sheila webber, may 2007 conceptions of, and pedagogy for, information literacy sheila webber...

Sheila Webber, May 2007

Conceptions of, and pedagogy for, information literacy

Sheila WebberUniversity of Sheffield Department of Information StudiesMay 2007


Outline• Basics about the research project• Discoveries: conceptions of IL and

pedagogy for IL– Marketing in some detail– Less detail for other disciplines

• Ways in which we have used it so far– With my students– With staff– With librarians


“Information literacy is the adoption of appropriate information behaviour to identify, through whatever channel or medium, information well fitted to information needs, leading to wise and ethical use of information in society.”

Johnston & Webber


The project


• Three-year Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - funded project (Nov 2002- Nov 2005)

To explore UK academics’ conceptions of, and pedagogy for, information literacy

• Sheila Webber; Bill Johnston; Stuart Boon (Research Assistant: now lecturing at Strathclyde)


Key research questions

1. What conceptions of information literacy are held by UK academics?

2. What are academics’ conceptions and reported practice in educating students for information literacy?

3. Do differences in conception correspond to differences in discipline?


Disciplinarity: research has revealed

• Differences in information behaviour e.g.– Search/ browse/ link– Types of source used

• Differences in approaches to teaching, learning & assessment

• So wanted to find whether differences re. Information literacy


Contextual imperatives: each new piece of knowledge has its place in the picture "Discovery"Chemistry

Draws on hard knowledge domain, applied to practical problemsOutcomes which are often products, techniquesCivil Engineering

Contextual associations: loosely knit clusters of ideas "Interpretations"

English

Draws on soft pure knowledge domain to interpret and understand situations

Outcomes are often protocols or procedures Marketing

Hard

AppliedPure

Soft


"Phenomenography is the empirical study of the differing ways in which people experience, perceive, apprehend, understand, conceptualise various phenomena in and aspects of the world around us.”

Qualitative research aiming for insights

Marton (1994)


Insights

Information Literacy

?

IntervieweeUs

What is key focus of Interviewee’s conception of IL?


Categories

Pool of interview transcripts

Analysis

e.g. categories describing different ways of experiencing information literacy

A descriptive ‘snapshot’

Holistic view

Variation not communality


Phenomenographic studies e.g.

• Education– Surface & deep learning– Approaches to teaching

• Information e.g. Bruce, Lupton, Edwards• Healthcare• Management• Research• Etc. etc.


Whole purposive sample• 80 interviews, 20 per discipline• 26 universities: 69% from pre-1992 universities• 61% male, 39% female• Ages in ranges 21-30 to 61+• Years of teaching in ranges 0-5 to 31+• All taught undergrads, 93% taught Masters, 54% PhDs• 48% course/programme coordinators• Research Assessment Exercise ratings from 2 - 5*• Teaching quality grades from Satisfactory - Excellent


Interviews• Approx. 45 min. each• 3 basic questions:

– What is your conception of IL?– How do you engage your

students in IL?– What is your conception of the

Information Literate University?Stuart the interviewer

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/362/1416/1600/stuart%20with%20water.jpg


Marketing: Information literacy as…

1. Accessing information quickly and easily to be aware of what’s going on

2. Using IT to work with information efficiently and effectively3. Possessing a set of information skills and applying them to the

task in hand4. Using information literacy to solve real-world problems5. Becoming critical thinkers6. Becoming a confident, independent practitioner


Marketing: Pedagogy for Information Literacy as…

1. Someone else’s job2. Upgrading students’ information toolbox at an appropriate point3. Facilitating access to a variety of resources4. Showing students how and when to use information skills5. Helping students understand how information literacy is critical

to them, for marketing & life

Key factors: 1) Academics' conceptions of information literacy2) Their approach to pedagogy


1. Someone else’s job

Focus on: The subject (marketing); Assumptions about studentsIL: Access or toolbox“It’s my job in a two hour lecture to lecture to them on the subject

area for two hours.” “Uh, when I go to a lecture I teach in a lecture. I don’t teach them how to use the library. I don’t teach them how to use the internet. I don’t teach them how to do electronic searches.” (13).



