Digital and information literacy: supportin staff and students in higher education
1. DIGITAL AND INFORMATION
LITERACIES: SUPPORTING
STAFF AND STUDENT
LEARNING IN HIGHER
EDUCATION
Dr Jane Secker
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Brighton. 28th June 2013
Information Services Away Day
2. OVERVIEW
Defining digital literacy / information literacy
Introducing ANCIL – theory and practice
Digital literacies: interim findings from JISC
Digital literacies at LSE
Key challenges for the future
3. OVERVIEW
Defining digital literacy / information literacy
Introducing ANCIL – theory and practice
Digital literacies: interim findings from JISC
Digital literacies at LSE
Key challenges for the future
4. WHAT IS INFORMATION AND DIGITAL LITERACY?
What do these terms mean to you?
Are they different or the same?
How do they relate to teaching and learning?
Why might they be important to your students?
Why might they be important to your staff?
5. Information literate people will demonstrate an
awareness of how they
gather, use, manage, synthesise and create
information and data in an ethical manner and
will have the information skills to do so
effectively. SCONUL 7 Pillars
Digital Literacy: "the „savvyness‟ that allows
young people to participate meaningfully and
safely as digital technology becomes ever more
pervasive in society.”
Future Lab
By digital literacy we mean those capabilities which fit an
individual for living, learning and working in a digital society: for
example, the skills to use digital tools to undertake academic
research, writing and critical thinking; as part of personal
development planning; and as a way of showcasing
achievements.
JISC
7. WHY DOES THIS STILL MATTER?
Photo by Flickingerbrad licensed under Creative Commons Photo by starmanseries licensed under Creative Commons
8. ANCIL: A New Curriculum for
Information Literacy
• Research was part of Arcadia Programme at
University of Cambridge (with Emma Coonan)
• We sought to understand the needs of undergraduates
entering HE over the coming 5 years
• Develop a practical curriculum and supporting resources (all
in 10 weeks from May – July 2011)
• Methodology: expert consultation and literature review
• 3 reports: many resources all on website
Followed up by Katy Wrathall and Helen Webster
9. Information literacy is a continuum of
skills, behaviours, approaches and values
that is so deeply entwined with the uses of
information as to be a fundamental element of
learning, scholarship and research.
It is the defining characteristic of the
discerning scholar, the informed and judicious
citizen, and the autonomous learner.
(ANCIL definition of information literacy, 2011)
10. ANCIL: A NEW CURRICULUM FOR INFORMATION
LITERACY
Secker & Coonan (2011)
11. Careers
Language Centre
Teaching & Learning Centre
Language Centre
LSE100
Departments
Library
Library
LibraryLibrary
Library
Centre for Learning
Technology
Departments
LSE100
Teaching & Learning
Centre
Departments
Language Centre
Library
Teaching & Learning Centre
Departments
Language Centre
Language Centre
Teaching & Learning Centre
Careers
Departments
LSE100
ANCIL IN PRACTICE
Secker & Coonan (2011)
12. JISC DIGITAL LITERACIES PROGRAMME
Many parallels with this programme and ANCIL
Digital literacies „Looking to the Future‟:
recommendations for institutions
Audit tool and guidelines
£1.5 million / 12 projects ending July 2013
Tackling both staff and students
Many resources on The Design Studio
13. CASCADE PROJECT (EXETER)
Developing digital scholars
Developing the digital curriculum
Developing the digital university
14. SEEDPOD (PLYMOUTH)
Carried our a digital literacies review of
staff, students and institutional practice
Looking to embed DL in the curriculum delivery and
design processes
Guides for academic staff
Video case studies
15. DIGITAL LITERACIES AT LSE
Workshops for staff and PhD students since 2006
Embedded in PGCert since 2010
Currently reviewing undergraduate support
Need to join up provision
Need for consistency and standards
Need more integration
Draft D& IL strategy
Image cc from http://www.flickr.com/photos/notkaiho/5716096442/
Undergraduate support at LSE:
the ANCIL report
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/48058/
17. WHAT DO WE NEED?
A new curriculum?
A strategy or framework?
18. WHAT DO WE NEED?
A new curriculum?
A strategy or framework?
A shared aim and vision
across HE?
19. WHAT DO WE NEED?
A new curriculum?
A strategy or framework?
A shared aim and vision
across HE?
Organisational change
20. EMBEDDING VS INTEGRATING?
“The immediate connotation of the term
„embedding‟ is placement and addition.
While present in the [curriculum] it is
neither integral nor integrated. It is there
as an add-on and can possibly be done
without.”
(Victor Lim Fei, 2012)
22. CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS ….
“… if the teachers, whether they‟re school or
university teachers, don‟t have the same view
of IL that we do, it‟s always going to be [about]
the skills. And the skills are fine but anybody
can teach the skills; it‟s teaching the changing
attitude and the different approach that I
think has to come from the teachers.”
(ANCIL Expert Consultation Report, 2011)
26. “It is as absurd to try and solve the
problems of education by giving people
access to information as it would be to
solve the housing problem by giving
people access to bricks.”
