Susie AndrettaLondon Metropolitan University

www.ilit.org

My grandmother couldn't tell you what a computer looked like, my parents can't understand why everyone wants broadband. [..] I Google anything, [..] I know I can go online and get the information I need. It's not a thought process oh I have to Google, it's second nature. [..] So my generation is the first generation, who had that kind of access to computers, knowing that you can find information. My nephew who is 6 emailed me this morning, he's in kindergarten. So when I am fifty and my kids are grown up there'll be something else. (Interview, 2007)

Implications for information literacy educators?

• The ever-changing information environment and lifelong learning (Horton, 2008)

• Information overload and lack of quality assurance (Bundy, 2004)

• Users as ‘producers’ rather than ‘consumers’ of information (Whitworth, 2006)

• ‘Digital natives’ but not ‘net savvy’ (Lorenzo et al, 2006)

In a familiar environment you are expected to be a good user. But I think that the real good user the user, with real skills and know-how to engage with information and information systems, is the one that can find his way through information within unfamiliar situations. (Interview, 2006)

Context – critical factor in determining Information Literacy

Relational model of information literacy

The information goal

Applied in every-day practice

Partially/totally unknown

*(Andretta, 2008 in press)

• Strategy One: Start with the learner-information relationship and develop a customised information literacy profile for each learner (establishes the internal horizon, ie familiar, and the external horizon, ie partially or totally unfamiliar).

• Strategy Two: Design learning outcomes that make the learners create, rather than just find information to encourage ownership of learning (shifting awareness from unfamiliar - external horizon to familiar - internal horizon).

• Strategy Three: Design assessment strategies that facilitate reflection of information literacy practice through the evaluation of the outcome of learning (reflection “in and on action”, Hughes et al, 2007).

*(Andretta, 2008a in press)

Diagnostic strategy to establish what the learner ‘knows’ (internal horizon - confidence) and ’doesn’t know’ (external horizon - motivation)

• Undergraduate students: Information literacy profile (IL module – 1st Year undergraduates)

• Postgraduate students: encyclopaedia entry (Applied Information Research – AIR)

• IL facilitators: professional development targets (Facilitating Information Literacy Education - FILE)

Real world and problem solving learning outcomes to shift awareness from external to internal horizons

• IL module: finding out what the question is (webliography and database searching)

• AIR: funded research proposal (application for funded research)

• FILE: e-portfolio (IL programme and resources)

Formative and summative assessment to raise awareness of the transforming impact of IL:

• IL module: Component 1: ‘how information literate am I?’; Component 5: ‘what have I learned from the IL module?’

• AIR: Evaluation of the research through feedback on oral presentation of the proposal.

• FILE: Reflection on practice complemented by peer, tutor and technology enhanced feedback.

Andretta, S. (2007) ‘Information literacy: the functional literacy for the 21st Century’. In S. Andretta (Ed.) Change and Challenge: Information literacy for the 21st Century (pp.1-13). Auslib Press: Adelaide.

Andretta, S. (2008 in press) ‘Facilitating Information Literacy Education (FILE)’. In A. Brine (Ed.) Handbook of library training practice and development, 3, Gower Publishing Ltd.

Andretta, S. (2008a in press) ‘Information literacy from the learner’s perspective. A UK study’. In C. Basilli (Ed.), Information Literacy as the crossroad of Education and Information Policies in Europe. European Network of Information Literacy (ENIL).

Booth, A. and Fabian, C. A. (2002) ‘Collaborating to advance curriculum based Information Literacy’, Journal of Library Administration, 36 (1): 123-142.

Bruce, C. (1997) The Seven Faces of Information Literacy. Auslib Press: Adelaide.

Bundy, A. (2004) ‘Zeitgeist: information literacy and educational change’, 4th Frankfurt Scientific Symposium, Germany, October, 2004. [Online] Available at: http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/about/papers/abpapers.asp

Horton, W. (2008) Understanding Information Literacy: A Primer. UNESCO: Paris.

Hughes, H., Bruce, C. and Edwards, S. (2007) Models for reflection and learning: a culturally inclusive response to the information literacy imbalance. In S. Andretta (Ed.), Change and Challenge: Information literacy for the 21st Century (pp. 59-84). Adelaide: Auslib Press.

Lorenzo, G. and Dziuban, C. (2006) ‘Ensuring the Net Generation Is Net Savvy’. In Oblinger, D.G. (Ed.), EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, ELI3006. [Online]. Available at: http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELI3006

Sundin, O.; Limberg, L. and Lundh, A. (2008) ‘Constructing librarians’ information literacy expertise in the domain of nursing’. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 40 (1): 21-30. Whitworth, A. (2006) ‘Communicative competence in the information age: towards a critical theory of information literacy education’. In S. Andretta (Ed.), Italics, 5 (1), January 2006. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/italics/vol5-1/pdf/Whitworth_final.pdf