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Sheila Webber, Information School, University of Sheffield, UK, [email protected] Abstract The poster portrays three activities that the presenter has used to stimulate students in the Information School to develop their ideas about information literacy. Each of the activities encourages learners to construct their own personal understanding of information literacy by considering various conceptions and perspectives (rather than trying to impose a “one size fits all people” view of information literacy). The first two activities were used with a class of 80 taught postgraduate students; a class with students with a variety of first degree subjects and from many countries around the world (e.g. about a third of the class is Chinese). The first activity series made use both of a Virtual Learning Environment, WebCT, and face to face discussion. The presenter used 10 conceptions of information literacy discovered through research (Webber et al., 2005): each conception was set up as a thread on a WebCT discussion board and students were asked to choose (outside class time) the conception they identified with most, by posting to the relevant thread. The most “popular” conception turned out to be information literacy as “Becoming confident, autonomous learners and critical thinkers”. Students provided thoughtful comments, including some which referenced their own cultural/ national backgrounds. In a subsequent class, the “results” were discussed with the class, and students also discussed whether educators and information professionals needed to do anything differently to help people develop the student’s chosen conception of information literacy. The second activity consisted of a seminar and a poster display. Students were set the task of producing posters that showed “What information literacy means to my future career”, with each group consisting of 3-6 students. In the first week the groups discussed the focus for their posters and drafted ideas. By the next week each group produced an A0 sized poster: these were put up in a display in Sheffield University’s Information Commons. The exhibition was attended by all students, and by Departmental staff and librarians. This was a very lively session, and the posters demonstrated the variety of career aspirations of the students (including library work in various sectors, but also management roles, consultancy, government posts etc.). Students were able to identify aspects of information literacy most important to them. The third activity involved a smaller number of students from the same cohort, using the Virtual World, Second Life. The presenter set up a three dimensional exhibition “What information/literacy means to me” based around quotations from the research study referred to above, and from another study by Shahd Salha (a PhD student researching Syrian school librarians’ conceptions of information literacy). People interact with the exhibition (as avatars), and are then encouraged provide their own quotations
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[2010/03/05 6:06] EZ-Note Message Board: Please wait your turn EZ-Note Message
Board is being used by xxxx xxxx
[2010/03/05 6:06] EZ-Note Message Board: Please wait your turn EZ-Note Message
Board is being used by xxxx xxxx
© Sheila Webber / The University of Sheffield, Department of Information Studies: the iSchool; June 2010. Second Life is a trademark of Linden Labs
Developing diverse learners’ conceptions of information
literacy through different tools and spaces
Sheila Webber
Inf6350: Information resources and
information literacy (IL)M
OLE
Virtual Learning Environment
Inf6350: Intervention 1
Conceptions of IL
• In 2009/10 83 students
• Mainly taking MSc
Information Management or
MA Librarianship programmes
• From a total of 12 countries,
including 30 from China
Core module
Semester 1
By the end of the module students will:
• understand key aspects of information literacy and information
behaviour including: the nature of information needs, information seeking
strategies, and the complexities entailed in satisfying information needs;
• be able to demonstrate and evaluate their information literacy, for
example expertise in accessing, using, comparing and evaluating
information resources such as Web of Science, the Internet and
DIALOG.
Assessment: an individual annotated bibliography, a literature review
and a reflective report on the student’s Information Literacy
Using the 3D
world, Second Life
(SL) to explore
meaning of IL
Reference
Webber, S. Boon, S. and Johnston, B. (2005) “A comparison of UK academics' conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines: English and
Marketing.” Library and Information Research, 30 (93), 4-15. http://www.lirg.org.uk/lir/ojs/index.php/lir/article/view/197/242
Aims for this exercise:
“ Develop your knowledge of research into IL
“Identify your own views/experience of IL
“Improve your ability to use MOLE (WebCT)”
Find the “thread” for your category
on MOLE and make a posting to
show your choice
“Read through the article, in
particular the description of each
Category of IL conception”
“Choose a conception that you feel is
nearest to how you view
information literacy”
Emphasised there is no “right, answer”
only the right answer for you”
If had not yet chosen a conception: “What will you chose
and why?” “Why do you find it difficult to chose?”
Relevant to “7 Pillars of Information Literacy”
assignment: evidence of IL perspective
Basis: conceptions of IL derived from
phenomenographic research (Webber
et al, 2005)
Each
conception
posted to a
discussion
thread on
MOLE
“This viewpoint is near to mine. I think
being thinker and questioner helps us to
understand information better
also its helpful for our personal
development”
Discussion
The international information literacy logo: http://infolitglobal.info/
Week 1
Week 2-3
Week 4
Class reflection on their choice: Do
educators & library/information
professionals need to do anything
differently help people develop this form
of information literacy?
Post-it
63 responses
(75%)
Assessm
ent
Top IL concepts:
Solving real-world problems;
Becoming confident,
autonomous learners and
critical thinkersLecture
Reading
Aims:
•“To develop your understanding of the SCONUL 7 Pillars of Information Literacy
•“To identify the aspects of Information Literacy relevant to your future careers
Output
•“You will create depictions, in words and graphics, of the way in which information
literacy will be relevant to your career. You will work in small groups to produce
these depictions on flip chart paper. In week 7 you will make these into a poster
display that people outside this class may view.”
Inf6350: Intervention 2
IL in my future career
Post-it
exercises
“Helping users understand the broader information
context – not just task focussed – also personal
and professional needs and contribution to society”
Week 6:
Preparation
Week 7: Presentation
Inf6011: Educational
Informatics
By the end of the module students will be able to demonstrate understanding of:
• policy frameworks driving developments in the use of ICT in learning, teaching and training;
• problems and issues that arise from use of ICT in learning
• key relevant learning theories, design principles, and development, delivery and
evaluation/research methods;
• the impact of ICT on the experience of learning;
• the roles of information specialists in designing, supporting etc. learning with ICT;
Optional Semester 2 module -- 50% of assessment is a group report including “an
evaluation of the educational potential and limitations of Second Life”
With
than
ks a
nd a
ckno
wle
dgem
ents
to N
igel
For
dth
e In
f635
0 cl
ass
Overall approach: SL
Orientation, tours,
conferencing; students
report/reflect on their
experiences
“KS: This really emphasises how context influences perceptions of
information literacy” tH: “IL helps people critically
appraise resources” LA :“ information literacy just open
my mind to think better about finding, locating and evaluate
information”
BUT
Increasing insight into IL for both
students and educators
Flexible spaces
1 hour exhibition in the Information Commons, with
all students + staff & librarians; part of IL Week
Career focus varied e.g. academic or public library,
IT consultant, Government work
Visit to virtual exhibition “What
Information/Literacy means to me”
Exhibition created by
Webber using research
quotes about personal
meaning of IL
Students chat
their own
reactions and
concepts of IL
Can be captured in text chat and
as “post-its” on virtual notice board
Stimulated
reflection on 3D
medium and IL
Some
technical
issues to
address
Increasing insight into IL for
both students and educators
Poster: Affra Al Shamsi, Stephen Burton, Jiexiong Cai
Pos
ter:
Adr
ian
Lew
is
and
Shu
jieW
ang
Pos
ter:
Cha
ndra
niM
aitr
a, D
an G
uo, P
hilip
Gre
aves
, Wei
long
Guo
, You
Lu,
Li X
iang
Tools & spaces used in examples