(Diana Laurillard, 2002)
deliver a keynote address on digital literacy, outlining current thinking and approaches in higher education, both what it means and how it can be achieved. We are interested in hearing examples from other HE institutions and their approaches to this.
And what about other literacies? We hear a lot of discussion about the importance of digital literacies. The use of information is so critical that it relates to a whole set of other literacies. It is not to say that information literacy overarches these terms, but many of these learning literacies have information at their heart and so information literacy is central to any learning literacy framework. But on digital literacy, we believe strongly that digital literacy falls within IL, not the other way around – despite perceptions we encountered. Recently at an event organised by the Society for Research in Higher Education we came across this opinion and when you encounter the view that DL contains IL, it’s because the speaker has a narrow perception of what the “information” in IL means – that is it is just published literature (i.e. stuff in the library). And possibly also because of narrow perceptions around what librarians do – and what the library does or should do (our mission).What do we call it? It’s learning, doing research, learning to be discerning – but if anyone can find a better term that information literacy I am willing to be convinced!
Surely all students are digital natives – they know how to use information? They can find information at the touch of a button? In fact there is much evidence from reports such as the 2007 CIBER report, that indicates students lack critical evaluation skills and struggle making the transition to working at higher education level. The shift from a dependent way of learning to independence. The current government preoccupation with revamping A levels is partly a recognition that students are not prepared for higher education, for writing longer pieces of work and for thinking critically. (they are good at passing exams!) The 2011 Demos report , Truth, Lies and the internetargues that helping young people navigate hugely variable Internet sources should be achieved not by tighter controls but by ensuring they can make informed judgements (4). We should think and talk less about the internet causing harm (passive learning model) and instead focus on what helping equip young peopleand empower themselves with an understanding of how to apply critical judgement.Guardian’s high-provile digital literacy campaign for radical change to how ICT is taught and thought about in schools.JISC’s portfolio of projects around the digital library, data management, digital repositories, and Vitae’s events for the ‘Digital Researcher’ – all show that this concept of digital literacy or fluency is becoming of national importance (at last!). National IL initiatives – Welsh and Scottish projects; UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy curriculum for schools. All these campaigns and initiatives show the extent to which information literacy is tied in with lifelong learning, citizenship, employability, social mobility, and the knowledge economy. IL is part of a general movement towards creating not just judicious scholars but informed citizens. It’s individuals using, taking action with information. It is not just to do with access to information – it goes beyond that and into what people do with it, or to it, or through it.In this environment we have a chance to rehabilitate traditional notions of IL as ‘something the library does’ and look at it as a crucial part of individual lifelong learning instead.
But we were largely influenced by UNESCO’s belief that information literacy underpins learning and is a human rightWe have tried to broaden the understanding of IL to see it as a framework for learning that must be recognised and supported across the institution. It’s key to attracting students, to retaining them and scaffolding their academic development. It’s key to helping them make transitions between learning contexts, not just from school into higher education but from ‘discipleship’ or dependent modes of learning into independent learning such as is required at dissertation or extended research level, or when moving on to postgraduate research. And it’s key to how information is used and handled in daily life, in social contexts, and in the workplace.Needs to be taught in context: discipline, levelValue needs to be recognised by faculty and curriculum designersNeeds support at an institutional / strategic levelIs not the preserve or saviour of the library
JISC report said digital literacies should be:Tutors need to be proactive in helping studemtsDl and IL needs to be embeddedLearner’s need to be engaged in their own developmentAcademic staff need to be engaged in rethinking their ‘knowledge practices’Broadening out a lot of good work in ILDefining employabilityInstitutional provision should encompass:a generic entitlement to access and skills, articulated in terms of ICT support, information literacy, learning opportunities and study skillsrecognition of, and support where appropriate for, for learners' use of personal technologies and social networks to support their studiesclarity about what it means to know, to apply knowledge, to be critical and creative, in different subjects and disciplines, including the impact of digital technologiesreview, feedback and recognition (e.g. assessment) of learners' practices as they developwhole-institution, cross-context support for portfolio building so individual learners can integrate these elements – access and skills, subject-specific understanding, and personal practice/know-how – through reflection and planning
Digital scholarsWorking with postgards – to better understand role of technology in scholarshipTraced learning journeys of several PGsIncluded digital tips and videosDigital curriculumCases studies across university of ways of engaging students to help students make more effective, considered, and scholarly use of digital tools and media.- one example – using data sets to develop skills in statistical analysisin sports and health sciences studentsAnother example – using mobiles to capture data in the field in geographySharing teaching materials and videosDeveloping the digital universityDeveloping digital capabilitySupporting academic practice – ran a series of workshops with learning skills advisors, academics and students
Project was in partnership with ALDinHEDigital tools for busy academics – very nice guide for their own staffAlso have a lot of support from their technology enhanced learning team
Pockets of good practice
We really mean is integrating Thus, IL is about changing the curriculum = challenging!But ANCIL is not a framework to sit alongside the curriculum, it is not 10 sessions that can run in parallel to the curriculum. It is something to be ‘integrated’ into teaching. We have talked in the library world for a long time about ‘embedding’ IL in the curriculum – I was would argue we need to be integrating – which is subtly different. And may mean less direct teaching of students, but more planning and support with academic staff, so they can teach this stuff. The immediate connotation of the term ‘embedding’ is placement and addition. While present in the curriculum, it is neither integral nor integrated. It is there as an add-on and can possibly be done without.Meanwhile the term ‘integrating’, suggests that IL is an integral part of teaching and learning that is integrated in the curriculum. [Rooney & Ulanicka presentation]Ultimately we are talking about the need for curriculum change.