2. Upgrading students’ information toolbox at an appropriate point

Focus on: The course; Assumptions about studentsIL: Toolbox“Well, it means having a, uh, a kind of toolbox of skills that I can

show the students how to use. But I should point out that I don’t teach a lot of information literacy, not as it would be called information literacy, but there are important bits or specific tools that I do bring out for different classes.” (14)



3. Facilitating access to a variety of resources

Focus on: Their teaching; Students’ expectationsIL: Access or Using IT to work with information “As an educator, I suppose it would mean, um, well, if we are

talking about education, then I suppose it [information literacy] would mean—because my first answer was based on research—I suppose this would mean more about using it in teaching and teaching other people where to get information from, and what exists out there, and how to get a hold of it.” (18)



“So information is vital. And being up to date with the information you are gathering is vital—being on top of events. In business, nothing remains the same. One day the sky is blue, the next day it’s green or red. You’ve always got to be on top of the news and pulling in information from every angle.” (Marketing 09)


4. Showing students how and when to use information skillsFocus on: The course; Students’ expectationsIL: Access or Using IT to work with information“Aside from all the stuff they have to learn about what this topic is,

I like them to learn, um, how to find things out to use for essays and the resources that are available on the computer and in the library. I like them to learn, um, a more practical side of things like communication and discussion and things like that, but I don’t know if you’d class that as information skills or not. But I think that the learning experience is about, um, can you go out and work at the end of the degree and not just can you recite who wrote this particular journal article in 1978? “ (03)



5. Helping students understand how information literacy is critical to them, for marketing & life

Focus on: Student understandingIL: Problem solving; Critical thinking; Independent practitioner“The MBA is all about learning to swim in information and to make

heads or tails of where you are and where you need to go. (01)“I want them to think about information. I want them to feel like they

can really participate. I put a lot of pressure on the students to get interactive, to go out and to learn. I want them to see that information is essential and that it doesn’t have to be boring." (20)



English: Information literacy as…

1. Accessing and retrieving textual information2. Using IT to access and retrieve information3. Possessing basic research skills and knowing how

and when to use them4. Becoming confident, autonomous learners and

critical thinkers


English academics' conceptions of pedagogy for IL as …

1. Someone else's job2. An add-on or side-effect of teaching the subject3. Introducing the students to sources of information4. Engaging with students to show them the value of

information and information literacy

Key factors: 1) Relationship between information literacy and the discipline 2) Their approach to pedagogy & student learning


Chemistry: Information literacy as…

1. Accessing and searching chemical information

2. Mastering a chemist's information skill set3. Communicating scientific information4. An essential part of the constitution/

construction/ creation of knowledge

Key factors: Roles & activities; Nature of information; Area of application


Chemistry academics' conceptions of pedagogy for IL as …

Key factors: Pedagogic approach; Outcomes for learning IL


Chemistry academics' conceptions of pedagogy for IL as …

1. Implicit in teaching students to understand chemistry. “we teach them to find chemical data and structures for their assignments” (Chem 2)

2. Designing a path for students through a chemistry course “So we do make sure that we’ve assessed them and we introduce them to all the different databases throughout the four years, em, but we will always ask them to do stuff outside of that to widen their understanding.” (Chem 4)

3. Challenging students to respond independently, critically and creatively with information “… to be able to question, to disagree, to… really to have fun with information as well.” (Chem 11)


Civil Engineering: Information literacy as…1. Accessing and retrieving data and information e.g. “the

ability of students to find relevant information to the tasks at hand” (CENG15)

2. Applying and using information e.g. “the ability to recognise, sort, manipulate, or make use of the information” (CENG09)

3. Analysis and sense making e.g. “basically it is creative, analytical problem-solving” (CENG16)

4. Creating, and incorporating information into a professional knowledge base e.g. “get them to the point that they can be literate in their discipline and its wide, wider context….” (CENG19)


