse sources
and to assess the validity
and authority of material.’
Demos, June 2009 (p.55)
www.jisc.ac.uk/edge09

Teachers in the Edgeless University
‘University teaching long ago stopped being about mere
transmission. When not only source materials are readily
available, but also recordings of lectures and seminars, the
‘value added’ of a teacher needs reassessing. There are
more important skills that academics and teachers need to
pass on. They can help students develop their ability to
analyse and use information creatively, and to engage and
work with networks of other people. These will be
increasingly important skills for students and researchers, a
transition that has been described as “from the sage on the
stage to guide on the side”.’ (Bradwell, 2009: 42)


Developments in
Higher Education
Spectrum of interventions – Professional standards
– Institution-wide information literacy strategies –
Library and information professionals as educators

How practitioners are developing IL
•  Delivering planned group training interventions, ranging
from standard generic courses to specific tailored classes
•  Integrating and embedding in their educational curricula,
as explicit element of teaching, learning and assessment
•  Designing self-paced (online) tutorials/learning resources
•  Providing one-to-one instruction and individual guidance
•  Develop user capability when giving point-of-need help
•  Incorporating into meeting people’s information requests
•  Including hints and tips in information resource guides
A spectrum of interventions, formal and informal

Collaborative partnerships: strategic alliances
•  Library and information professionals are working
alongside academic/teaching staff and also with
−  basic skills and study skills tutors
−  staff and organisational developers
−  key skills trainers and careers advisers
−  learning technologists and instructional designers
−  data, information and knowledge users/specialists
Cross-functional, multi-professional, team-working

Creative partnering: boundary-spanning alliances
•  Not only within our own institutions, but also
−  working collectively with practitioners in other HEIs
−  working across different educational sectors, e.g.
higher + further + secondary + primary education
−  working across different professional sectors, e.g.
academic + public + workplace information services
−  working across different professional specialisms…
Cross-institution, multi-sectoral, strategic networks

‘In response to the needs of
employers, Government is
striving to develop a national
curriculum that offers
seamless opportunities in
digital competencies from
entry-level school age through
to Further Education (FE) and
Higher Education (HE), to
equip the future workforce with
relevant digital skills to
succeed.’
June 2009 www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/

Recent developments in the HE sector
•  Substantial growth in level of Library IL activity
−  from standalone training to curriculum integration
•  Shift from operational to strategic initiatives
•  Rich array of models, tools and other resources
−  informing and supporting good professional practice
•  Vibrant community of practitioners engaged in
knowledge exchange + pedagogical scholarship
−  conferences, e-journals, listservs, portals, workshops


Key features of university IL strategies
•  Separate documents taking many different forms and/or
strategies incorporated in other institutional statements
•  Extensive contextualisation (both internal and external)
•  Use of formal definitions, standards and/or frameworks
•  End-to-end involvement of key stakeholders in the
development, implementation and delivery of strategies
•  Focus on advocacy, awareness-raising and marketing
•  Recognition of the need for library staff development
•  Provision of illustrative examples and/or case studies


Formal
Information
Literacy
Strategies
•  Cardiff
University
•  Open
University


The
SCONUL
Seven Pillars
Model for IL
• most widely used
model in the UK
• can be used as
−  a diagnostic tool
−  a process model

www.sconul.ac.uk

The SCONUL Seven Headline Skills
1.  Recognise a need for information
2.  Distinguish ways of addressing the information gap
3.  Construct strategies for locating information
4.  Locate and access information
5.  Compare and evaluate information obtained from
different sources
6.  Organise, apply and communicate information to others
7.  Synthesise and build on existing information,
contributing to the creation of new knowledge
www.sconul.ac.uk/groups/information_literacy/seven_pillars.html

Case Study –
The University of Sheffield
Background – CILASS – Strategic engagement –
Tactics – Achievements – Critical success factors

Background
•  University commitment to research-led teaching
•  Library development of Information Skills tutorial
•  Some coverage of skills in Information Strategy
•  Low level of awareness of the concept of
Information Literacy among staff and students
•  High level of expertise within Information Studies
•  Opportunity to bid for national funding as Centre
of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in
the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS)

