Identifying and facilitating a community of practice in IL - McCluskey Dean
1. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Identifying and facilitating a
community of practice in
information literacy
Clare McCluskey Dean
@claremcdean
DInfSc project via Robert Gordon University
Supervisor: Dr Konstantina Martzoukou
2. Scattered puzzle pieces next to solved fragment by Horla Varlan. Available under CC BY 2.0 from https://flic.kr/p/7vEVv7
The project
3. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Research objectives
1. To explore the terminology, meanings
and values assigned to information
literacy in different academic subject
areas in year 1 (level 4) of
undergraduate programmes at York St
John University
4. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Research objectives
2. To establish whether there is already
evidence of the emerging forms of
information literacy (social construction
of information literacy (Lloyd 2010) and
critical information literacy (Elmborg
2012)) in the practice of academics at
York St John University, or if the
foundations for their growth can be
established.
5. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Research objectives
3. To examine how academics experience
and evaluate information literacy in their
teaching practices and to ascertain
whether there is common ground in
information literacy provision already
embedded in the curriculum in these
programmes. i.e. the basis for a
community of practice.
6. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Research objectives
4. To implement and evaluate a platform for
information literacy dialogue amongst
staff at YSJ
a. to promote the evolution of collaborative
information literacy provision in line with emerging
theories,
b. to improve the researcher’s own practice.
8. www.yorksj.ac.uk
The literature
• Information literacy as a contested
concept
• Critical research skills described in
professional literature
• Theory of Communities of Practice
• Concepts of social learning and learning
communities in education
11. www.yorksj.ac.uk
Results
• Common practice in traditional info lit
• Some evidence of emerging info lit
• Difference between academic schools
• Basis for Community of Practice
13. www.yorksj.ac.uk
The community of practice
• What next?
• Do you have anything similar in your
workplace?
• Can you see value in sharing experiences
and resources?
14. www.yorksj.ac.uk
References
ELMBORG, J., 2012. Critical information literacy:
Definitions and challenges. In: C. WETZEL
WILKINSON and C. BRUCH eds., Transforming
Information Literacy Programs: Intersecting Frontiers
of Self, Library Culture, and Campus
Community Chicago: Association of College and
Research Libraries, pp. 75-95.
LLOYD, A., 2010. Information literacy landscapes :
information literacy in education, workplace and
everyday contexts. Oxford: Chandos.
WENGER, E., 1998. Communities of practice :
learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
15. Clare McCluskey Dean
Academic Liaison Librarian
York St John University
Email: c.mccluskey-
dean@yorksj.ac.uk
Telephone: 01904 876324
Twitter: @claremcdean
Dr Konstantina
Martzoukou
Teaching Excellence Fellow
Robert Gordon University
Email: k.martzoukou@rgu.ac.uk
Telephone: 01224 263838
Twitter: @dinamartz
Notes de l'éditeur
Important to choose another university for ethical reasons
Planned to investigate own practice and workplace – gave an outside lens
Concern? Belief that IL concerns are shared across this institution, but no mechanisms in place for allowing this to be discovered and developed. If this true, would see a shift in role of academic librarians from teaching as an expert, to facilitating the embedding of IL in the curriculum, and seeing IL developed, via staff development.
ELMBORG, J., 2012. Critical information literacy: Definitions and challenges. In: C. WETZEL WILKINSON and C. BRUCH eds., Transforming Information Literacy Programs: Intersecting Frontiers of Self, Library Culture, and Campus Community Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, pp. 75-95.
LLOYD, A., 2010. Information literacy landscapes : information literacy in education, workplace and everyday contexts. Oxford: Chandos.
WENGER, E., 1998. Communities of practice : learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Exploration of the literature. What is information literacy? Traditionally based upon skills models. SCONUL, ACRL, ANCIL, ANZIL. Various critiques of these, including social construction approach (landscapes) (Lloyd) and the critical information literacy approach (Elmborg, Smith). Too academia-centric, not taking into account the backgrounds and previous experiences of those in HE.
By Barry Mangham [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons