Sheila Webber, May 2007

My experience of using the research

Sheila WebberUniversity of Sheffield Department of Information StudiesJune 2007

Text and photos copyright Sheila Webber, 2007

Sheila Webber, May 2007

Context for these slides These slides outline the way in which I have used the discoveries

from the research project investigating UK academics’ conceptions of information literacy and pedagogy for information literacy. This was a phenomenographic investigation looking at 4 disciplines: Marketing, Chemistry, Civil Engineering and English. One the articles about this research can be found here:

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.cilip.org.uk/specialinterestgroups/bysubject/research/publications/journal/archive/lir93/article93b.htm

Sheila Webber, May 2007

Outline• With students• With staff in my Department• With other staff in Sheffield• With librarians outside the institution• With academics outside the institution

Sheila Webber, May 2007

With students• Masters students

– Introducing categories of ped. for IL to Masters students– Asking students (in groups) to see whether they can identify which

category their subject lecturers fell into + identify what could have been done better

– Mini presentations from students– Helps them explore their own conceptions & abilities & take critical

approach• Introduce to UG in IL class. • Thinking of using IL categories more broadly across

(multidisciplinary) programmes as basis for IL education

Sheila Webber, May 2007

With staff in Department

• Colleagues introduced to categories, discussed which one they identified with or would aspire to

Sheila Webber, May 2007

With staff outside the Department

• IL now officially one of the attributes of a Sheffield Graduate

• Every Department had to produce a Departmental Learning Teaching & Assessment Strategy

• IL Network (library + IS Dept) held 3 workshops to help Departments develop IL aspect

• See handout (part of workshop)• Exercises in developing ideas of what IL meant,

what wanted as outcomes

Sheila Webber, May 2007

With librarians

• Identifying and discussing their own conceptions & approaches

• Identifying conceptions & approaches of staff they work with

• Identifying different strategies appropriate to particular categories (marketing & educational)

Sheila Webber, May 2007

With academics outside the institution

• University of West of England• Day focused on information literacy development• 28 participants – about 2/3 academics, rest

librarians• Presentation followed by break out session – next

slide

Sheila Webber, May 2007

Break out exercise

• Identify & discuss your own conceptions of IL/ teaching information literacy

• Identify the conceptions of staff you work with

• Identify ways forward/ strategies appropriate to these conceptions

Each group fed back

• Issue which emerges as most difficult or contentious

• Issue on which there is most agreement

• An unanswered question

Sheila Webber, May 2007

Sheila Webber s.webber@shef.ac.uk

http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/

http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/

Sheila Yoshikawa