Collaborative
Networked inquiry
learning Partnership

CILASS
Community
Seven
Pillars IL Network
Learning space
Information literacy collaboratories
development
Information
Commons
‘Modelling the process of research within the student learning experience’

Information Literacy Network
•  Led by the Department of Information Studies
•  A cross-functional inter-disciplinary partnership
−  library professionals, information science academics,
academics in other areas and educational developers
•  Discipline-sensitive focus on information literacy
•  Programme of curriculum innovation placing
information literacy at heart of student learning


Strategic engagement
IL now prominent in strategy and policy statements
•  Specified as a formal objective of the University
Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy
•  Listed in Characteristics of Sheffield Graduate
•  Identified as key theme of Library Strategic Plan
•  Incorporated in Departmental LTA Strategies
−  with some examples of Departmental IL Strategies
•  Included in undergraduate induction checklist

Tactical deployment
•  Workshops offering help with LTA strategies
used to raise awareness and share experiences
•  Fellowships and project funding to stimulate IL
initiatives and Library staff development program
•  Presentations reporting progress on IL initiatives
delivered at internal and external conferences
•  Series of events and blog postings organised as
Information Literacy Week to reach more people
•  IL Network extended to bring in other key players

Fellowships, Projects, Awards
•  One-year part-time •  Series of calls for bids
secondment (20%) from departments
•  Pedagogical research (including the Library)
and development •  Funding for staff buy-
•  Financial reward for out and other costs
individual (£1,000) (maximum £10,000)
•  Salary compensation •  Formal reporting and
for department/school evaluation required


Awareness-raising,
sponsorship and
dissemination


Operational achievement
•  Widespread use of customised online IL tutorials
•  Many examples of academic and library staff
working together on new IBL learning resources,
workshops, assessments and IL presentations
•  Academics using Seven Pillars in their teaching
•  Library staff more involved in IL teaching within
Information Studies (classroom and Second Life)
•  Information literacy part of everyday vocabulary


Critical success factors @ Sheffield
•  Explicit links to current institutional concerns
•  Formal incorporation in core business strategy
•  Financial incentives for staff to launch IL projects
•  IL network group to focus and co-ordinate effort
•  Stakeholder-based multi-professional partnership
•  Dedicated specialist support to take work forward
•  Senior people acting as institutional champions
•  Departmental contacts acting as local advocates

Benefits of strategic engagement
•  Ensures equal opportunity for all students to gain
skills needed for academic and career success
•  Equips students and staff for international arena
•  Competitive advantage in graduate employability
•  Distinctive branding of ‘The Sheffield Graduate’
•  Promotes sharing and take-up of good practice,
while reducing risk of wasted or duplicated effort
•  Enables coherent and holistic development of IL

Strategic questions for universities
•  Situation analysis – what are the big issues (strategic
or operational) causing concern in the institution today?
−  can IL enhance our performance and improve our position?

•  Stakeholder mapping – who are the key players with
a potential interest or involvement in the areas identified?
−  can they be recruited as partners in IL initiatives/pilot projects?

•  Portfolio development – where should we target effort
and how should we design and deliver IL interventions?
•  Professional standards – adopt, adapt or develop?


Readings
Corrall, S. (2007) ‘Benchmarking strategic engagement with
information literacy in higher education: towards a working model’,
Information Research, 12 (4), paper 328.
http://InformationR.net/ir/12-4/paper328.htm
Corrall, S. (2008) ‘Information literacy strategy development in higher
education: an exploratory study’, International Journal of
Information Management, 28 (1), 26-37.
Eisenberg, M.B. et al. (2004) Information Literacy: Essential Skills for
the Information Age. Libraries Unlimited.
Johnston, B. & Webber, S. (2004) ‘The role of LIS faculty in the
information literate university: taking over the academy?’
New Library World, 105 (1/2), 12-20.


Information Literacy: The Case for Strategic Engagement

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