Civil Engineering: pedagogy for Information literacy as…

1. Someone else’s job e.g. “I don’t teach it. No, mostly I assume the students can do it.” (CEng 01)

2. Providing core/fundamental information as part of an Engineering course. “A basic lecture will have a limited content. So often I will give a lecture and say, ‘Have a look at this website for further information.’” “If you go for a fairly dynamic, say developmental style of lecture where students are putting ideas in and you develop them and talk about them, you run the risk of not achieving the real objectives of the lecture, which may be predefined.” (Both CEng 10) (Cat 2 continues next slide)



“When I can, I point out a resource, and I recommend they do readings where possible…. So I spend most of my time just talking about engineering. There is a lot to cover, so I just bang on oblivious most of the time. ” (CEng 11)

“I teach them civil engineering, but, um, obviously, some of that involves information skills, like being able to solve an engineering problem… uh, managing a project, or, to manage the information. “ (CEng 02)

“Help them with their information skills? [Pause.] I expect them to be able to handle information on their own and so, I guess, I wouldn’t say that I do. But that doesn’t mean I just leave them to the wolves either.” (CEng 03)



3 Encouraging independent and confident critical thought & work e.g. “So I… um, with the internet stuff, I don’t have to go through all that, I can just, ‘Here are some things. Look at them on the internet and discuss them. Make a judgement about them.’” (CEng 16)“those employers will be specifying certain competencies that they want and undoubtedly once of the competencies that they want is research and analysis skills, information sourcing and retrieval. And the expectation of the employer is going to be that the graduate knows how to do this and that they are self-reliant and don't need to be taken by the hand…” (CEng 04)“They have to skill-up and then use their secondary research to inform their primary research, and I have to persuade them that this is doable, they can do it, they can trust the results that they get without running back to me “ (CEng 5)


Approaches to teaching

• Compatible with other "conceptions of pedagogy" research, for example as reviewed by Samuelowitz and Bain (2001)

– Knowledge conveying categories (e.g. transferring knowledge, explaining curriculum)

– Intermediate categories (e.g. focus on student-teacher interaction)

– Facilitation of learning categories (e.g. facilitating conceptual change & understanding)


Importance of pedagogic approach!

• Conception of IL is only part of picture• Need to tune into pedagogic approach as well as IL

conception• As develop approach to teaching, may shift

category• People in "higher" categories talked about

themselves as learners – a good sign for partnership


Disciplinary differencese.g. English & Chemistry

• Personal (English) vs Professional (Chemistry)– cf. Personal vs. group mode of researching– Social/civic role vs. role of chemist in society

• Nature of information– Unified view of what chemistry information is (building blocks of

knowledge) vs. in English focus on different media– Way in which information accessed/ used inc. role of IT

• In common– sense that there is a Discipline (tribe)– Variation!


Creating relationships• Different strategies likely to appeal to different

categories e.g. – Toolbox and access approaches won't wow people

with "Engaging with students to show them the value of information and information literacy" conception (would want critical thinking & lifelong learning approach)

– A critical thinking approach may not excite a lecturer who wants students to “find chemical data and structures for their assignments”

• Understanding and empathy with potential partners


Opportunities through…..??? e.g.

• Curriculum development e.g. inquiry-based learning, E-learning

• Teaching & Learning initiatives e.g. Emphasis on graduate skills

• For librarians: Increasing personal touch - librarians seem to rate better than "libraries"


My experience of using the research


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


With staff in Department

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


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

what wanted as outcomes


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)


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 feed back

• Issue which emerges as most difficult or contentious

• Issue on which there is most agreement• An unanswered question


Sheila Webber [email protected]

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

http://adventuresofyoshikawa.blogspot.com/

Sheila Yoshikawa

sheila webber, may 2007 conceptions of, and pedagogy for, information literacy sheila webber...

Documents

information literacy

johnston webber slide

teaching information

insights information

information needs

project slide

communality slide

strathclyde slide