There are some perceptions around IL – in the library world and outside that we need to challenge. Librarians may be guilty of thinking IL is Going to save us NOR Is it necessarily understood by other support staff or by teachersBut also: IL doesn’t belong to us (it’s not appropriate to see it as ‘the saviour of the library’ in a digital era). As Katy Wrathall has said “Ownership if a flawed concept”. Clare McCluskey’s research in LIR explored how to build partnerships to explore librarians as full partners in higher education, not just providers of services. This builds on earlier work by Claire McGuiness who had found most interactions between faculty and librarians were of the functional service provider nature.Faculty perceptions of IL McGuinness article back in 2006 : faculty perceptions – its related to student motivation, they will pick it up over time, they (the faculty) are already doing it, they pick it up from fellow students] We need to establish common ground and have a collective vision of the kind that could be achieved through a strategic framework like ANCIL (it’s happening at LSE, Derby, Worcs, YSJ … all in line with each institution’s particular needs.) Building partnerships is all about having a better understanding of what we each do.
Through carrying out these audits at LSE so interesting notions around the perception of librarians emerged. So for instance … what stops faculty from taking us seriously as teacher?It’s not perceptions of capability but of credibilityThe perception problem is because of a complex legacy assumption that “librarians look after books”. They may do other things as well, but our primary role is to tend the stuff. So every time you teach a session they think you’re doing them a special favour! They think they’re taking you away from your “real job” which is doing stuff with books.You say IL (or, you talk about your teaching or your provision or your support) -- what do faculty colleagues hear? …IL = finding books and journal articlesIL= library toursIL = ICT support Think about the preconceived ideas from staff about what your session IL teaching will cover. Does this convey the breadth of information literacy as defined by ANCIL?E.g. Sarah Faye Cohen [excellent blog posts on ‘starting with the WHY of study and research’] – but when she was being introduced her faculty colleague said “Sarah is going to tell you about the library now”.(Rhetorical question: how many of you even use the word ‘library’ when you teach? Or do you find yourself talking about ‘information’ instead in a broader way?)
Andon the capability side – part of the issue is NOT being seen as a teacher, but part of the issue is not having the confidence of qualifications to be a teacher when we enter the profession. So in many cases we are seeking qualifications on entering a professional post, when it becomes apparent we need to teach. So quick straw poll – can I ask how many people in the room have a formal teaching qualification? How many of you are studying for one at the moment? I think it is worth noting that few if any library and information courses in the UK have a core teaching component. Every course has a core module on library management, even though most librarians won’t need it until they get to management level in about 20 years. But why not teach something every librarian will need as soon as they walk into the job? And it’s not just about the practical side of teaching, it’s about understanding learning.And finally, on teacher training, in the future we may be spending far less time teaching students and more time teaching academics about information literacy, so they can teach students IL. I think it’s vital that we integrate information literacy into our educational qualifications (PGCEs etc.) as a priority.
So, after all that ... Where are we going? What is YOUR role in Information Services?Thinking about how YOU situate yourself as a teacher, how will educational trends like open education and MOOcs impact your thinking as well as your teaching?Are MOOCs even an educational trend, or are they an information trend? Should we think about them as access to knowledge, or just access to information? Where do they sit with YOUR teaching and your ‘theories espoused’? If you see constructivism, facilitation of learning, scaffolding and reflective development as part of what you do as a teaching librarian, how will you extend that component to 40,000 students? Maybe you don’t see it that way – think about the continuum we talked about earlier. Maybe you do see the mission of the library above all to provide access to quality material – in which case perhaps a MOOC is a library!
Laurillard was talking about rethinking university teaching and the impact of new technologies back in the early noughties. However, I think this quote remains relevant today – and more so in the era of the MOOC. When we are asking ourselves, what role is there for face to face teaching? What role if there for libraries and librarians?(Full disclosure … for us it’s a case of “Access without support is not opportunity”In the future – it’s not just about us getting the qualifications but about using them, teaching others how to teach. We can’t offer a prescriptive curriculum because we’re talking about behaviours - attitudes and values that are so tied up with learning that it has to be aligned with the curriculum (Biggs) >> our blue sky definition, “intertwined” There are many ways to facilitate this development whether you call it critical inquiry, information literacy, a reflective approach, learner autonomy – these are all ways of describing the same elusive thing, which is again the mission of higher education. It’s a way of thinking about and approaching information, it’s not a set of defined actions or competencies!It’s a wider educational and social enterprise … Ultimately this is not just about rethinking information literacy, but in the process, also rethinking higher education!