Presented at LILAC 2010

1. A whole University blended
approach to developing
academic and information
literacies for researchers
Aoife Geraghty, Library
Íde O’Sullivan, Writing Centre
University of Limerick

2. The first step
• Blended approaches to developing
academic and information literacies: initial
collaboration.
Glucksman Library
UL
The Writing
Centre at UL

3. Creating Links …

4. Creating Links continued

5. Defining the literacies
Academic Literacy
“This domain is broadly defined as encompassing
knowledge, concepts and skills that address study
effectiveness and scholastic achievement. Specifically,
the focus falls on writing, notetaking, concept mapping,
time management, synthesis and critical thinking”
(Peacock 2008).
“… academic literacy is a learning process that focuses on
language as the key building block of knowledge, and
writing as a key way of learning, expressing and thinking
(Vygotsky 1962)” (Peacock 2008).

6. Defining the literacies
Academic Literacy continued
“…literacy is seen as a social practice rather
than a set of cognitive skills to be learnt
and assimilated. This approach takes
account of the cultural and contextual
components of writing and research
practices” (Lea and Street 1996:2).

7. Defining the Literacies
Information Literacy
"To be information literate an individual
must recognise when information is
needed and have the ability to locate,
evaluate and use effectively the
information needed. "
(American Library Association, 1989)

8. Developing Literacies - Why?
Developing researchers, scholars, lifelong
learners
“The new graduate must not only have specialist knowledge in their
field, but also have a range of generic competencies required to
participate in a workplace subject to constant change, the skills
to continue learning throughout a professional life time and
sufficient breadth of knowledge and understanding to reach to
entirely new challenges and to place their work in a broader
social and cultural context.” (Irish Universities Association 2005)

9. Two separate discourses with common
goals
• Academic and Information Literacy – two
separate discourses with common goals?
• Despite sharing similar goals, librarians and
writing instructors work separately in the
achievement of these same goals (Birmingham
et al. 2008:7).
• Encourage an integrated approach to the
research and writing process.
• How has information literacy been integrated
into the academic literacies classroom?

10. Two separate discourses with common
goals continued
• Academics often look towards the Library, the
Writing Centre, the Centre for Teaching and
Learning, and other resources for reasons to
explain what they regard to be students’
insufficiencies in research and writing
(Birmingham et al. 2008:7).
• How can these units work together to respond
to these “accusations”?

11. Pre-degree
First year
Undergraduate
Faculty (Supporting
Student Writing)
Faculty
(Professional
Development)
Postgraduate
Early
Researcher
Scholar
• Library
• Writing Centre
• Centre for Teaching &
Learning
• Graduate School
• Student Affairs
• Access Office
• Mature Student Office
• Counselling services
• The four faculties
• Information Technology
Division
• Careers Office
Working together at the
University of Limerick

12. Collaboration:
Academic Literacies 1 & 2
• Students are introduced to the academic literacies necessary for Arts,
Humanities & Social Sciences disciplines.
– Autonomous learning
– Critical thinking
– Study skills (Centre for Teaching and Learning)
– Information literacy (Library)
– Writing skills (Writing Centre)
– Oral communication skills (Writing Centre)
• Library resources used throughout the programme
– I-Skills (Cranfield)
– Research Skills Online (Epigeum)
• Centre for Teaching and Learning, Learning Styles Questionnaire:
www.shannonlearning.ie

13. Collaboration:
Academic Literacies 1 & 2 continued
• Embedding the literacies in the learning process.
• The research process is integrated into the writing
process, and these components are taught together. The
information literacy is taught in the context of an
authentic enquiry.
• Authentic research and writing tasks/projects: the
development of IL and writing skills in an integrated
manner.
• A process approach to the development of academic
literacies and information literacy.

14. Collaboration Online
The Library and the Writing Centre are working together as
the UL development partners with other UK and Irish
universities in developing the Epigeum Study Skills
Online modules (to be launched AY 2010/2011)
Modules include:
– Knowing yourself as a learner
– Information literacy
– Reading skills
– Academic writing - Argument based essays
– Academic writing - Projects and Lab reports
– Academic writing - Reflective writing
– Good Academic Practice (incl. plagiarism)

15. Collaboration in the Disciplines
Examples
The Art and Science of Nursing
Writing Centre: Writing a Literature Critique
Library: Information Skills
Professional and Personal Skills for Engineers
Writing Centre: Report Writing
Library: Information Literacy for Engineers

16. Collaboration with the Graduate School
Workshops, seminars and customised online modules, incl
Research Skills Online (www.epigeum.co.uk)
• Literature Review
• Writing Long Documents
• Bibliographic Management Software
• Publishing Strategies - Maximising your Impact
• Presentation Skills Online
• Writing for publication / Thesis writing

17. Moving towards more meaningful
collaboration
• Moving a student along the dimension from novice to the point of
being a scholar in a discipline
– 1st
year orientation – Information, Reading, Writing & Learning Support
– Structured PhD programmes (Graduate Research Education
Programmes)
• Integrating IL and AL together in the disciplines
• Institutional change
– Moving beyond academic champions to influencing University
policy and strategy (McGuinness 2007)
• Shared spaces, physical and online
– e.g. Queensland University of Technology’s Blended Help Desk
Service Model

18. Our Mission
To reconnect writing with what
has been written
“The stakes are too high not to welcome each other as genuine and
natural intellectual partners in a common rhetorical enterprise.”
(Norgaard 2004)